Just Dance 2020 (Switch) Review – Same Old Song and Dance

Just Dance 2020 (Switch) Review

It’s that time of year again when aspiring dancers can strut their stuff with the latest incarnation of Just Dance. Just Dance 2020 continues the tradition of turning your boring living room into a sweet dance party, allowing up to six players to dance simultaneously to a vast assortment of tracks ranging from wacky to chart-topping. This year, Just Dance is celebrating it’s big 10 year anniversary, so they’ve included a fun little homage to Just Dance’s history. Top that off with some returning favourite features, and you’ve got a must-have party game.

Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya

Just Dance 2020, like the nine previous entries, is all about following the on-screen dance prompts to compete for the highest score. The better you perform, the more stars you earn, with the goal of earning five stars and a “Superstar” rating. The gameplay is incredibly easy to pick up – just mimic what you see as best you can. While the game can’t assess all your dance moves, your performance is based on how well you move your right hand, which is holding the controller. For the Switch version, you can use the Joy-Cons or you can connect your cellphone to the game. Last year, I reviewed the Xbox One version and was forced to use my cellphone – and while it works, it’s a bit cumbersome. Using the Joy-Cons makes for a far better experience.

Just Dance 2020 brings back three favourite modes and introduces one special mode that pays homage to the ever-growing legacy of Just Dance. The returning modes include the Just Dance mode, Kids mode, and World Dance Floor. Just Dance mode is the standard mode that allows you and up to five other players to dance away at the vast assortment of included songs competing for the best score. Kids mode includes eight kid-friendly songs and a simplified choreography specially focused on younger gamers. My five-year-old son really enjoyed the simpler dance moves – but it would have been great if they included a larger library because eight songs really only go so far. World Dance Floor is Just Dance 2020’s online mode, which allows you to compete against gamers from all over the world for the top score. You’ll only see the names of your competitors – so you can dance away without any of the online trolling you might get from other games. I especially loved how after a song is completed, you’ll receive stats such as how many other countries you competed against during that particular song.

Hey Now, You’re An All-Star

As mentioned before, Just Dance 2020 includes a brand new All Stars mode that pays homage to the history of Just Dance. It’s a fun little story mode that sees the beloved Just Dance panda fly his spaceship from planet to planet, reliving classic Just Dance songs – one song from each game. The mode culminates with a cool final level featuring a brand-new Just Dance track. The mode will take you about an hour to complete, but it’s worth playing through at least once just to unlock that new track.

In terms of new content for Just Dance 2020 there really isn’t much more than the new All Stars mode. However, you will get 40 brand new tracks – including a new song from Frozen 2 that will arrive on November 22. I was particularly happy with the inclusion of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, “Skibidi”, “High Hopes”, and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. Popular hits include Billie Elish’s “bad guy” and Lil Nas X “Old Town Road” featuring Mr. Achy Breaky Heart himself Billy Ray Cyrus. And parents all over the world will be thrilled to know that Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark” makes an appearance. You’ll be able to subscribe to Just Dance Unlimited to expand your Just Dance library to over 500 tracks – which really is a must if you intend to bring this out for parties. Just Dance 2020 does include a free 1-month membership to Just Dance Unlimited, so you’ll be able to give all those extra songs a test drive before forking over more money.

Just Dance 2020 brings everything that makes Just Dance fun and introduces a nice little homage to the franchise. However, Ubisoft played it very safe here and haven’t done anything to really push the franchise forward. If you’ve played previous Just Dance games and are hoping for something really fresh – beyond a collection of new songs – you won’t find that here. If you’re looking for a fun party game or just want to improve your dance skills – Just Dance 2020 is a must-own. My kids and I had a ton of fun with Just Dance 2020. If you’re a parent like me looking for a video game solution that gets your kids off their butts and moving, I highly recommend Just Dance 2020.

***Just Dance 2020 (Switch) code provided by the publisher***