Nickelodeon Dance 2

Kids say
Based on 4 reviews
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Nickelodeon Dance 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Nickelodeon Dance 2 is the second in a series of dance games involving popular Nikelodeon TV properties. It's a multi-player game, so two kids can enjoy it together, or an adult can jump in and have some fun with their child. The game is scored and younger kids may become frustrated if they aren't able to do as well as another player. There is no tutorial for any of the moves, including the exercise moves. This review was conducted on the Wii version of the game.
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What’s It About?
NICKELODEON DANCE 2 invites kids to dance with favorite characters from Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, Ni hao, Kai-lan, The Backyardigans, Bubble Guppies, and The Fresh Beat Band. For each song, kids follow the dancing characters and the dance icons that scroll across the screen. As they complete moves correctly, they fill up a "Star Meter" to show how they are doing. The three dance modes group songs into simple, moderate, and complex routines. Nickelodeon Dance 2 includes theme songs and original songs from the TV shows as well as variations on popular kid's songs ("Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb"). Workout mode adds in exercise moves such as lunges and jumping jacks. Freeze mode asks kids to freeze every so often for three beats of the song. Kids can unlock achievements for completing songs, trying new modes, and maxing out their star meters.
Is It Any Good?
Nickelodeon Dance 2 is cute and kids who love these characters will enjoy dancing along with them. The songs are playful and fun, and will be familiar to many of the kids in the target audience. Nickelodeon Dance 2 is marred by a flawed scoring system, which seems to have little correlation to what is being done in real life. While some kids won't care, others will be frustrated that their practiced moves score lower than that of a younger sibling who simply runs around the room with the remote. It also lacks any sort of dance tutorial, which is particularly noticeable in the workout mode. Since kids are following cartoon characters, who aren't always proportional to humans, it is difficult to see exactly what a move should look like.
Old kids will likely appreciate the ability to unlock achievements, while younger ones will find the extra waiting time annoying. This is a nice title for little kids who just want to have some fun. Slightly older crowds will prefer titles with better scoring accuracy and dance clarity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of exercise. Why should we move our bodies every day?
They can also discuss good sportsmanship and the importance of doing your best.
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360
- Subjects: Arts: dance, movement
- Skills: Health & Fitness: exercise, gross motor skills, movement, Collaboration: meeting challenges together, Emotional Development: persevering
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: 2K Play
- Release date: November 6, 2012
- Genre: Exergaming
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Music and Sing-Along
- ESRB rating: E for (No Descriptors)
- Last updated: August 26, 2016
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love dancing and being physical
Themes & Topics
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