Go Dance Review

Go Dance is a rhythm game that aims to keep you moving, and considering the health benefits from downloading this app, that should be enough. Most games lock us in a sedentary state, and any title that makes us sweat should get the benefit of the doubt. But can one truly dance in an iOS universe?

If you love, or at least tolerate, the hit songs  LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem' and Nicki Minaj's 'Super Bass,' then you've won half the battle in appreciating Go Dance. These are the tracks that you'll be dancing to after purchasing the $1.99 app, and the goal while playing each song is to rack up as many points as possible. By accurately mimicking the avatar's movements, you'll see various comments flash on your device that will praise your fancy footwork. If you're downright uncoordinated and are flailing away with no purpose, expect a few 'Oops' remarks to surface.

Tired of sweating to the music? Customizing your avatar and finding new locations are also available, as you can purchase accessories, pants, shirts, and even hoodies by using hearts that you earn from dancing. Although my dance time was relegated to a beach setting, further unlockable levels feature New York City, Japan, space, and jungle serving as the background. Don't expect tons of workout music to be at your disposal for free, however, as 'Wild Ones' (Flo Rida feat. Sia) and 'Levels' (Avicii) are featured as in-app purchases. As for my first fashion buy, I coughed up a few hearts for a V-neck blue tee.

The game's annoying flaw is its calibration system, which has gamers stand 6 to 7 feet away from their device to capture their movements. The FaceTime Camera acts as a motion sensor as it attempts to track and score your movements during the song's duration. Unfortunately, much of your dancing will be confined within a tiny space, as straying a few inches from the camera's sight line leads to a recalibration. Stopping in the middle of a track to make everything right ends up being a nuisance, so try to stay within the camera's range as much as possible. Here's a photo of me setting things up before the song starts. Within seconds I will back up several paces so the camera is able to capture my location.

Since rhythm gaming is finding its footing on iOS, I'm more than willing to give Go Dance another run. Even with its minor camera flaw, I ended up dancing the afternoon away and burned several hundred calories in the process. If an app can give me a pleasurable enough experience and will help me shed a few pounds, a few moments of inconvenience won't phase me.

The scoring system is also pretty liberal, and by not critiquing all your various missteps during the dance, it's easy to see the developers have their priorities in the right place. They simply want people to get off the couch and exercise. If they don't follow all of the avatar's contortions, who cares? We can still unlock levels and score big points as long as we continue to dance and keep our adrenaline pumping.

For a $1.99 download, Go Dance is an app that will keep you on your toes and relatively active. The continuing failure of the FaceTime camera, which leads one to get motion sensored all over again, is a drag, but considering all the game has to offer, I'd simply remain patient and let the music take over.

App Store Link: Go Dance for iPhone & iPad | By SEGA | Price: $1.99 | Version: 1.0.0.0 | 71.1 MB | Rating: 4+