Review of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Kinect has me baffled. I've been a gamer most of my life, so I'm pretty sure it's not just me. I suppose what it all comes down to is this... Within my circle of friends, Kinect is referred to as 'that thing where you dance to play the games'. The reality of it is that Kinect's supposed potential and capabilities are pointless for really a combination of four reasons.

1. Xbox 360 gamers want to move as little as possible when playing a video game- this is why many do not own Wiis.

2. The only genre that thrives on the 360 is 'shooter'. A Kinect 'shooter' would be nearly unplayable.

3. It is far too expensive to be a Wii & EyeToy clone.

4. The games we've seen for it have been terrible.

Combine these four facts together and you have a recipe for failure. Despite all the negativity around Kinect, I decided to give it and a few games for it a spin with a friend of mine. Our results?

Dance Central

There isn't much the say about Dance Central. Frankly, it's a 360 title that wishes it was DDR or Just Dance. Visually it looks like it was made for the original Xbox and the song list is mediocre at best. The game was clearly rushed to fit into the launch window for Kinect. The controls are unresponsive- the 360 camera simply can't keep up nor can it register a broad enough range of motions. Most of the game modes are uneventful and unoriginal- stick to Dance Dance Revolution and Just Dance.

Kinectimals

Here we have Microsoft's sad attempt at copying Nintendogs. The difference? That pet sim was fun, this one is not. The game is hideous- hideous. The feline animations are robotic and unappealing. Control-wise, there isn't much to say. The game really feels like it didn't need to Kinect in the first place. The only redeeming quality is that the kart racing is fun, though primitive. Just stick to Nintendogs. Surprisingly not as bad as EyePet for the PS3.

Sonic Free Riders

You might recognize this as the one interesting game to launch with Kinect. Let me start by saying that I really wanted to like Sonic Free Riders. I tried its different modes, characters, and gameplay options. Despite all my hard work to enjoy it as much as I did the original and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity for Wii- it just wasn't fun. The controls are much more responsive than Dance Central, but the game itself is flawed. It's essentially a watered down, easier version of the previous SR titles. The game's multiplayer is the worst offender to the game's issues. Because Kinect can only support two players at once, multiplayer was both awkward and dull when compared to the frenzied 4 player sessions on the Wii and GameCube.

With a price tag far too high at $150, mediocre launch games, a terrible interface, and a bleak future- there's just no reason to pick up Kinect. I cannot confess how glad I am that it was my friend that purchased Kinect and the three games above. Already he's putting Kinect and the games on eBay- anyone interested should look into that. Until a number of killer apps release for this unresponsive piece of tech, stay far, far away. You can feel free to keep playing your Wiis and ignore both Kinect and Playstation Move.