January2012
You want Haunt
While Kinect has had a handful of really great games over the past year, the stinkers have all had the same problems: poor controls and general lack of charm. Developer NanaOn-Sha comes along to save the day with Haunt, which controls wonderfully and drips with so much charisma it forms a very likeable puddle on the floor. Haunt, with...
November2011
Review Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (Xbox 360)
"You had me at Halo"
The purple "Better with Kinect Sensor" stripe is a familiar sight on games now, but strangely it's nowhere to be seen on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a HD revamp of the game that arguably established Microsoft as a major player in the console business. To put it another way: no Halo, no Kinect. Halo CE brings the...
Review Kinect Disneyland Adventures (Xbox 360)
Taking the Mickey?
Parents, take your child or children aside and ask them what the happiest place on Earth is. If the answer isn’t a resounding and enthusiastic “Disneyland” then you’re not doing your job properly. Those Disney DVDs are chocked full with adverts for their vast wonderland getaways aimed directly at an audience that’s...
October2011
Review Kinect Sports: Season Two (Xbox 360)
The best just got better
Despite posting impressive sales figures and delivering some engaging titles, Kinect has arguably struggled to find that elusive ‘killer app’ that is capable of convincing both casual and hardcore gamers of its worth. While the original Kinect Sports was a fantastic grounding in Microsoft’s brave controller-free world,...
Review Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360)
Leader of the pack
We've seen a handful of games call themselves "Better with Kinect" — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and Virtua Tennis 4 are two of the more high-profile titles, but neither managed to use the sensor for more than mildly entertaining side games. Arguably, Forza Motorsport 4 is the first game to show the...
August2011
Review Kinect Fun Labs: Air Band (Xbox 360)
A musical joke?
After Kinect Sparkler turned out to be rather dim, the second paid addition to Kinect Fun Labs is here in the much more pleasing form of Air Band, which lets you become a musical ensemble with just your bare hands. You and a friend can jump in to one of five musical styles — disco, rock, pop, latin and country — and mime playing...
Review Kinect Fun Labs: Kinect Sparkler (Xbox 360)
Fizzles out
Kinect Fun Labs is a set of interesting toys, tools and gadgets designed to show off what Kinect can do, and while the service started off free, it's now embracing paid add-on content with Kinect Sparkler. While the price is a measly 240 Microsoft Points, however, it's still expensive for the content. Kinect Sparkler is a doodle pad,...
November2010
Review Kinect Joy Ride (Xbox 360)
It'll drive you round the bend
Kinect Joy Ride started life as an Xbox Live Arcade title before Microsoft reworked it for Kinect and sent it to retail. As such it’s simplistic, accessible and entertaining, but whether it’s worth the money is debatable. Control in Joy Ride is as simple as can be: hold out your hands and turn them to steer...
Cute and cuddly Kinect competitions
We've already seen quite a few variations of motion controls with the initial set of Kinect launch titles, but Kinectimals stands as one of the more unique of the bunch. Rather than the usual barrage of challenges you'd expect from a game release, Kinectimals instead offers up a more relaxing playing experience...
Review Kinect Sports (Xbox 360)
Will it Kinect with sports fans?
While we've seen very different approaches from the various console makers when it comes to their motion control systems, the one constant seems to be the obligatory sports compilation release that goes along with it. With the release of Kinect Sports, Rare has put together a nice variety of sporting events to show...
Review Kinect Adventures (Xbox 360)
A controller is you!
Pack-in games tow a very particular line: show off new features and gameplay mechanics in a way that's fun as well as elevating the new hardware to must-have status. Knocking this out of the park can be devastating to the competition — Nintendo might have a thing or two to say about that. The more daring the new hardware, the...
