Just Dance 2021 is a 2020 dance rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on August 26, 2020 during the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase August 2020 web presentation as the twelfth main installment of the series,[1] and was released on November 12, 2020, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia, and on November 24, 2020, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.[2][3][4] It is the first game in the series since the initial title not to be announced at E3, due to the event's cancellation in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also the first game in the main series not to be released for the Wii and the first game in the series not to be available on a Nintendo optical disc.[5]

Just Dance 2021
Developer(s)Ubisoft Paris
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
SeriesJust Dance
EngineUbiArt Framework
Platform(s)
ReleaseSwitch, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia
November 12, 2020
PS5, Xbox X/S
November 24, 2020
Genre(s)Music
Mode(s)

Gameplay

edit

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 (excluding the ninth generation consoles and Stadia) or the game's associated smartphone app. The Stadia version also allows the use of a gamepad and a keyboard for menu navigation.

Its user interface and features are largely identical to Just Dance 2019 and Just Dance 2020. Changes include the "World Dance Floor" now being revamped with a three-song competitive tournament in three separate rooms that matches a player's level with other players of a similar level, Chill Panda (Beginner), Fabulous Hippo (Intermediate), and Fierce Deer (Expert), and a new results screen that details the player's accuracy rate in performing the moves, which is only shown when playing solo.[6][7] The game also features a new mode, known as "Quick Play" mode, in which the game randomly shuffles a song to make it easy for players to jump right into dancing without the struggle of choosing a song to dance to.[8]

Production

edit

The Just Dance series primarily features routines performed by real-life dancers, who have makeup and costumes applied on and their in-game appearances edited in post-production. The production of Just Dance 2021, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, presented several challenges for the development team at Ubisoft Paris owing to social distancing guidelines. To tackle these problems, Ubisoft Paris used strategies like a comprehensive overhaul of traditional production methodologies to accommodate remote collaboration, while upholding the series' established brand strategy.[9] Ubisoft Paris also embraced a commitment to diversity and inclusivity by introducing a variety of characters, including disabled dancers, into the game's universe.[10]

Soundtrack

edit

The following songs appear on Just Dance 2021:[11]

Song Artist Year
"Adore You" Harry Styles 2019
"Alexandrie Alexandra" Jérôme Francis (as made famous by Claude François) 1978
"All the Good Girls Go to Hell" Billie Eilish 2019
"Bailando" Paradisio featuring DJ Patrick Samoy 1996
"Blinding Lights" The Weeknd 2019
"Boy, You Can Keep It" Alex Newell 2020
"Buscando" GTA and Jenn Morel 2018
"Dance Monkey" Tones and I 2019
"Dibby Dibby Sound" DJ Fresh vs. Jay Fay featuring Ms. Dynamite 2014
"Don't Start Now" Dua Lipa 2019
"Feel Special" Twice 2019
"Georgia" Tiggs Da Author 2015
"Get Get Down" Paul Johnson 1999
"Heat Seeker" Dreamers 2020
"Ice Cream" Blackpink and Selena Gomez 2020
"In the Navy" The Sunlight Shakers (as made famous by Village People) 1979
"Jooneh Khodet" Black Cats 2006
"Juice" Lizzo 2019
"Kick It" NCT 127 2020
"Kulikitaka" Toño Rosario 2003
"Lacrimosa" Apashe 2018
"Magenta Riddim" DJ Snake 2018
"Paca Dance"[a] The Just Dance Band 2020
"Que Tire Pa Lante" Daddy Yankee 2019
"Rain on Me"[a] Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande 2020
"Rare" Selena Gomez 2020
"Runaway (U & I)" Galantis 2014
"Samba de Janeiro" Ultraclub 90 (as made famous by Bellini) 1997
"Say So" Doja Cat 2020
"Señorita" Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello 2019
"Temperature" Sean Paul 2005
"The Other Side" SZA and Justin Timberlake 2020
"The Weekend" Michael Gray 2004
"Till the World Ends" The Girly Team (as made famous by Britney Spears) 2011
"Uno" Little Big 2020
"Volar" Lele Pons featuring Susan Díaz and Victor Cardenas 2020
"Without Me" Eminem 2002
"Yameen Yasar" DJ Absi 2020
"Yo Le Llego" J Balvin and Bad Bunny 2019
"You've Got a Friend in Me" Disney-Pixar's Toy Story (as made famous by Randy Newman) 1995
"Zenit" Onuka 2019
  1. ^ a b Also available on the demo version of the game

Kids Mode

edit

The following songs appear on the Kids Mode of the game:

Song Artist Year
"Dance of the Mirlitons" The Just Dance Orchestra (as made famous by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) 1892
"Flying Carpet" Persian Nights 2020
"Get on the Fire Truck" The Step Brigade 2020
"Here Comes the Spy" The Step Brigade 2019
"Kulikitaka" Toño Rosario 2003
"Let's Save Our Planet" The Sunlight Shakers 2015
"Rock N Roll Princess" Fast Forward Highway 2020
"Space Cat" Equinox Stars 2011
"The Color Lab" Dancing Bros. 2011
"You've Got a Friend in Me" Disney Pixar's Toy Story (as made famous by Randy Newman) 1995

Just Dance Unlimited

edit

Just Dance Unlimited continues to be offered on 2021 for eighth-generation consoles and Stadia, featuring a streaming library of new and existing songs.[12] The service also made its debut on ninth-generation consoles with the release of 2021.

Songs exclusive to Just Dance Unlimited include:

Song Artist Year Release date
"Dans van de Farao"[a] K3 2020 November 12, 2020 (Benelux region)
December 30, 2020 (Worldwide)
"Flash (Just Dance Version)"[b] Bilal Hassani featuring Sundy Jules, Paola Locatelli and Sulivan Gwed 2020 November 12, 2020 (France)
December 30, 2020 (Worldwide)
"U.S.A."[c] Da Pump 2018 November 12, 2020 (Japan)
December 30, 2020 (Worldwide)
"Drum Go Dum"[d][e] K/DA featuring Aluna, Wolftyla and Bekuh Boom 2020 November 25, 2020 (Initial release)
February 25, 2021 (JDU exclusive)
"Tusa"[f] Karol G and Nicki Minaj 2019 January 14, 2021
"Stupid Love"[f] Lady Gaga 2020 January 21, 2021
"Girls Like"[f] Tinie Tempah featuring Zara Larsson 2016 January 28, 2021
"Monster"[13][g] Exo 2016 April 15, 2021
"The Way I Are"[14][g] Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian 2007 April 22, 2021
"Come Back Home"[14][g] 2NE1 2014 April 29, 2021
"Head & Heart"[15][h] Joel Corry featuring MNEK 2020 July 15, 2021
"Intoxicated"[15][h] Martin Solveig and GTA 2015 July 22, 2021
"John Cena"[15][h] Sho Madjozi 2019 July 29, 2021
"All the Stars"[i] Kendrick Lamar and SZA 2018 October 7, 2021
"Rainbow Beats"[i][j] Yi Yan, Zhao Fang Jing, Suika Kune and Feizaojun 2020 October 14, 2021
  1. ^ Also available as a Benelux region exclusive track on the soundtrack
  2. ^ Also available as a French-exclusive track on the soundtrack
  3. ^ Also available as a Japanese-exclusive track on the soundtrack
  4. ^ Initially free to be played until February 25, 2021, then became exclusive after the said date.
  5. ^ Tie-in to League of Legends, featuring game characters/band members Kai'Sa, Ahri, Akali, and Evelynn as the main coaches.
  6. ^ a b c Season 1: Once Upon a Dance
  7. ^ a b c Season 2: Versus
  8. ^ a b c Season 3: Festival
  9. ^ a b Season 4: The Traveler
  10. ^ Also appeared in the Chinese version of Just Dance 2020, which is also known as "Cai Hong Ji Pai"


References

edit
  1. ^ "Everything Announced in August 26's Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase". IGN. August 26, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  2. ^ "Just Dance 2021 Announced, Coming In November". GameSpot. August 26, 2020. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "Just Dance 2021 Pre-Order Guide: Next-Gen Upgrades, Price, And More". GameSpot. August 27, 2020. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  4. ^ Estrada, Daniel (October 15, 2020). "Just Dance 2021 llegará a PS5 y Xbox Series X | S el 24 de noviembre". TechGames (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  5. ^ "Just Dance 2021 Revealed During Nintendo Direct; Wii Version Dropped". Twinfinite. August 26, 2020.
  6. ^ Gray, Kate (November 23, 2020). "Just Dance 2021 Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Sowah, Eugene (November 15, 2020). "Just Dance 2021 Review: Get ready to work up a sweat while showing off your best dance moves". Daily Mirror. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  8. ^ Peters, Megan (November 12, 2020). "Just Dance 2021 Review: A Remixed Version of the Same Song and Dance". ComicBook. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  9. ^ Ubisoft Paris (February 19, 2021). "Creating a game during the lockdown". Ubisoft Paris. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  10. ^ "Just Dance 2021 – How Blinding Lights Brings Diversity to the Dance Floor". news.ubisoft.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  11. ^ Just Dance 2021: Full Song List | Ubisoft [US]. Just Dance. November 11, 2020. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "Now available! Bring home the dance floor with Just Dance 2021". Nintendo. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  13. ^ Just Dance Unlimited: Monster by EXO | Official Track Gameplay [US]. Just Dance. April 15, 2021. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ a b Just Dance 2023 Edition [@justdancegame] (April 15, 2021). "New exclusive tracks are coming to Just Dance Unlimited!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2022 – via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ a b c Just Dance Unlimited: Festival: Season 3 | Trailer | Ubisoft [US]. Just Dance. July 8, 2021. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2022 – via YouTube.
edit