Microsoft is working hard to breathe life into the Kinect add-on for it's Xbox 360 console. A slew of new games that function only with Kinect support are soon to be released. Two of the more highly anticipated titles include “Kinect Star Wars” and “Kinect Disneyland Adventure.”

The “Kinect Star Wars” game takes full advantage of the Kinect's body motion functionality. The player's dominant hand controls his or her lightsaber, while the second hand wields the tremendous power of the Force. Gameplay is very smooth, with simply body motions controlling movement, jumping, and combat. A small criticism is that moving around the field of battle feels a tiny bit scripted and uncontrolled, though this might be due to the game's demo only status. On the plus side, using your own body as a controller truly makes the number of Force and lightsaber combos unlimited. Moreover, the player can utilize some fancy footwork to send droids flying with a Force enhanced kick. This game succeeds where Wii port of “The Force Unleashed” failed. After only about fifteen minutes of gameplay, I truly did not want to leave to let other people have a turn.

According to the demo staff, “Kinect Star Wars” is an action packed game to be sure, but players can also expect to see a number of puzzle based challenges along the way. It will feature a fully developed storyline, which appears to be set during the Clone Wars. The only opponents seen in the demo are battle droids, though the clone soldiers, aliens, and the giant rancor monster are all seen to be opponents in the game's trailer. More importantly, the game features a split screen co-op mode that allows friends, siblings, couples, spouses, or whoever to play alongside one another, adding an extra layer of strategy to the equation. While an official rating was not posted, the game has a strong “E for everyone” feel and would due nicely for family fun night. As far as Kinect games go, this one definitely looks promising. This game is currently slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2012.

“Kinect Disneyland Adventure,” believe it or not, looks just as promising as the Star Wars title. The game takes the player into the Happiest Place on Earth and anyone who has been to the real thing can tell you that the developers have done an excellent jobs in copying Anaheim's number one attraction. Playing as a child, you'll have the opportunity to explore the park and visit with over forty different classic Disney characters, including but not limited to Donald Duck, Goofie, Cinderella, Snow White, Daisy Duck, Peter Pan, and of course, Mickey Mouse. When the child you control enters what would normally be a ride in the real theme park, you are taken to a challenge game, which is where the Kinect's power truly shines. Each minigame, and there are many, puts the player in a different Disney world. You can soar through the skies of London, chasing after Tinker Bell, or you can sail the seas with the Pirates of the Caribbean. The controls from game to game vary, which shows that the developers really wanted to squeeze all of the Kinect's amazing potential into this single game. An overall ranking system keeps gameplay from getting too stale by giving the player an ultimate goal to attain and points earned in one attraction may have bonus side effects in another.

While the game clearly targets a younger audience, I have to say that I found myself enjoying it as a little kid would. This one also would do well for a night of family bonding. Kinect Disneyland Adventure currently doesn't have a stated release date.