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Like Jumping And Ducking? Kinect Adventures Will Blow Your Mind
Kinect Adventures is an action-themed minigame collection set to launch with the unit this fall. One of its games, Rally Ball, was demoed at last E3 when the device was first announced. It was called Ricochet then, but it's pretty much the same game.
Two of the other games we saw had similar mechanics to one another, though there were enough differences to keep most folks from crying foul. In River Rush, two players stand in a raft and work together to pick up the A icons scattered throughout the winding rapids. To succeed, players have to communicate early and often--branching paths require some forethought, and moving targets require particularly skilled coordination. Expect to say (or hear) things like, "Left left left LEFT LEFT LEFT!" and "Ugh!" frequently.
Another game used a splitscreen and let two players race on a platform. Players have to jump over hurdles, lean away from obstacles, and duck to avoid bonking your Avatar's noggin on low beams. Jumping in place makes the platform move faster along its rail, though it's harder to collect those A icons when you're moving quickly.
Finally, Rally Ball gives players a chance to swat at balls and blast targets that are at the end of a hallway. Do well and you can get multiple balls going. It can get pretty hectic, trying to kick and punch multiple targets.
There are supposed to be three more games in the collection, but Microsoft isn't talking about what they might be at this time. Unless the remaining ones are absolutely amazing, this looks like a case where success is dependent on pricing. The games are cute and relatively fun, but they don't seem deep enough to stay interesting for a long stretch. One thing's for sure: We'll have to wait to see what happens.
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