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We just received our XBox 360 with Kinect a few months ago. We’ve tested out the Sesame Street TV, Nat Geo TV, and in the next few weeks will be doing a lot of dancing with Nickelodeon Dance 2, Just Dance 4, and Dance Central 3.  I couldn’t believe how many dance games for Kinect there are!

What makes Nickelodeon Dance 2 different than the other dance games for Kinect is that it’s geared for younger children who enjoy dancing along with their favorite Nickelodeon characters. These 20 characters include Dora the Explorer, Diego, The Backyardigans, Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi and the Fresh Beat Band. The game is rated “E” for everyone, and 1-2 players can dance at a time. There are almost 30 different songs available to dance to during the game. Though we tested this game for XBox 360 with Kinect, it is also available for Wii.

My son, who just turned 3, watched me dance for a few songs, then wanted to join in. He immediately figured out how to raise his arm to join in,  and move his arm across his chest to make a song choice. He was able to complete some of the basic moves, either copying arm or leg movements, but not both. In general, for this age group, I thought the dance moves were fairly complicated, as children are moving their arms and legs at the same time in challenging patterns. However, even though he stood in front of the sensor and moved his arms around and bounced his knees the best way he knew how, the game never responded in a negative way. He still earned some basic points and the game continued to appropriately encourage him to stand in front of the sensor if he moved to far out of the way. In general, he had a blast dancing along with his favorite characters. Over time, as his skill improves I’m sure his attention to the moves will increase as well. We are looking forward to using our Xbox with Kinect during the winter months when it’s too cold to get outside and be active.

2K Play provided this game free to facilitate this review. Any opinions are my own.