BOLDSTATE

Last year, Microsoft’s big E3 announcement was Final Fantasy XIII coming to the Xbox 360. Some Sony fans complained about Microsoft moving in on their system’s coveted franchise, but this year, Microsoft is moving in on Nintendo, and in a much bigger way by introducing their motion controller, or lack thereof, Project Natal.

“The controller is a barrier seperating video game players from everyone else,” Don Mattrick, senior Xbox VP, said in his introduction of Microsoft’s rumored motion controller. The term “controller” is actually a bit misleading as the motivation behind Natal is eliminating the physical controller and replacing it with the player’s entire body.

While the idea is obviously linked to that of the Wii’s motion controls, Natal looks to expand far beyond Nintendo’s current reach, if only because the technology appears to be far superior to that of the Wii remote and Nunchuk. I’m a bit skeptical, however, that Natal will usher in the revolution in gaming Mircrosoft’s presenters implied.

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My review of Punch-Out!! is live on GamePositive+, but there’s not much to say about the game other than “Punch-Out!! fans, go play it!!” The motion controls might be a gimmick that only hampers the gameplay, but Next Level Games delivered a solid experience that recreates the Mike Tyson experience and expands it into a great new direction. Play it!!