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[BruiserBear]

This is the best experience I've had with the Kinect so far. If you enjoy arcade high score experiences, this one is going to hook you a bit.

The menu navigation is pretty messy, but if you just keep your hands still it's ok.


My Kinect purchase doesn't feel totally justified, but this game did bring it a notch closer.

 

[user_nat]

Will definitely be getting this when I get home later. Although I'm giving blood before heading home.. so not sure how good of an idea that is.

This version must be easier to get big scores than the iPad/WP7 versions which I already have. Either that or I just suck at them and getting 500+ is normal.

 

[Mdk7]

Here's proof of my record.
Off to bed now, i'm dead tired but boy, i had tons of fun tonite!

 

[cool_dude_2049]

I can't even get to 500

Edit: and now my high score is 682

 

[GhaleonEB]

After a couple play sessions, it's the only Kinect game that I enjoy. I need to put more time into it after the kids are in bed, they've been monopolizing it.

One problem, though. For myself, my wife and my older daughter, the game shows our shadow from about the knee up. For my six year old, it shows her from the feet up - her shadow is really small and she can't reach most fruit on the screen without running back and forth.

She's found some success because the game registers her kicks, which can hit things down low so she doesn't have to bend over. But it's quite poorly designed for younger kids, and it strikes me as quite the oversight since it's such a kid-friendly game.

 

[yophlow]

After a couple play sessions, it's the only Kinect game that I enjoy. I need to put more time into it after the kids are in bed, they've been monopolizing it.

One problem, though. For myself, my wife and my older daughter, the game shows our shadow from about the knee up. For my six year old, it shows her from the feet up - her shadow is really small and she can't reach most fruit on the screen without running back and forth.

She's found some success because the game registers her kicks, which can hit things down low so she doesn't have to bend over. But it's quite poorly designed for younger kids, and it strikes me as quite the oversight since it's such a kid-friendly game.

Thanks for the kind words, glad it's been such a hit!

As for your daughter, there really shouldn't be an issue with getting it set up right. I can assure you we tested and developed for kids and adults of all shapes, sizes and ages. I can't offer specific advice because I don't know the specifics of your setup but a six year old should be able to be calibrated correctly.

As an example, this is a three year old playing and it seems to be a good fit and frame on screen - see if there's anything here you could emulate. Try adjusting the distance from the TV your daughter plays and also have the Kinect sensor below the TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR2CDgKxQh8

 

[GhaleonEB]

Thanks for the kind words, glad it's been such a hit!

As for your daughter, there really shouldn't be an issue with getting it set up right. I can assure you we tested and developed for kids and adults of all shapes, sizes and ages. I can't offer specific advice because I don't know the specifics of your setup but a six year old should be able to be calibrated correctly.

As an example, this is a three year old playing and it seems to be a good fit and frame on screen - see if there's anything here you could emulate. Try adjusting the distance from the TV your daughter plays and also have the Kinect sensor below the TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR2CDgKxQh8

I'll try that. Different games seem to have different distance requirements. Kinectamals has her stay pretty far back from the screen, and that was the distance she was playing at. I'll see if it works better with her closer up.

I'm a bit confused about the Challenge mode. When they were playing it, it was a steady progression of challenges - beat 50, beat 100, etc. I just hopped into that expecting a series of challenges to work through with unlockables along the way. When I did it, it was challenging me to beat friends - and they're all crazy good. I can only top the first one. I'm guessing that's because they had offline profiles (or in the case of my older daughter, a Gold account but no friends on it). Does the game ever realize how crappy I am and give me less difficult challenges? I"m fearful I'm going to be shamed by not ever beating the second one. :lol

Fun game. I have a very low opinion of Kinect - it was a gift for my daughter - but this game is a blast.

 

[whitehawk]

Come on

Why don't scores from the trial version crossover? I got a score of 675 in the arcade mode with the trial version, then bought the game. Now I can't get near that score again, and I'm tired lol. Right now my best is 436

edit: How do you get high scores? Honestly it feels like 75% luck. Yes, you can get combos and whatnot, but sometimes you barely get any bananas, and sometimes you get banana blits and 2x at the same time. It's so random

 

[feel]

I'll try that. Different games seem to have different distance requirements. Kinectamals has her stay pretty far back from the screen, and that was the distance she was playing at. I'll see if it works better with her closer up.

I'm a bit confused about the Challenge mode. When they were playing it, it was a steady progression of challenges - beat 50, beat 100, etc. I just hopped into that expecting a series of challenges to work through with unlockables along the way. When I did it, it was challenging me to beat friends - and they're all crazy good. I can only top the first one. I'm guessing that's because they had offline profiles (or in the case of my older daughter, a Gold account but no friends on it). Does the game ever realize how crappy I am and give me less difficult challenges? I"m fearful I'm going to be shamed by not ever beating the second one. :lol

Fun game. I have a very low opinion of Kinect - it was a gift for my daughter - but this game is a blast.

Is this still the first unit you've had since you first bought it back then when you mentioned it on Halogaf? I've noticed you complaining about it tracking your daughter horribly in multiple threads. If it's still the same unit, it's gotta be defective or you somehow skipped (or are unaware of) one of the multiple calibrations you need to do, because like I've told you before, it's not supposed to be that bad, I've had my brother's little tykes spend hours glued to it during family gatherings, and it didn't have any issues tracking them. Plus countless of youtube videos show the same.

 

[TKR92]

My best is 545. Sigh

But got 248 in Zen mode.

 

[Papercuts]

Come on

Why don't scores from the trial version crossover? I got a score of 675 in the arcade mode with the trial version, then bought the game. Now I can't get near that score again, and I'm tired lol. Right now my best is 436

edit: How do you get high scores? Honestly it feels like 75% luck. Yes, you can get combos and whatnot, but sometimes you barely get any bananas, and sometimes you get banana blits and 2x at the same time. It's so random

Try not to hit any bombs. I notice when I get combos and avoid bombs I get a lot of bananas, and the music picks up. Once I hit a bomb it goes slower and the momentum is lost.

 

[Gowans]

My shoulders are saw today ha!

Well done MDK! What a score!
I'm still in for second place with a few hours to go, fingers crossed!

 

[KaYotiX]

Lovin it!! Wife and I love trying to beat each others scores also fun to beat friends scores as well

 

[Mdk7]

My shoulders are saw today ha!

Well done MDK! What a score!
I'm still in for second place with a few hours to go, fingers crossed!

Thanks man!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed too..when does the challenge end?

 

[whitehawk]

Try not to hit any bombs. I notice when I get combos and avoid bombs I get a lot of bananas, and the music picks up. Once I hit a bomb it goes slower and the momentum is lost.

I rarely hit bombs dude.

 

[Raide]

Try not to hit any bombs. I notice when I get combos and avoid bombs I get a lot of bananas, and the music picks up. Once I hit a bomb it goes slower and the momentum is lost.

Now I am thinking about a Rez + Fruit Ninja hybrid...

 

[whitehawk]

Okay this is what I mean by random. I just had a round where I got like 3 frenzy bananas in a row, one accompanied by a 2x multiplier. I messed up during a different 2x multiplier so i could have had a better score, but I still set a new record of 587.

Also I got 80 points on the pomegranate at the end, can anyone beat that?

 

[Streeeam]

It's a tad bit expensive to be honest.

 

[jizzlobber]

worth should be in line with enjoyment, so it's cheap in my book!

 

[madmackem]

It's a tad bit expensive to be honest.

Its the best fun you can have with your kinect better than those £40 launch games by a mile.

 

[bryehn]

Try adjusting the distance from the TV your daughter plays and also have the Kinect sensor below the TV.

Having people change their setup is not a solution and I loathe when developers suggest it, they should be testing in all sorts of play environments, not just with different sized people in an ideal studio-style setup.

I also noticed (I'm in accessibility) that the game can't be played while seated unfortunately. No matter how it calibrates, you can't reach the top edges of the screen without using your legs to hop off your seat. Not an option for most people in wheelchairs. It's also next to impossible to play the game effectively with one arm.

I know accessibility issues probably don't get a ton of, if any thought with Kinect titles, but maybe they should.

I don't mean to gripe, I think you guys did a great job getting this game on Kinect (bar the dojo menu), but I always like to remind devs that there's a huge (and growing) market of differently-abled gamers out there that they really should keep in mind.

 

[Mdk7]

Next to impossible to play with one arm?
FALSE.
I always use just my right arm (so that i can be more precise with my hits), and not only it's super playable that way ... it's even better IMHO.

 

[Gowans]

I recon it's 24hours from when Phil posed it so an hour left.

Scores so far in the comp:

853 - Mdk7 - CONFIRMED
778 - Gowans007 - CONFIRMED
682 - cool_dude_2049
587 - Whitehawk
545 - TKR92
540 - papercuts
515 - Lighting Gels
503 - Stormwatch
500 - bryehn
434 - madmackem

 

[Mdk7]

Can we officially celebrate then, my friend?
I wanna boast that tee to my girlfriend (who already has a Fruit Ninja tee BTW, a present i got for her in Santa Monica during last E3)...

 

[Gowans]

Can we officially celebrate then, my friend?
I wanna boast that tee to my girlfriend (who already has a Fruit Ninja tee BTW, a present i got for her in Santa Monica during last E3)...

35mins to go, waiting game now bud.

 

[Lighting Gels]

My personal best is 680, not even close...
Congrats dudes

 

[Gowans]

Woo! Guess me & Mdk7 will be sporting some awesome Fruit Ninja T's then

My personal best is 680, not even close...
Congrats dudes

How about we keep this comp rolling?
Free free to upadte or add yourself to the scoreboard and post it up guys.

I'm gona get back on tonight I hope.

 

[Mdk7]

YAY!

 

[JaggedSac]

Having people change their setup is not a solution and I loathe when developers suggest it, they should be testing in all sorts of play environments, not just with different sized people in an ideal studio-style setup.

Well, Kinect is a camera without a zoom, so people having to move forward and backwards to best fit the frame is to be expected. I guess a digital zoom could be implemented but then movement accuracy and silhouette quality would probably degrade quite a bit.

EDIT: After thinking about it for a little bit, I think they are doing at least some digital zooming of the player, but it probably has a limit before it becomes unstable.

 

[iNvid02]

just got this in my email from machinima, if anybody is going to buy this game you can get "the maw" - free arcade game if you buy it through their link.

edit: to clarify i dont get anything out of it, its not my referral link, just machinima's.

here are the t&cs

Valid for Fruit Ninja Kinect game only. Limit 5 per customer. Offer only valid for customers who clicked through a Machinima.com link for this offer to the U.S. Microsoft Store website; not valid on previous orders or at Microsoft Store retail locations. U.S. residents only. No cash value. Instructions for how to redeem promo code "token" for the game will be included with purchase confirmation. One–time–use code valid in the 50 United States or Washington, D.C. Code is nontransferable and not redeemable for cash.

 

[Tek]

I love this! I had so much fun playing it last night and I know my six year old will enjoy it to. He is always running around beating up imaginary things. My friend saw me playing it and she said, you spent 10 bucks on this...oh wow. So I challenged her to a game and she loved it. I didn't love her beating me constantly...but....lol

 

[Auto_aim1]

Insane fun, but I dunno how people are getting over 500 and all, wtf? Need to play more I guess lol.

 

[TKR92]

Okay this is what I mean by random. I just had a round where I got like 3 frenzy bananas in a row, one accompanied by a 2x multiplier. I messed up during a different 2x multiplier so i could have had a better score, but I still set a new record of 587.

Also I got 80 points on the pomegranate at the end, can anyone beat that?

WOW 80 points? You are good.
only manage to get 70

 

[whitehawk]

I recon it's 24hours from when Phil posed it so an hour left.

Scores so far in the comp:

Well, it doesn't bump me up anymore, but I did get a better score lol

 

[CRS]

Played this yesterday at a buddies and it was amazing. The most fun I've ever had with a Kinect. It took me a while to get used to using both hands (and feet!) but after I did, got a score somewhere in the mid 800s. Will take a picture later today when I go play again. Checked the leaderboards and I was 35th in all-time Arcade. Felt pretty proud. I can already tell the 900 Point Arcade challenge is going to frustrate me though... such a high score.

 

[Gowans]

Just check the leaderboard ~30,000 people listed. Really impressed for kinect XBLA after a day and a half.

 

[Phonomezer]

Just check the leaderboard ~30,000 people listed. Really impressed for kinect XBLA after a day and a half.

+1

I am just about to purchase

 

[Outtrigger888]

Just check the leaderboard ~30,000 people listed. Really impressed for kinect XBLA after a day and a half.

Awesome going to pick up a points card later today for this game. I like the idea of XBLA kinect games more than retail. Hopefully a lot more kinect XBLA games are in development besides gunstringer

 

[tjohn86]

Loving the game so far.

I'd like to get the leaderboard achievement... my gamertag is tjohn86

 

[GhaleonEB]

Is this still the first unit you've had since you first bought it back then when you mentioned it on Halogaf? I've noticed you complaining about it tracking your daughter horribly in multiple threads. If it's still the same unit, it's gotta be defective or you somehow skipped (or are unaware of) one of the multiple calibrations you need to do, because like I've told you before, it's not supposed to be that bad, I've had my brother's little tykes spend hours glued to it during family gatherings, and it didn't have any issues tracking them. Plus countless of youtube videos show the same.

It works better with her standing closer to the camera, which she did this morning. She was playing at the same distance the rest of us were, but for some reason the camera didn't compensate for her size and didn't zoom in. Stepping forward a ways helped her and she can play it mostly normally now.

I kind of wish there was a bit more meat the bones in this package, some longer duration games. They're all so short, and similar, that I feel like I've seen everything there is to see in the game after about an hour of play. It's still fun, but I wish the classic mode wasn't so punishing with the hit one bomb = game over mechanic. As far as I can tell, that's the only mode that can run on for a while, and I'm constantly failing due to hitting a bomb, or dropping fruit out of fear of hitting a bomb.

It's a fun game, though, for what it is. My arms are sore today, but I'm going to play it again anyways.

 

[hoos30]

Holy sh$t, this game is quite a workout.

 

[bill0527]

Holy shit 3 rounds of this and my arms were feeling it.

Of course, it doesn't help that I'm probably in about as good a shape as that guy in the gif on the first page.

 

[sambo]

Is it just me or does the Kinect sensor suddenly feel a lot more responsive? This game just seems a lot more 1:1 than the first batch of games.

Oh, and the pomegranate is awesome!

 

[BruiserBear]

Is it just me or does the Kinect sensor suddenly feel a lot more responsive? This game just seems a lot more 1:1 than the first batch of games.

Oh, and the pomegranate is awesome!

I definitely don't feel like it's 1 to 1 tracking, but it seems quick enough.

I put in at least an hour last night and had a great time with this game. Unfortunately I woke up this morning with a very sore shoulder. I should have known better. I've never swung my arms so much in my life.

 

[Adam J.]

The pomegranate is a pain to rip into. You really have go nuts on that thing to get decent points out of it.

 

[whitehawk]

The pomegranate is a pain to rip into. You really have go nuts on that thing to get decent points out of it.

Yup. I probably look like an idiot when I go slicing. And I probably have the stupidest face lol.

Fruit Ninja really gives you a workout. It delivers on what the Wii promised, but never came true.

 

[Gaspode_T]

If only I still had my childhood gray plastic Thundercats lion-o sword, oh wait, maybe I would break half of the furniture in my house There has to be GIF material on YouTube already from this...

 

[feel]

Yup. I probably look like an idiot when I go slicing. And I probably have the stupidest face lol.

I adore that pomegranate moment. Such pure and child-like joy. Missed opportunity for funny photo capturing like they have in kinect adventures and other games.

 

[jizzlobber]

you can't go half arsed on that pomegranate, you MUST go nuts... my wife thinks i'm a knob when I go skits on the pomegranate

 

[FateBreaker]

Awesome going to pick up a points card later today for this game. I like the idea of XBLA kinect games more than retail. Hopefully a lot more kinect XBLA games are in development besides gunstringer

Gunstringer is not an XBLA game.