It’s always difficult to review a sequel to a music, dance or rhythm game; especially when it’s the not just the second outing. Usually, if the formula’s not been nailed by the second release, it’s not going to see the green-light for a third. Just Dance is one of the franchise though that almost perfected its rhythm if you will after the first beat.

Just Dance, for those of you who are not one of the several million people who have already purchased one of the games in the series so far, is as simple as the name suggest; all you do is dance. With your Wii Remote in one hand, you follow the on-screen dancers and the accompanying prompts to dance to your heart’s content, or until your arm starts to ache.

Each musical-based release will always rise or fall dependant on its set-list. If it doesn’t have the necessary tunes, then players won’t be interested. Luckily for Just Dance 3, it certainly impresses on this front, with songs such as ‘Party Rock Anthem’ from LMFAO, ‘Barbra Streisand’ by Duck Sauce, and Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘Boogie Wonderland’ (even if it is a cover) all striking you down with dance-fever. The variety of decades, difficulty and genre is well-versed, guaranteeing something for pretty much everyone. Fans of American sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ will be extra pleased with the inclusion of fictional Robin Sparkles’ Canadian hit ‘Let’s Go To The Mall’.

“The variety of decades, difficulty and genre is well-versed, guaranteeing something for pretty much everyone.”

It’s not just the set list that was updated though, the entire presentation received a new lick of paint. All menu buttons are now big and easily selectable, probably so that it is ‘Kinect-friendly’ for the Xbox 360 version, however, it’s also perfectly suitable for the Wii version of the game. In-song presentation has had a minor overhaul, with backgrounds more vibrant and lively, and the silhouette dancers crisper, there’s a noticeable improvement over last year’s release. However, it is the alterations to the visual appearance of the scoring, the dance move prompts and feedback from the controller that highlight how this is more than just an updated set list. The dance move prompts are clearer and certainly more helpful than ever, whilst the audio feedback from the controllers helps to inform you of when you’re excelling allowing you to keep your eye on the dancer. A star-bar is now used, akin to that within music-sensation Rock Band, for scoring, rather than the bland numerical system before. It manages to draw focus away from worrying about how well you’re doing and puts the spotlight back on the dance-floor, as well as having an additional use.

Perhaps the biggest shift in Just Dance 3 from previous releases is the new features that will not only improve the game’s longevity, but helps to shift it from the ‘party-only’ atmosphere that the series had begun to develop. The first of these features is via the culmination of the stars that you earn. All players earn stars for dancing – with you earning more depending on your success, and these contribute to an overall level wheel. When full, you’ll unlock a ‘Gift’, which could be a new party game mode, mash-up or even song. Another facet is the introduction of a medals system. With each song comes the chance to earn a new medal based on your performances. Whether that’s playing a particular number of songs, perform exceeding well on a certain track, or even across a number of tracks; it adds an additional incentive to really perform.

“Perhaps the biggest shift in Just Dance 3 from previous releases is the new features that will not only improve the game’s longevity, but helps to shift it from the ‘party-only’ atmosphere that the series had begun to develop.”

Responsiveness and accuracy of the Wii Remote has also been one of the franchise’s strong points and this hasn’t change. If anything, it seems more accurate; something that helps confirm my superiority at the title, something that is surely a positive. The moves are simple yet energetic, which will ensure your blood gets pumping even after a single workout, whilst routines are well choreographed and ultimately thoroughly enjoyable.

Whereas before you selected your dance mode first, whether it be Dance Battle, Just Sweat or the bog-standard self-titled mode ‘Just Dance’, now you’re thrown directly into song selection. Once you’ve chosen the track you wish to shake your booty to and selected your profile – primarily just for use with high scores, you’ll be busting a move. Just Dance 3 is more interested in getting you straight into the core of the action than bogging you down with unnecessary menus and options. It’s clean, simple and perfect for the main target audience.

Improving on the solo and duet dance combinations, Just Dance 3 introduces quartet songs, which allows all four players to dance their own individual segments. The Wii version of the game also supports the Hold My Hand mode, in which up to eight players can share the four Wii Remotes and dance together. Whilst good in premise, the likelihood of being able have both that many people and enough space to accommodate them all effectively is slim. Even then it’s only usable on just two songs from a set list of nearly fifty, making it rather pointless.

“Just Dance 3 is one of the best dance games on the market”

Just Dance 3 has built upon its predecessors, improving in almost every way. This however, brings it’s own problems. Having seemingly played all of its cards, it’s difficult to see where the series can go next. Aside from being just another updated track list and a slightly glossier presentation, there’s unlikely to be much more that it could bring to the table. Even then, this still feels like an updated version of Just Dance 2 rather than a brand self-standing release.

With a fantastic selection of songs, all of which are extremely enjoyable to strut your stuff to, stimulating background graphics, a slick overall design, and all the great features from its predecessors – such as the Just Sweat mode and playlists, this Ubisoft title places itself in an odd position. Just Dance 3 is one of the best dance games on the market, but it’s still a youthful genre that is already becoming rather stagnant. It requires a breath of fresh-air if it wants to avoid the same fate of the music-genre. That said, Just Dance 3 even got the Scissor Sisters to “feel like dancing.”