Kinect Sports review: A first-round pick

Since the launch of the Wii with its bundled Wii Sports, Nintendo's competitors have been ready with sports compilations designed to show off their respective motion control technologies. Sports Champions was arguably the most successful part of PlayStation Move's launch lineup and now, Microsoft brings Kinect to market with a completely stand-alone title: Rare's Kinect Sports.

In my (significant) time with it, I found an actual game that manages to deftly side-step being just a collection of tech demos through its polish, presentation and wide variety of genuinely fun activities.

Kinect Sports (11/4/10)

To risk sounding cliched, there really is something for everyone in this slickly-presented package. Events range from track and field staples to bowling, beach volleyball, table tennis, soccer and boxing. Like me, you're sure to find a favorite (or favorites), and if you're not up for the more strenuous ones (read: any of the track and field games) it's nice that you can, for example, just have fun bowling.

Kinect reviews

Kinect Sports really does justice to its namesake technology. Events such as table tennis, which you might expect to be imprecise or shallow without a physical controller, are actually surprisingly nuanced and very natural in their controls. Even boxing, which looks very similar to its Wii Sports counterpart on face value, turned out to be a lot of fun and not a mindless flurry of fists.

Admittedly, I could have done without the not very good commentary. I also disliked the high number of menus between the title screen and actual gameplay, though the ability to quickly jump right back into an event after you've played it helps.

But the important thing, especially for those wanting to show off their new toy, is that Rare's work on Kinect Sports really demonstrates what the camera is capable of when it's used by a capable developer. If you've already got the hardware to play it on, consider Kinect Sports a must-have.

This review is based on the final retail version of Kinect Sports provided by Microsoft.

Reader Comments (22)

You can throw the bowling ball at the crowd by facing to the side. And volleyball responds to kicking.

@Raffi256

Also just discovered you can grope your fellow racers at the starting line and you get sassed.

@Raffi256 requesting youtube link

@Unvrfd

agreed

this is a definite buy! along with dance central. keep up the great work, Randy! the odd thing is the game reviews are getting good scores but the Kinect device got a bad review from Joystiq. seems odd.

@onlysublime

It would be because the reviews are based on kinect being used in the designed enviroment of standing distance.

I'm picking up both this and Dance Central. Should provide for a lot of fun nights with the girlfriend.

While we had limited games to try during the beta (yeah I can say I was in it now), Kinect sports was the game me and my 2 sons had the most fun with. Joy ride was next but Kinect sports just seemed to be better. We didn't get to play all the mini games (we had volleyball, soccer, bowling, javelin and running dash) but it was still fun. It should have been the game included with Kinect in my opinion, much like it was the case with Wii sports.

Still not an immediate must-buy for me.. But I find it kind of funny that last night at 2 am there were close to 100 replies on a Kinect post.. All bashing Kinect and crowning Move despite it's lackluster launch catalogue who's only shining light is back compatability with games that weren't designed for it's use.. Yet here we have a few games with great reviews during the day.. and there is 7 replies.. Where's all the hate from the PS3 fanboys that overflow the Joystiq comments? :P

@lechart

That's a typical reaction. Haters are more passionnate and don't forget they have to justify their purchase and one way to acheive this is to bash the competitor.

@lechart
I'm no fanboy but I own all 3 systems and I tend to lean more Sony. Move was a day 1 purchase. I was open to kinect but there is nothing available at launch that screams day one purchase to me. I think it's funny that you labelled move as having a lackluster catalog. There is nothing that kinect offers yet that is on par with playing MAG with move.

Motion controlled bowling... that was cute 5 years ago. And back then, the Nintendo version could detect spin, which, if what I read is true, Kinect can't even manage (lol).

Some of these games sound cool and all, but for the $$ involved.....I don't know. I want to like Kinect, but it hasn't sold me yet.

This is the shortest review ever D:

On a side note, this looks a lot less generic than sports champions (although i don't own either games/consoles)

Yeah this review was a little short for my tastes. I'm curious how this stacks up to sports champions (which I enjoy). It sounds like this has more events? How does the accuracy compare to sports champions? Say compare the table tennis games?

@scratchh You can't curve the ping pong ball left or right. You can only top spin it or back spin it. Bit of a let down. Spinning the ball left or right is different to hitting it left or right, which it can do.

Wrist rotation is something that Kinect really needs working on...

As for beach volleyball, when you jump to spike the ball, your hands are already out of Kinect's vision so at times it is difficult to direct in which direction you are spiking the ball to.

I have sports champions (only Move game I own). I played archery for about 30 minutes on the first day. Haven't touched it since. What a waste of time and money.

I am really hoping the Kinect will be a great opportunity for my wife and I to game together on stuff we both like. This game sounds like it may be the key. The Wii motion detection simply pissed me off and I refused to play on it. Once the wife saw a couple Kinect videos, she allowed me to sell the damn Wii and all the Wii crap, and order the Kinect. Here's to hoping for legit motion detection and a good time!

@Muckrak3r

**cough**bullshit**cough**

@rubadub72

I'm with you there, buddy! I don't know any girls who'd give up their Wii that easily, least of all without a fight! :P

Kinect Sports Rocks! When I first started this it left me so sore from being out of shape. But after that. Realizing how well this picks up accurate moves was very surprising to me.

It's nothing like Wii or having a controller in your hand to throw into the TV. Full body motion allows you to use the space for full gameplay. Like soccer. If you get down on the ground and kick it picks all that up. The slides, jumps, dives. and so much more.
However if your doing Volleyball be very careful jumping and hitting the ceiling. lol I did it a couple of time, It don't feel so good. lol

You can jump and then hit to get the same effect. Works very well. and Unlike the Wii where you can just stand there holding the controller to the side and it hits the ball or don't read. Kinect is a lot more active. A full swing gives you a full swing in the game.
Sports for in active and lazy people may not be so much fun at first. But if you want to get into shape for a change. It's a must buy.
Love this game.

Is it me, or did a joystiq reviewer just call Rare a "capable developer"?

This game triumphs over other motions games. Like seriously (if your not lazy) you will play soccer for hours, and I mean litterally 3 hours or more. The fun part is that you atcually have to be a goalie. That doesnt mean like the Wii where you do one motion which sets off a pre motion in the game, it means if the ball is far from you, you either have to run toward the ball or dive....and yes I dive. The kicking is not very responsive (since I am a soccer player I know what a ball is supoosed to do) but to ask for that is just ridiulous. You can't really judge Kinect if you never played it first hand, I was very skeptic when I first got it, but I fell in love while just setting it up. Also Kinect is not for shooting games, its to be up and moving. If your lazy or just expecting to play shooting games this is not for you. This is for people who like to be in motion or are trying to lose weight by exercising.

Kinect Sports

Kinect Sports review: A first-round pick

Kinect Sports (11/4/10)

Kinect reviews

Reader Comments (22)

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 12:19AM Raffi256 said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 5:02AM Raffi256 said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 10:01AM Unvrfd said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 11:54PM AdamSpruijt said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 2:17AM onlysublime said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 7:58AM This Little Man Says His Name Is said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 2:41AM Cody H said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 9:08AM Guibs said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 9:59AM lechart said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 10:53AM Guibs said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 11:37AM akmdpc said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 11:03AM bm111 said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 11:47AM theSkillfull1 said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 2:52PM Nekki said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 4:33PM scratchh said

Posted: Nov 6th 2010 5:07PM Baron Milton Von Crompton said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 4:37PM Muckrak3r said

Posted: Nov 4th 2010 11:42PM rubadub72 said

Posted: Nov 6th 2010 5:08PM Baron Milton Von Crompton said

Posted: Nov 6th 2010 2:21PM DanJ1516 said

Posted: Nov 11th 2010 10:55AM ShawnRyan said

Posted: Nov 16th 2010 10:35PM IANfromMD said

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