When you release any sort of motion-sensitive controller device, you have to release a game that makes the most of it, and usually, developers rely on a sports compilation. Wii Sports obviously proved that it could do a lot for Nintendo’s game machine, while Sports Champions was an ideal choice for PlayStation Move owners everywhere. With the Kinect, we have Kinect Sports, Microsoft’s collection, which features six activities in all – beach volleyball, bowling, track and field, boxing, table tennis and soccer. That essentially gives you a lot to do, whether it’s spiking the ball on a sandy court, going back and forth in a heated (albeit it emotionless) ping-pong battle or bowling to your heart’s content in a Cosmic Bowling-style set-up. While some of the activities are more limited than what we were expected (soccer, for instance, is nothing more than a game of timing), they’re still quite fun, and work almost perfectly with the Kinect, save for occasionally misread actions. It doesn’t happen often enough to worry about, however.
Out of all the activities included, the one we got the most mileage out of is bowling. Here, you can bowl a few frames and listen to the crowd cheer you on as you shoot for more than one strike in a row. And when you do throw a strike, you’re treated to a snippet of victory music, from Kool and the Gang’s “Celebrate” to the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibration”, with a few contemporary ones thrown in for good measure. (These are featured in all the games; so don’t fret if bowling isn’t your favorite.) The gameplay performs quite well with the Kinect, and should you ever get stuck with something like boxing or soccer, a helpful tutorial walks you through each of the actions. You’re also started on the beginner difficulty, so you won’t have to worry about AI opponents kicking your butt right away. Furthermore, a friend can join you in certain activities, and, we’ll tell you right now, nothing beats boxing alongside a friend and knocking him the hell out. Granted, just make sure you’re out of his or her reach while you’re gloating. They might hit you for real.
Along with the six main activities, you can also choose from various mini-games, each with varying rules for each sport. Party Play is also available, ideal for when you’ve got friends or families over to catch Kinect. Best of all, you can save video and snapshot replays of yourself in action, should you want to show everyone just how good (or bad) a sport you really are. The guy throwing the javelin like a psycho? That’s Eric. Just sayin’. For a sports package, Kinect Sports looks pretty good. You can use your Avatar however you please, and the default characters aren’t bad either. Each activity resembles the real thing, including the fully packed soccer field, the cool indoor boxing arena, and, of course, the Cosmic Bowling lane, our favorite. The music snippets are well chosen (save for Lady Gaga – really?) and the sound effects are right on the money, particularly with crowd noises. It’s great hearing these guys get behind you. It may not be as legendary as Wii Sports (yet), but for a debut sports compilation for Microsoft’s high-priced gadget, Kinect Sports does more than enough to push the thrill of competition. It’s good fun with friends, and the easily adaptable controls make it very user friendly, no matter what your height and age is. Anyone can be a winner when it comes to these Sports.
