Boasting artists such as Taio Cruz, 50 Cent, and the Pussycat Dolls, Dance Paradise’s playlist sounds like a Dance Central fan’s dream come true: 40 extra songs, both contemporary and old favorites, that you can show off to. Except Paradise isn’t exactly a dance game.

Instead, Paradise hosts an even milder dance experience than Dance Masters or a dance pad–based title. It’s first and foremost a game, complete with a health meter, power-ups for racking up extra points, and an emphasis on beating challenges to earn Golden Steps and unlock tracks. Even its multiplayer, which includes co-op and versus modes, focuses solely on scoring as high as possible to win, rather than dropping smooth moves to impress.

The “dancing,” though central to the game, only asks players to perform simple moves that involve a lot of arm-waving and booty-shaking…and that’s it. Paradise offers no real choreography to learn and no increases in the moves’ difficulty as you progress through the song sets. Even on Hard difficulty, only the challenges and the frequency of the moves become more demanding, and not by much.

Overall, Dance Paradise is exactly what the game’s name advertises: a respite from the sweat-inducing, mind-boggling physicality of titles like Dance Central and Dance Masters. You’ll get off the couch but won’t need to stop thinking like a gamer — and all the while, you’ll groove out to hit songs and reap a fairly generous bounty of Gamerscore (and some unlockable Avatar items, too).

On Xbox 360 (For Kinect)

+ Good song selection featuring contemporary and classic hits; generous Gamerscore.

+ Simple moves that are easy to figure out.

- Long load times; poor movement recognition; lack of choreography.

? Is it bad if we’re continually reminded of Rock Band and Guitar Hero when we play?

6.0