Xbox Kinect – is it worth the money?

I live in a gaming household, but that doesn’t mean I’m allowed to play very much. If at all. Ditto Ben, 7, who is rarely allowed on his older brother’s Xbox 360.

But that could be about to change because Xbox Kinect is so interactive that you actually want to play with other people, even *whispers* your mum.

So first, the set-up. It’s incredibly easy. You plug in the sensor, you have to follow a few directions on screen but that’s it. The only other thing is to make sure you have a good distance between you and the TV/sensor – they recommend 6 ft, I’d say we had about 4ft.

And then you start playing. What you quickly discover is that this is WAY more physical than other video games. You don’t have to hold anything to make it work so your hands are totally free – which is just as well, because you need them, and your legs and thighs.

 
In fact it’s fair to say it gives you a pretty good workout all round, which is probably why they call it Full-Body Gaming. (Of course No 1 Son found it completely hilarious when it was my turn to have a go).

  We tried Kinect Adventures!, which lets you feel as though you’re in various exotic locations – roaring rapids, even outerspace. We didn’t stop laughing the whole time. 
Our verdict? If you feel you’d like to get involved with your kids’ gaming, and you’d also like to give yourself a workout, Kinect is guaranteed to give them – and you – big smiles on Christmas Day. It's quite simply genius.

*Available from Curry's and Argos. RRP £129.99

written by Liz Jarvis