Kinect® hardware for the Xbox 360® turns the human player into a controller, allowing his or her motion to control the game’s action; with many games out that feature this hardware, it can difficult to choose the best. Motion is such a novelty with this hardware that the user should choose games for Kinect® that meet his or her preferred level of interactivity. There also are many game genres, so choosing games for Kinect® that fall in the user’s preferred genre would likely be more enjoyable. The Kinect® system is able to recognize up to six people at once, making it useful for multiplayer games, but many games are only single player. While most games for Kinect® are for kids, there are some mature games, so the player’s age may be important.
With the Kinect® system, players move around to create action on the screen; some games require full-out sprints and extensive body movements, while others can be played while sitting down. This vast difference in required motion means players should choose games for Kinect® that satisfy their movement expectations. Some players may want to move a lot, as with sports games, or a little, as with mini-game and puzzle games. Players also should check their level of fitness before playing games with extensive movement.
Games for Kinect® fall in many different genres, including sports, horror, shooting, dancing and exercise. Most players have preferred genres and may want to pick games from that genre. Picking games from other genres also may be fun, though, so players should consider renting games or playing demos before buying the full game.
Kinect® is able to recognize up to six people simultaneously, so it can be used for multiplayer games in which all players are moving at once. While this can be done, many games only have one or a few players that can be active at once. If the player has a small gaming area, then having six people moving around at once can be difficult and even dangerous. Before choosing games for Kinect®, the player should check his or her gaming area and choose games that allow the preferred number of players.
Most games for Kinect® are made for children, but there are some teen and mature games that should not be played by younger players. These are mostly the shooting and horror games. For this reason, parents may want to choose Kinect® games based on the player’s age and maturity level.
