March2012
Review Puss in Boots (Xbox 360)
Nearly purrrfect
Any Kinect game that lets you play a swashbuckling cat should have your attention, and Puss in Boots manages to overcome its obvious handicap of being a movie tie-in to result in one of the more enjoyable action games available on Kinect. With several styles of gameplay to sample, from sword fighting and bar room brawling to...
February2012
Review SpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip (Xbox 360)
SpongeBob Surfpants
If you lived in a pineapple under the sea, you'd probably enjoy skateboarding, right? That's the basic premise of SpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip, and that's all right with us. Choosing from either SpongeBob or pink pal Patrick, you pick your pants and surf or skate the night away. As you'd expect from a game based on the...
January2012
Review Deepak Chopra's Leela (Xbox 360)
Take a deep breath
Kinect's incessant insistence that you get up and thrash about isn't to everyone's liking, but is a fact of motion control all the same: many developers prefer to paint with broad brush strokes, getting the general idea right rather than attempt finer detail and end up going outside the lines. Deepak Chopra's Leela uses more...
September2011
Review The Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns Again! (Xbox 360)
The legacy of Reel 2 Real lives on
Dreamworks’ Madagascar films are notable for two things: Resurrecting Reel 2 Real’s 1994 jam I Like to Move It and spawning a zoo filled with a team of goofy penguins. Said penguins proved popular enough to get their own spin-off show on Nickelodeon, which then went on to birth TV specials, DVD collections and...
July2011
Review UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System (Xbox 360)
Muscle bound?
Quite why it's taken so long to combine the testosterone-fuelled sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) with fitness software is beyond us; the predominantly female-targeted exercise game may rule the sales roost, but with UFC rapidly gaining popularity the two mediums have finally come together in UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness...
June2011
Review Kung Fu Panda 2 (Xbox 360)
Not so awesome
Faced with all sorts of different platforms and peripherals, THQ made the bold decision not to make just one game for the Kung Fu Panda 2 licence, but four entirely different ones to play to console strengths. PlayStation 3 got the most "sequel-y" version with a traditional gamepad-based adventure; both the DS and WIi...
April2011
Review Fantastic Pets (Xbox 360)
Best in show or just plain no-show?
Frontier Developments' Kinectimals captured most of the cuddly critter market last year, with its furry felines pouncing on decent scores in the gaming press and good sales at retail. Six months on, THQ is hoping for similar levels of success with Fantastic Pets, but it can't top the best in show. Fantastic Pets...
November2010
Review The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout (Xbox 360)
Let's get physical
It’s no surprise that plenty of developers have seen Kinect’s potential for fitness games, with Ubisoft’s Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, Zumba Fitness and more titles undoubtedly on the way. Now entering the mix is THQ’s The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout. Licensed by the TV show of the same name, it has a lot in its...