Review: Kinectimals – Now With Bears (Xbox 360)

By Wayne Webb

Kinectimals was a launch title for the Kinect, the camera accessory to your Xbox 360. This is a re-release of that title, newly updated and with an ursine update – i.e. they added bears.

I had not played the previous version but it is essentially the same game. So what is different? Well, it appears the only real difference are the addition of bears, which are designed to up the cuteness factor already set by the big cats you can already play such as tigers and panthers.

The bears are cute, with the real stars for my kids being the Panda (no surprises there) and the Polar varieties. Once they got their hands on them they acted like they really had a pet bear and immediately wanted to pat, clean and play with these virtual animals.

For children this is a great game, allows them insight and interactions with animals they will never be able to have in reality. The interactions and mini games that are set around the animals are simplistic and easy to achieve.

The game’s guide would not look out of place in a Disney cartoon and he has a story to tell that will engage younger players and help them out in getting started. You can be est assured that there is nothing here that is not suitable for impressionable minds.

Parents would do well to supervise their kids though – not because of the content (this is a truly family friendly game), but so they can help their kids with any control hurdles that will inevitably arise.

Kinect does not like the sunlight, so drawn curtains are in order, but if you play during the day some inconsistencies will likely occur. Same with voice control, the thinner and quieter voices of children will not always be heard. Also bear in mind that yelling does not help with clarity so sometimes supervision is needed to counter any frustration with some menu and game commands.

Pros: Kids will love it; virtual pet simulator; extra animals added; beautiful design and interface for children.
Cons: Not made for anyone over 10; repetitive and shonky voice control.

4 Shacks Out Of 5