A solid launch title for Kinect
The minor annoyance of the pause function is the only real problem we encountered with an otherwise smooth control scheme that becomes second nature very quickly. You can really feel how the subtle, or exagerrated body movements you make impact on the sports, and therefore the physical connection you have with Kinect makes some of the basic games, particularly bowling, feel immersive and fun. The majority of the games are straighforward and simple to play as you mimic the movements that you would do if you were playing the sport - dodging from side to side and swinging your arms for boxing, for example, or adopting the stance of a table tennis player, shifting from your left to right foot executing top-spins and slices. During the more physical sports, you don't just move your hands but your whole body comes into play.The track and field events showcase Kinect incredibly well. When hurdling, for example, you have to run on the spot to gain pace around the track and then leap in the air to jump over hurdles. While boxing you might move your head from side to side dodging blows before performing an upper-cut or a jab when you see a window of opportunity. Your movements translate impressively on screen and there's no sign of input lag even during the more hectic sports. Beach Volleyball and Bowling are the main, and most enjoyable, of the party games on offer and when you get a strike, or score a point, there's satisfaction to be gained out of lining up the perfect shot. When you win a track and field event, the energy that you build up from the physical exertion of having to swing your arm forcibly to throw a javelin or discus, or jump over a hurdle, means that you have to really work for your victory -- and just like having a good work-out, there's a buzz to be had out of getting that adrenaline pumping.
With any title where there's a set of mini-games on offer, there's usually one or two games that aren't as good as the rest, and Kinect Sports is no different. We were expecting much better from both the boxing and football disciplines. As it turns out, boxing is quite unbalanced and more about the punching than the defence -- the aggressor will always win as there's only so many rapid punches that you can dodge. Football is quite boring to play. You can simply stand still, swing your foot at the right time to get the ball up the pitch, so there's little skill or excitement involved as you take turns to attack and defend. Overall though, considering our initial lack of enthusiasm for yet another motion-sensing game that offers a handful of sports, we've been really impressed with Kinect Sports. It's clear that there's better to come from Kinect, but as an initial launch title it's one of the best games currently available. If you're looking for a party game to play over Christmas with friends and family, Kinect Sports will provide plenty of laughs and some very healthy competitive gaming, much in the same way that Wii Sports did four years ago.
