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> Results: Eye Toy: Kinetic
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Here at GamerDad, we love the Eye Toy and we're all about fitness games. Products like Eye Toy Grooveand Dance Dance Revolution are terrific ways to get the kids off the couch and on their feet. The potential for video games, especially Eye Toy, to actually offer a decent, bona-fide, workout is indisputable. That's what makes Eye Toy: Kinetic so interesting.
Developed with the help of Nike Mindworks, the program isn't really a game. It features a combined workout involving Yoga, Tai Chi, and a series of aerobic minigames. It tracks your progress and even offers the joy and fun of built-in "Before" and "After" photos. Each day offers a new routine (well, the same routines and games all mixed to focus on different areas of the body) and interactive trainers to guide you through the various tasks. The tone, variety, and the innovation of playing games to workout rather than following a bouncing person on the screen, make this a treat for people sick of canned workout videos and especially for flabby gamers looking for a more task-and-score oriented workout. Hey, whatever gets you to do it daily is a good thing. As you can imagine if you're familiar with Eye Toy, the routines, mini-games, all involve hitting, moving, waving over, and/or kicking objects or targets on the screen. This lets the program tell you how high to hit and some innovations, like a "stealth-themed" workout that has you dodging lasers is actually pretty fun in its own right. The workout is first rate. You're guided through a routine combining aerobics, stretching, and breathing exercises. It's gentle and adaptable for all sizes, weights, and fitness levels. Where it becomes problematic is in the fussiness of the camera itself and the truly atrocious music selection (no music is always an option, thankfully). I generally don't like any workout routine ﾑdance-pop/electronic' music so take that with a grain of salt. Whatever you think of it, you will agree that there are way too few tunes to choose from.  Using the included and removable wide-angle lens for your camera (it's also available with the new smaller Eye Toy camera), you get a full body image which, as my wife put it, can be a deal breaker for some people. Watching yourself can be inspirational, of course, as it keeps your mind on your goals. There's also a very trippy relaxation exercise, which makes for a perfect cool down. Like most Eye Toy games, lighting can be a deal breaker. Without the perfect setup, some of these workouts are near-impossible or just plain frustrating. This is easily avoided in most Eye Toy games, given that you can choose to avoid games that use ﾖ in my case ﾖ the lowest parts of the screen. In Kinetic the targets can appear anywhere and since you want to follow the program, it gets extra-frustrating trying to hit targets that are unresponsive due to ambient light. If you have an ideal lighting situation (bright lights that don't face the camera), this is easily the best and most innovative workout you can buy. It's also a fun way to get your preteens, teenagers, and flabby gamers in your family to try a workout routine. Well, maybe not, but it's probably your best shot. 
Nothing offensive, nothing dangerous, and this one can do a world of good for the entire family. Plus the Yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation exercises can introduce stressed out teens to the concepts of relaxation and "mindfulness." Regardless, healthy, fit, and stress free parents make for better parents. So, come on and get healthy and give Kinetic a try.
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