Reviews// Kinect Disneyland Adventures

The development team actually visited the real Disneyland armed with cameras to get a proper feel for the park and you can see how useful that must have been for them – every inch of the virtual version drips with Disney magic. There's even a whole bunch of Hidden Mickeys to find – perfect for those completists who really love to throw themselves into a game.

Being a Kinect title, it will live or die by the accuracy of the controls, but I'm pleased to say that Frontier have done a great job. As the game is aimed at a very young market they need to be simple but work well – and they do.

To move around the park you need only reach out a hand and point in the direction you'd like to go. Raising an arm brings up your item menu where you just point at any object you wish to use, but you then can't use this hand to move around; it's got something in it, y'see?

The best Kinect implementation has got to be when you're actually interacting with the Disney characters. When you come across someone, you wave hello until they notice you and start talking. If they have a task they'd like you to do they'll let you know, then you can get autographs, have a dance, give a high five or even get a hug.

The actions you need to perform are intuitive and you'll get on with it in no time whether you're a small child or a slightly chubby grown-up – it all becomes second nature pretty quickly. There's even voice controls that work very well indeed if you can't be bothered to raise a hand.

This game really isn't for everyone – unless you're under the age of ten, in which case it may well be the most fun you've had in front of a telly.

However, if you're willing to leave your shame at the door and throw yourself into it, Disneyland Kinect can be a really entertaining way to spend a few hours. If you happen to have a small person to hand, you can even experience the game together where one person takes control of moving around the park - both get to play the minigames though.

It's alarmed me how much fun I've had playing Kinect Disneyland Adventures, especially (as I said before) with me not being a big fan of Disney's stuff. I've had a ball exploring the park, looking for hidden secrets and trying out the minigames. A highlight was prancing around trying to copy Ariel's dance moves while she sang Part Of Your World, not realising that the Kinect actually took photos as I pretended to swim underwater, my wife pissing herself laughing in the background.

Conclusion

Pros:
+ An incredibly realised world, full of detail with loads to discover
+ Lots of different minigames that fit in with the many themes
+ Excellent Kinect integration and controls

Cons:
- Not exactly the most challenging game in the world
- No roaming thawed out cyborg Walt Disney

SPOnG Score(s):
8/10 if you're a child or vaguely childlike.
7/10 If you're a heartless grown up.