The PlayStation 2-exclusive EyeToy Play 3 is the third game in the EyeToy Play series. Up to four players can play just like the previous games. There are many new mini-games such as beach volleyball and bowling. But does it live up to the series’ name for ease-of-use?
System: PS2
Genre: Party
Release dates: November 4th 2005 (EURO), November 10th 2005 (AUS)
Players: 1-4, Sony EyeToy camera for PS2 required
Save: 555KB minimum
Developer: SCE Studios London & Kuju Brighton
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Origin: England
The EyeToy: Play franchise is back with 12 all-new games and new EyeToy technologies to deliver an entertainment experience unlike any other. The title comes with new and exciting games, crazy new playroom innovations and a vastly enhanced multiplayer mode that sees up to four players battling it out simultaneously. So, whether you want to play solo, or with friends and family, clear the floor and loosen your limbs – EyeToy Play 3 will get you up and moving!
The competition is getting fierce as you’ll battle it out activities across multiple genres including sports, action and music and with up to four players in fun competitive multiplayer games. Throw long bombs in Touchdown, hit super serves in Volleyball, master four different instruments in Be The Band, assault the obstacle course in Boot Camp, become a master barber in the Beauty Salon, and more! Who will be the EyeToy: Play 3 champion?
I should mention that the back of the box reads “over 50 great games” which is basically a misnomer or lie, there are only 12 new games to play.
The 12 different games to play in EyeToy Play 3’s main mode are:
* Bowling (sports) — Hit the alley in this bowling bonanza! Play a traditional game of 10-pin, or go crazy bowling balls at the ‘marching pins’ in a unique knockout mode. The game also features a tournament for up to 4 players so you can really see who’s the ‘King Pin’.
* Beach Volleyball (sports) — Spike your way to the top in a four player multiplayer game or against the local resident beach bums. Special modes include the hilarious speed rally.
* Touchdown (sports) — Your team has qualified for the quarter finals of the American Football Touchdown Trophy. You’ve been drawn to face off against the awesome Yellow Ducks. A prestigious semi-final awaits the winner of the match, but will your throwing, catching, running and tackling skills propel your team to glory?
* Be the Band (music) — Take the whole family to the stage and play one instrument each! Try your skills at guitar, drums, trombone, keyboard and… well, be the band! Poor playing will result in a poor show so keep in synch!
* Maestro (music) — Put on your smartest tuxedo, pick up the conductor’s baton and put the orchestra through its paces. Conduct your talented group of musicians through much-loved classical pieces, put in the performance of a lifetime, bring the music to a climactic srescendo, then turn to face your adoring audience and take a bow.
* DJ (music) — Scratch the decks and entertain the crowds! Watch out for the club lights and ‘hi fives’. This game will have you mixing with the best… How “bling” can you get?
* Boot Camp (variety) — Take hold of your nerves, and your stamina as you enter into this action-packed Boot Camp. Led by the fearful Sergeant, follow orders or face discipline, soldier! It’s ‘Sir, yes Sir’ all the way as you take on training exercises and agility courses… you’ll be whipped into military shape in no time!
* Beauty Salon: Ever thought you could manage a busy day at the salon? In this hair-raising game, you’re let loose to cut, style and design some weird and wonderful bouffants. Remember, your customer must like their new-look or there could be tears!
* Ghost Grab — Bravely tiptoe into the Haunted Mansion to bash the banshees and grab the ghoulies, but don’t let the spectral shenanigans and ghostly goings-on spook you out! Ghosts and ghouls lurk in the mansion’s entrance hall, library and attic, and it’s up to you to grab each phantom and dodge any items that they hurl at you.
Party on: Get physical in this crazy collection of micro games, designed only for two-to-four player extravaganza. Hilarious activities include: bell ringing; shark swimming; balloon blowing and the weirdly wonderful, ‘Kitty Loves Me’! Here are more descriptive details from the three games in this category.
* Athletics (multiplayer) — Are your legs pumped enough for the 100 metre sprint? Can you clear every obstacle in the 110 metre hurdles? Are your baton passing skills good enough for the 400 metre relay? How far can you leap in the long jump? And are you better at throwing a javelin or a discus? It’s time to find out! Depending on each event, athletes will either compete simultaneously or one at a time. The events’ results are tracked to form a tournament, and the overall winner will be declared World Champion.
* Kitty Loves Me (multiplayer) — Kitty will be your best buddy for a plateful of fish and a good, long stroke. Which is just as well, because to beat your opponents in Kitty Loves Me, you must win a bunch of zany mini-games in order to secure little Kitty’s affection.
* Monkey Rampage (multiplayer) — Make like a monkey and take part in madcap, multiplayer mini-games like Boulder Chase, Wall Ball and Sack Race. Between two and four players can take on the guise of a MiniMate monkey and at the start of the game each monkey is standing on top of a tall building in the city centre. In true Hollywood style, the aim of the game is to feed your monkey bananas to make it grow into a giant ape and then jump up and down until you crush the building on which you stand.
The Playroom: The playrooms are back with a whole new range of crazy innovations. The Laboratory contains a Face Mixer, Head Swap, Photo Booth and Recog-cam, while the Fun zone contains a room to create wacky sounds, back-to-front kung fu 2-player combat, motion-cam and a wild fauna. In true EyeToy fashion, the playroom experience provides open-ended fun and zaniness that will leave your mind boggling!
Couple all these with cheeky audience participation and the innovative face mapping feature that lets you put your friends’ faces in the game.
Watch the EyeToy Play 3 launch trailer.
The main features in EyeToy Play 3 are:
* Sequel to the multi-million unit selling global phenomenon EyeToy: Play franchise.
* Get active and competitive in over 12 all-new games!
* Experience true physical interactivity as you run, jump, dance, swim, punch, and more.
* Battle with up to four players in crazy, wacky and challenging games – multiplayer games have never been so competitive!
* All-New Games include: Volleyball, Bowling, Touchdown, DJ, Maestro, Boot Camp, Beauty Salon and more!
* Enhanced “Playroom” includes all-new EyeToy technologies: Facial “mixing”, image recognition to unlock new games and secrets and more.
* Put yourself and your friends in the game with the EyeToy USB camera.
* Colorful cell-shaded graphics appeal to all ages.
Watch some EyeToy Play 3 Ghost Grab gameplay.
As a conclusion let’s rate this game on its fun-basis.
FUN FACTOR – 6.0
The EyeToy Play games work in a very ingenious way, you control the mini-games by moving your body in front of the PlayStation 2 EyeToy USB camera. The motion is detected by the USB camera, and then the software recognizes pixel changes in the video image and compares the proximity of the change to other game objects to play the game. This simplistic input method makes the 12 mini-games featured in EyeToy Play a breeze to play for people of all ages. With games to suit every member of the family, and the possibility to create your own rules, EyeToy Play 3 is energetic and thrilling entertainment where YOU get to be the star of the game.
That said, the games aren’t exceptionally challenging if you’ve played one or both of the previous games in the series, despite the added simultaneous 4-player games. So you might be wondering why despite some fun games (mentioned above) the fun factor is so incredibly low? Well, that’s because the lack of choice problems start right away at startup, where you are forced to save on memory card slot 1 with no choice for another slot if you’ve got something else saved on it like practically everyone with a PS2 (a real “what the…” moment). Then the tournament mode doesn’t let you choose the games you and your friends/family actually want to play. Sure the quick play mode lets you choose a game, but it’s so buggy it often sends you back to the game selection menu. The biggest “no choice” problem comes from the fact that you can’t go back after choosing the wrong option in the game’s many menus, so you end up resetting your PS2 and starting all over again after each mistake. So what you get are some fun games that feel like more of the same put in a too quickly thrown together package. If you’re dying for another EyeToy game, try the earlier released Sega Superstars instead.
Graphics – 7.0
The cell-shaded graphics look great. All the game designs are very clean but simple, as a result the graphics match that fun-but-basic look. Nice and colorful though.
Audio – 6.5
Simple sound effects and catchy music throughout the game. It fits well with the game’s theme. However, the robotic helper that’s present everywhere is just plain annoying.
Ingenuity – 8.5
This time around the EyeToy camera setup is given to you through a funny instructional video. Once the EyeToy camera picks up your movements, it’s really fun as the game does a decent job translating your movements into on-screen action. The variety of mini-games will give plenty of fun to those of you willing to go all out and achieve every highscore to become the EyeToy Champion. Without the need for a PS2 controller, the ease of use for these motion controlled games shines most with groups of people getting their game on. Especially because people love looking at themselves, even more as a silly avatar or the main character of a game on the big TV screen.
Replay Value – 7.0
IF you can get the mini-games started without too much hassle and don’t mind the previously mentioned downsides, then the single player experience will last a brief amount of time. More replay value is added by the highscore boards on each mini-game where number one’s photo will be displayed to get some competition going. This is the sort of game that is best played in multiplayer, which is more of a focus in this installment.