Zumba Holiday 2013 Showcase - Review
Yesterday, Zumba Fitness hosted their Holiday Showcase 2013 event in New York City. Zumba Fitness - "global lifestyle brand that fuses fitness, entertainment and culture into an exhilarating dance-party workout" - has a multitude of exciting product launches coming up that they shared with us at Games.com.
The event, decorated as a winter wonderland in honor of the planned Holiday-release for their upcoming gaming titles, was an energetic one filled with a plethora of Zumba products and signature-apparel-clad Zumba trainers that left anticipating the launch of these games even more.
Zumba Dance is a mobile app for iOS and Android tablets that combines all of the things we've loved about previous Zumba Fitness games and brings them into the mobile space, creating a dynamic and rewarding experience. The mobile space is, it seems, where everyone wants and needs to be right now, so creating an app that allows its users to get involved with Zumba on the go was a wise move and the logical next step for them.
Essentially, Zumba Dance allows Zumba enthusiasts and amateurs alike to play the game in smaller spaces like their kitchen or their hotel room by using top-notch motion-tracking technology. Users can create custom workouts, playlists, and set goals that their tablets can remind them of via push notifications. The app is already available for $4.99 (plus premium content like additional songs).
Slated for release on October 15, Zumba Fitness World Party truly embraces Zumba as a global phenomenon and lets players travel the globe and dance to different cultural sounds. World Party offers four different modes: World Dance Tour, Full Class, Single Song, and Learn the Steps. World Dance Tour got us especially stoked for this game as it works as a sort of "career mode" and makes the player feel as though they are becoming a true Zumba pro.
Perhaps the main improvement that we see with Zumba Fitness World Party is the actual human Zumba instructors replacing virtual avatars. The Zumba team actually traveled to the countries you can dance "in" and shot on location, and used the video of the instructors to create a more realistic experience. Zumba Fitness World Party will be available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, and Wii U.
Lastly, the Zumba brand is looking to expand its demographic by introducing Zumba Kids, also slated for a Holiday release. Zumba Kids is essentially the same as World Party but with a focus on creating an environment specifically for kids instead of a more global one. With fun and colorful backgrounds and graphics, mini-games, and modes that encourage full-family participation, Zumba Kids is sure to be a hit.
