| Game Reviews From a Parental Perspective! | |
|
|
|
| Home | Forums | Review Archive | Columns | Feature Articles |
|
Home >
Review Archive >
Video Games
> Results: Eye Toy: Play
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Scroll down for our Kid Factor. 
Eye Toy is the sort of product that Nintendo should have come up with first. Itﾒs that simple, obvious, kid-friendly, and flat out brilliant. Itﾒs a killer application, a laugh out loud riot at parties, and the kind of game that will attract everyone ages 3 to 95 to stand in front of the TV and act like a spazz. What is it? Itﾒs a small Logitech made digital video camera and comes with a game disc called, simply, Play, which holds a slew of 12 clever games aimed at all ages, plus delightful extra play room activities.All you have to do is plug the camera into one of the PS2 USB slots, set the camera on top of your television (for older kids or adults) or beneath it (for kids), and focus it so the player fits in the outline on the screen. They you use your hands to select the game to play, the difficulty level, and play around with the options. The camera literally puts your image on the screen and you can interact with everything that comes at you simply by jumping, waving your arms, and jerking around. This means you canﾒt have people behind you (unless they act as a helper) and you need a bit of space to play safely. Lighting is an issue for some, suffice it to say that like most camera systems, glare, dimness, or a room that's too bright, can cause problems with how it translates your movements onto the screen. The games are really quite clever and are playable by a wide range of ages. Thereﾒs a boxing game that has you punching a robot attacking from the right, a kung fu game that tasks you to punch incoming ninjas, and similar games where you defend yourself from marauding rat-things or ghosts. Dancing games play like Simon, meaning the game does something and then you have to repeat the action, or simple rhythm games. Juggling games like UFO Juggler or a really clever one that has you keeping soccer balls aloft with your head can be maddening, and Mirror Time actually warps the screen, reverses and spins it while challenging you to smash bubbles. The clear winner with the younger set is the easy to understand Wishi Washi. Simply wave your arms, body, legs, or whatever to clean suds off a succession of windows while listening to a jaunty 30ﾒs era tune. Each game has a full tutorial voiced by a Chinese guru and each game congratulates you or mocks you using British animated characters. Best of all, or at least my daughter thought so; the game takes and saves a still photo of you when you best the top score. The playroom suite is just pure fun. Bat around bubbles, balloons, or blowing leaves. Marvel as your arms trail rainbows or sparklers, and just enjoy the special effects. The camera also acts as a limited video phone (it can record 60 seconds of video) for people with Internet connected PS2 consoles or if you just want to trade memory cards. None of these games are particularly challenging in the long run, to focus on that is to miss the point of the Eye Toy. These games are built to impress and make everyone in the room laugh at the cavorting monkey in front of them and on the screen, whether that monkey is 3, 15, 35, or 65. Itﾒs fun at parties, it promotes exercise (you will be sore after you spend some time with it), and itﾒs, bar none, the finest game of the year for kids of all ages.  Reviewerﾒs Recommended Ages: 3+ ESRB: Developer: Sony London Producer: Sony Reviewer: Andrew S. Bub Score: 5 of 5 Eye Toy: Play is GamerDad's 2003 Game of the Year!  
Eye Toy is the sort of product that Nintendo should have come up with first. Itﾒs that simple, obvious, kid-friendly, and flat out brilliant. Itﾒs a killer application, a laugh out loud riot at parties, and the kind of game that will attract everyone ages 3 to 95 to stand in front of the TV and act like a spazz. What is it? Itﾒs a small Logitech made digital video camera and comes with a game disc called, simply, Play, which holds a slew of 12 clever games aimed at all ages, plus delightful extra play room activities.
Kid Factor by Andrew Bub
Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Eye Toy: Play |
Read the GamerDad 2007 Holiday Guide!
|
Please Note: GamerDad is not intended to be read by anyone under 18. We stay clean, but be warned! Content Management System developed by Redbird Solutions. |
