DanceStar Party is the latest creation from the makers of the unfathomably popular SingStar games. Gameplay couldn’t be simpler; you hold the motion controller in your right hand and follow the on-screen dancer’s movements. The closer you get to accurately mirroring their moves, the higher your score (a bit like Guitar Hero for dancers).

They’ve even designed in some interactivity between the two franchises so if you have SingStar microphones, a second player can sing along as you dance! DanceStar Party's 2-player mode is great fun and adds a perfect party game competitive element, although to avoid hand clashes and potential injury you’ll need at least an 8ft square of clear space in front of the screen. The game also allows you to capture and share videos and photos with friends online, although how long they’d remain friends if I did it is up to question.

The on-screen dance routines rarely follow the dance moves performed by the artists themselves (and despite what you might think this is frequently a good thing) and they use professionally choreographed routines that are carefully produced to represent the energy, movement and style of the original artist’s video.

With DanceStar Party you use the PlayStation Eye to capture video and pictures as you play and you can then upload your performances online to the DanceStar Party website, Facebook or Twitter for friends to follow, comment on or just laugh hysterically at.

Galleries is where you go to view highlights and also view community (other players’) videos if you should be so inclined. In Party Mode up to 20 players can compete to see who is the ultimate dance champion and judge each other’s performances. The new Dance Workout feature has an in-game calorie counter to chart weekly progress to use as part of a personal exercise regime.

Now to probably the important thing about the game, the 40-strong tracklist:

Amerie - 1 Thing
Barry White - You’re The First, The Last, My Everything
Basement Jaxx - Where’s Your Head At
Billy Idol with Generation X - Dancing with Myself
Bodyrockers - I Like The Way
Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
CeCe Peniston - Finally
Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl
Chromeo - Night By Night
Deadmau5 - Ghosts ‘N’ Stuff (feat. Rob Swire)
Diana Ross - Upside Down
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed
Elton John - I’m Still Standing
Example - Kickstarts
Groove Armada feat. Gram’ma Funk - I See You Baby (Fatboy Slim mix)
Ida Corr Vs Fedde Le Grand - Let Me Think About It
Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne - Down
Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude
Kool And The Gang - Get Down On It
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Los Del Rio - Macarena
Miami Sound Machine - Dr Beat
New Kids On The Block - You Got It (The Right Stuff)
Nicole Scherzinger - Don’t Hold Your Breath
Ok Go - Here It Goes Again
OutKast - The Way You Move
Republica - Ready To Go
Rihanna - Rude Boy
SNAP! - The Power
Tavares - Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel
Tiesto v Diplo feat Busta Rhymes - C’mon (Catch ‘Em By Surprise)
Tinie Tempah - Pass Out
Usher featuring Pitbull - DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love
Usher featuring will.i.am - OMG
Vengaboys - We Like To Party
Willow - Whip My Hair
Yolanda Be Cool vs D Cup - We No Speak Americano

As you probably noticed it’s an extremely varied collection of songs and there are undeniably some great dance tunes on it. Each song has an ‘energy level’ rating and above and beyond that you can play each song at any of 3 difficulty settings (Beginner, Intermediate & Professional) so everyone should be able to find a level to suit their dancing umm... style/physical fitness level.

It’s difficult to put in plain words how much better DanceStar Party plays than the old-school dance mat games that it has replaced. The movements feel natural and rhythmic and you actually feel like you’re dancing even if, as in my case, the video evidence suggests otherwise. The Move motion controller weighs next to nothing so it immediately has the edge over similar Wii games, and with access to Sony’s huge music library in addition to the 40 tracks that come with the game, there’s sure to be plenty to keep the game fresh.