Dance Star Party (PlayStation 3 Move)

By Wayne Webb

Dance Star Party is a game for the PS Move that tracks the physical movement of the device in the player’s hand(s) in relation to the dance moves being played out on screen. It takes modern and classic songs and has pre-programmed dance routines animated or filmed on screen, which you then mimic as best as you can.

A slew of modern and classic songs make up the main game and feature the music video in a PIP window as well as a choreographed figure for you to follow the motions of. The tracks vary from easy and low energy to incredibly energetic and hard to get right routines. The Macarena is a good song to practice on as nearly everyone will know the moves already, but can now play them in sequence with the whole song. Some tracks go way back, like Carl Douglas’s Kung Fu Fighting (my kid’s favourite song), while other are more contemporary such as Lady Gaga’s Born This Way. I tried the latter and had to reach for an inhaler.

The accuracy of the move in tracking control is a really good, and, unlike some other systems, can be played in a well-lit room or a low light environment equally well, as the Ball provides its own easily spotted lights source. However that also means that it’s easy enough to game the system and just produce the motions that make the game score and ignore the movements of your feet, or the other arm (if only using on Move controller). But like most things where it’s easy to cheat, why would you do that? The game really isn’t about the score, that’s just a reward mechanism; the fun is in the joy you have copying, learning and often falling over the dance moves.

It’s a basic game and easy to get to grips with, as long as you have some space to dance. If you don’t like dancing this won’t change your mind, but if you, do it’s great place to get some practice in.

Pros: Plenty of tracks, easy to master, loads of fun and good variety of music on board.
Cons: It’s a niche product, easy to cheat the game.

3.5 Shacks Out Of 5