EyeToy: Kinetic

In the US, no less than a week after EyeToy: Operation Spy came the release of the eighth and final game to be released in the region, EyeToy: Kinetic, a fitness game made in collaboration with Nike Motionworks. Unlike other EyeToy-based games, Kinetic requires the use of a Full Vision Lens that you place over the EyeToy camera so that your full body is in view, which comes with the game inside a foam insert in the Memory Card slot. Because of this, when tracking down a copy of the game, I went out of my way to make sure I was getting a sealed copy to ensure it included the lens, and bought one that came bundled with the second model of the EyeToy camera. Because the only way to replace the Full Vision Lens in case something happens to it is to buy a new copy of the game, I also tried to be very careful with it during my playthrough, which took some time to get through on account of muscle recovery. After taking the time to properly explore what the game had on offer, I found it be one of the better implementations of the EyeToy camera as well as a great fitness game in general.

EyeToy: Operation Spy

One of the many features of EyeToy: Play 2 was SpyToy, which enabled the EyeToy to function as a security camera for your (bed)room. Months later, a follow-up game known as EyeToy: Operation Spy (PAL: SpyToy) was released as the seventh EyeToy game released in the US, building off of this premise. While searching for games to expand my EyeToy selection, this was one that I found cheaply at Amoeba, though I wouldn’t get around to playing it until much later. I will admit that, while I liked the idea behind it, some frustrating design issues prevented me from actually playing it to completion.

EyeToy: Play 2

Months after the US release of EyeToy: AntiGrav came EyeToy: Play 2, the sixth of eight EyeToy games to be released in the US and a sequel to the original EyeToy: Play. Much like the original EyeToy: Play, this was one game that could be found bundled with the camera itself, however, like with some games in my EyeToy collection, I found it cheap at Amoeba without the camera, which I fortunately still had from the first game. Since I still enjoyed the original game, I expected the similar experience out of the sequel, however I strangely found myself getting bored more than I did excited.

EyeToy: AntiGrav

Following Sega Superstars came EyeToy: AntiGrav, the fifth EyeToy game to be released in the US. Developed by Harmonix of Rock Band fame, this was also the first (at least in the US) to be designed for a more hardcore demographic rather than the casual focus of earlier EyeToy titles. Of the games released for the peripheral beyond EyeToy: Play, this is one I vividly recall seeing ads for on TV when it first came out, and was one I found cheap at a local games reseller when I was on my initial hunt for more EyeToy content. After finally getting to play it, I found the experience worth it, even if it was a little more difficult for me.

Sega Superstars

Within weeks of Nicktoons Movin’, Sega released their own contribution to the EyeToy peripheral, Sega Superstars, the only other EyeToy game made by a third party to be released in the US. Much like Nicktoons Movin’, this was a game I had to actively seek out when trying to complete my EyeToy collection, resorting to eBay as I could not find it in a physical store. After getting to play Sega Superstars, I found it to be a vast improvement over Nicktoons Movin’ in just about every way, to where this is what that game should have been.

Nicktoons Movin'

Though more EyeToy games were released following EyeToy: Groove, not many of them were released in the US, where instead the third game to be released for the peripheral was Nicktoons Movin’. Based on various Nickelodeon shows, it became the first EyeToy game in the US to not be developed by London Studio as well as the first to be based on a licensed property. In an effort to complete my EyeToy collection, I found this one for cheap at a local game store, not knowing what to expect going in. Once I played it, however, I walked away a bit disappointed for reasons beyond its content.

EyeToy: Groove

After EyeToy: Play showed off the power of the EyeToy, London Studio followed it up with a rhythm game known as EyeToy: Groove, the second game released overall specifically for the peripheral. I admit I did not have this game when it first came out, however I did become curious when, along with other EyeToy games, I found it for very cheap used at Amoeba as a way to get more mileage out of the accessory since I still owned one. While I am satisfied knowing how it worked as an early attempt at a motion control rhythm game, I couldn’t help but feel a little let down after seeing what EyeToy: Play had to offer.

EyeToy: Play

Of the various peripherals released for the PS2, one of its most experimental and overlooked is perhaps the EyeToy, originally released in 2003. At the time it came out, it was an early serious attempt at motion control gaming, where it didn’t require a traditional controller and instead relied on using your body through the EyeToy camera. If you're unfamiliar with the EyeToy and this description sounds familiar, its modern day equivalent is the Xbox Kinect peripheral, released in 2010. While there were a good number of games during its lifespan that were specifically designed for the EyeToy, only eight of them ever made it to North America.

The EyeToy was originally packed with a game known as EyeToy: Play, a collection of minigames designed to show off the capabilities of the peripheral. Aside from its later sequel EyeToy: Play 2, this was the only EyeToy game I had at the time and so I have some nostalgia for this particular game. After revisiting the game for review purposes, I found that the fun factor was still there.