'Just Dance 2' launches with mix of old and new

(All rights reserved - Nintendo / Ubisoft)

Ubisoft's surprise hit of 2009, Just Dance for the Wii, proved so popular that even Nintendo's president mentioned it in his prestigious annual report, and is still selling well nearly a year after its first release. Does Just Dance 2 have a strong enough set list to go the distance when it hits stores this week?

Out on October 12 in North America and October 15 in Europe, Just Dance 2 is the first of many dance games due before the end of the year.

SingStar Dance for the PlayStation 3 comes out in the first week of November, and makes use of the new PlayStation 3 Move controller, as does Dance Central on Xbox 360, which plugs into the snazzy Kinect motion tracking camera.

Ubisoft, the company behind Just Dance and its sequel, also have Michael Jackson: The Experience waiting in the wings - the Wii, DS, and PSP versions are out on November 23, with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 equivalents expected to debut sometime around March 2011.

Just Dance 2 contains a mix of songs old and new, though the emphasis is firmly on girls' nights out and dancefloor fillers, and lyrics appear on screen so everyone can sing along.

Ubisoft shows a talent for keeping its own company purse-strings in check, snagging the rights for  recognizable classics such as Elvis' "Viva Las Vegas" and Quincy Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova" (from the Austin Powers soundtrack), while making savings with bouncy cover versions of Britney Spears' "Toxic," Madonna's "Holiday," and Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love."

British DJ Fatboy Slim, most famous for "Right Here, Right Now" and "Praise You," appears three times courtesy of two remixes and his breakthrough single "The Rockerfeller Skank."

'Just Dance 2' tracklisting:
Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend (2007)
Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian (1986)
Beastie Boys - Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim remix, 1998)
Benny Benassi presents The Biz - Satisfaction (2002)
Blondie - Call Me (1980)
Bollywood - Katti Kalandal
Boney M. - Rasputin (1978)
Charleston - Mugsy Baloney
Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)
Digitalism - Idealistic (2004)
Dagomba - Sorcerer
Donna Summer - Hot Stuff (1979)
Elvis Presley - Viva Las Vegas (1964)
Fatboy Slim - Rockafeller Skank (1998)
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out (2004)
Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line (1961)
Ike & Tina Turner - Proud Mary (1971 cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival)
James Brown - I Got You (I Feel Good) (1965)
Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl (1996)
Junior Senior - Move Your Feet (2002)
Just Dance 2 studio musicians - Crazy In Love (Beyoncé, 2003)
Just Dance 2 studio musicians - Jungle Boogie (Kool & The Gang, 1973)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (2007)
Katy Perry - Firework (2010) - free download
Ke$ha - TiK ToK (2009)
Mardi Gras - Iko Iko
Marine Band - Sway (¿Quién será?)
MIKA - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) (2007)
Outkast - Hey Ya! (2003)
Quincy Jones - Soul Bossa Nova (1962)
Reggaeton - Baby Girl
Rihanna - S.O.S. (2006)
Snap! - The Power (1990)
Studio Allstars - Jump (Van Halen, 1984)
Supergrass - Alright (1995)
The Frighteners - Monster Mash (Bobby Pickett, 1962)
The Hit Crew - Holiday (Madonna, 1983)
The Hit Crew - Toxic (Britney Spears, 2004)
The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (1969)
The Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up (2008)
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (2003 Fatboy Slim remix)
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name (2008)
The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (1982)
Vampire Weekend - A-Punk (2008)
Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (1984)