It was late 2013 when that specific, heavy-hitting woodblock drop took over every radio station on the planet. You couldn't escape it. Martin Garrix was just a teenager, but he'd created a monster. Then, Ubisoft did what they do best and brought it to the living room. The Just Dance Animals song became an instant staple of Just Dance 2014, and honestly, the game hasn't quite felt the same since that era.
Most people remember it for the masks. Or the intense, almost frantic energy of the choreography. It wasn't just another pop track added to a yearly roster; it was a shift toward the "Extreme" style of play that the community still obsesses over today. If you’ve ever tried to hit 5 stars on the Extreme version, you know the struggle. Your arms feel like lead after two minutes.
The Choreography That Broke Our Living Rooms
The Just Dance Animals song features two very distinct versions, and they couldn't be more different if they tried. The classic version is what most casual players know. You’ve got the coach wearing the iconic pigeon mask—a direct nod to the official music video’s theme of rebellion and animalistic energy. It’s categorized as "Easy" in the game’s internal ranking, but that's kinda deceptive. It requires a lot of broad, sweeping arm movements that get your heart rate up faster than you’d expect.
Then there’s the Extreme version.
Ubisoft brought in professional dancers to create routines that feel less like a party game and more like a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. The Extreme version of Animals is notorious. It’s fast. It’s punishing. It demands precision that the Wii Remote—bless its soul—could barely track back in the day. Players today still use it as a benchmark for their skill level on Just Dance Now or via the Unlimited subscription service.
What Makes This Routine So Different?
While many tracks in the 2014 and 2015 editions focused on "vibe" and simple rhythmic swaying, the Just Dance Animals song focused on power.
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- The Drop: When the beat drops, the choreo switches from rhythmic bouncing to aggressive, sharp thrusts and jumps.
- The Visuals: The background is a psychedelic explosion of geometric shapes and shifting colors that sync perfectly with the EDM production.
- The "Pigeon" Aesthetic: It’s weird. It’s quirky. It captured that specific 2010s "random" humor while remaining a serious piece of electronic dance music.
Interestingly, some fans have pointed out over the years that the tracking on the original Kinect version was significantly harder than the PlayStation Move or Wii versions. This is because the camera had to track the full body's "aggressive" stances, which were often too fast for the hardware's refresh rate. If you were playing on Xbox 360, you probably felt that frustration.
Why We Are Still Talking About Animals in 2026
You might think a track from over a decade ago would be buried by now. It isn't. The Just Dance Animals song remains one of the most-played legacy tracks on the Just Dance Plus and Unlimited platforms. Why? Because it represents the peak of "Big Room House" in gaming.
Modern Just Dance tracks often lean heavily into K-Pop or TikTok-viral hits. Those are great, don't get me wrong. But they often have "glidier" movements. Animals is "staccato." Every beat is a hit. Every hit is a calorie burned. For the fitness community—the "Just Dance-ers" who use the game for weight loss—Animals is a top-tier recommendation. It’s roughly 3 minutes and 11 seconds of pure cardio.
Technical Details and Scoring Quirks
If you’re hunting for a high score, you need to understand the gold moves. In the Just Dance Animals song, the gold moves usually coincide with the "clap" or the heavy synth lead.
One thing most players get wrong is the "bounce." In the classic version, the coach has a constant rhythmic bounce in their knees. If you stand still and just move your arms, the game's internal accelerometer (especially on the Switch Joy-Cons) won't give you "Perfect" ratings. You have to move your entire body to keep the rhythm.
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Version Differences
- Just Dance 2014: The original home. It featured the Pigeon coach.
- Just Dance 2015 (Mashups): The song appeared in several mashup modes, proving its popularity.
- Just Dance Now: The mobile version allows for surprisingly decent tracking using a smartphone, though the lag can be a killer during the drop.
- Just Dance Unlimited/Plus: It’s been remastered with better resolution, making the trippy backgrounds look crisp on 4K TVs.
The Cultural Impact of the Pigeon Mask
It sounds silly, but the pigeon mask became a symbol for the franchise during that era. It appeared in promotional materials and even crossed over into other Ubisoft titles as an easter egg. The "Animal" theme wasn't just a name; it was a design philosophy. The coaches move with a certain predatory sharpness during the Extreme version that genuinely mimics the "hunt" described in the lyrics—well, the few lyrics there are.
"We're the force the world will be right here..."
It’s less about the words and more about the primal feeling of the beat. That’s why it works. It doesn't matter if you speak English, French, or Japanese; everyone understands a heavy bassline and a command to jump.
How to Master the Extreme Routine
If you’re brave enough to tackle the Extreme version of the Just Dance Animals song, stop trying to mirror the screen exactly.
Seriously.
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The screen is a 2D representation of 3D movement. Focus on the "weight" of the moves. When the coach drops low, you need to get your center of gravity down. Most people fail because they stay too upright. This isn't ballet; it's a mosh pit disguised as a dance routine.
Another tip: watch the feet. Even though the game (mostly) tracks your hands, your hand position is dictated by your footwork. If your feet are out of sync, your hands will be late. Being late is the easiest way to turn a "Perfect" into a "Good" or a "Miss."
The Final Verdict on the Legacy
The Just Dance Animals song isn't just a piece of nostalgia. It’s a testament to a time when EDM was the undisputed king of the charts and gaming. It’s hard, it’s loud, and it’s unapologetically weird.
If you haven't played it in a while, fire up your console. It’s a workout that holds up better than most actual gym routines from 2014. Just maybe check your surroundings before you start flailing your arms like a caffeinated pigeon.
Actionable Steps for Just Dance Players
- Switch to Joy-Cons for Accuracy: If you're on the Switch, the Joy-Cons track the rotational "flick" of the Animals choreo much better than the mobile app does.
- Warm Up First: Do not jump into the Extreme version cold. The repetitive shoulder movements can cause strain if you aren't loose.
- Focus on the "Hit": In EDM tracks like this, the game rewards "sharp" movements over "smooth" ones. End your movements with a slight snap to trigger the "Perfect" rating.
- Use Sweat Mode: Turn on the calorie counter. Animals is one of the highest-rated songs for caloric burn per minute in the entire franchise.
- Study the "Pigeon" Gold Move: It happens right at the peak of the build-up. Practice the timing of the arm raise, as it's the most common "Missed" gold move in the track.