EyeToy: Kinetic

EyeToy: Kinetic is an exercise program, or exergaming title developed in collaboration with Nike Motionworks. It has been designed to help the player improve their fitness and health using a variety of exercise games.

The game includes a wide angle "Full Vision Lens" attachment that fits over the Eye Toy lens. Without it, the player's image on the screen is too large to play this game properly. It is held in a foam insert in the standard memory card holder in the disc case. The lens attachment is not sold separately, so if it is broken or lost then the only recourse is to repurchase the entire game.

The game's sequel is titled EyeToy: Kinetic Combat.

Games

EyeToy: Kinetic is separated into four different sections, containing exercise games under the certain groups:

Cardio Zone

The 'Cardio Zone' contains games designed to improve your cardiovascular fitness. These are:

• Cascade: Touch the blue orbs, but avoid the red ones.
• Pulsate: Touch the blue discs before they change position.
• Ricochet: Touch the blue targets while avoiding the orbs bouncing around the screen.
• Arcburst: Move your hands over the blue trails before they change.

Combat Zone

The 'Combat Zone' is designed to improve speed, physical strength and flexibility. These are:

• Wildfire: Destroy the orbs that appear on screen.
• Backlash: Destroy the incoming pads before they touch the circle in the centre of the screen.
• Trespass: Destroy the yellow orbs before they reach the vent and go off screen.
• Breakspeed: Destroy the walls on either side of you.
• Reflex: Destroy the walls by hitting the yellow orbs into them.
• Protector: Destroy the incoming projectiles to protect the orb.
• Sidewinder: Protect the target from orbs and projectiles.

Toning Zone

The 'Toning Zone' contains games designed for body conditioning and exercise. These are:

• Abdominal Exercises: Increase strength and toning of abdominal muscles and the lower back.
• Upper Body Exercises: Increase strength of the upper body muscles.
• Lower Body Exercises: Increase strength of the lower body muscles.

Mind and Body Zone

The 'Mind and Body Zone' is designed to improve breathing, posture and relaxation. These are:

• Equilibrium: Break the beams of light to increase your score.
• Reactivate: Copy the sequence before the next one appears.
• Energyflow: Move the disc over the target as moves along the trail.
• Outbreak: Capture the green orbs in a net before it vanishes.

The zone also contains three sequences besides the games above:

• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Meditation
• Musics

Personal Trainer Mode

The game offers a personal trainer mode: a 12-week programme of various games from the four zones. Before you begin, you will be able to choose a trainer, Matt or Anna, who will guide you through the twelve-week workout. They will choose certain games from the four zones which you can change if you don't like them. You will also have the option to perform a warm up and stretching sequence along with the routine.

At the end of every routine and every week, you will be graded depending on your performance. These grades go from A+ (Master) to E (Beginner). If you miss five days of the workout, you will be asked if you wish to do the entire twelve-week workout from the beginning.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 78/100[1] Review scores Publication Score Eurogamer 8/10[2] Game Informer 8/10[3] Game Revolution C+[4] GameSpot 7.5/10[5] GameSpy [6] GameZone 8.5/10[7] IGN 8/10[8] OPM (US) [9] PSM 6.5/10[10] X-Play [11] Detroit Free Press [12] The Times [13]

The game received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^[1]

The Times gave it a score of all five stars, stating: "Each activity comes with a tutorial from a virtual instructor, and as you kick out at the falling balloons on the TV screen it's impossible not to smile. And how often do you see that down [at] the gym?"^[13] CiN Weekly gave it a score of 85 out of 100 and called it "a decent workout routine generator with fun games that will keep you interested and sweaty."^[14] However, Detroit Free Press gave it a score of three stars out of four, saying, "Unlike other fitness games, EyeToy: Kinetic really sucks you in because you get immediate personal feedback. That's a real technological advancement -- something that might even make you want to jump up off that couch."^[12]

References

External links

• Official site (Flash)
• EyeToy: Kinetic at MobyGames