Microsoft released its Kinect add-on for the Xbox 360 console to great fanfare in 2020 but it’s over a year later and, aside from a handful of sports and dance-themed titles, there are still precious few games that can convincingly take advantage of the motion control technology it offers.
Into the void steps Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster. As the title suggests, the target audience is somewhat younger than average, so we tested the game out with the help of a three year-old Computeractive reader.
Despite having a colourful storybook-themed structure, Once Upon a Monster doesn’t have much plot to speak of.
The basic idea is to get your Muppets – including Elmo, Cookie Monster and others – to copy the actions of the on-screen monsters by performing them yourself in front of the Kinect camera.
In practice, it’s a bit like an electronic version of Simon Says. Co-operative modes are available for parents or siblings to join in the fun.
And fun is certainly something that Once Upon a Monster is happy to provide.
After only a few minutes with the game, our younger companion boldly claimed that it was the “best game” he had “ever played”.
For the most part, he was able to carry out most of the levels without any adult help whatsoever.
We did encounter a handful of frustrating moments where either the motion controls were not responsive enough or the voiced instructions weren’t clear enough but, other than that, Once Upon a Monster is a great family game and one of the better Kinect titles available.