Kinect seems as keen as ever to chip away at the massive – and massively profitable – casual market previously nailed down tightly by Nintendo. This collaboration, previously an exclusive for the old Japanese masters, sees the well-known brain-trainer make the leap to an HD console for the first time.
Players will be able to train both their minds and their bodies with the Kinect-enabled title due for release in February 2011. The game’s full title is Dr Kawashima’s Body and Brain Exercises and it will no doubt be aiming to achieve the same sort of fame and popularity that the handheld games, supervised by the Japanese neuroscientist, have managed.
We’ve got some screens for you to look at but as with any of these slightly off-kilter games, the test will be in how it plays and how it compels the player to keep returning. Some of us were big fans of the DS outings though, so definitely one worth watching.
jonny_bolton
Good work on the sub-heading… And this from the editor-in-chief…tut,tut,tut
On the game though the idea of moving your arms to do maths it horrendous. I don’t want to stand around making “greater than” signs, I just want to ninja-punch someone. Or dance to Lady Gaga, whichever.
colossalblue
blah, blah, blah :P
Fixed now (eventually!)
I think it’ll be interesting to see how they implement Kinect (don’t forget the very impressive voice recognition) because, as you say, waving about for mathematical equations would be rubbish.
To be fair though, getting the DS version to recognise my voice, or handwriting was tricky sometimes too.
jonny_bolton
I just noticed your festive avatar by the way. Well done :)
kjkg
You had trouble getting it to recognise your voice? For me it was impossible. Being broad Scottish doesn’t help, but it does annoy me that they can’t get it to recognise stronger accents.
TheShepanator
I only ever used the DS version for like a week but then I just forgot about it…
DrNate86
To me this looks horrible, but is going to sell like hot-cakes. Slightly shameless but sod it, MS knows exactly what market is providing the big bucks atm so who can blame them.
sesameseed
Dr Kawashima is a whore!
KetchupBBQ
I just don’t get the point of this? I have never been in the gym and thought “ooh I could really fancy some really easy maths problems right now”
Similarly I have never been doing a crossword and immediately afterwards wanted to go jogging.
Who are these schizophrenic people and why are they now being catered for?
Of course I could be completely wrong and it could be that Kawashima barks at you a riddle and you have to mime out the correct answer.
JesseDeya
Image 4 is a little off putting:
“This is your current brain’s age.
Keep up your training and see how far you can lower it!”
My current brain? I didn’t know getting a new one was an option!
And… why would I want to lower my brain’s age exactly?
simplebob
because at a brain age of 8 the rest of Kinects current line up become must have purchases….
JesseDeya
Snap!