Dance Evolution
Dance Evolution (known as DanceMasters in North America) is a dancing video game developed by the makers of the Dance Dance Revolution series. The game was unveiled at Konami's E3 2010 press conference, for Xbox 360 Kinect. The game was released in November 2010.[1] Dance Evolution has 30 tracks, including hip hop, R&B, pop and techno and will be supported with additional songs as downloadable content.[2] An arcade video game port, titled Dance Evolution Arcade, was released on March 27, 2012 in Japan.[3] Although the gameplay remains the same, it has several features that differentiate it with the original version. A spin-off, Rhythm Party (or Boom Boom Dance in Japan), was released on February 1, 2012.[4][5][6]
| Dance Evolution | |
|---|---|
 PAL region cover art. Japanese cover uses similar artwork. | |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, Arcade |
| Release | Xbox 360
|
| Genre(s) | Music, rhythm, exercise |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Soundtrack
Music
The following 30 songs are included on the game.[7] Note that both the licensed songs, Yesterday and Night of Fire, have appeared in another Bemani game, ParaParaParadise. Songs in bold require it to be unlocked.
| Dance genre | Song title | Artist | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| License | ||||
| PARAPARA | "NIGHT OF FIRE" | NIKO | ||
| PARAPARA | "YESTERDAY" | CHERRY | ||
| BEMANI Songs | ||||
| CLUB | "AFRONOVA PRIMEVAL" | 8-bit | ||
| HIP HOP | "A Geisha's Dream" | NAOKI feat. SMiLE.dk | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "BABY BABY GIMME YOUR LOVE" | DIVAS | ||
| CLUB | "Brilliant 2U" | NAOKI | ||
| CLUB | "BURNIN' THE FLOOR" | NAOKI | ||
| PARAPARA | "CAN'T STOP FALLIN' IN LOVE -super euro version-" | NAOKI with Y&Co. | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "Crazy Control" | D-crew with VAL TIATIA | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "Every Day, Every Night (NM STYLE)" | LEA DROP feat. Ant Johnston | ||
| CLUB | "exotic ethnic" | RevenG | ||
| POP | "HIGHER" | NM feat. SUNNY | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "HYSTERIA 2001" | NM | ||
| POP | "INTO YOUR HEART (Ruffage remix)" | NAOKI feat. YASMINE | ||
| POP | "Keep on movin'" | NM | ||
| POP | "KIMONO♥PRINCESS" | jun | ||
| CLUB | "L'amour et la liberté (Darwin & DJ Silver remix)" | NAOKI in the MERCURE | ||
| POP | "La receta" | Carlos Coco Garcia | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "Let the beat hit em! (CLASSIC R&B STYLE)" | Stone Bros. | ||
| OLDSCHOOL | "Lover's High" | APHs | ||
| OLDSCHOOL | "Mess With My Emotions" | Latenighter | ||
| PARAPARA | "My Only Shining Star" | NAOKI feat. Becky Lucinda | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "MY SUMMER LOVE" | MITSU-O! with GEILA | ||
| POP | "Open Your Eyes" | NM feat. JaY_bEe (JB Ah-Fua) | ||
| CLUB | "SAKURA (桜)" | Reven-G | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "Secret Rendez-vous" | DIVAS | ||
| PARAPARA | "STILL IN MY HEART" | NAOKI | ||
| PARAPARA | "SUPER SAMURAI" | jun | ||
| OLDSCHOOL | "Unity" | The Remembers | ||
| R&B/HIPHOP | "We Can Win the Fight" | D-crew feat. Matt Tucker | ||
Downloadable Content
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| DanceEvolution Premium Theme | 240 MSP |
| DanceEvolution Picture Pack | 160 MSP |
| Master Level Pack | Free |
| OUTFIT 1 | Free |
| OUTFIT 2 | 160 MSP |
| OUTFIT 3 | 160 MSP |
| OUTFIT 4 | 160 MSP |
| OUTFIT 5 | 160 MSP |
In-Game Characters
Saionji Akari [西園寺あかり][8]
Saionji Akari [西園寺あかり][8]- Virtual character of Dance Evolution ARCADE
Meaning of the name Akari - soft moonlight, with no shadows like one from paper-lamps.
Description of the character:
The older twin of the Saionji sisters.
Polite and patient, Akari is a pretty girl who excels at school and all kinds of sports. Though she's a mature model student, there's also has a mischievous side of her.
Always looking out for her younger sister Hikari, their recent interest in dancing has them dancing through the night.Likes: Hikari, bookstores, sweet things
Dislikes: Roller coaster, soft drinks
Hobbies: Long walks, photography
Blood Type: A
Birthday: July 16th
Age: 17
Saionji Hikari [西園寺ひかり][9]
Saionji Hikari [西園寺ひかり][9]- Virtual character of Dance Evolution ARCADE
Meaning of the name Hikari - shining sunlight that illuminates everything around and cheers up
Description of the character:
The younger twin of the Saionji sisters.
A hyperactive girl who likes all things smiling and happy. Wherever she goes, she always seem to be with Akari.
She's a little clumsy, so she often finds herself relying on Akari.
Due to their recent late-night dance practices, she is found dozing off during the day.Likes: Akari, roller coaster, snacking
Dislikes: Shosts, Cooking
Hobbies: Tennis, napping
Blood Type: A
Birthday: July 16th
Age 17
Reception and reviews
Dance Evolution had mixed reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[10] IGN was disappointed in their review of the game saying, "DanceMasters is fun enough, especially if you enjoy Dance Dance Revolution and you want a similar Japanese take on the dance genre...but the niche soundtrack and the lack of a proper practice mode make this game difficult to get into...it's also a shame that the move recognition seems unusually lenient at times, but unnecessarily fickle at others...I would recommend Dance Central over DanceMasters any day of the week.[11]
GameSpot said in their review, "though the novel camera feature fuels some goofy fun, DanceMasters only holds lasting appeal for dedicated dance fiends...you'll probably tire of the game shortly after the novelty of the live action camera wears off...though there are better video game dance opportunities available, heading out onto the floor with DanceMasters is still good for a few kicks.[12] Impulse Gamer rated the game an 8.0 stating, "Dance Evolution is one of the best games available for the Kinect...with shades of Space Channel 5, Dance Evolution requires the player to mimic the dance moves displayed on the screen and then use their body to replicate them...the game is a little daunting at first but once you get the hang of it, Dance Evolution becomes a thoroughly enjoying game.[13]
References
- Stevens, Tim (June 14, 2010). "Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360 launches on November 4". Engadget.
- Heater, B. (June 17, 2010). "DDR Creators Intro Dance Masters for Xbox Kinect". Extreme Tech.
- "Dance Evolution Arcade". 4gamer.net (in Japanese). March 27, 2012.
- Hayward, Andrew (February 2, 2012). "The games of February 2012". Games Radar.
- "Rhythm Party". GameFAQs.
Also Known As: Boom Boom Dance (JP)
- "BOOM BOOM DANCE". konami.jp (in Japanese). Konami. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012.
- "DanceEvolution Original Soundtrack". Discogs.
- "Dance Evolution ARCADE: Character Profile: Akari".
- "Dance Evolution ARCADE: Character Profile: Hikari".
- "DanceMasters for Xbox 360 Reviews". Retrieved June 11, 2014.
- Clements, Ryan (November 9, 2010). "DanceMasters Kinect Review". IGN.
- Watters, Chris (November 16, 2010). "DanceMasters, Review, X360". GameSpot.
- Bloom, Geoff (December 2010). "Dance Evolution". Impulse Gamer.