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Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure

The sweat sticking shirt to back. The tremble in our knees. Kinect's once-condescending suggestion to take a break is now a greatly appreciated finish line.

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We're cruelly reminded of how much the aging process has soaked up of our once-brimming, and once-youthful, energy reserves.

When we say this is a title for the younger gamer, we mean only someone that's not gasping for air come the end of a level run. Because as with all Pixar creations, Kinect Rush is a title that can be enjoyed by both those limber with youth and those of us with the mid-riff paunch denoting entry into the thirtieth year.

The game proposes a similar setup to last year's Disneyland Adventures; a central hub park to run around, and multiple "rides" based around five of Pixar's movies. Missing in action: Finding Nemo, Bug's Life, Wall E, Monsters Inc.

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure
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As it is, the fabulous five - Toy Story, Up, The Incredibles, Cars and Ratatouille - make most sense from gameplay and marketing points of view. Monsters Inc aside, Bug's Life is the least well known of the company's output, piloting a fish would be problematic given the tech, and a despondent robot looking for love doesn't make for a great game basis.

As it is, four of the titles share similar play styles, the exception being the race-centric gaming of Cars. But there's just enough variation, aided in no small part by differing visual styles that ape the look of each film in turn, and extensive cameos from (most) of the returning voice cast by way of on-screen partners for those playing solo. (And the game offers split-screen jump in/out co-op.)

All concern themselves with mainly linear paths through each stage; running, jumping and balancing across rope lines, while collecting coins to unlock later levels, new companions and power-ups used to unlock routes in previous stages.

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure
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Each with their own minute variation, but it'll be Up that'll exhaust you and Ratatouille that proves the most fun. The former conforms the Wilderness Explorer idea into adventure courses with a variety of kayaking, swimming, clambering over puzzles, rock-climbing, dodging boulders and swinging along vines. It glories in punishing your muscles. The latter's water slides, glides and boss fights in comparison are a hoot.

By rights Cars, with its unlockable spy-gagdetry and winding courses should win out. It was our first choice to play upon entering the park. Yet it also were we stumbled onto some issues with the Kinect.

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure

We've got a fairly spacious surroundings and haven't had much issue with the sensor before. Yet were a simple jump would do previously, we found we'd have to purposely hook our legs from knee down behind our thighs mid-leap for the move to register on-screen. A problem when Cars requires you to make jumps over destroyed bridges, and to bounce from post to post in the other games.

We could only fathom that the game's been mapped for smaller legs than ours. If that's true, then it means more exertion for those with less energy. If you're playing with your children, prepare to be a crumpled heap on the floor. We don't see this as necessarily a bad thing - the extra fitness that is, not the ensuing heart attack.

There's several things implemented here that we really like. The scanning system at the start that spits out a Pixar-ed version of you to run around the park, and you get a customised version - your very own cartoon take - on entering each movie (though getting the right lighting still seems an issue. We popped out the other side with a berry purple skin colour.)

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure

Both the children NPCs and iconic characters have dialogue that's great positive reinforcement without being condescending. Run around the park and kids will suggest friends to play with, but will note there's no pressure, and you're fine if you want to explore on your own.

Equally in each stage, mess up a jump that'll plunge you out of a level, and you'll drop right back in with a friendly back slap from your AI chum that never dismisses your efforts. Arguably the quick reloads are an issue in Cars when you're dropped back in front of drops with little time to react. It may cause frustration, but then dropping you in past the difficulty could be condensing. We understand it's a no-win situation.

Moments when the games come off the rails and some precision movement is needed proves frustrating for us. It'll likely be the same for youngsters. Given the audience this will attract, it'd have been good to have included an automated on-rails control scheme than only left running and jumping up to the player.

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure

Do those issues cripple the experience? It's all in who you'd be buying this for. Kinect's showing a wonderful growth in interactive entertainment that appeals to children, and Kinect Rush continues that trend.

Pixar seems intent on stealing the half-joke that used to be solely used for George Lucas. That is, including the Star Wars brand would make even a poor game seem decent. If you follow that logic, then decent titles with the odd flaw but baring the Pixar logo are instantly promoted to worthy buys.

And we can't ignore the fact that lying crumpled as a sweating heap on the floor, there was still a huge smile plastered on our face.

HQ
08 Gamereactor UK
8 / 10
+
+ Good use of Pixar characters + Positive reenforcement for kids playing. + Right amount of titles so gameplay isn't stretched too thin. + Will become a Kinect mainstay with your kids.
-
- More could have been made out of the central hub park. - Non on-rails sections not perfect due to control scheme.
overall score
is our network score. What's yours? The network score is the average of every country's score

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