Sonic Free Riders is a racing style game that uses boards and bikes to compete with various characters of the Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Despite many horrible reviews I have seen on this title, I was pleasantly surprised.
GAME: Sonic Free Riders
REVIEW SCORE: 7/10
The biggest beef that most people seem to have with Sonic Free Riders is the controls. Granted, the menu system could have easily been presented in a different, more friendly interface, I still did not have all that many problems with it.
As long as you play the tutorial stages and have a proper Kinect setup, you should have no problems playing Sonic Free Riders.
The game offers many different play variants including race, battle, coin collector, time trials, and more. There are even a couple of co-op modes available (local co-op only).
One downside to the game is the repetitiveness. The game offers 16 stages, but it is really just 8 stages with two stage variants. You then play the different modes across these levels.
There is a Grand Prix mode that offers a story line, but it doesn't really offer anything intriguing. It is a nice way to dabble with many of the different game play variants and unlock new characters.
FITNESS SCORE: 3/10
Unlike other Kinect titles, there is very little moving involved with this title. The board and bike mechanics require mostly leaning and ducking. Almost all of the activity involved comes from the jumping. If you get really enthusiastic, you can add 360 spins to your jumps for added points in the game.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-Play through Grand Prix mode first. This will unlock new modes, which will unlock new characters.
-For the gear and gear part collector achievements, you should go for the gear part collector one first. Once you purchase the last gear part and see the achievement unlock, turn off your xbox or use the guide button to exit to the dashboard. This will let you keep the achievement as well as all the coins you spent in the store (you will likely never use most of the gear parts offered).
-In addition to the achievements, there are a few Xbox Awards you can unlock for this game. Place 1st on every course with Sonic, place 1st on every course with Jet, place first on every course with E-10000, and watch the credits (beat the final section of Grand Prix mode).
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
PROGRESS UPDATE
Alright, after a couple of shaky months were I have been neglecting my Kinect, I am back on board.
To help re-spark my passion for 100% Kinect, I sent back a couple of the games that I had out from Gamefly (Dance Paradise, which I was greatly disappointed, and Kinect Joy Ride, which I enjoyed but couldn't find the time or energy to finish at this point).
In their place I got two new titles, Body and Brain Connection and Sonic Free Riders.
I have had tons of fun with B and B Connection and have almost finished it. I just have some co-op stuff to do and the time sensitive achievements (which I will legitimately wait out). I highly recommend this title.
The other game, Sonic Free Riders, was a bit of a surprise. I have heard nothing but horror stories about the game and its Kinect controls. However, I have been playing an hour or so into it and I am having little to no issues.
It may be due to my superior Kinect placement and setup, or just do to the fact that I have much more experience with the Kinect device and I am able to readily adjust to the game.
I also purchased Michael Jackson: The Experience when it launched on April 12th. Concerning my previous post about the leaderboard achievement, it is in fact a local leaderboard issue.
MJ: The Experience is a pretty fun dance game that resembles Dance Central in gameplay, and Dance Masters in presentation. I have had fun with it thus far.
It seems that I won't have the game completed until September at the earliest as there is an achievement for playing the game on MJ's birthday. Yes, I could disconnect from Live and change my console settings to get it early, but for the sake of sportsmanship, I will decline.
That about sums up this month in Kinect progress. Until next time....
To help re-spark my passion for 100% Kinect, I sent back a couple of the games that I had out from Gamefly (Dance Paradise, which I was greatly disappointed, and Kinect Joy Ride, which I enjoyed but couldn't find the time or energy to finish at this point).
In their place I got two new titles, Body and Brain Connection and Sonic Free Riders.
I have had tons of fun with B and B Connection and have almost finished it. I just have some co-op stuff to do and the time sensitive achievements (which I will legitimately wait out). I highly recommend this title.
The other game, Sonic Free Riders, was a bit of a surprise. I have heard nothing but horror stories about the game and its Kinect controls. However, I have been playing an hour or so into it and I am having little to no issues.
It may be due to my superior Kinect placement and setup, or just do to the fact that I have much more experience with the Kinect device and I am able to readily adjust to the game.
I also purchased Michael Jackson: The Experience when it launched on April 12th. Concerning my previous post about the leaderboard achievement, it is in fact a local leaderboard issue.
MJ: The Experience is a pretty fun dance game that resembles Dance Central in gameplay, and Dance Masters in presentation. I have had fun with it thus far.
It seems that I won't have the game completed until September at the earliest as there is an achievement for playing the game on MJ's birthday. Yes, I could disconnect from Live and change my console settings to get it early, but for the sake of sportsmanship, I will decline.
That about sums up this month in Kinect progress. Until next time....
Monday, March 21, 2011
PROGRESS UPDATE
It has been a while since the last update, mostly because I haven't had much to update. I have played my Kinect very little over the last few weeks. This is due to a few reasons.
First, there was a bit unanticipated activity on my Gamefly account. I have the 3 disc plan, but I was sent 4 games. Of these four, I got Dead Rising 2, which was at the bottom of my queue, and Marvel vs Capcom 3, which I didn't think would get shipped as early as it did. Naturally I wanted to play MvC3 as it had just came out, and Dead Rising 2 soon beckoned to me as well.
Outside of gaming, I have had a busy few weeks at work. I am no longer a security guard (budget issues), but I did move into a customer service department and have since been promoted three times (at this rate, I will own the place by the end of Summer, lol). So I naturally been pretty preoccupied with that.
The little that I have been playing on Kinect has been on Kinect Joy Ride. I am making pretty solid progress. There are a few achievements that will have me fine pointing my techniques to unlock, but I feel that the last achievement I get will be the 10 hours of play achievement.
I also have Dance Paradise out as well. I haven't played much of it, but to be honest, I am not really enjoying it.
The only other important thing to note is that the Michael Jackson Experience game will be out next month and there is an achievement for it that may bother me. There seems to be an achievement for reaching a #1 score on a leaderboard. This may simply be for getting a #1 score in an in-game, local leaderboard. Also, it may have weekly leaderboards as well, which would simplify things. However, if there is only lifetime leaderboards, I will have the get the game on day 1 and make some serious score to have any hopes of netting the achievement.
I will update whenever I know more.
First, there was a bit unanticipated activity on my Gamefly account. I have the 3 disc plan, but I was sent 4 games. Of these four, I got Dead Rising 2, which was at the bottom of my queue, and Marvel vs Capcom 3, which I didn't think would get shipped as early as it did. Naturally I wanted to play MvC3 as it had just came out, and Dead Rising 2 soon beckoned to me as well.
Outside of gaming, I have had a busy few weeks at work. I am no longer a security guard (budget issues), but I did move into a customer service department and have since been promoted three times (at this rate, I will own the place by the end of Summer, lol). So I naturally been pretty preoccupied with that.
The little that I have been playing on Kinect has been on Kinect Joy Ride. I am making pretty solid progress. There are a few achievements that will have me fine pointing my techniques to unlock, but I feel that the last achievement I get will be the 10 hours of play achievement.
I also have Dance Paradise out as well. I haven't played much of it, but to be honest, I am not really enjoying it.
The only other important thing to note is that the Michael Jackson Experience game will be out next month and there is an achievement for it that may bother me. There seems to be an achievement for reaching a #1 score on a leaderboard. This may simply be for getting a #1 score in an in-game, local leaderboard. Also, it may have weekly leaderboards as well, which would simplify things. However, if there is only lifetime leaderboards, I will have the get the game on day 1 and make some serious score to have any hopes of netting the achievement.
I will update whenever I know more.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
GAME COMPLETED #8: KINECT ADVENTURES
Kinect Adventures is the pack-in title that comes with Kinect Sensor. It does a great job introducing a bunch of the features one can expect to see when using the Kinect. With a handful of different activities and online multiplayer, the game offers something for everyone.
GAME: Kinect Adventures
REVIEW SCORE: 7/10
The game is, among other things, fun. The Kinect sensor works extremely well with this game, which one might expect as being the first (and sometimes only) game a Kinect game a Kinect owner will play.
The different play styles allow for different levels of activity. The least strenuous being the "20,000 leaks" activity where players use hands and feet to plug leaks in an underwater cage. The most active is the "Reflex Ridge" activity, where players are guided through a obstacle course that involves jumping, ducking, dodging and flailing.
Each activity has 6-9 stages to add to the depth of the game. Unfortunately, the levels will often times not differ much from stage to stage and makes the game a bit repetitive.
The game offers both online and offline multiplayer, almost all of which is cooperative.
One of the best features of the game is the interactive nature of the game. During each event, the game will take several photos of the player and caption it at the end of the match. Also, when playing 'Adventure' mode you unlock Living Statues, interactive trophies that you control with your Kinect sensor (with both movement and sound).
As an added bonus, the Kinect Adventures disc has a handful of demos for other Kinect titles.
FITNESS SCORE: 6/10
As mentioned above, the "Reflex Ridge' activity offers a lot of physical challenge. The rest of the events allow for you to be as active as you like, but isn't necessary to do well in the event.
For players who are not accustomed for physical activity, "20,000 leaks" and "Space Pop" (At least, I think that is the correct name of the activity) are great for using the Kinect sensor while not overexerting yourself.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-The achievements for this game are awarded either for meeting the achievement requirement, or being signed in to the game while someone else meets the achievement requirement.
-When going for the achievement for activating all Living Statues, you have to keep in mind that there is one additional Living Statue that is not unlocked during gameplay. It is a statue of your avatar and can only be activated by viewing your Living Statue collection and scrolling to the left.
-When playing the "Reflex Ridge" activity, you should continuously be jumping in place during when able. This speeds up the platform and is essential for beating the clock in the timed mode and getting Platinum medals in the other modes.
GAME: Kinect Adventures
REVIEW SCORE: 7/10
The game is, among other things, fun. The Kinect sensor works extremely well with this game, which one might expect as being the first (and sometimes only) game a Kinect game a Kinect owner will play.
The different play styles allow for different levels of activity. The least strenuous being the "20,000 leaks" activity where players use hands and feet to plug leaks in an underwater cage. The most active is the "Reflex Ridge" activity, where players are guided through a obstacle course that involves jumping, ducking, dodging and flailing.
Each activity has 6-9 stages to add to the depth of the game. Unfortunately, the levels will often times not differ much from stage to stage and makes the game a bit repetitive.
The game offers both online and offline multiplayer, almost all of which is cooperative.
One of the best features of the game is the interactive nature of the game. During each event, the game will take several photos of the player and caption it at the end of the match. Also, when playing 'Adventure' mode you unlock Living Statues, interactive trophies that you control with your Kinect sensor (with both movement and sound).
As an added bonus, the Kinect Adventures disc has a handful of demos for other Kinect titles.
FITNESS SCORE: 6/10
As mentioned above, the "Reflex Ridge' activity offers a lot of physical challenge. The rest of the events allow for you to be as active as you like, but isn't necessary to do well in the event.
For players who are not accustomed for physical activity, "20,000 leaks" and "Space Pop" (At least, I think that is the correct name of the activity) are great for using the Kinect sensor while not overexerting yourself.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-The achievements for this game are awarded either for meeting the achievement requirement, or being signed in to the game while someone else meets the achievement requirement.
-When going for the achievement for activating all Living Statues, you have to keep in mind that there is one additional Living Statue that is not unlocked during gameplay. It is a statue of your avatar and can only be activated by viewing your Living Statue collection and scrolling to the left.
-When playing the "Reflex Ridge" activity, you should continuously be jumping in place during when able. This speeds up the platform and is essential for beating the clock in the timed mode and getting Platinum medals in the other modes.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
GAME COMPLETED #7: DECA SPORTS FREEDOM
This is a sports compilation that includes 10 sports, as the name implies ( Deca is a prefix in the metric system, also a numerical prefix, denoting a factor of ten).
If the game looks familiar, it might be because it is a rework of a Wii title that came out a while back.
The game has some fun gameplay to its credit, but also seems to fall short in other areas.
Special thanks to bloodnutman and ScottRad1234 for helping me with the online achievements in this game.
GAME: Deca Sports Freedom
REVIEW SCORE: 5/10
The fact that the game offers 10 sports is a plus, as it allows for a wider variety. And, to be fair, some of the sports are actually pretty fun.
I seemed to experience a handful of sensor issues though that seemed to damper my appreciation for this game. For one, my in-game avatar will often be stuck in a sitting position (although I have no similar issues with any of my other Kinect titles). This makes hitting certain returns in Volleyball and Tennis near impossible in some instances.
Also, there is an issue of quantity over quality as far as some of the sports go. Whereas boxing and archery are fun and interesting to play. Sports like Kendo and Paintball are not. Kendo isn't really a bad event, it just doesn't work well in a Kinect compilation, and Paintball utilizes a first-person shooter setup that falls short of my expectations.
There is also some issues with Kinect being able to recognize players with this software. I played some co-op with my wife and we were constantly having issues. If we moved too far out of range and came back, the game would not always remember the player and would register one of us as "Guest". And at one point, the game mixed us up and we were playing under the other persons' gamertag.
This game is fun in small doses, and manageable when concentrating on playing your favorite events.
FITNESS SCORE: 5/10
Aside from Figure Skating and Mogul Skiing, you don't really get yourself in motion. Games like Tennis and Volleyball have your in-game avatar automatically move into position, you just have to swing your arms. Archery and Paintball read body movements, but are limited to turning your body certain directions. Kendo, Boxing, and Dodgeball have you stand in place and move your arms, and Snowboarding has you stand in place and lean.
Still, Mogul skiing is enough to work up a sweat, and Boxing is great for flailing around your arms.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- If you enter the "Locker Room" from the main menu and yell "Hudson" (with the Kinect mic turned on), you will unlock an Avatar Item T-shirt.
- Achievements are not affected by option changes. You can feel free to play the game on the easiest settings and the minimal number of matches. (Unless the achievement specifies certain option criteria).
If the game looks familiar, it might be because it is a rework of a Wii title that came out a while back.
The game has some fun gameplay to its credit, but also seems to fall short in other areas.
Special thanks to bloodnutman and ScottRad1234 for helping me with the online achievements in this game.
GAME: Deca Sports Freedom
REVIEW SCORE: 5/10
The fact that the game offers 10 sports is a plus, as it allows for a wider variety. And, to be fair, some of the sports are actually pretty fun.
I seemed to experience a handful of sensor issues though that seemed to damper my appreciation for this game. For one, my in-game avatar will often be stuck in a sitting position (although I have no similar issues with any of my other Kinect titles). This makes hitting certain returns in Volleyball and Tennis near impossible in some instances.
Also, there is an issue of quantity over quality as far as some of the sports go. Whereas boxing and archery are fun and interesting to play. Sports like Kendo and Paintball are not. Kendo isn't really a bad event, it just doesn't work well in a Kinect compilation, and Paintball utilizes a first-person shooter setup that falls short of my expectations.
There is also some issues with Kinect being able to recognize players with this software. I played some co-op with my wife and we were constantly having issues. If we moved too far out of range and came back, the game would not always remember the player and would register one of us as "Guest". And at one point, the game mixed us up and we were playing under the other persons' gamertag.
This game is fun in small doses, and manageable when concentrating on playing your favorite events.
FITNESS SCORE: 5/10
Aside from Figure Skating and Mogul Skiing, you don't really get yourself in motion. Games like Tennis and Volleyball have your in-game avatar automatically move into position, you just have to swing your arms. Archery and Paintball read body movements, but are limited to turning your body certain directions. Kendo, Boxing, and Dodgeball have you stand in place and move your arms, and Snowboarding has you stand in place and lean.
Still, Mogul skiing is enough to work up a sweat, and Boxing is great for flailing around your arms.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- If you enter the "Locker Room" from the main menu and yell "Hudson" (with the Kinect mic turned on), you will unlock an Avatar Item T-shirt.
- Achievements are not affected by option changes. You can feel free to play the game on the easiest settings and the minimal number of matches. (Unless the achievement specifies certain option criteria).
GAME COMPLETED #6: ADRENALINE MISFITS
This is a pretty fun game that is extremely easy to complete. It took about 4 hours or less for me to earn the complete 1000GS in this title. It has its ups and downs, but I would recommend a rental.
GAME: Adrenaline Misfits
REVIEW SCORE: 6/10
First and foremost, the game does a great job incorporating the Kinect sensor, which is always a huge plus. In addition, the game has several different game modes to enhance gameplay and replay value.
Second, the game is easy to learn, easy to play, and pretty fun.
The concept is fairly simple. You control a snowboarder who maneuvers, races, battles, and styles the way to first place. As you beat levels and earn high scores, you unlock new characters and new boards with increased stats.
Unfortunately, the game seems a bit too easy. Even using the most basic characters and boards, the enemy A.I poses little threat as long as you understand the basics of gameplay.
Also, the game seems to try to do a little too much. For instance, it has offensive and defensive weapons that you can pick up (in the spirit of games such as Mario Kart), but they rarely are of any use. In fact, some of the game modes (big air and trick modes) focus on individual actions. The enemies in this case are doing their own thing, and the weapon system becomes obsolete.
Also, many of the game modes (like those listed above) are won by reaching certain criteria (most air time, most balloons collected, most trick points, etc.), which is fine, but the game is still set up a like a race; except, you can cross the finish line 2 minutes after everyone else but still win first place.
I just kind of felt like the game would have been better suited if it concentrated on fewer play variants and just built around them.
But I was still overall impressed with the quality of motion controls and simple fun involved.
FITNESS SCORE: 4/10
The game doesn't involve to much moving around. Mostly standing in place while leaning one way or another.
There is however, some modes that require lots of tricks, which require lots of jumping. And since this is a Kinect title, lots of jumping means lots of jumping.
Even though it only took about 4 hours to finish the game, I had some fairly sore thighs the next day from leaning and jumping.
You will get some leg exercise as well as some ab work in, but nothing for the arms (aside from holding them straight out for some of the tricks, but it doesn't offer much of a workout).
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-When playing the game mode for getting the most air time (as well as getting the big air achievement), it is best to choose a rider who is of 'Jump Type'. In addition, whenever you hit a huge jump, hold your arms straight out to the sides. This will cause your rider to glide. This keeps you in the air longer, and allows you to make more air time.
- When playing the game mode for getting the balloons, you do not need to worry about beating the other racers to the bottom of the hill, just concentrate on hitting the balloons. Further more, you should concentrate on stringing together your balloons so you keep your combo going. This is key to getting an A rank.
-On the game mode for scoring trick points, you can ignore the track completely. Just keep jumping in the air and doing simple twist or flip tricks. By the time you reach the finish line, you should not only have enough points to make 1st place, but you should have enough to get an A ranking (and the achievement that is associated with it.)
GAME: Adrenaline Misfits
REVIEW SCORE: 6/10
First and foremost, the game does a great job incorporating the Kinect sensor, which is always a huge plus. In addition, the game has several different game modes to enhance gameplay and replay value.
Second, the game is easy to learn, easy to play, and pretty fun.
The concept is fairly simple. You control a snowboarder who maneuvers, races, battles, and styles the way to first place. As you beat levels and earn high scores, you unlock new characters and new boards with increased stats.
Unfortunately, the game seems a bit too easy. Even using the most basic characters and boards, the enemy A.I poses little threat as long as you understand the basics of gameplay.
Also, the game seems to try to do a little too much. For instance, it has offensive and defensive weapons that you can pick up (in the spirit of games such as Mario Kart), but they rarely are of any use. In fact, some of the game modes (big air and trick modes) focus on individual actions. The enemies in this case are doing their own thing, and the weapon system becomes obsolete.
Also, many of the game modes (like those listed above) are won by reaching certain criteria (most air time, most balloons collected, most trick points, etc.), which is fine, but the game is still set up a like a race; except, you can cross the finish line 2 minutes after everyone else but still win first place.
I just kind of felt like the game would have been better suited if it concentrated on fewer play variants and just built around them.
But I was still overall impressed with the quality of motion controls and simple fun involved.
FITNESS SCORE: 4/10
The game doesn't involve to much moving around. Mostly standing in place while leaning one way or another.
There is however, some modes that require lots of tricks, which require lots of jumping. And since this is a Kinect title, lots of jumping means lots of jumping.
Even though it only took about 4 hours to finish the game, I had some fairly sore thighs the next day from leaning and jumping.
You will get some leg exercise as well as some ab work in, but nothing for the arms (aside from holding them straight out for some of the tricks, but it doesn't offer much of a workout).
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-When playing the game mode for getting the most air time (as well as getting the big air achievement), it is best to choose a rider who is of 'Jump Type'. In addition, whenever you hit a huge jump, hold your arms straight out to the sides. This will cause your rider to glide. This keeps you in the air longer, and allows you to make more air time.
- When playing the game mode for getting the balloons, you do not need to worry about beating the other racers to the bottom of the hill, just concentrate on hitting the balloons. Further more, you should concentrate on stringing together your balloons so you keep your combo going. This is key to getting an A rank.
-On the game mode for scoring trick points, you can ignore the track completely. Just keep jumping in the air and doing simple twist or flip tricks. By the time you reach the finish line, you should not only have enough points to make 1st place, but you should have enough to get an A ranking (and the achievement that is associated with it.)
Friday, February 4, 2011
PROGRESS UPDATE
The last couple of weeks have been pretty tough. My Kinect progress has pretty much come to a complete halt.
I am in the middle of two fitness games, both of which require loads of dedicated time and little gamerscore to show for it.
I am also having trouble finding time and bodies to help with multiplayer achievements, which is holding up not only my Kinect progress, but my Gamefly queue as well.
I am stuck with 900GS on Deca Sports, only missing the achievement for playing all 10 sports with another player. I was able to talk my wife into standing in. Unfortunately, even after meeting the requirements the achievement did not unlock. I think it has to do with a sensor issue where one of our profiles was registering as a "Guest" and not by our accounts. I would just try it again, but my wife isn't dedicated to the cause enough to go through it again. Luckily, I have been contacted by a gamer who needs the achievement as well. Hopefully by the next update, I will have this game complete.
I am having similar issues with Kinect Adventures, except I have no problem finding people to play with, I just have problems connecting with them over Live. We keep getting messages like "Game Session Has Ended" whenever we send each other invites (followed by an infinite load loop that requires me to restart my game). Hopefully I can get this resolved as well.
On the plus side, I just got Adrenaline Misfits in the mail from GameFly, and after about only 4 hours, I have 910/1000GS. The remaining 90 are local co-op achievements, but the short and easy variety. I should have it back out in the mail within the week.
I am in the middle of two fitness games, both of which require loads of dedicated time and little gamerscore to show for it.
I am also having trouble finding time and bodies to help with multiplayer achievements, which is holding up not only my Kinect progress, but my Gamefly queue as well.
I am stuck with 900GS on Deca Sports, only missing the achievement for playing all 10 sports with another player. I was able to talk my wife into standing in. Unfortunately, even after meeting the requirements the achievement did not unlock. I think it has to do with a sensor issue where one of our profiles was registering as a "Guest" and not by our accounts. I would just try it again, but my wife isn't dedicated to the cause enough to go through it again. Luckily, I have been contacted by a gamer who needs the achievement as well. Hopefully by the next update, I will have this game complete.
I am having similar issues with Kinect Adventures, except I have no problem finding people to play with, I just have problems connecting with them over Live. We keep getting messages like "Game Session Has Ended" whenever we send each other invites (followed by an infinite load loop that requires me to restart my game). Hopefully I can get this resolved as well.
On the plus side, I just got Adrenaline Misfits in the mail from GameFly, and after about only 4 hours, I have 910/1000GS. The remaining 90 are local co-op achievements, but the short and easy variety. I should have it back out in the mail within the week.
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