For the next iteration of their hit franchise, Harmonix could have just released another 30-plus songs and some minor tweaks — the sophistication of their user interface and gameplay would’ve still trumped their Kinect competitors’. Instead, in Dance Central 2, they’ve not only overhauled everything and added new features, but also blended it all together to form a genre-defining package that offers incredible flexibility, a plethora of options, and true game-like feel.

It’s a type of game we didn’t even know we wanted. At first blush, the inclusion of a career mode and side-by-side play seemed as if it’d mess too much with the first game’s already-winning formula. But after spending some time in Dance mode, you soon realize there’s real meat in DC2, and the heart of that starts with the routines themselves. In both structure (the solo, co-op, and versus modes) and choreography, there’s a startling depth to be found.

You can play for personal satisfaction (to work out, dance, or just show off), join a pal for camaraderie, or even just trounce a friend in the mini-game. And the quick, subtle, and fluid movement that the choreography now emphasizes (as opposed to one-off, killer moves) means you can challenge yourself by learning all those rapid transitions and nuanced movements (just like in real dancing); play through the entire game, including career mode, without really breaking anything down; or do something in between.

And this wide range of choices for how you can play is what makes the new career mode so satisfying. Crew Challenge becomes a showcase for how well you’ve learned the game’s mechanics: it’s a hit of real gameplay in a genre that has so far been just a display of how to use Kinect’s capabilities. This comes across clearest during the final boss battle, with its riff on Rock Band’s Endless Setlist: you have to complete 5 songs in a row, getting 4 stars on each to proceed. You get no breaks between them — your endurance and how well you’ve learned the various routines in the game are being put to the test. We actually gulped when we realized what we were facing, and we began to wonder — as we would with any other controller-based game — if we were ready. Had we saved? Had we been too cocky about the difficulty level we’d picked? We charged through songs, knowing we had to achieve as much sync as possible to get that last, fourth star.

Ultimately, it’s that mix of difficulty, variety in types of game modes and gameplay, and actual game-y elements that makes Dance Central 2 not just one of the best Kinect titles, but also one of the best unique games on the 360 right now. Sure, we wish a few small things had been done differently or better. Songs no longer show percentages when you complete them, leaving you no way to precisely track how well you did; voice commands don’t always register; and we were confused why — with the routines being so much more complex — Break It Down wasn’t also as nuanced (by, say, including a medium speed).

But besides the huge (though subtle) changes we gushed about above, there’s still so many medium and little things to enjoy: Break It Down, with its customizable move lists and voice commands, is way handier than it was before; we love the poach-a-move fun of the Dance Any Move mini-game in versus matches; and the game’s now just freakin’ hard at its high end. (In addition to the more dancer-y choreography, the difficulty of the 40-plus routines goes up to 7 bars, as opposed to Dance Central’s 5 bars.) Overall, Dance Central 2 blew our minds because of its artful mix of movement and gameplay; it makes using your body to respond to what’s onscreen an afterthought. You just think: “Man, what a great game.”

Publisher: Microsoft • Developer: Harmonix • ESRB: Teen • Multiplayer: 2 in co-op or versus (local only)  • Achievements: Lots of sweat • Cost: $50

On Xbox 360 (for Kinect only)

+ Smooth, seamless solo/co-op experience; extremely entertaining Versus mode; much-improved Break It Down mode.

+ Tons of songs spanning greater breadth, difficulty, and fluidity.

+ A welcome, challenging, and satisfying career mode.

? Will anyone ever have a shot with Miss Aubrey? Hang in there, Angel.

9.5