Well, the day has finally arrived. The motion-sensitive gaming device that Microsoft has been prepping for quite some time is almost upon us, set to launch in retailers everywhere today (or for some of you, late last night) – titled Microsoft Kinect. However, there’s a question in regards to what games you should get, as ten titles will be releasing on the same day as the Kinect device, along with its pack-in game, Kinect Adventures (which obviously comes recommended since it’s, well, free). With that, we’ve decided to break down eleven of the biggest launch titles for the motion device, and let you know where your money’s best spent - once you have dropped $149.99 on the Kinect hardware. Hang on tight, because this breakdown is going to exhaust you quicker than a frenzied session of Dance Central. We will have full reviews of all the major launch titles later this week, as well as a detailed look at the Kinect hardware.
Kinect Sports (Microsoft): We’ve been wondering what Rare’s been working on over the past few months (aside from impressive ports of old-school Nintendo 64 games for Xbox Live Arcade), and now we know – Microsoft’s answer to Wii Sports. Kinect Sports features various sports activities, including soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, track and field and boxing, so there’s something for everyone when it comes to finding a certain activity. Who’s it for? It looks like Kinect Sports will appeal to all sorts of gamers, whether it’s a family taking part in a competitive bowling match or some buddies at the bar beating each other up in a “friendly” game of boxing. However, the real question here is accuracy. While the games are fun, there are minor issues with the motion detection, particularly in bowling, where we ended up getting gutter balls with each roll. That was on an early promotional copy of the game, though, so hopefully Microsoft has that issue cleaned up with the final release. We’ll see. Is it a must buy? If any title aside from Kinect Adventures is looking like an automatic win for the Kinect, it’s this Sports compilation, though some people might have issues with how it performs. We’ll review this one soon enough.
MotionSports (Ubisoft): Not to be outdone by Microsoft and Rare’s sports compilation, Ubisoft is prepping one of its own for the Kinect’s launch with MotionSports. It too features a diverse collection of sports activities, including soccer, boxing, football, hang gliding, horseback riding (?) and skiing. They’re mini-game oriented, so you’ll be performing such duties as running down the field for a touchdown (think Backbreaker’s Tackle Alley with motion controls) and skiing competitively down a mountain against a friend Who’s it for? If Kinect Sports doesn’t provide enough of a sports fix for you, MotionSports should certainly fit the bill, although, again, performance comes into question. We weren’t able to try this one out at E3 for some reason, though the people we watched play it were having a good enough time. Still, the short amount of time for each activity may leave some of you playing it in spurts, rather than enjoying it in the long term, like you would Kinect Sports. Is it a must buy? Probably not, but if you’re a sporting fool, it’s worth taking a chance on, we suppose.
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved (Ubisoft): Along with its sports compilation, Ubisoft is also releasing a comprehensive workout program for the Kinect on the day of its release, to go head-to-head with EA Sports Active 2 when it releases in mid-November. Your Shape: Fitness Evolved features a staggering amount of features to get you in shape, including statistics, weight tracking, customized workouts, helpful tips and online features. You can also learn unique exercises, such as yoga or martial arts, making the workout whatever you want it to be. The unprecedented feedback system should help you get to where you want to go, too. Who’s it for? Dedicated workout folks. Sitting on your couch and playing this isn’t going to happen, folks, so if you’re lazy or out of shape, you might as well skip it. However, if you’ve been looking for a new workout challenge or want to get the most out of your Kinect when it comes to breaking a sweat, this is the way to go. Is it a must buy? It’s definitely looking that way, thanks to the high amount of quality going into the game and the hundreds of activities and features available. You may shed pounds just by going through the menu.
This feature Kinect launch guide continues on the next page, please click below to see our next couple Kinect launch games.
