EyeToy

Contrary to what other lazy reviewers (and I suppose I mean that literally) have said, the fitness aspect is really now a fringe benefit rather than the focus. Sony's London Studio should be applauded for testing themselves with such a peculiar and unprecedented goal as teaching a specific martial art, but sadly Kinetic Combat is not the inspirational software it could have been.

 

Game Description: Eye Toy: Kinetic Combat is an exceptional interactive fitness product that adds a new dimension to home fitness. EyeToy: Kinetic redefined the home fitness market by transforming PlayStation 2 into an interactive fitness system bringing personal fitness trainers and workout tools into the home. To ensure an unparalleled home fitness experience, the team at London Studio have applied their knowledge and skills gained from EyeToy: Kinetic to produce an even more sophisticated and refined fitness product.

Like Play and SingStar before it, Kinetic offers us a fresh and, crucially, fun new way to play with our PS2s. It's another casual revolution in game design that's destined to fly under the radar of dyed-in-the-wool gamers as they pore over shots of the next gen consoles' shiny plastic casings.

Game Description: Get in shape with an engaging and challenging workout all in the comfort of your own home. EyeToy: Kinetic, exclusive to the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, is a unique and innovative fitness product that acts as an in-home personal trainer to create authentic customized exercise routines with real-time performance evaluations for more effective workouts. Utilizing the revolutionary EyeToy technology, EyeToy: Kinetic offers players an all-in-one fitness program of cardio, mind and body, and strength exercises inspired by Aerobics, Capoeira, Kick Boxing, Yoga, Modern Dance and Tai Chi. Choose between two unique personal trainers each of whom provide guidance and assess players' performances as they engage in 12-week training programs or select individual routines to tone specific areas of the body.

Let's face it: every sci-fi geek's most fervent wish is that someday, some genius will invent Star Trek's holodeck in real life. What could be better than going into a sterile little room and suddenly finding yourself at the peak of Mount Everest looking out at the roof of the world? Or better yet, slinging a mean six-iron in the old West with tumbleweeds in the background?

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Language, Violence

Game Description:  EyeToy: Anti-Gravity lets you ride your hoverboard and blitz through interactive skylines. Blaze past 1,000 foot tall skyscrapers, flying cars and sky rails as you use antigravity launch pads for pulling off insane aerial tricks. Prepare for a revolutionary physcial entertainment experience!

More than half a year has passed since EyeToy first hit store shelves. Continuing to wax poetic on the gimmicky-coolness of the camera itself would be unfair to people who might buy Groove on the strength of potential alone.