Woove staff writer Emma Briscoe reviews the most recent game platform from Microsoft. Read more for her review of Kinect Adventures!

Microsoft’s highly anticipated controller-free peripheral sensor, formerly referred to since 2003 as Project Natal, finally released on November 4. As Microsoft’s answer to PlayStation 3’s Move and Nintendo’s Wii console, the modern and lightweight Kinect offers a competent approach at motion controlled gaming, video chatting, and voice command options.

All the basic functions of Kinect are, well, functional. The voice recognition software, when it works, is quite convenient with the applications offered on the Kinect Hub, like Last.fm and ESPN. The ability to use voice commands for basic functions in these programs is a great accommodation, but I wish the various voice command options were offered consistently throughout all games and applications. The Kinect Hub, the dashboard, is initially fun to navigate via hand gestures. However, the time it adds to the selection process is nothing short of perplexing and the voice commands require constant repetition at times. Thankfully, the Kinect Tuner offers a chance at redemption by providing a brief process for not only re-calibrating voice commands and facial recognition, but mapping your body movements and adjusting the angle of the hardware for optimal framing.

Despite all the hype surrounding the Kinect, there is nothing positive about having to move your junk ridden coffee table, two sizeable leather sofas, and your apparently too busy trendy area rug. Ceiling fans, needless to say, can present some serious obstacles as well. Basically, you need roughly six to eight feet of open space for Kinect to even function properly. Even then, Kinect ID’s automatic sign in via facial recognition feature is shaky at best. And I sincerely hope your neighbors are tolerant to noise, because the majority of Kinect titles require an exhausting amount of house-shaking jumping.

Thus far, the majority of the enticing features of the Kinect need some serious attention and a fat dose of consistency. Nonetheless, I find myself ultimately impressed with Project Natal’s outcome. Depending on the title, the actual game play is a virtual workout and provides a refreshing option to the standard couch potato approach to gaming. A series of updates will probably work the majority of the bugs out, making the Kinect experience even more attractive to those willing to experiment with alternative and innovative methods. Kinect is in undeniable need of updates and fine-tuning, but it exceeded my wholly negative preconceived notions.

Kinect Adventures

Included in the Kinect bundle, Kinect Adventures provides a demo-style tour of the many technological capabilities of the new accessory.  There are five mini-games that take up the bulk of the action, stratified into exponentially challenging difficulty levels. The reward system, involving achievements and unlockable avatar awards, is highly gratifying and encourages continued effort, even when the odds seem too challenging.

The five games that constitute Kinect Adventures are River Rush, Rallyball, Reflex Ridge, Space Pop, and 20,000 Leaks. The two most energetic and accelerated, Reflex Ridge and River Rush, require jumping, ducking and quick movement as you finagle your way through roller coaster-like obstacle courses or navigate your way down a speedy waterway. In Rallyball, you must use your arms and legs to bounce a ball off a set of blocks, depleting them in a certain time limit. Space Pop requires coordination as you burst balloons in a zero gravity environment. 20,000 Leaks, my personal favorite, places your avatar in a submerged tank and charges you with defending it from leakage due to some rather aggressive marine life.

Though possible to play these games alone, two-player provides much more entertainment. Plus, the embarrassing snapshot slideshow at the conclusion of every game is supplemented positively by the presence of an additional jackass in some awkward position. The brief campaign encourages an additional cooperative approach; you and your partner can battle your way through increasingly challenging mini-games together and unlock hilarious living trophies ranging from hamsters to dinosaurs to an entire dance troupe.

The blame for the only negative aspects of this game lies more with the Kinect software than the game itself. A serious lag presents itself in all of the mini-games that can be downright aggravating, causing timing issues at critical moments. A conflict with facial recognition software is perhaps the most exasperating problem that surfaces repeatedly. Upon walking in to a friend’s game, Kinect ID is responsible for signing you in to your profile and providing you with an image of your avatar for in-game manipulation. I’ve had to walk in and out of the same game up to five times to get signed in to the proper account and assigned the correct avatar. Again, these faults are associated with the Kinect more so than this particular game.

Kinect Adventures provides an exemplary demonstration of the varied functions made available with the new motion controlled technology. Not only is it physically exhausting and visually stimulating, it is the first important step in the progression of controller-free games.