PixlBit

Elmos and Hulk Hogans and Bears, Oh, My!

After a dramatic unveiling just before E3 last year and a successful launch, there has been little in the way of Kinect news or releases as of late. While the peripheral has seen the recent release of Child of Eden and Twisted Pixel’s western-themed shooter The Gunstringer, it has been quiet on the horizon for Microsoft’s camera. That all changed this week, as the peripheral sees not one, not two, but six new releases. Read on for information on all of them.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is probably the most talked about release this week. Developed by the folks at Double Fine, it is a very different game than Trenched or Stacking, the company’s two most recent releases. The game can be played cooperatively, and lends itself to play with parents and children.

If that’s not adorable enough for you, perhaps you would like to try out Kinectimals: Now With Bears. The straightforwardly-named game is actually an expansion to last year’s popular release of Kinectimals. You’ll travel to a new island and go on adventures with the aforementioned bears, and help them find a hidden city. If you already own Kinectimals, the Bear add-on can be purchased as DLC for 1200 Microsoft points.

If you play Michael Phelps: Push the Limit, you may develop the skills to be able to swim from Bear Island back home. Now you, too can consume mass-quantities of carbs and then swim like the gold medal winner. I don’t know about you, but I have half of that equation down pat.

Ubisoft returns with Just Dance 3, the next entry in their wildly successful rhythm series, optimized for the Kinect. Dance along to Britney Spear’s “Hit me Baby, One More Time,” “Da Funk” by Daft Punk, or do your best impression of Jessie Spano from Saved by the Bell with The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited”.

If you want to feel manlier, why not trade in your dance moves for a tussle in the squared circle? With Hulk Hogan’s Main Event you can do just that. Create your own wrestler and step into the ring, using pose downs to get the crowd behind you, and then unleash over 50 popular wrestling moves. While the press releases highlight Hogan’s current run over at TNA Wrestling, it should be noted that this game doesn’t carry the TNA branding, making it the first wrestling game to release without being attached to a wrestling promotion since Fire Pro Wrestling.

Rounding out the list is Wipe Out: The Game 2. Yes, they made a game based on the game show where people try to navigate an obstacle course without falling down. Twice.