Kinect for Xbox 360

My family loves it when I get free geek stuff to test and review. You can imagine how excited we were when our new Xbox 360 and Kinect system arrived. It was like Christmas in November!

You may know that we’re already fans of the Wii, and that I spend a lot of time playing online Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 via the PlayStation network.

Although we don’t need another reason to sit on our butts and push buttons, we do enjoy video games! The Kinect system, however, facilitates physical activity during gaming. So you don’t just get to sit on the couch with a controller in your hands. In fact, there is no remote controller needed for the Kinect games we tested. We found the games engaging and entertaining, and frequently worked up a good sweat without even trying.

Our family tested several Kinect games, including Dance Central, Kinect Sports, and Kinectimals. My husband’s favorite seems to be soccer. The Kinect sensor is able to detect whether the player is kicking or heading the ball, and which direction the ball should go after it’s hit. I won’t pretend to understand how it all works, but it’s pretty amazing.

My five year old daughter loves her Kinectimals pet lion cub, which she named “Jump.” She can feed, groom, and play with Jump. When a new user stands in front of the sensor, the Kinect bar tilts up and down to find the person. This is a nice feature, because sometimes the Wii is frustrating when it doesn’t “see” her if the sensor bar is up too high.

Speaking of “too high,” one thing you have to be aware of when playing Kinect games is the space around your body. Not just the couch, coffee table, and carpet. Beware of overhead ceiling fans, lamps, etc. You might end up with a broken fixture during a particularly vigorous Dance Central move, or Kinect Sports volleyball serve.

There is definitely a “WOW” factor when you use the Kinect to play games and navigate the Xbox 360 system. Waving your hands in the air to control a computer device has a very cool, sci-fi movie feel. However, there are times when you’ll want to pick up the plastic controller, because the sensor does take a bit longer to register your commands than a quick click on the remote. If you’re expecting lightning-fast, precise control, you might be disappointed.

All in all, the Kinect for Xbox 360 is a fun way to play video games. If you’ve been using the Wii for exercise, you might want to find a place to try out the Kinect sports and workout games. You don’t have to hold a sweaty controller while you jog, or strap it to your leg to record your lunge repetitions. Once you get started, it’s easy to lose track of time, which is a much more enjoyable way to exercise than counting minutes on a treadmill.

We enjoy gaming with the Kinect/Xbox, and are looking forward to seeing what other games are developed for the system. If you’re considering a new gaming system for your family, and want games that will get everybody off the couch, the Kinect and Xbox are an excellent combination! For more information on Kinect and safe family gaming, check out GetGameSmart.com.

Disclosure: I received a free Kinect/Xbox kit.

I still love my Wii, and Wii Fit is my favorite kind of exercise. Yes, I’m that kind of exerciser. You can stop judging me now. LOL

Anyway, my very helpful hubby alerted me to this new Wii accessory, and I had to share it! It’s a clever weighted dumbbell, which attaches to the Wii-mote, so you can add resistance to your Wii workouts. Dubbed the “riiflex,” it’s not in stores yet, but is available for pre-order, in 2 and 5 pound sizes.

Looks like another interesting Wii-novation! But I’m not sure a Wii workout will be as much fun if the accessories actually start to look and feel like gym equipment. The thing I like best about Wii Fit is that it feels more like a game than real exercise. Seriously, exercise that feels like exercise just isn’t as enjoyable for me. Am I right? What do you think?

Prototype shown may not reflect final product design.

I have been looking forward to getting my feet on the WiiFit balance board for months, and my early pre-order paid off when it was delivered on Wednesday. (Oh, how I love seeing that UPS man strolling up the sidewalk with a big Amazon box in his arms!)

I’ve been using it for three days, and here are my impressions so far…

Set-up is easy

From box to playtime, it took about 5 minutes. The hardest part (and it’s not really hard) is finding the sync buttons on the board and the Wii console. Once they start talking to each other, it’s just like playing any other game. Watch the screen and follow the instructions.

Don’t take it personally

My family knew how excited I was to finally get the WiiFit, and they gathered around while I took the first turn. We started up the “game,” and I got on the board to create my WiiFit profile. I didn’t know that the WiiFit was going to calculate my BMI and call me a fatty in front of my audience! Okay, it didn’t actually say “fatty,” but be warned that it will collect data including your height, age, and weight. It will calculate your BMI, and show you where that lands you on a scale from underweight to obese.

I was particularly sad when the WiiFit version of my mii went *poof* and became chubby, to match my BMI. Oh well… It’s not personal; it’s mathematical.

Exercise games are really fun

I’m not the kind of girl who enjoys going to a class and getting sweaty with lots of other people. I prefer going for walks by myself, especially in the cool morning or evening air. However, it’s hard for me to make time for that, I don’t always feel safe walking alone, and I hate mosquitoes.

The WiiFit exercises really are like games, and after just one 20 minute session, I could feel it in my muscles. I love that I don’t have to go anywhere to get a little exercise, and it’s more fun than our old treadmill. And no mosquitoes!

Ski racing, ski jumping, stability trials, yoga, calisthenics, jogging, and step-aerobics are some of the games we’ve played so far. There’s also hula-hooping — which is so far my best event! I knew these hips were good for something! Watch out for swiveling badunkadunk!

Seeing results after three days

I’ve been having so much fun doing the exercises, that it’s been effortless to accumulate 20 minutes of activity each day! I’ve recovered from my initial feelings of resentment toward my WiiFit (for calling me fat), and now love the built-in weight and BMI tracking features. My muscles feel good, and my weight and BMI are trending downhill on my WiiFit chart. Yippee!

Unlockable games and features keep it fresh

As you accumulate minutes in your WiiFit Bank (looks like a digital piggy bank), you unlock new games and features. My kids and I get really excited when we get new games! We’ve already unlocked a more advanced Super Hula Hoop game.

Buy it if you can find it…

From what I’ve heard, the WiiFit is hard to find in stock anywhere, including online. If you find one, grab it!

I just got a notification from Amazon that my Wii Fit is on its way! I can hardly wait until the dashing Man in Brown knocks on my door on Wednesday, to deliver this long-awaited prize! Can you tell I’m excited?!

If you’re not familiar with the Wii Fit, you can check it out at the Nintendo site. I’ll let you know what I think after I’ve had a chance to use it. I’m really looking forward to trying the Yoga program. I’ve been wishing for some kind of Wii physical therapy ever since I started playing Wii Sports!

About a week ago, I got an e-mail from Amazon’s notification system that the Wii Fit is available for pre-order. So I bought it! I can hardly wait to try it out.

If you aren’t familiar with the Wi Fit, you can see a video demo at the official Nintendo site. The games and activities work with a sensor balance board. You stand on it, dance, do yoga poses, practice balancing, and lots of other stuff. It looks like a good way to get moving and practice using your core muscles. I’m excited because I love games, and I hate exercise. If this is exercise disguised as a game, I’m all over it!

I can hardly wait until the Man in Brown delivers it to my home (estimated arrival date: May 23, 2008). You can bet I’ll be telling you all about it!

If you’ve read my previous post on our new Wii (the kids won’t unwrap it until Christmas, but we’ve been playing it at night – shhhh!), you know how much I love it! Even though I suck at pretty much all the games (except I did knock out Hubby at boxing), it is so fun! We plug it in after the kids are asleep and go for a couple of hours. Bowling, golf, tennis, baseball, etc. — none of which I do in normal life with any regularity… I end up sweaty and out of breath (especially from boxing – I turn into a crazed punching machine for some reason). Nothing wrong with that. I figure anything besides sitting at the computer counts for exercise, right?

But the next morning, boy am I sore! Yes, I’m a bit out of shape. And I’m not as young as I used to be. Anyway, my muscles ache, and my shoulder hurts. I’m really okay, but I was thinking, when will somebody develop a nice post-Wii workout cooldown game for us middle-aged Wii addicts? How about Wii Therapy, Wii Pilates, Wii Yoga, Wii Stretch? They can bundle it with Wii Sports and call it Wii for Oldies.