Even if you wouldn’t be caught dead listening to a Black Eyed Peas album, it’s hard to deny their pop prowess — and songs like “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow” are so irresistibly energetic that a dancing game devoted to the quartet’s hits makes perfect sense.

Unlike Michael Jackson’s Kinect game, The Black Eyed Peas Experience takes strongly after Dance Central, with an instructive approach that helps you learn the moves, plus slickly designed dancers and levels — not just static-looking video loops (à la Just Dance 3). In fact, the campaign mode spends upward of 20 minutes per song, breaking down the moves into brief sets that hammer each action home without boring you in the process.

By the time the full routine pops up, you’ll be able to dance confidently alongside Fergie and will.i.am. The wide array of moves are entertaining to pull off and chain together, and the Kinect controls work admirably throughout. If you prefer, you can also hit single tracks without the warm-up sessions and pull in a friend for co-op play, where two other players can also sing along with USB mics to earn you followers. The ability to create custom routines is a nice perk as well.

With 30 tracks and only a few dance locations, The Black Eyed Peas Experience feels lightweight compared to the similarly priced Dance Central 2, plus it’s not breaking much ground. But once the beat dropped, we couldn’t help but dance like fools and have a lot of fun. And damn if those songs aren’t catchy.

PUBLISHER: Ubisoft  •  DEVELOPER: iNiS/Ubisoft  •  ESRB: Teen  •  MULTIPLAYER: 4 on same screen (2 dancers, 2 singers)  •  ACHIEVEMENTS: Tough  •  COST: $50

On Xbox 360 (for Kinect only)

+ Entertaining Kinect dance game that smartly teaches moves.

+ Well-presented throughout, with stellar locations and dancers.

– Less robust and fulfilling than same-priced Dance Central 2.

? Who’s up next for his/her/their own Experience game?

7.5