Dirty Dancing

Review

Common Sense Media says

Nothing dirty about this G-rated Facebook sim.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Dirty Dancing is a social game spin-off of the Dirty Dancing movie (starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey) that is played on Facebook. The game is free to play, but players can purchase and use a premium currency (called Watermelons) to speed up the game and buy exclusive items. Facebook friends are needed to staff dance shows, or else players can use the basic default characters or pay to unlock additional ones. There's nothing "dirty" about this game -- its romance theme is tasteful and fun.

  • Positive messages3
    As a resort manager, the player's goals involve making guests happy and seeing to their needs.
  • Positive role models3
    Baby and Johnny give out helpful advice throughout the game. Guests of the resort are there to have a good time, which includes dancing, bobbing for apples, and watching movies.
  • Ease of play4
    The game is straightforward to learn, and easily controlled with left mouse clicks.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex1
    Players run a romantic retreat and drop "Romance Waves" onto guests to make them fall in love. Guests who are in love will form couples and begin walking side by side, and will only take up one bed at the resort instead of two. Interactions between guests is strictly G-rated, and there's nothing graphic.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism2
    Players can purchase premium currency and use it to speed up quests and buy exclusive items. The game sends at least one email directly to the player unless the feature is opted out of. The game is based on the Dirty Dancing movie.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety4
    Players are prompted to share game achievements on their Facebook wall. Neighbors are beneficial -- though not essential -- to progressing in the game, which might tempt players to friend strangers to gain more resources, which, in this case, means dance partners.
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What's it about?

In DIRTY DANCING, Kellerman's romantic retreat has fallen into disrepair, and players must restore it to its former glory. Players choose a guide (either Johnny Castles or Frances "Baby" Houseman from the film), then set about achieving the game's main goal: to get the resort's guests to fall in love. This is achieved by dropping "Romance Waves" onto guest to increase their romance meters, which eventually causes them to form couples and pair off. Players can also build attractions for couples to visit to earn coins and experience, and throw dance parties by recruiting some Facebook friends (or spending real cash to hire dancers).

Is it any good?

 

Dirty Dancing is really only loosely tied to the movie, but there are enough nods to the source material -- including  a scrapbook of unlockable still images from the film -- that fans shouldn't feel totally alienated. Although the game's central theme is romance, there's nothing "dirty" or objectionable about its content. Romance blossoming between two guests is shown as hearts rising above their heads, and the game uses a pixilated art style that's quirky and cartoonish rather than steamy.

The addition of dance parties sets Dirty Dancing apart somewhat from similar social sims, but players must wait at least an hour of real-time in between dance rehearsals (unless they shell out real-world cash to speed things up), so it's easy to run out of things to do.

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about where this is a satisfying tie-in to the Dirty Dancing movie. What makes a good license-based game versus a bad one?

  • Families can also talk about some of the dance styles mentioned in the game (such as waltz, foxtrot). Are you inspired to learn some of these dances in real-life after playing the game?

  • Families can talk about online privacy and staying safe while online. Players should consider putting strangers on limited profile so they can play the game together but not be able to view private and personal profile information.

This review was written by Erin Bell

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This review was written by Erin Bell
Platforms:Facebook
Available online?Available online
Genre:Simulation
Release date:September 14, 2011
Price:Free with Microtransactions
ESRB rating:NR for N/A
This review was written by Erin Bell
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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