It’s Microsoft’s turn to showcase what Kinect Sports, its landmark launch title for Microsoft Kinect is made of, now that we’re tiring of Wii Sports on the Nintendo Wii and Sports Champions for PlayStation Move. Kinect Sports is packed with a selection of real-life sports to participate in using nothing but your (we’re sure) athletically honed body as the controller. Could it possibly trump both Nintendo and Sony’s sporty offerings? Read our Kinect Sports review to find out.
As we’ve already touched on, the early comparisons with Kinect Sports, Wii Sports and Sports Champions on the PS3 are sure to translate into something of a console war spat. So lets make this clear. When we say Kinect Sports, as a package is more impressive than both, we’re not taking sides in this motion control battle. It’s a fact we’re sure most gamers will nod in agreement with come launch day.
Microsoft has sky-high hopes for Kinect and the casual audience it wants to to attract to the Xbox 360. If its Kinect Sports launch title is anything to go by we’re not surprised. Kinect Sports is a highly enjoyable showcase of how to have fun on a console without controllers. Before playing Kinect Sports, this reviewer was highly skeptical. Consider those fears dashed, for now. Now we’ve given it the big welcome, how is it to play? Check out our rundown of each sport for an idea of what to expect.
Football
Given the limited space in a living room it would have been difficult to ask players to run around pretending to kick a ball. To combat this conundrum, developer Rare has created an almost netball-with-your-feet type of experience where you get the ball around the pitch by literally kicking the ball to your teammates. Angle your passes wrong and they will fall to the opposition. Make the right moves and you’ll soon be in front of goal with a scoring opportunity. It’s a system that shouldn’t work, but does wonderfully. It’s basic, but effective. Keen footballers will especially notice how carefully side-footing the ball to where you want it is key to guaranteed goalscoring. That’s the beauty of Kinect here. Even defending by stretching your leg out to trap a ball is a simple pleasure.
Bowling
The fact that Kinect doesn’t use a physical controller makes this an easy one to describe. To play you simply reach out to grab a bowling ball, before swinging the ball back with your hand and throwing forward. It works just as it should in impressive 1:1 motion (before throwing the ball just rock your hand backwards and forwards to see). Moving your hand across your body while throwing puts an effective spin on the ball. It’s definitely on par with the underrated Wii Sports bowling game, but if you like the idea of bowling without holding a controller, Kinect Sports bowling is a treat for bowling fans. It’s not the best game here, but it does exactly what it should. And it’s easy for another player to step in and out of the lane if playing against another player.
Track & Field
Here is where things get a little more exhausting. By that we mean Track & Field will leave your almost breathless, literally. This mode comprises several sports including sprinting, Javelin, Discus Throw, Hurdles and Long Jump. This is where Kinect really excels as a game you can play with friends. Sprinting sees players run on the spot as quickly as possible, hurdles is the same, except players jump on the spot when a hurdle flashes green. These two titles are arguably the most sweat inducing of any game you’ve played, ever. Long Jump uses a similar principle to hurdling, except you jump before a marker, or face disqualification, while javelin and discus throw has you mimicking throwing actions at the moment you wish to throw.
Because Kinect senses the actions of your body there’s no awkward button presses, or combinations to remember, making it all the more satisfying when you break a world record while the theme music to Chariots of Fire accompanies a slow motion replay of your efforts. Occasionally you’ll be treated to a rendition of “I feel Good” by the late James Brown. Microsoft has paid the licence to use all sorts of songs to accompany your achievements in all the sports, adding to the experience.
Beach Volleyball
The most disappointing game on Kinect Sports, just as it was was one of the most lacklustre in Sports Champions, but not for a lack of trying. The controls take the guesswork out of things, but it’s all too easy. You find yourself moving on instruction, making the experience a very on-rails one. We won our first match 7-0 without even trying.
Table Tennis
Table tennis was the standout game on the PlayStation Move’s Sports Champions for showing the raw potential of Sony’s motion controller, so how does it fare here? Exemplary, though something is missing – a paddle. Don’t get us wrong: table tennis here is highly accurate. You can make the ball spin with each twist of the hand as you would in real life, but hitting the ball with the palm of your hand never feels 100 per cent right. That doesn’t stop it being a pleasant experience, even against another human player, performing well with no sensitivity or lag issues when two players are present in Kinect’s field of vision. See for yourself in the quick clip below:
Boxing
Kinect Sports boxing makes the original Wii Sports boxing look like an amateur flyweight in comparison to this heavy-hitting Kinect Sports version. Proper 1:1 controls mean you can land every punch where you want it, while being able to string multiple combos at your opponent no matter how fast, whether you’re from the Mike Tyson school of boxing or of the slower Lennox Lewis disposition. We’ve never sweated so much playing a video game. Really. See how responsive it is in the video below.
Verdict
Kinect Sports champions is a perfect launch title for Microsoft Kinect. It’s fun, simple, great to play and share the experience with your mates (that’s no PR speak, we mean that). Most of all, it just works. If you’ve read this far you’ll have noticed we haven’t explained the controls in great depth. That’s because we didn’t need to.
Everything works like a charm to prove to doubters (of which this reviewer was one) that, with games such as Kinect Sports, Microsoft Kinect has arrived. Kinect Sports is a charming game that does a great job of catching the same spark as Wii Sports first did, and that Sports Champions lacked. Kinect Sports is well worth picking up on launch day, and then inviting your mates ’round to play. You will have fun, of that, we’re sure.
Kinect Sports has made our Top 5 list of best Kinect games, which is why we’ve given it our Recommended rosette. Check out more Top 5s here and find out more about how they work with our Top 5 guarantee.
