Dance Central 3 isnât just the superior choreography experience gamers can get this year. Itâs also a video game that embeds homages to arcade classics and pop cultural ephemera deep inside super-clever, split-second easter eggs.
https://lastchance.cc/the-years-two-biggest-dance-games-are-now-out-time-for-5952152%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Harmonix uses its time travel plot device to nod its own predecessors like Computer Space and make roundabout nods to movies like Back to the Future. Of course, when youâre obsessed with nailing Dance Central 3âs super-powered steps during a play session, it can be hard to catch any of that stuff. Luckily, Harmonix is letting Kotaku show off the neat details lurking in the gameâs backgroundsâwith project director Matt Boch offering up notes with each imageâvia concept art for Dance Central 3âs different decades.
https://lastchance.cc/time-traveling-dance-central-3-gets-an-october-release-5928242%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
For each âvenue,â we start out with a concept sketch of the venue in its normal state, and a second in âpeak state,â the transformed neon state that venues transition to when youâre dancing well.
70s Venue Concept. Our boy, âDJ MacCoyâ is holding down the decks in this concept drawing.
70s Peak Concept. Peak states always try to take the shape and form of the venue, and then abstract it with neon ribbons and fields reminiscent of our distinctive UI. When we went into full production with the 70s venue, we added reactive equalizer bars around the DJ booth to make it pop that much more.
When we actually start building out the venues, we review tons of reference so we can ensure that all the details match the time period and aesthetic of the venue. This is where we start getting to have some fun, adding character elements that make the venues more than just backdrops. Some very classic looking arcades & pinball machines, like a Computer Space coin-op.
80s Venue Concept. We wanted to go for a b-boy street-side feel for this era, as that fit with the choreographic style we were going for in this decade.
80s Peak Concept. We went with a much more aggressive geometry change here than we usually do, wiping away most of the buildings and leaving a huge, arcing set of ribbons in their place. Itâs a fantastic moment when youâre dancing well and then the buildings sink right into the ground.
The back wall is emblazoned with Hi Def crew graffiti, and theyâre dancing on the corner of âCentral Alleyâ and âToprock Aveâ. Toprocking is the primary style of breakdancing we use in Dance Central, as it gets difficult to see the screen when youâre threading or doing a 6-step.
90s Venue Concept. We wanted to go with a house party vibe, as that fit with early 90s aesthetic of Taye & Lilâ Tâs looks. In the campaign, you learn this is actually Taye & Lilâ Tâs childhood home. Lilâ T wasnât even alive to see it in this state, more on that laterâŠ
90s Peak Concept. Again, a pretty aggressive geometric simplification here, with the staircase upstairs becoming a stairway to neon heaven.
This is the scene that generated the absolute best bug of the project:
âBug 60817: Anachronistic photos in 90s venue in Story Modeâ
Repro:
1) Launch DC3
2) Select Main Menu >Story
3) Choose any difficulty
4) Play until the 90s
Result:
Photographs of Taye and Liâl T are visible on a shelf in their childhood home, despite Liâl T not being born in the 90s (as Taye herself points out once they return to the present), and Taye being at least 20 years younger at the time.
Expected:
Venues contain no anachronisms.
Given the perfectionist streak at Harmonix, and the obvious dangers of messing with the time-space continuum, this could not stand, so we made 2 new photos of Taye as a kid: one with the classic laser background that made us super jealous of kids whose parents let them pick that on school photo day, another showcasing Tayeâs classic hat from DC1, which she gave to Lilâ T in DC2
00s Venue Concept. The idea here was to recreate a Times Square style reality dance show. Bodie & Emelia of the Riptide Crew have been sent back to the 00s, but rather than keep a low profile, as theyâd been instructed to do, theyâve started a dance show, using the art & style of Dance Central.
00s Peak Concept. Again, riffing on the geometry of the stage and the window to create a compelling night-club feel.
DCI Venue Concept. We wanted DCI to feel equal parts secret headquarters and swanky nightclub. We modeled the command center to split the difference between a bar and a futuristic spy console.
DCI Peak Concept. Given that the space already had a club vibe, we maintain a bit more of the key elements of the scene, while augmenting it with DCâs trademark neon ribbons.
Time Machine Concept. Going back to the ribbon motif here. We made every effort to integrate DCâs distinct visual elements as we built out the narrative world. The ribbon UI that we debuted in DC1 has a futuristic, magical feel that makes perfect sense for a time machineâŠ
Tanâs Throne Room Concept. The team loves Skyrim & Game of Thrones. This is our homage to that visual style, with a bird theme, given that Dr. Tanâs menacing crew is called âMurder of Crows.â
Tanâs Throne Room in Peak. WE CAN TURN LITERALLY ANYTHING INTO A NIGHT CLUB.
