Just Dance 2024 Edition (Nintendo Switch) Review

Don't let the different, and frankly, needlessly "busy" main menu screen and new user interface fool you. This is the exact same thing all over again. Yes, some neat customizations for your personal profile are available, along with a variety of settings, but in the end this is all about picking a song from a playlist, and then dancing along, JoyCon in hand. Want to have fun along with your buddies? Great! Just hand them their own controllers, or even better, grab a smartphone that has the Just Dance app installed, and you can fill the room with six happy dancing buddies. Not enough room? No problemo, as online crossplay is a thing here.

Visually, Just Dance 2024 Edition is probably Just Dance at its most colourful, although the change from what came before isn't exactly that substantial to even notice. The scenes and choreographies are varied and quite thematically fitting, with each tune providing its own unique setting and dance style. The 40 available tracks are a diverse bunch as well, and follow the standard recipe of the series: what's popular right now, coupled with some big hits of the near past, along with a handful or "unknown" gems, and a couple of very old, but very well-known gems.

As expected, the problem with this new instalment is the same as it has always been. First, there's little reason to spend that much money for what is essentially the same as before, plus some new stuff here and there. This could actually benefit from being an online platform, that has a portion of the game that is completely free, and some that isn't - which brings us to the next issue: Ubisoft's frequent attempts to make you part with even more of your money.

The bulk of the gameplay lies on the giant playlist that has been slowly building with each new Just Dance. This can't be purchased like a DLC or something like that. This is hidden behind a subscription; one that's somewhat cheap, but still, a subscription. Just Dance has always been an online service kind of deal, and, for better or for worse, that won't ever change. Long story short, unless a fanatic of the franchise, don't rush to get this if you already have a previous Just Dance on your system.