Double Fine Happy Action Theater just launched in Xbox LIVE Arcade and is great for playdates or families with multiple kids because everyone can interact with the video game download on their own simultaneously. So you can totally avoid getting annoyed by the sibling or friend who runs in front of the Kinect sensor while others are playing mid-game ;-) Double Fine Happy Action Theater is a fun interactive experience with no instructions or required gestures, and no way to "win" or "lose" the game, making it great for preschoolers and up.
The game includes 18 different environments where up to six people can immerse themselves in some ridiculous scenes. The Kinect sensor captures you and your surroundings to actually put you "in" the scenes of the game for augmented reality interaction. For instance, there's a scene where pigeons are flying about, and they land on your arms, your head, and any furniture behind you. In another, you're standing knee deep, splashing in a living room full of lava or throwing snowballs.
Some of the scenes are just psychedelic, but others, like what we refer to as the "Godzilla" scene, was pretty funny. We were giggling as we knocked down buildings and swatted circling biplanes that explode when you hit them - all in black and white. A couple of times during the scene a camera man pops up to take your picture (placed into the front page of a newspaper "Monster attacks city.")
The more people you have, the more fun you can have, although clearly some games lend themselves better to multiple players than others - like the wizard scene when you shoot fireballs and other things at monsters and your friends on the screen. Others, like the "space invaders" experience seem crowded with more than two people.
Double Fine Happy Action Theater is rated E for Everyone and costs 800 points or $9.99
