Genre:  Sports
Platform:  XBox 360

The Kinect is a highly under-appreciated device on the XBox 360 and XBone.  It’s a very innovative device and allows for voice commands and movement tracking.  It works really well, too, even on the first-gen 360s.

Kinect Sports Gems is a suite of games available from the XBox 360 arcade.  They are purchased separately, so you don’t have to get the games you don’t want.  I believe they are $2 each and are very much worth the money.  These games got me off the couch and made me work up a sweat!

I have completed 10-Frame Bowling and Field Goal Challenge.  In each game, there are 10 ranks.  You rank up by completing specific tasks in each game.  For example, in 10-Frame Bowling, there was a task to alternate hands every throw in the game.  You gain stars for each task, and get more stars for the more difficult tasks.  I also have Prize-Driver Golf, Three Point Challenge, Ping Pong, Reaction Ralley, Penalty Saver and Darts vs Zombies.

I have enjoyed each game so far.  They are quick games and are a lot of fun.  Field Goal Challenge has been my favorite and it made me feel like I  was the star of the stadium.  It’s amazing how into these games you’ll get.  Before you know it, you’ll be waving to the crowd and posing for the camera.

Game play is fun and the Kinect is very responsive to your movements.  It had a little bit of trouble with my ceiling fan when trying to navigate through the menus, but it didn’t affect game play at all.  My dog’s constantly-wagging tail did, however, and that made for some interesting game play.  Also make sure that your play area is clear.  I kicked a cat more than once during Field Goal Challenge and gave my poor dog an uppercut while bowling.

If you’ve played the Kinect sports full games, these are very similar to some of the mini games there.  For $2 each, though, I would still strongly recommend picking them up in the arcade, too.