Just Dance Now (Android) (2014)

Overview: An app-based entry to the Just Dance series.


Shakira - "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)"

Setup:
The FAQ on the Just Dance Now website says the following are needed to play the game:
1- The Just Dance Now app on your smartphone which will be used as a controller.
2- An internet-connected screen (such as your PC, Mac, tablet, Apple TV, or a TV with a casting device).

20181219:
I've played Just Dance Now for free a couple times now and my phone disconnecting from the game while I'm playing is a problem I commonly encounter. It's annoying! Especially when I'm scoring well.

Gameplay Log:
I watched the YouTube video for "Gentleman - ALTERNATE."
Today I scored 11007 on "Gentleman - ALTERNATE" even though I disconnected! My goodness.
I changed the sleep settings on my phone to 10 minutes.
I watched the YouTube video for "Swish Swish."
I previously played "Swish Swish" and my phone disconnected so I only got a low score (1363). Today I played it and my phone switched to the camera app during the game.


will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber - "#thatPOWER" (Extreme Version/Solo)

20190519:
Today was my first day subscribing to Just Dance Now. I did it because the game gives me exercise. But I stopped playing Just Dance 2019.

20191222 Comment:
Starting with 20190520, I started keeping track of the songs I played. By today, I played 203 tracks which is just under 1 song a day (217 days have passed). Unfortunately, this technically means I could save money by playing for free at a rate of 2 songs a day (non-subscribers on average receive 1 song per day; thus my wife and I would get to play an average of 2 songs per day). Of course the real solution is that I have to play (and exercise) more consistently. Assuming I play ten songs a day for the remaining five months of my subscription, I would average about 4.7 songs a day across the duration of the subscription.

Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Simple to set up
+ Unlimited number of players can join a game.
+ Song list grows at a steady rate

BIGBANG - "Bang Bang Bang" (Extreme Version/Solo)

Neutral:
~ I wish the game had a more stream friendly design.
~ Doesn't require a console to play

Cons:
- Certainly more bugged than the console version (this includes phone disconnection, occasional lag, error in song choice, and error in score being saved)
- Having to use the phone is less secure than using the Wii remote with a strap.
- The UI experience isn't the best; for example, while I do like keeping a list of favorites, the game keeps playing the first song from my favorites list; my expectation is that song selection should start from where I last left off (with respect to a session)
- Non-subscription can be a pain (e.g., I've had experiences where there was an error with a song and I lost my free play; it feels like putting a quarter into an arcade machine but not being able to play); understandably they want people to pay, but a more feel-good non-subscription system would have a selection of free songs that don't require coins and/or a way to earn coins.

[20191222]

Summary:
Although the game has numerous problems, I enjoy it. Perhaps the developers figure it works well enough. However, the lack of polish does make me consider not renewing my subscription when it's over. Instead, I would opt to exercise in other ways.


On a different note, I feel the Just Dance series is most fun with a group of four and I currently don't have a circle of friends that would be interested in playing the game.

[20191222]

Just Dance Now (Android) (2014)

Relevant Links:
Just Dance Now (Wikipedia.org)
Just Dance Now (iOS) (MetaCritic.com)


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