The release of Kinect has ushered in a new world of gaming experience on the Xbox console. Gamers can now enjoy long hours of gameplay without the need to physically hold a controller. What is more interesting is that you can interact with your Xbox content like menus, watch TV or listen to music without a controller. So which are the best Kinect games to buy? In this article I review five of the best Kinect games to look out for.
1. Kinect Adventures: Kinect Adventure is an action packed video game comprising 20 mini-games for the entertainment of the whole family. Gamers play the role of a fun-loving adventurer that travels the world searching for challenges.
Each challenge overcame allows players to collect adventure pins which in turn earns the players medals. The mini-games are easy to learn and can be played in the following modes:
a. Adventure mode: Players play a set of mini-games with challenges to overcome in order to progress to the next level.
b. Free Play mode: In this mode of the game all levels are unlocked and players can choose which mini-games they want to play.
c. Time Play Mode: As the name suggests the challenges must be completed within a time limit. Time pins are collected instead of Adventure pin. Kinect
Adventure can be played in multiplayer play and online.
2. Dance Central : is a controller free dance video game with a PEGI rating of 12+. The video game was released by Harmonix and is a collection of 650 moves and more than 90 dance routines from professional choreographers.
In this gameplay the aim is for players to mimic moves displayed on scrolling flashcards. Players are scored based on how well you execute the moves. A yellow for being average, green for good and blue for executing a flawless move.
As the moves become difficult and more challenging it advisable to play the dance in breakdown mode which allow you to understand the moves in detail. Players gain access to new venues and costumes for their dancers as they master the moves and improve their scores. Dance central shows off the kinect and sets the yard stick with which to measure future dance video games.
3. Kinect Sports: is another one of the controller-free game released with Kinect. The video game has been issued a PEGI rating of 12+ and features the following six sports: soccer, beach volleyball, bowling, table tennis, boxing, track and field (which features a further 5 events).
When compared with it's nearest rival Wii Sports - Kinect Sports come out tops in these areas:
a. Kinect Sports can be played online, a feature lacking in Wii Sports
b. Kinect Sports is a better multiplayer play game than Wii Sports. Gamers can also opt in and out as they play the game.
c. Kinect Sports is a controller free game leaving you to concentrate on your gameplay.
However to get the best out of Kinect Sports you need to play in multiplayer mode. Also be sure to leave plenty of room in front of the TV to play the game.
4. Kinectimals : was designed by Frontier Developments for Kinect and offers animal lovers the opportunity to adopt a virtual pet (just like in Nintendogs). However unlike in Nintendogs where you train a puppy, this animal simulation game involves training a cat.
The game is very easy to play and has been issued a PEGI rating of 3+. To play the game you first need to make a selection from a list of wild cats (panther, cheetah, lion, leopard, tiger). Next you name your cat and tour an island with the aid of your guide - Bumble.
What makes this game very interesting are the mini-games and tricks available to play and teach your cat. The mini-games range from throwing discs through loops to driving an RC Car. By training your cat, you unlock new challenges and new areas to visit. Kinectimal is a single player game.
5. Kinect Joy Ride : Have you ever pretended as a kid that you were driving an imaginary car? This is what Kinect Joy Ride is all about - a wild kart racing game.
Driving a car involves you holding out your hand before you and pretending to turn an imaginary steering wheel. Moving your hip from side to side while driving cause the car to move from side to side however breaking and acceleration are all controlled by the game which can be a problem.
Kinect Joy Ride can be played in five different modes Battle Race, Dash and Trick, Pro Race, Smash, Stunt and Xbox live Race. The video game can also be played solo, co-op and competitive, both offline and online.
These are the some of the best Kinect games to buy. There is no doubt that the release of Microsoft's sensing controller - Kinect has ushered in a new world of gaming experience on the Xbox. These can be nothing but good news for all video gamers.
