Kinect for Xbox 360 Reviewed
Kinect for Xbox 360 Reviewed
Kinect for Xbox 360 Reviewed
It took some doing, but I finally obtained a Kinect for the Xbox 360 the other day. The Kinect is a new motion sensing peripheral built to let players drop the controller and get into the game, using their body to control the onscreen action. Released on November 4th, there are more than ten launch titles available. The Kinect retails alone for $149.99, and bundles are available with the console, Kinect sensor, and either a 4GB or 250GB hard drive. The bundles, and the stand-alone sensor, all come with Kinect Adventures, which adequately shows off exactly what the Kinect can do.
Took lots of travelling to get a hold of one. I am not much for pre-ordering games, so I had to go from store to store to get one. I have already an Xbox 360 console, so I was only looking to get the Kinect sensor. First stop Walmart, which only had bundles. Next day I visited a Target, another Walmart, Bestbuy, and another Walmart again. Each store only had bundles available. After the last Walmart I decided to visit a Gamestop in the same plaza, and as luck would have it they had a handful of sensor only Kinects, and I happily made the purchase. I also picked up Your Shape Fitness Evolved, from Ubisoft, which will be reviewed seperately.
was simple enough; simply plug the sensor in and place it either above or under your TV. It'll scan you and walk you through the calibration process. Note: the Kinect does need some room. They suggest six feet of clear space between you and the sensor, so you will have to move the coffee table out of the way. If your Xbox 360 console is set up in a small bedroom or dorm, you may be out of luck. I have a small apartment, but I had 6-7 feet of clear space in front of my TV, which for the most part worked fine. However, during Your Shape Fitness Evolved, because of my close proximity to my couch behind me my in-game avatar every so often showed me with a single pedestel-like base for my legs. It didn't detract from the play experience, but I did eventually move my couch over a bit to give me a bit more play space.
I had no difficulties with the Kinect sensor recognizing my my movements. It does take a little bit of time becoming accustomed to navigating through the menus, but I'm sure that will work out more smoothly over time.
Kinect is sold with Kinect Adventures, a collection of minigames which shows off the capabilities of the Kinect sensor. The five included games are:
Rallyball - A cross between breakout and (ping)pong. Your in-game avatar stands in a corridor and launches balls, destroying blocks at the other end. When your ball bounces back you must return it, either by hitting it with your hands, kicking with your feet, or blocking with your body. You may even head the ball. Special targets increase the speed or the number of balls.
River Rush - Guide a raft down white water rapids while collecting tokens. Control the movement be leaning to the side, and jump to get air off the ramps. I had been experiencing some mild, unrelated lower back pain so my leaning and jumping wasn't the greatest at the time.
20,000 Leaks - Your in-game avatar is in an underwater glass enclosure, while crazy fish continuously throw themselves at the glass causing leaks. You must then plug the leaks using your hands, feet, and even head and body.
Reflex Ridge - An obstacle course roller coaster of a game. Your in-game avatar is on a moving platform, and must duck, sidestep, and jump over various blockers, all the while trying to grab tokens.
Space Pop - Your in-game avatar is in a zero-G environment and must move up, down, back and forth through space popping bubbles.
All games worked well with showing off what Kinect is capable of doing. At key points during each game a photo will be taken of you, which are showed at the end and can be shared with friends. You also win trophies which you can lend your own movements and voice to.
Players who are fit probably won't break a sweat, but gamers who are usually on the couch for game playing and more (like me) will get a cardio workout. My first run through of each game left me sufficiently winded, while later on a longer Rallyball left me sweaty and out of breath.
Overall, while Kinect Adventures does a great job of showing what Kinect can do, since they are mini-games there's not much depth. There are different difficulty modes available, but little reason to revisit this more than a few times, unless you want to beat your high scores or show off for friends.
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