New XBox Kinect Games Christmas Season 2011

If your family is one of the 10 million that have purchased the new Kinect motion sensor for the XBox 360 in the past year, then you probably have Kinect games on your Christmas gift list.

What games should you buy? Which ones will be the most popular and have all of the kids buzzing? That is exactly what we will be talking about here.

Of course, Microsoft is hoping to get a buzz going for the new Kinect game because the XBox 360 just may surpass the Wii in consoles sold this Christmas buying season, and that will be due to the introduction of the Kinect sensor.

So go ahead, open up your Christmas presents app, and take note of these games ...

The new game Gunstringer was created to take full advantage of the Kinect sensor. The concept of the game sounds a bit weird and until you play it or see the trailer you really don't get it. A puppet marionette cowboy on stage, out to get vengence on his old buddies just doesn't sound like a great game, but in the game world, it works.

Reviews for this video game have been great so far. It's only been out for a couple of weeks now and it looks to be a winner for the XBox Kinect system.

The Fruit Ninja Kinect game is one of those super simple concepts that seems too easy and uncomplicated to be a top seller, but I'm betting that this one will take off. If you've played Fruit Ninja on your smartphone, then you'll understand exactly how addicting this game can be. The Kinect game takes it one step further and allows you to act out those super-cool ninja moves. You can even play in multi-player mode.

You won't find this game on the shelves though, you have to download it from the Marketplace. It costs 800 Microsoft points and so buying this gift is really easy... just purchase a Microsoft points gift card for just $10.

But, if you think you might be buying Gunstringer, you won't need to buy Fruit Ninja at all because with that purchase, you get a free code to download it.

Kinect Sports 2 has some really cool new features along with new sports. In Season Two you can play football, golf, skiing, darts, tennis, and baseball. If you are familiar with the first version of Kinect Sports, you may be wondering if there are any changes in this new release.

They have added a feature called In-Game Voice Activation. Basically this allows you to do things like call for the hike in football, challange a call in tennis, and change clubs easier in golf. You can also use the voice activation to navigate the menus faster.

Another new feature is the addition of Challange Play. This allows you to throw down a challange to family members in you house, or friends through the XBox Live system.

This one won't be released until December 6th, just making it in time for Christmas wish lists. The movie, The Adventures of Tintin (produced by Steven Speilberg & Peter Jackson) won't be in theaters until December 21st though. The movie looks to be a blockbuster going for number one on Christmas Week.

Not a whole lot is known about this game at this time, but check out the trailer ... graphically, it will be awesome.

The Just Dance franchise is making it's way to the XBox 360 platform this year with the use of the Kinect sensor. Just Dance 3 won't be the first dance game on this platform though. Last year Dance Central was a huge hit and now they are coming out with Dance Central 2.

So, if you're gonna buy a dance game this year, which one should it be? JD3 or DC2?

Opinions on this are mixed as there are differences between the two. If you've played JD on the Wii, you will be familiar with the look and feel of the game. This won't change much, but what is different is the ability to have 4 dancers on screen at a time. Another new feature is the Just Create mode. It allows you to come up with your own choreography and challenge your friends.

The Dance Central games have a completely different feel to them, and most agree that the choreography is more difficult than what is seen in the JD games. For this reason, what game you will buy is probably dependent upon who will be playing. Younger kids, older adults, or people who just want to have fun, should go with the Just Dance 3. Those who are good at picking up choreography or want more of a challenge should go with the Dance Central 2 game.

The Raving Rabbids games are always full of mischief and fun, and the Kinect game brings these creatures right into your living room. The Alive and Kicking edition has you slapping, kicking and stomping on these annoying little Rabbids.

First, you should know that this game is not a new release, but I wanted to include it in this comparisson of fitness games that use the Kinect sensor because you may be searching for only one game in this category.

What is Zumba? It is a latin inspired dance class that results in lots of aerobic activity. This game is best for those who like to dance, or like a workout that is done primarily without weights. It is designed to make you forget that it is a "workout" and focus on having fun.

The reviews for Zumba Fitness on the Kinect are mixed. Some say it is a tough game and workout. Others say it is very similar to real life Zumba classes. There have also been reviews indicating that the sensor doesn't accurately read or pick up your movements. This is important if you are playing the game for points or a competition, but in reality if you are looking for a challenging, fun, fast-paced workout, this could be the perfect game for you.

The UFC Personal Trainer game has been out now since late June and the reviews have been pretty good. The nature of this game is completely opposite of Zumba, so it is difficult to compare the two, except to say that they are both good for developing fitness.

UFC focuses on doing exercises that are aimed at developing muscle. One of it's most popular features is the Hit the Mitts option. You are challenged in a variety of rythym and timing agility drills that use punching and kicking sequences. The exercise routines are designed to target specific muscle groups. These pre-set rountines can be altered to be more or less difficult.

There have been reports of "bugs" with this game in that it could freeze up on you occassionally. Others have said that in small room situations, it doesn't accurately pick up movements you may be doing on the ground. Things like doing push-ups or sit-ups could be miscounted.

For those of you who like to have a large variety in your workout regimen, this game could be the best one for you. Your Shape was designed to give you a lot of choices when it comes to working out. Not only are there hundreds of exercises to choose from - ranging from dance to MMA styles, but you are also able to "add on" by purchasing other download-able workouts.

This game is advertised as being the best at picking up and sensing your movements. It claims to track over 1 million points on your body, in comparison to most other games that use only 16 dots to track movement. Most reviews agree that the game does a great job of picking up accurate movements.

The negative feedback on this game seem to center around the clunky navigation issues. Many of the exercises only last 5-10 minutes and then you can choose something else, but that isn't quick and easy to do. Another issue is the fact that if you choose a program and after a couple of days through it you try something else, it loses all of your progress with the initial program.

If you're looking to add to your Wii game collection, check out the best Wii games coming out for Christmas 2011.