Be sure to have your hands or feet in the targets when the balls hit them.

As the first Kinect-enabled dancing game for Live Arcade, Rhythm Party smartly embodies the mantra of "short but sweet," serving up 10 tracks and dazzling visual effects that make a good impression in a short amount of time.

Rather than replicate the full-scale choreographed approach of its earlier DanceMasters game, Konami has shirked the J-pop dance routines in favor of asking you to just thrust your hands and feet into targets that appear around your body. Higher difficulty settings add extra targets, plus ones that require directional swipes or sustained holds, but otherwise, you basically can just dance however you want so long as you hit the designated markers.

The 3D pixel look is a really impressive full-body visual effect.

Rhythm Party's soundtrack consists of electronic tracks from Konami's typical slate of in-house artists, as well as licensed hits by Lady Gaga, Bobby Brown, and the Village People. You even get a mix of those song types, in the form of two dance tracks featuring Vanilla Ice. But it's the visuals that really stand out, thanks to bright, well-animated backdrops adorned with a colorfully skinned image of your body. Skilled play also yields stellar special effects, like seeing your virtual body don an astronaut suit or futuristic armor on the fly.

Without multiplayer or varied play modes, Rhythm Party can be conquered in a snap. But it's an entertaining and solidly priced treat for Kinect dance fans who need a fresh distraction.

PUBLISHER: Konami  •  DEVELOPER: Konami  •  ESRB: Everyone  •  MULTIPLAYER: None  •  ACHIEVEMENTS: Tough  •  COST: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)

On Xbox Live Arcade (Kinect Required)

+ Terrific visual effects for each track.

+ Simple and effective Kinect-based approach.

– Lightweight package with zero multiplayer.

? Why call it Rhythm Party when it’s a solo experience? The original title (Boom Boom Dance) made more sense.

7.0