Just Dance 2018 is a 2017 dance rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on June 12, 2017, during its E3 press conference as the ninth main installment of the series,[1] and was released in October 2017 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. This was the last Just Dance game to be released on the PlayStation 3 console, and by extension, the final PlayStation 3 video game to be published by Ubisoft.

Just Dance 2018
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
SeriesJust Dance
EngineUbiArt Framework
Platform(s)Wii
Wii U
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Release
  • NA: October 24, 2017
  • PAL: October 26, 2017
Genre(s)Dance
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Gameplay

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As with the previous installments of the franchise, players must mimic the on-screen dancer's choreography to a chosen song using either motion controllers (Wii Remotes on Wii and Wii U, PlayStation Move on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Camera on PlayStation 4, Kinect on Xbox 360 and One and Joy-Con on Nintendo Switch) or the game's associated Just Dance Controller app on a smartphone.

While the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game are based on Just Dance 2015, the current-generation console versions feature an updated user interface, which removed other additional modes except for the "World Dance Floor" to more focus on standard gameplay. In the "Just Dance" mode menu, players can activate Sweat by pressing a certain button on the controller.[2] A new "Super" judgment was added between "Good" and "Perfect", as well as a "Megastar" rank, achievable at 12,000 points.[2] The new "Dance Lab" mode, serving as a spiritual successor to the "Just Dance Machine" mode in Just Dance 2017, using the same scoring mechanic from that said mode, now with the addition of the traditional star ranking system, features medleys of choreography representing different professions and animals,[2] while a new "Kids Mode" was designed to provide a gameplay experience and choreography tailored towards younger players, featuring a revamped scoring mechanic based on the traditional mechanic, with rainbow stars as the max rank, as akin to the "Superstar" rank in the main "Just Dance" mode, in which can also be played in that said mode with the traditional gameplay via searching.[2]

The "World Dance Floor" mode has a revamped Team Battle feature, which players are randomly assigned to either the Red Team or the Blue Team, as well as seasonal rankings.

A new feature, "Gift Machine", based on the Crank-a-Kai feature in Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version, was added. Using 100 Mojo points will allow the ability to unlock avatars, stickers, skins, alternate routines, "Dance Lab" episodes, and additional Mojo points.

The Nintendo Switch version of the game features an exclusive "Double Rumble" mode, which uses features routines based on different professions that leverage the "HD Rumble" functionality in the console's Joy-Con controllers to provide feedback.[2] "Double Rumble" routines require two Joy-Con controllers to play. Furthermore, the "Beat Vibrations" option was also added to the Switch version, which allows Joy-Con controllers vibrate to the beat.

The Ubisoft Connect feature was removed in the PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game. Furthermore, the Community Remix and Mashup features were also removed.

All online services of the game for the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions were discontinued on November 19, 2018,[3] followed by all other platforms on July 3, 2023.[4]

Soundtrack

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The following songs appear on Just Dance 2018:[5]

Song Artist Year
"24K Magic"[a] Bruno Mars 2016
"All You Gotta Do (Is Just Dance)"[b] The Just Dance Band 2017
"Another One Bites the Dust" Queen 1980
"Automaton" Jamiroquai 2017
"Bad Liar" Selena Gomez 2017
"Beep Beep I'm a Sheep" LilDeuceDeuce featuring BlackGryph0n and TomSka 2017
"Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" Dua Lipa 2016
"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" Hit the Electro Beat (as made famous by Eiffel 65) 1998
"Boom Boom" Iggy Azalea featuring Zedd 2017
"Bubble Pop!" Hyuna 2011
"Carmen (Ouverture)" Just Dance Orchestra (as made famous by Georges Bizet) 1875
"Chantaje" Shakira featuring Maluma 2016
"Daddy Cool" Groove Century (as made famous by Boney M.) 1976
"Despacito" Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee 2017
"Dharma" Headhunterz and Kshmr 2016
"Diggy" Spencer Ludwig 2016
"Fight Club" Lights 2017
"Footloose" Top Culture (as made famous by Kenny Loggins) 1984
"Got That" Gigi Rowe 2017
"How Far I'll Go" Disney's Moana (as made famous by Auliʻi Cravalho) 2016
"In the Hall of the Pixel King"[c] Dancing Bros.[d] 2017
"Instruction" Jax Jones featuring Demi Lovato and Stefflon Don 2017
"Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini"[c] The Sunlight Shakers (as made famous by Brian Hyland) 1960
"John Wayne" Lady Gaga 2017
"Keep On Moving" Michelle Delamor 2017
"Kissing Strangers" DNCE featuring Nicki Minaj 2017
"Love Ward" Hatsune Miku[e] 2009
"Make It Jingle" Big Freedia 2016
"Naughty Girl" Beyoncé 2004
"New Face" Psy 2017
"Risky Business" Jorge Blanco 2017
"Rockabye" Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie 2016
"Sayonara" Wanko Ni Mero Mero 2017
"Shape of You" Ed Sheeran 2017
"Side to Side" Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj 2016
"Slumber Party" Britney Spears featuring Tinashe 2016
"Sugar Dance"[f] The Just Dance Band 2017
"Swish Swish" Katy Perry featuring Nicki Minaj 2017
"The Way I Are (Dance with Somebody)" Bebe Rexha featuring Lil Wayne 2017
"Tumbum" Yemi Alade 2016
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" Shakira 2010
  1. ^ Also available on the demo version of the game.
  2. ^ A Chinese version of the song, known as "Wu Li Quan Kai", was included in the Chinese version of Just Dance 2020, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, simply entitled Just Dance.
  3. ^ a b Originally planned to appear on the main tracklist of the previous game: Just Dance 2017, but it was later delayed to find itself placed on Just Dance 2018 instead.
  4. ^ Based on "In the Hall of the Mountain King", written by Edvard Grieg, and "Ode to Joy", written by Friedrich Schiller.
  5. ^ Composed by Oster Project
  6. ^ Exclusive to 8th-generation consoles and only unlocked with the game code "DANCE"[6]

Kids Mode

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The following songs appear on the Kids Mode of the game:[7]

Song Artist Year
"Amazing Girl" The Girly Team 2017
"Beep Beep I'm a Sheep" LilDeuceDeuce featuring BlackGryph0n and TomSka 2017
"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" Hit the Electro Beat (as made famous by Eiffel 65) 1999
"Daddy Cool" Groove Century (as made famous by Boney M.) 1976
"Fearless Pirate" Marine Band (as made famous by The Yetties) 2003
"Footloose"[a] Top Culture (as made famous by Kenny Loggins) 1984
"Funky Robot" Dancing Bros. 2017
"Happy Farm" Groove Century 2017
"How Far I'll Go" Disney's Moana (as made famous by Auliʻi Cravalho) 2016
"Magic Halloween" Halloween Thrills 2017
"Pixie Land" The Sunlight Shakers 2017
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"[a] Shakira 2010
  1. ^ a b A Kids Version is available, with the song being abridged.

Note: These songs also can be played on 7th-gen consoles (Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3).

Just Dance Unlimited

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Just Dance Unlimited is a subscription-based service for accessing a streaming library of songs from previous Just Dance games, and new songs that are exclusive to the service. A three-month subscription to Just Dance Unlimited was included as part of the game. All exclusive tracks (except tracks restricted to only 2018) were also playable on 2016 and 2017's Unlimited service. The 2018 game supported Just Dance Unlimited on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch until July 3, 2023.[8]

Songs exclusive to Just Dance Unlimited include:[5]

Song Artist Year Release date
"Thumbs"[a] Sabrina Carpenter 2016 October 24, 2017
"Just Mario"[b][c] Ubisoft Meets Nintendo (as made famous by Koji Kondo) 1985 October 24, 2017
"Sun"[d] Demo 1999 October 26, 2017
"J'suis Pas Jalouse"[e] Andy 2017 October 26, 2017
"Error"[f] Natalia Nykiel 2016 November 23, 2017
"Feel It Still" Portugal. The Man 2017 January 25, 2018
"Mi Gente" J Balvin and Willy William 2017 February 22, 2018
"Naughty Girl" (Alternate inspired by Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle)[b][g] Beyoncé 2004 March 12, 2018
"Sax"[h] Fleur East 2015 April 19, 2018
"What Lovers Do" Maroon 5 featuring SZA 2017 June 21, 2018
"Dame Tu Cosita"[i] El Chombo featuring Cutty Ranks 2018 July 26, 2018
"Dancing Queen"[j] ABBA 1976 August 24, 2018
"No Lie" Sean Paul featuring Dua Lipa 2016 September 20, 2018
  1. ^ Used to be free if you connected a Ubisoft Connect account to the game (only for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Wii U and Nintendo Switch), but has since become a Just Dance Unlimited exclusive.
  2. ^ a b Only available on the Nintendo Switch version of Just Dance Unlimited
  3. ^ Remake of the Japanese Just Dance Wii unlockable and NTSC/PAL Just Dance 3 DLC for Wii, which differs from its design of its debut
  4. ^ Available for free in Russia
  5. ^ Available for free in France
  6. ^ Available for free in Poland
  7. ^ Tie-in to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle where it features Rabbid Peach as the main coach
  8. ^ Originally meant to be in the main tracklist.
  9. ^ Originally meant to be in the main tracklist of Just Dance 2019, but was pushed forward to Unlimited in Just Dance 2018.
  10. ^ Originally planned for Just Dance 2015, but was scrapped for unknown reasons.

Reception

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Accolades

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The game was nominated for "Best Family/Social Game" at the 2017 Game Critics Awards.[9] In Game Informer's Reader's Choice Best of 2017 Awards, it took the lead for "Best Music/Rhythm Game".[10] It was also nominated for "Family Game of the Year" at the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,[11] and for "Family Game" at the 14th British Academy Games Awards.[12][13] It won the award for "Favorite Video Game" at Nickelodeon's 2018 Kids' Choice Awards,[14] and was nominated for "Fan-Favorite Multiplayer Game" at the Gamers' Choice Awards.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Morris, Tatiana (June 12, 2017). "E3 2017: Ubisoft announces Just Dance 2018". GameZone. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hannley, Steve (October 25, 2017). "Review: Just Dance 2018". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  3. ^ Ubisoft Support Staff. "Online Services Update Masterlist". Ubisoft Forums. Ubisoft. Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Online services in Just Dance 2016, Just Dance 2017, and Just Dance 2018 | Ubisoft Help". Ubisoft Support. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Ubisoft - Just Dance 2018". Ubisoft. Ubisoft Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 7, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  6. ^ "Just Dance 2018 Cheats for PlayStation 4". GameSpot. CBS Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  7. ^ Barata, Claudio (September 10, 2017). "Just Dance 2018 Gets a Kids' Mode and a New Song". True Achievements.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "Online services in Just Dance 2016, Just Dance 2017, and Just Dance 2018". Ubisoft. July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.[dead link]
  9. ^ "Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2017 (2017 Nominees)". Game Critics Awards. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  10. ^ Cork, Jeff (January 4, 2018). "Reader's Choice Best Of 2017 Awards (Page 3)". Game Informer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  11. ^ Makuch, Eddie (January 14, 2018). "Game Of The Year Nominees Announced For DICE Awards". GameSpot. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  12. ^ deAlessandri, Marie (March 15, 2018). "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice at forefront of BAFTA Games Awards nominations". MCV. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  13. ^ Makedonski, Brett (April 12, 2018). "BAFTA names What Remains of Edith Finch its best game of 2017". Destructoid. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  14. ^ Drysdale, Jennifer (March 24, 2018). "2018 Kids' Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  15. ^ Glyer, Mike (November 19, 2018). "2018 Gamers' Choice Awards Nominees". File 770. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
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