EyeToy: Play

"Wow. Innovation at its best."

It's very rare when something new is tried in video games. These days, video games are made up of games that are simply expansions on ideas already come up with. Someone makes a new type of game popular, and then everyone jumps on the bandwagon. For example, Pokemon was released, and from then on, nearly all games had an interactive pet that you could take care of. Dance Dance Revolution came out, and so did a bunch of poorly made rhythm and music games hoping to milk from the money cow. So when a fresh new idea comes out, everyone is very happy. So begins the story of EyeToy.

Now, EyeToy works like this. Instead of using a controller, like you would on most games, you get a camera free with the game. This camera plugs into one of the USB ports in the front of the PS2, and tracks your movement so you can use your body to play different mini-games. Simple, yes. But also very fun.

12 games are packaged in EyeToy, covering many different genres. There are sport games, like Keep Ups, where you attempt to keep a soccer ball in the air while manipulating it movement to hit people on the side of the screen. There are rhythm and music games, like Beat Freak, where CD fly out from the middle of the screen towards speakers that you have to hit when the CD reaches it. There are puzzle games, like Rocket Rumble, which has you detonating combos and chains of different coloured fireworks. There are fighting games, like Kung Foo, where you attempt to defeat an army of ninjas. And there's the oddball games, like Wishi Washi, where you, um, clean windows. (It's a lot more fun than it sounds. Really.) No matter what your choice in game is, you'll find at least one activity you'll enjoy in EyeToy.

As well as that, you get a Playroom, which is a showcase of effects that show off the camera's capabilities. This is great for just playing around with, not to mention the look on people's faces when they see the 'spider' effect is priceless.

There are also multiplayer games you can play, so you can challenge your friends to see who can rack up the highest score. However, it's exactly this that brings my score down.

EyeToy: Play is essentially a party game. And although playing by yourself is fun, 12 mini-games don't last very long without friends telling you how ridiculous you look as you karate chop the flying ninja, or dance around in time to Moloko's 'Sing It Back'. So after a week or two of playing by yourself, you might get bored. But if you have a long attention span, like me, EyeToy: Play might never lose its charm, and is a great game to have when you're having a party.

Pros
+ Innovation
+ Many different types of games
+ Great for parties

Cons
- Might get bored if you play by yourself
- Only three songs in Beat Freak
- Animated characters in intro

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/04