Hi there!  So if you have a really good memory, you may recall that I mentioned I was working on super secret surprise to share with you.  Well, this is it!

I had the opportunity recently to test out Just Dance 2014 presented by Ubisoft.  Now, it’s no secret that I love dancing as a form of fitness.  I talk endlessly about my love for dance on this blog so you would probably not be surprised to find out that I own every edition of Just Dance for the Wii.  And yes, I do them all the time!  The Hubs and I even learned a duet to perform at the after-party for our wedding.  Yep, that’s us shaking our tail feathers! 

I was so excited when the package arrived but I couldn’t contain myself once I popped the disc into the Wii and started exploring.  This version is SO MUCH BETTER than the older versions and to be clear, I love all the old ones.  

Here’s a breakdown of what you will find on Just Dance 2014:

• The traditional play per song mode.  Browse through the songs and select the one you want to play.  Try to gain mojo by performing moves in sync with the on-screen dancer.

• Just Sweat Mode.  While this mode was offered on previous versions on Just Dance 2014 you can create a custom playlist or choose a playlist already created.  There are options for 10 minute, 20 minute and 40 minute sessions or you can just play continuously with free mode.  Just Sweat will give you not just time elapsed but also approximate calories burned.  I use this mode the most because it’s a great workout!

• On Stage Mode.  This is new to Just Dance 2014.  On Stage allows you to take center stage and make your friends the backup dancers.

• World Dance Floor.  Also new to Just Dance 2014, World Dance Floor allows you to dance with other players around the world.  You can join a virtual crew made up of real-life friends or other Just Dance friends and compete.  You can also track your standing on global leader boards and see fun stats from participants around the world. 

The music on Just Dance 2014 is so much fun!  A few of my faves include:

• Applause- Lady Gaga
• Get Lucky- Daft Punk
• Blurred Lines- Robin Thicke
• Starships- Nicky Minaj
• Feel This Moment- Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera
• C’mon- K$sha
• Limbo- Daddy Yankee
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

Plus there is a *free* download of Katy Perry’s Roar!  I also purchased Macklemore’s Can’t Hold Us because I absolutely love that song.  Overall there is so much more current popular music on Just Dance 2014 than on previous versions. Plus, new songs are available in the Just Dance Shop every month!

Another really cool feature for Just Dance 2014 is the different dance types for each song.  Besides the classic mode which features the original choreography and allows up to 4 players at one time there are three more dance types:

• Battle.  Two songs go up against one another and solo players can compete against the in-game dancers or if you have two or more players you can compete against each other on teams.  The player or team winning a round makes the opposing player dance to their music.  Whoever wins three rounds, wins the battle!

• Mash-ups.  Dancers from other songs appear in your song with new choreography.

• Alternative Dances.  This dance type allows you to rediscover a song with new choreography for the same song! This is my favorite feature because I love trying out different moves to the same song.

I am really excited about Just Dance 2014!  The new features really enhance the game and make it much more likely to keep my interest over the long-term.  The choreography is a little more difficult than previous versions, which I actually think is a great thing because it makes you repeat the song multiple times in order to get a better score and makes the game more challenging.  It is also a fantastic workout!  The Just Sweat mode keeps you moving and really gets your heart rate up.  In a one hour session, I burned 500 calories!

If you aren’t a dancer, you don’t need to worry at all!  Some songs have easier choreography than others.  Plus you don’t have to do every move perfect to do well in the game.  The key is trying to move in sync with the dancers and move the Wii remote in same direction as the on-screen player.  Perfection is not required here!

Just Dance 2014 is available for Wii (which I have), WiiU, PS3, PS4, Kinect for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.  You can purchase Just Dance 2014 on Amazon (affiliate link).

Check out this clip!

Readers, have you ever tried Just Dance?  Would you try Just Dance 2014?  Have you ever done a video game workout?  

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.