A PlayStation lover dares to speak! Two Xbox 360 Kinect titles you should play now! The Xbox way! Episode 3.5

Dear Akiba Research Institute readers, nice to meet you. My name is Fuminobu Hata.

Junk Hunter Yoshida has given me a holly name "Chamu-ui Chaina" (?), but it has been a perpetual freezing problem for him and for the rest of the world. However, I have permanently frozen it because it is problematic for the godfather himself, the world, and the international community.

I usually write a column focusing on video games and "Star Wars," and I was asked by Akiba Research Institute to join Mr. Yoshida in this column. I was asked by Akiba Research Institute to write a column on the theme of Xbox!

I am ashamed to admit that I am a genuine PlayStation fanatic, and I have only purchased Nintendo hardware as a sub and the Xbox 360, so I am completely unprofessional.

I understand. This is a place for people who love Xbox. However, I would like to talk about "Xbox from a PlayStation lover's point of view".

What is the appeal of Xbox? If you ask me, "There used to be, but there is almost nothing now. It may sound like a corner to say this, but it does not mean that it is completely absent. For example, the good thing about the Xbox ONE is that it is compatible with some titles from the previous generation, can be connected locally to a Windows PC, and has an HDMI input for some reason, so you can use the Xbox ONE's 4K upscaling feature to play on a normal PS4 or even a Nintendo Switch in 4K, For some reason, it also has an HDMI input, which allows you to use the Xbox ONE's 4K upscaling feature to play in 4K on a stock PS4 or even a Nintendo Switch. To be honest, "if I had the extra money," I would want an Xbox ONE X!

But I don't have a 4K monitor so I can't get 100% of that performance! I'm stuck in the ground, unable to even buy one due to the unprecedented recession that has been going on for 30 years.

Yes, it's only "if you have enough money"...in 2020, the year the next generation of hardware is finally released, would you buy the next generation Xbox? If you ask me, "If I had enough money, I would buy it.

Why? Because Xbox has lost its individuality.

The appeal of the Xbox ONE, which I mentioned earlier, is the appeal of the machine's features, which is not the same as the individuality of the game hardware. I believe that game hardware can create individuality from the differences in the gaming experience that each hardware offers.

The PS4 requires the PSVR peripheral but can play VR games, the Nintendo Switch can use the Joy-Con to play unique games that cannot be played on other hardware, and the Xbox ONE is more expensive than the other two models but has higher performance because of it. But there is no such thing as a gaming experience that can only be played on Xbox ONE.

The "360" had it. The "ONE" had it at first, but they cut it off. Yes, the "Kinect" was the last thing Mr. Yoshida mentioned in the last article. When Microsoft announced the Kinect device a while after the Xbox360 was released, I was so excited that I could play arcade-like games at home, without having to worry about the "Red Ring of Death" issue in the corner of my mind. I was so excited! I was so excited to be able to play a game that was like an arcade game at home! Yodobashi in Akihabara had a huge ad saying "Your body is the controller! I had made up my mind to buy one someday.

Then one day, out of the blue, George Lucas announced that Kinect Star Wars would be released, and that it would even be bundled with a special coloring of the console. Being a "Star Wars" fan, I had no choice but to buy it!

On the day the release was announced, I walked from the nearest game store to the nearest electronics store and tried to reserve one. Is there such a thing?" I was even asked in the opposite direction. ...... As a result, I couldn't buy it at the store, so I decided to buy it online. I was able to get it without delay on the release date, though.

When I opened the package right away, I found that it had a variety of features, from the "R2-D2"-conscious appearance of the main unit to the "C-3PO"-motif controller (the battery contact immediately went bad), the cute voice of "R2-D2" when turning the main unit on/off or inserting/removing discs, and as if in sync with this voice, the Kinect The Kinect device moves its head up and down as soon as it starts up to match the voice, giving the illusion that "R2" is there. I have never been so excited to buy a game hardware as I am with the Xbox 360 Star Wars Edition.

I'd like to introduce a few must-play Kinect games that I recommend because I loved the Xbox Kinect so much.

Kinect Star Wars.

I bought the Limited Edition, so it's only natural that I give you this title. This title has a story mode supervised by George Lucas, in case you were wondering, and it takes place between "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" and "Episode 2: Attack of the Clones". Since Obi-Wan Kenobi's hair and beard have grown a lot, we can assume that it is almost the same time period as "Episode 2".

The player becomes the Padawan and receives Force training from Yoda, but during his training, the droid army of the "Trade Federation" attacks. Players were able to relive not only lightsabers and the Force, but also speeder bikes like the one Luke and his friends rode in "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" and even space battles aboard starfighters.

Nowadays, there are several "Star Wars" VR games out there, so it's not as good as it used to be, but back then, it was like a dream come true to be in front of a TV screen and be able to handle a lightsaber by simply waving my right hand, attack with the Force with my left hand, jump, and fight back by taking evasive action by leaning my body to the right, etc. It was a dream come true.

As a side note, this is the only game in which you can see a rare scene where a battle droid challenges you to a fight with a weapon called the Electro Staff!

There is also a mode where you can fight Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader in a series of battles, a pod race as Anakin as a boy in "Episode 1," and a mode where you take on the role of Lan Koa, who appeared in Jabba's palace in "Episode 6," and rampage the streets of Tatooine like Godzilla. There was a lot of variety in this film.

Among them, I mustn't forget the "Galactic Dance" mode, which would make even the most fanatical fanatic peel his or her eyes off. I'm sure you're thinking, "Star Wars didn't have a dance scene! I understand why you might be tempted to say, "There was no dance scene in 'Star Wars,'" but there was one in "Episode VI. There was a scene in "Episode VI" where they were dancing happily in Jabba's palace.

In this mode, players enjoy a "fake dance duel" with Han Solo and Lando Calrissian by simply striking the poses displayed on the screen in time with the rhythm, But as the stage progresses, Boba Fett, Vader, and even Emperor Palpatine appear as opponents. The Emperor, who is over 80 years old, is showing us how he dances with a serious face, so it's just too funny! (Laughs).

(When Vader is his opponent, the emperor uses his pride and joy, Force Lightning, to illuminate the stage behind him.

When Vader loses in the dance duel, the emperor is disappointed and gives up his position as emperor to the player, which is another source of laughter. If the player's appearance is set to "C-3PO," he or she can see a surrealistic picture of "C-3PO" sitting on the emperor's throne. If this is going to bring peace to the galaxy, what was all that fighting for? I would like to say, "If this is going to bring peace to the galaxy, then what was all that fighting all those years ago?

As a side note, when "Kinect Star Wars" was first released, Microsoft Japan seemed to be getting serious about it, collaborating with the restaurant industry and giving away DLC codes that unlocked Anakin Skywalker's skin to those who ordered certain menu items, among other things. They had tie-up projects.

Dragon Ball Z For Kinect

This was only released overseas, so you may not know about it. But that's okay! Xbox 360 can also run North American titles, so if you're interested, you can still import and buy it.

For some reason, this title is a Japanese Dragon Ball game title, and the developer is Spike (now Spike Chunsoft), the same company that created the "Danganronpa" series. The content of the game is, as the title suggests, to relive the world of "Dragon Ball Z" using Kinect. Dragon Ball Z" is indeed a perfect title for a Kinect game, with its unique special moves, punches, kicks, and other violent action sequences. If this game was released in Japan, it could have been a catalyst for Xbox 360 sales promotion, so I can't help but wonder why it was never released.

This is just a guess, but the game actually included a special 30-minute anime called "Episode of Bardach" featuring Goku's father, Bardach. As for what was going on in Japan at the time, a DVD of "Episode of Bardach" was released at convenience stores at about the same time. Perhaps this game was salted away in Japan to promote this DVD. ...... Or perhaps Shueisha, which is very cautious about "Dragon Ball" game adaptations, as was recently discussed in an interview in another magazine, was unable to give the game a go.

Let's return to the content of the game.

This game is based on the concept of fighting the Saiyan Arc through the Majin Buu Arc of "Dragon Ball Z" from the perspective of the Z fighters, literally using their entire bodies to punch, kick, and jump (aerial combat).

The special moves available include the Kamehameha, Ki En Zan, Makan Koushirou Cannon, Garrick Cannon, and a barrage of Ki Bullets, all of which anyone would have imitated as a child. If you know "Dragon Ball," you must have bought this game without hesitation, because your punches, kicks, and Kamehameha will directly hit Frieza, Cell, and Buu, right?

However, this game requires something important. That is "basic strength.

In this game, players have at least 5 minutes, and as long as 10 minutes, to complete a single chapter, in which they have to punch, kick, and occasionally perform special moves to reduce their opponents' HP, and fire a barrage of ki-munitions to keep them at a distance. Do you have the confidence to keep doing this?

I was working as a blue-collar worker at the time, so I was confident in my physical strength, but I was out of breath after just one chapter.

Even if you don't have this film, try punching and kicking at high speed for 5 minutes. You will realize how hard it is just by image training.

The pose that will take the most energy out of you is the well-known "ki-tamenuri" pose. If you have watched "Dragon Ball," you will know that you need to accumulate a certain amount of "Ki" to perform special moves such as the Kamehameha and to shoot Ki Bullets, and you need to accumulate a "Ki Gauge" in this game as well. The pose at that time is "in an air chair with fists on hips. This pose must be maintained between punches and kicks for 30 seconds to a minute to prepare for special moves and ki shots. If the Kinect does not recognize the pose, you have to start all over again from the beginning, and there is nothing more painful than that.

Some people have recently played Nintendo's Switch game "Ring Fit Adventure" and say that it is a great workout, but having experienced both games, I can tell you that "Dragon Ball Z For Kinect" is a much more strenuous game. I managed to complete the Buu version, but it's so much harder than this one.

I managed to complete the Buu version, but in the end I lost 5 kg in 2 weeks. I had a lot of muscle pain, though. ......

If you really want to lose weight, get fit, or just love "Dragon Ball Z", this is for you! Dragon Ball Z For Kinect" is more effective than "Ring Fit Adventure"! (Strong argument).

So, I've introduced some recommended games for Kinect, but I still believe that Kinect is the charm of Xbox, and it is a "personality" that should not be discarded and should continue to develop in the future.

There are rumors that the next generation Xbox will have backward compatibility, but if they add a Kinect connector, it will be an option for purchase (I want to play "Castlevania HD" too, right?)!

Kinect should definitely be brought back!

(Text and photos by Fumishin Hata)