Microsoft Kinect: The AnandTech Review
by Brian Klug on December 9, 2010 3:20 PM ESTKinectimals
Kinectimals isn’t really a title marketed at me, but no doubt will sell Kinect to the younger crowd. The frustration in Kinectimals is really only one thing - there’s a big long cutscene at the beginning you can’t skip, and the disadvantage to not having a controller is that you simply lack controls to mash and skip ahead with. Even after the long cutscene, there's a monologue from about all the backstory. I guess I’m wondering how a child is going to sit through all that if even I found myself wishing I could reach out and hit skip.
There are driving minigames which employ the same two-fists-out steering techniques that Kinect Joy Ride does, and other minigames with underhand and overhand tosses which punctuate long periods of playing with your chosen animal. Actually interacting with your pet is unnervingly well done, but it seems like that portion of the game is frequently punctuated by events and circumstances that yank you away to do other things.
Kinectimals also has the only instance (at least that I’ve seen) of object-identification and profiling. Back in the E3 videos for Kinect, I remember someone scanning an object, then using it inside the game - unfortunately that’s all but removed in the Kinect being sold now, but there’s a tiny bit of it left in Kinectimals. When you select an animal, you’re given the opportunity to associate it with a real world object - a trinket, a picture, something within arm’s reach.
You can see me holding up the coaster here for training
The first thing I grabbed was one of my coasters (which I made from some old 10 cm wafer masks), which basically look like square mirrors or glass depending on what layer they were taken from (solder mask, e.t.c.).
Admittedly, that isn’t exactly the fairest of objects to try with this kind of recognition, but it was honestly what was on my coffee table within arm's length. That didn’t go down so well, so I grabbed something else, which did work. You can then hold this object out and select the animal associated with it.
Kinect Joy Ride
Kinect’s driving game is probably the least favorite title of mine in the Kinect launch roundup. When I first saw the Joy Ride demo videos online, I knew that the title would have to emply a significant amount of assists to actually get you around corners. For one, gas and brakes are completely out of the question, and Joy Ride is at least forthcoming about how the go fast and slow down bits of the game are totally handled for you. However, the game employs a substantial amount of auto-steering to get you around the track - your input essentially trims out the driving direction a bit more.
The steering gesture involves keeping two fists out in front of you, and turning an imaginary wheel in midair. You can lean and pull your hands back to charge a boost, and push forwards to temporarily go faster, but most of the actions that will determine your performance in the race are how well you drive over acceleration strips and do tricks midair from leaning side to side.
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bplewis24 - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
I agree... and I find it pretty sad. When calling this thing anything but a disappointment from a gaming perspective, you've pretty much lost all credibility. This site is really letting me down lately after many great years.ExarKun333 - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
Find a new site to troll. You will not be missed.petenagurski - Friday, December 10, 2010 - link
All gaming is subjective. My kids and I find playing the Kinect games a blast. Anandtech has "pretty much lost all credibility" because of a positive gaming review???? Get a grip and go back to fondling your wii wii.ExarKun333 - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
Your a fool sir. Thanks. :)cmdrdredd - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
Yes it's true and the games utterly SUCK! The number of things they can do with no pointer interface is mindblowingly small.It's a gimmick, so much more than the Wii ever was. At least the Wii is honest with what it is. This is a "me too!" item that tried to be different for the sake of being different. Microsuck is alienating the userbase that made the Xbox brand huge, and that is retarded.
c1dv1c1ous - Friday, December 10, 2010 - link
I for one, bought my 360 6-7 mths after it released. After several years it RROD on me and they fixed it for free. The thing is still going strong too. I plan on buying a Slim when I get back home from Army deployment. I have no problem with this since....in the past a new console buy would be due by now, but the current ones are still usable. I will enjoy the smaller, quieter and sleeker Xbox 360 S.There is logic in this, if you dont agree, maybe you should go out and start your own console company. Show us how you think you could do it better. Competition only brings out better stuff for us to buy in the long run.
Nataku - Friday, December 10, 2010 - link
u sir, need to do more research... even canadian price for Kinect + Xbox is only 299 not ur 150 + 300if u don't find a use for it don't buy, but some of us can see the potential and entertainment in these systems
don't troll any of the comment section in any of the article on this site, they are reserved for actual useful comment
petenagurski - Friday, December 10, 2010 - link
...this little piggy said wii, wii, wii, all the way home....neogodless2 - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
350 vs 360Brian Klug - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
OOps, my bad!Fixed!
-Brian