Majesco’s Take Shape: First Impressions

Ever watch those Japanese game shows where contestants have to contort their bodies to avoid the large Tetris-like shapes flying at them?  Well, now you can have a similar experience with Majesco’s Kinect game, Take Shape!  Like most Xbox 360’s Kinect games, in Take Shape you can either play by yourself (but what’s the fun in that?) or with a group of friends in a multiplayer mode.  The objective is simple: twist, scrunch, stretch and bend your body to fit the many shapes, animal forms, and symbols within the game.  Play against the clock to rack up the points in this fun and interactive game.

Although I’m not the type that would purposefully embarrass myself for the entertainment of others, I felt strangely drawn to the Take Shape corner in Majesco’s meeting room at this year’s E3.  The two TV screens mounted behind the Majesco players showed the in-game images, and it was hilarious to watch two grown men scramble to make their combined silhouettes fit within the shapes projected on-screen!  Despite my reservations (and with some gentle encouragement from Will and a representative from Majesco, Kimberly) I stepped up to the platform to try this game out.

Flying solo, I selected the Tetris blocks to demo.  As I puzzled over how to contort my body to fill the shapes (and thereby clear them from the screen), one of the Majesco guys gave me a tip: It’s not how accurate you make the shape with your body, but how fast you can fit into the outline.  So I gave up trying to perfectly twist myself into the polygons, and instead focused on quickly clearing the shapes.  Boy, let me tell you, it became quite the work out!  Amidst the giggles of my small audience, I was able to eventually clear the screen.  Also, to everyone’s delight, the typical Kinect player pictures came up, having captured me in all my contortionist’s glory.

I could see how Take Shape could become quite the house party game.  In the same vein as the age-old Twister, Take Shape has that cooperative aspect where players have to get up close and personal with each other to work towards their goal.  It definitely has the potential to provide high entertainment value, especially with an audience alternatively shouting tips and heckling at the players.

It’ll be interesting to explore Take Shape with friends when it comes out this October exclusively on Kinect for Xbox 360!