Title: DanceStar Party Hits
Developed By: SCE: London Studio
Published By: Sony Computer Entertainment
Based On: DanceStar series
Console: Playstation 3 / Requires Playstation Move
Genre: Music, Rhythm, Exercise
Review Conditions: Playstation 3, Physical Media
Special Thanks: Sony Computer Entertainment Australia for providing me with a copy of this title to review
With Christmas just around the corner, companies have been releasing more family-friendly “motion controlled” games for the three major gaming consoles (Playstation 3, XBox360 and Wii [U]) which takes advantage of the consoles motion control functionality. These games generally target certain genres such as ‘mini-game compilations’ and ‘rhythm’, and as past has shown us can be of varying quality.
As I did last year, I will be writing up a number of reviews under the “Get Moving this Christmas” header, smaller and more direct reviews to help provide an opinion on how these titles fare. Previously I have reviewed Dance Central 3 on the XBox360 and Sports Champions 3 for the Playstation 3. For my third review I will be reviewing Sony Computer Entertainment’s dance game DanceStar Party Hits for the Playstation 3.
Especially over the last few years, dancing / rhythm games have been making more and more appearances on video game consoles given the fact that every console has a set of controllers which allow motion control tracking. While Ubisoft and Harmonix have entered this Christmas season with their long awaited releases of Just Dance 4 and Dance Central 3, Sony Computer Entertainment have also put their offering into the mix with DanceStar Party Hits – a sequel of sorts to last years DanceStar Party. With around 40 new tracks added to the mix is this a worthwhile play?
As you can see in the image above, unlike other recently released dance games Sony have opted for a more simplified dance screen. Generally to the left of the screen is the music video for the specific song, in the center is a person who you are supposed to imitate (I am running with the assumption it is an actual recording of a person) and to the right is an image demonstrating the move you have to follow. It helped retain the simplified experience from (much earlier) releases such as SingStar where instead of overloading you with visual stimuli your attention was drawn to the dancing, with an instructor who is easier to follow and the opportunity to enjoy the music video if you want. They also chose to include the lyrics if you or anyone else without a PS Move controller wants to sing along as well.
Each of the games music tracks contains for choreographed dances, each representing one of the four difficulty settings (Beginner, Intermediate, Professional and the two player Dance Partners). There are other dance games with more challenging choreography for those who really want a challenge, but as not much of a dancer myself I thought the difficulty levels and moves were well respective of both the settings and songs, overall serving as a better entry level game to the genre. If you desire a shorter playthrough, songs also include short versions which cut the song off at a certain point. The Playstation Move does a solid performance at capturing your moves accurately in which your performance is sorted out into a 5-star rating.
In addition to the normal modes you have the ‘Party Mode’ which which is a competitive or cooperative experience between friends (Albeit a limit of two motion controllers only), a Dance Creator mode which enables you to record yourself dancing to a song so others can replicate it, Dance Class which serves as your normal training mode although I didn’t find much need to use it (Surprisingly) and Dance Workout which as the name suggests provides you with a workout to help you work out a swear. None of these modes are anything special and are almost standard in any similar game… but it was good to see them in the mix and were implemented well.
While the game doesn’t allow you to share routines with others, you can upload your dance videos and screenshots for others to review if you desire. The network connectivity is pretty much limited at this with no online multiplayer option. The game also allows you to download additional songs at a hefty price – so it is only practical if there is a song you really want.
As you can imagine, in any dance game no matter how good the gameplay is it requires a solid music backing to go alongside it. The game features a track list of around 40 songs which ranges from modern day songs to songs from eras gone by. The range is good and it should appeal to most audiences, but to me at least it would have done well with a few more upbeat and faster paced songs. Comparing it to the list of tracks from the first game, it is about the same quality and number – but all comes down to personal preference.
Overall, DanceStar Party Hits is a fun game without many of the aesthetic / gameplay bells and whistles of its competitors, but provides a more approachable and “pick up and play”experience (For example, I didn’t necessarily need to go to a tutorial before playing each song *Glares at Dance Central 3*). At a cheaper price of $39.95, if you are looking for a solid dancing game then DanceStar Party might be a title to add to your shopping list.
Final Score
Storyline/Character Development: N/A
Design: B-
Music/Voice Acting: B
Gameplay: B
Replayability: B
Personal Opinion: B
Overall Score: B
