Thinking about getting the Xbox 360 Kinect? Get the scoop on Microsoft's answer to Nintendo's Wii and Sony's Play Station Move
The Nintendo Wii started a whole new type of gaming with the revolutionized motion sensor controllers, and Microsoft takes this concept to a whole new level by getting rid of the controller all together and literally making you the "controller"
As you probably know by now, Microsoft has recently created its' official rival to Wii Hardware Bundle - Black and PlayStation Move Starter Bundle : the Xbox 360 Kinect. Unlike the Nintendo Wii and the PS Move where you have have a "wand" (such as the Nintendo Wii's Nunchuck controllers) you would use to play the games, the Kinect currently does not use a controller and instead, you literally become the controller. Just about anything you do, the game mimicks. When choosing menu options, you would actually move your hand to the option you want. When you jump, your character jumps. Same goes if you are waving your hand, "punching" something, walking/running, and so fourth. Some games even utilize your voice as well, such as Kinectimals.
Image caption:
This is a screen shot of one of the games you play in the game, Kinect Adventures Xbox Kinect Game . It usually comes with the Kinect and gives you a good taste of what Kinect has to offer. Since you are literally the "controller" in the game, you can expect to get a work out in games like this one, as you will need to duck, jump and even "run" to progress through the levels in Kinect Adventures. Some mini games even have you pop bubbles, seal "cracks" in a submarine you are in, hit a ball at bricks, and so fourth. A similar game to this is Kinect Sports (the official rival to Wii Sports and offer games like soccer, bowling, track and field (doing events like the 100m dash, throwing a "discus", doing hurtles, etc), boxing, table tennis and several other events).
Moving on, my family actually got a Kinect this last year (my dad got one for my brother's birthday), and I got to try it out myself, and at first I was skeptical about the Xbox 360 Kinect (after all, the controllerless concept is new to me), but the Kinect definitely not only makes working out fun, but it definitely expands the otherwise robust traditional gameplay where you sit down and use a traditional controller. For the first game I played, I got to try out the Kinect Adventures, which is a massive adventure game that utilizes the Kinect's power through the different games it offers. In one of the games, you are in a raft and you move the raft by moving left to right (and vice versa), jump over obstacles by literally jumping in place as well as stretching out your arms to get coins scattered throughout the courses. In another game, you are on this moving kart and you have to jump over obstacles, "run" to keep your kart moving fast, use your hands to use "handlebars" as well as duck under certain obstacles. There are other games Kinect Adventures offers as well, including one where you are in a space station and try to pop bubbles as they appear (you get to "float" around in the space station as well), one where you are in this "submarine" and have to try and fix "cracks" that passing by sea creatures create, as well as a game where you hit a virtual ball at a wall of blocks that you have to try and clear.
Based on my experience, here are things you will probably like about the Kinect:
great for work outs, especially kids (hint, hint to any of you parents reading this entry looking to help your kids to get in shape who like to play video games all the time). This can be especially useful if you happen to be overweight and need a good way to get some excercise and lose some weight.
For the most part, the controls seem to be very responsive (the only game I wasn't really impressed with was Sonic Free Riders since doing moves on the "board" was very tricky and don't always register properly).
The Kinect does come with a built in camera that takes your picture during games (I'm not sure how to turn it off by the way) that you can share on facebook, www.xbox.com and other social netwoking sites. Of course, you will probably want to get dressed when playing the games (especially if you plan to share them). By the way, if you have pets, such as dogs (like a golden retriever), it does take pictures of them too if they happen to be in the room when you are playing the game(s).
The system easily changes over to the traditional Xbox 360 games if you choose to play them instead (such as Call of Duty Black Ops).
Can be fun with parties (though many the games usually only support 2 players at a time due to space limitations).
You can communicate to other players via Xbox live using the camera (this does away with the need to use the traditional headphone and microphones that you would normally use when playing your favorite games).
And then, there are the downsides:
The controls will be more responsive in some games than others.
You will definitely want to allow yourself plenty of room when playing the games (especially on 2 player). Otherwise, you might accidently hit stuff, punch your friend (especially when doing boxing on Kinect Sports), hit furnature, hit your pets by accident (if they get in the way), etc. Also, if you happen to be the heavy type, you can cause the house to shake when playing games that require you to jump, so you might consider setting up the system "downstairs".
The lazy types may or may not like getting a work out when playing the games (especially Kinect Sports, where the games will have you running jumping, throwing stuff, kicking soccer balls, etc). If you don't like working out, then you might be better off with the traditional Xbox 360.
The lack of a controller will likely limit the selection of games available to the Kinect (especially if the game requires a controller, such as Mega Man 10, Red Dead Redemption, and other games that require a controller).
Sometimes, the controls might not always be very responsive. For example, in Kinectimals, some of of the mini games have you throwing balls at pins that you have to try and knock over, and can take several tries to master as your throws might not alway go where you want it to.
Games I've played so far on the Kinect
Info:
Kinect Adventures is currently the signature game of the Kinect and utilizes the Kinect's technology to its full potiential and comes with several different games that you can play:
Virtual rafting
A viral "mine cart" game, where you are on these moving platforms and you have to jump and duck to avoid obstacles, while running in place for maximum traction
Popping bubbles in a virtual space station
hitting virtual balls at rows of bricks
sealing "cracks" in a virtual submarine
as well as several mini games
I definitely recommend Kinect Adventures to just about any Kinect users as it really does give you a good taste of what to expect with the Kinect, though you can definitely expect to get a work out when playing this game.
This is Kinect's answer to Wii Sports and has several sporting events of its own, including Soccer, Bowling, Track & Field, Volleyball and Table Tennis. This game will especially be popular among athletic types
Attention animallovers, ever wonder what it might be like raising an exotic pet (besides the traditional dogs and cats)? You will be doing just that in Kinectimals as you get to adopt big and cute cats, including lions, leopards, jaguars and tigers. In the game, you wind up on this virtual island (that was once the home of a good pirate) and get to look after the friendly tiger, jaguar, leopard, and/or lion cubs (which function almost like a real pet, such as dog where it responds to your commands, responds to its name, mimicks your moves, licks the camera, etc). In addition to raising a virtual exotic cat, you do lots of exploring around the island and do the different mini games that the game has to offer. This is the closet thing to getting a pet tiger without actually getting the real thing (which can not only be dangerous if you are not careful, but can be illegal in some places as well).
Do you like to board? You might get a kick out of Sonic Free Riders. You play as Sonic and his pals as they compete in various racing events in an attempt to stop the evil Dr Eggman in his latest schemes to take over the world. In place of a controller, you hop on a virtual "board" and move your body as if you were on a real snowboard. This games is recommended more for advanced Kinect gamers as the controls are tricky to master and might not be the best choice for n00b gamers.
Comments and testimonials about the kinect - have a comment or testimonial you want to share? Email me at ryansjones@xboxfreak.ws and I will post it here.
(none posted yet)
Thinking about getting a Kinect? Visit my Amazon Associate store at the "Official Store" page for the latest deals on the Xbox 360 and related products (you can also check out the Wii and the PS Move if you want to compare it with them as well). You can also visit the "referral links page" if you want to see what Compusa, Ebay and Walmart have to offer as well for the Kinect.
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: the Xbox 360 Kinect. Unlike the Nintendo Wii and the PS Move where you have have a "wand" (such as the Nintendo Wii's Nunchuck controllers) you would use to play the games, the Kinect currently does not use a controller and instead, you literally become the controller. Just about anything you do, the game mimicks. When choosing menu options, you would actually move your hand to the option you want. When you jump, your character jumps. Same goes if you are waving your hand, "punching" something, walking/running, and so fourth. Some games even utilize your voice as well, such as Kinectimals.
. It usually comes with the Kinect and gives you a good taste of what Kinect has to offer. Since you are literally the "controller" in the game, you can expect to get a work out in games like this one, as you will need to duck, jump and even "run" to progress through the levels in Kinect Adventures. Some mini games even have you pop bubbles, seal "cracks" in a submarine you are in, hit a ball at bricks, and so fourth. A similar game to this is 
(the official rival to 
and offer games like soccer, bowling, track and field (doing events like the 100m dash, throwing a "discus", doing hurtles, etc), boxing, table tennis and several other events).