Just Dance is a rhythm game series developed and published by Ubisoft, beginning with the original game in 2009. The games feature a variety of songs that are accompanied by choreography performed by on-screen dancers. Players physically copy the dance routine shown on screen and are scored based on how accurately they follow. The series has attracted popularity among a wide age range and dance skill level, and has been played in various contexts, such as entertainment, fitness, and education.
Background The technological advancement in the 2000s shifted the gaming industry, with one of the most important developments during this time being the introduction of motion-sensing controllers. These controllers were different from traditional gaming controllers, where players interacted with games using joysticks or buttons. In 2006, Nintendo released the Wii and the Wiimote, a device that uses accelerometers and infrared sensors that allow players to interact with games by physically moving their body.
Fitness culture became increasingly popular in 2000s mainstream culture. According to Marc Stern, the number of private fitness clubs in the United States grew from 3,000 in 1978 to nearly 20,000 by 2002, with memberships increasing from 1.7 million in 1972 to 42.7 million by 2006. The popularity towards fitness was also credited to in the increase of exercise classes such as Zumba and dance cardio, which were mainstream trends in the 2000s. During the same time, video games such as Wii Sports were released which integrated physical activity into their game designs, responding and contributing to the growing demand for fitness-related entertainment.
The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006. Its motion sensing technology and simple intuitive design made gaming more accessible to a broader audience. This included families, older adults, and casual gamers. The Wii exposed gaming to those who had previously not been part of the gaming community, such as non-gamers or those with limited experience with video games. The Wii's success also had a role in the rise of casual gaming, as it helped expand the demographic of people who played games. Both the Wii and the casual gaming industry also led to the creation of new genres, including fitness games.
Gameplay
Just Dance is a motion-based dance video game for multiple players, with each game including a collection of classic and modern songs each with its own dance choreographies. During each song, players mirror a dance performed by dancers on the screen, following moves that appear as pictorials on the bottom right corner of the screen, and are awarded for their accuracy. Additionally, there are gold moves in which players must strike a pose or complete the hardest move in the dance to receive bonus points. Players are given ranks based on how well they do. Depending on the game and system it is played on, the game can be played with either motion controllers or camera devices (such as the Wii Remote and Kinect), or using an app downloaded on a smart device. The game can be played by up to six players at once on eighth- and ninth-generation consoles, as well as the PC version of Just Dance 2017 and the Stadia version of Just Dance 2020, Just Dance 2021, and Just Dance 2022, with support for a gamepad and a keyboard used to navigate the menus. This excludes Dance Crew routines for Kinect users for the Xbox One version, as well as Wii Remote users for the Wii U version, and PlayStation Move users for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 versions, which are limited to four players. Seventh-generation consoles and the Wii U versions of Just Dance 4 to Just Dance 2015 and the Wii U version of Just Dance 2019 are also limited to four players. Games
Main series Just Dance The first Just Dance game was released on November 17, 2009, with songs by MC Hammer, Elvis Presley, Iggy Pop, The Beach Boys, Baha Men, Spice Girls, Gorillaz, Blur and others. Just Dance 2 Just Dance 2 was released on October 12, 2010.Just Dance 2 Review - IGN, 12 October 2010 This installment featured 48 tracks, including downloadable content tracks, and is the only installment to support eight-player sessions. It features over 40 tracks by Kesha, Outkast, The Pussycat Dolls, Wham!, Avril Lavigne, Mika, Rihanna, Boney M., and others. Just Dance 3 Released on October 7, 2011. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2011 conference on June 6, and is the first installment to be released on Xbox 360 (with Kinect support) and PlayStation 3 (with PlayStation Move support). It includes over 40 tracks by Jessie J, Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, A-ha, Kiss, Lenny Kravitz, The Black Eyed Peas, and others.
Just Dance 4 Released on October 9, 2012. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2012 conference on June 4, and is the first installment to be released on the Wii U. It includes over 50 tracks by Carly Rae Jepsen, Pink, The B-52's, Rihanna, Flo Rida, and others. Just Dance 2014 Released on October 8, 2013. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2013 conference on June 10. It is the first Just Dance game to be released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It includes over 40 tracks by Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Psy, One Direction, Chris Brown, Ariana Grande, ABBA, George Michael, Ricky Martin, and others. Just Dance 2015 Released on October 20, 2014. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2014 conference on June 9. It includes over 40 tracks by Pharrell Williams, John Newman, Katy Perry, Iggy Azalea, Maroon 5, and others. Just Dance 2016 Released on October 20, 2015. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2015 conference on June 15. It includes over 40 tracks by Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Meghan Trainor, Britney Spears, Mark Ronson, Shakira, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato, and others.
Just Dance 2017 Released on October 25, 2016. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2016 conference on June 13. It includes tracks by Anitta, Sia, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Major Lazer, OneRepublic, Fifth Harmony, Queen, Beyoncé, DNCE, and others. This is the only title in the series to be released on Microsoft Windows via Ubisoft Connect and Steam, and is the first to be released on the Nintendo Switch. Just Dance 2018 Released on October 24, 2017. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2017 conference on June 12. It includes tracks by Bebe Rexha, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Big Freedia, Shakira, Clean Bandit, Dua Lipa, TomSka, Luis Fonsi, Selena Gomez, and others. It is the last game in the series to be released on the PlayStation 3. Just Dance 2019 Released on October 23, 2018. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2018 conference on June 11. It includes tracks by Bruno Mars, BigBang, Blackpink, Sean Paul, J Balvin, Camila Cabello, Daddy Yankee, and others. It is the last game in the series to be released on the Wii U and the last physical game overall to be released for the Xbox 360. Just Dance 2020 Released on November 5, 2019. This installment was announced at the Ubisoft E3 2019 conference on June 10. It includes tracks from Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, 2NE1, Panic! at the Disco, Khalid, and others. It is the first game in the series to be released on Stadia and the last game to be physically released on the Wii in North America. Just Dance 2021 Released on November 12, 2020. This installment was announced on August 26, during the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase August 2020 web presentation. It includes tracks from Dua Lipa, Twice, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Eminem, NCT 127, Blackpink, Selena Gomez, and others. It is the first game in the series to be released on the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. Just Dance 2022 Released on November 4, 2021. This installment was announced on June 12, during the Ubisoft Forward web presentation at E3 2021. It includes tracks from Todrick Hall, Anuel AA, Imagine Dragons, Ciara, Meghan Trainor, Camila Cabello, Olivia Rodrigo, Bella Poarch, Pabllo Vittar, and others. It is the last game in the series to be released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia. Just Dance 2023 Edition Released on November 22, 2022. This installment was announced on September 10, during the Ubisoft Forward September 2022 web presentation. It includes tracks from Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Ava Max, BTS, Taylor Swift and others. 2023 Edition marks a new release format for the series, with all future content consolidated into a Just Dance live service platform, transitioning to annual song packs. The service is also backward compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. Just Dance 2024 Edition Released on October 24, 2023. This installment, serving as the second annual song pack for the Just Dance service, was announced on June 12, during the Ubisoft Forward June 2023 web presentation. It includes tracks by Sub Urban, Rosalía, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Blackpink, Aurora, and others. Just Dance 2025 Edition Released on October 15, 2024. This installment, serving as the third annual song pack for the Just Dance service, was announced on June 18, during the Nintendo Direct June 2024 web presentation. It includes tracks by Jack Harlow, Ariana Grande, Melanie Martinez, Celine Dion, Blackpink, Mandy Harvey, and others. Just Dance 2026 Edition Released on October 14, 2025. This installment, serving as the fourth annual song pack for the Just Dance service, was announced on July 31, during the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase July 2025 web presentation. It includes tracks by Doechii, Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone, Lola Young, Tate McRae, Paul Russell, Coldplay, and others. Just Dance: Decades of Hits Scheduled for release on October 13, 2026. This installment, serving as the fifth annual song pack for the Just Dance service, was announced on September 10. It marks a departure from the yearly naming scheme for the main series. It is the first game in the series to receive a native port for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Japan exclusives Just Dance Wii A Japanese version of Just Dance was published and edited by Nintendo and developed by Ubisoft Paris. It was released on October 13, 2011, for the Wii. It features 16 J-pop songs from Exile, Kara, Koda Kumi, and AKB48, as well as 11 songs from Just Dance and Just Dance 2 and one song based on the Super Mario Bros. game that can be unlocked by playing all of the other songs. According to Media Create, as of March 11, 2012, the game sold 560,301 copies in Japan. Just Dance Wii 2 The second Japanese Just Dance game was published and edited by Nintendo and developed by Ubisoft Paris. It was released on July 26, 2012, for the Wii. It includes 20 J-pop songs from Exile, Kara, Speed, Da Pump, T-ara, DJ Ozma, 2PM, Happiness, and MAX, as well as 15 songs from Just Dance 2 and Just Dance 3. Just Dance Wii U The third Japanese Just Dance game was published and edited by Nintendo and developed by Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Romania, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Pune. It was announced in a Nintendo Direct on February 14, 2014, and was released on April 3, 2014, for the Wii U. It includes 20 J-pop songs by SKE48, AKB48, BigBang, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and Momoiro Clover Z, as well as 15 songs from Just Dance 4 and Just Dance 2014. Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version The fourth Japanese Just Dance game was developed by Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Romania, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Pune and co-developed and published by Level-5, featuring songs and characters from the Yo-kai Watch video game and anime franchise. It was released on December 5, 2015, for the Wii U.
Just Dance Kids series