If you were in elementary or middle school in the mid-00s, every week night you probably watched the Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana, with bated breath and wondered if this would be the week when people would finally discover Miley Stewart's secret pop star identity. Given the show's massive popularity and Disney's penchant for marketing their content, chances are high that you owned a CD, fashion doll, beach towel, or singing tooth brush with the famous blonde's visage printed across it. Hannah Montana: Twister Moves was one of these targeted mash-ups, and it packaged the gameplay of the beloved classic, Twister, with a Dance Dance Revolution-style flare. Made for two or more players and ages 8 and up, this Disney-fied Twister will bring out the inner pop star in just about anyone.
What's Included in the Game
The game comes with just a few more materials than the typical Twister box does with its two mats and three CDs. Millennials, when you find this childhood relic tucked away in your childhood bedroom's closet, make sure you take the time to also dust off your baby blue or soft lavender CD players as you need them it to relive this game and the fun-loving shenanigans of your middle school sleepovers. If you're just now relishing in the game's goofy premise, check the box for:
- Two mats
- Two Twister Moves CDs
- One Hannah Montana CD
- Instructions
How to Play
On the two Twister Moves CDs are general dance tracks and on the Hannah Montana CD are four of the most popular songs from the show's first album:
- The Best of Both Worlds
- Nobody's Perfect
- We Got the Party
- I Got Nerve
The original voices of Miley Stewart's two best friends, Lily and Oliver, call out the dance moves (which can include your hands or your feet), and you use their directions to move your body around the mats. Some moves will have you spinning or twisting, and even breaking a sweat. For example, Lily's voice might call out "Purple, left foot" and you're supposed to put your left foot on the purple circle, just like with regular Twister. Except, in this game, the characters from the show take the place of the spinner board. The instructions they call out may come in quick succession, so keep in mind that it may take a few times listening to each song and practicing the moves in order to learn them well enough to follow along in real-time.
Positives of the Game
You can bring Hannah Montana's signature dance moves to life with this Disney edition of the popular sleepover board game, and its nostalgia makes its premise still hold up all these years later.
- Since the game is official Hannah Montana merchandise, you can bring yourself back to your childhood in only a few seconds! Sure, there are only four songs on the Hannah Montana CD, but you can let Lily's and Oliver's voices bring you decades back in time. The real actors voice the commands, so it's like being on the show, right?
- Since the game is no longer in production, the cost is incredibly affordable. You can find used listings of the gameboard online for between $10-$15.
Drawbacks of the Game
Since the game was released in 2008, it's rather dated and uses technology that most people don't have on-hand, meaning that while the game does serve up a delicious bowl of nostalgia, it isn't super friendly to the modern user. There are a few more downsides to this Disney game:
- There are only four of Hannah Montana's many hit songs included within the game's CD companion.
- It's truly a case of Throwback Thursday with this game as it uses physical discs and requires either an old CD player or a laptop with a disc drive to play the game, and unfortunately, most people don't have one of these lingering around anymore.
- The rules are easy, but you won't be rocking out immediately. Each three or four minute song has a number of moves that are called out, and some are back-to-back. The flow of the game can sometimes stagnate as players pause and figure out where the circles are and how to move in order to complete Lily's or Oliver's commands.
When Pop Stars and Popping Joints Collide
Even after Miley Cyrus retired the blonde wig and her famous alter-ego, Hannah Montana continued to resonant with people. Her songs are beloved by both old and new audiences alike, and if you happen to find one of these custom Hannah Montana editions of Twister in a vintage shop somewhere, think about picking it up and busting out a move or two.
