Sunday, September 19, 2004
By VICTOR GODINEZ
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Most game gadgets are cool for about five minutes and then spend five years in your closet.
But a new console called XaviX, made by SSD Co. Ltd. of Japan, is actually a decent game system with a nifty technology.
Right now, there are only three games for the XaviX system: tennis, bowling and baseball; I tested the tennis title.
Instead of a controller, the tennis game comes with two rackets, and you swing as the ball approaches you on the screen.
It's awkward at first, but once you learn to time your swing, the system does a good job of translating your movements into the game.
But lumberjack chops won't get you anything more than a sore arm in this game. It's all in the wrist.
Graphics
Graphically, XaviX tennis is not a pretty sight.
The graphics look like a remnant of the 16-bit Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo days, and the sound effects aren't much better.
But the game play is a lot of fun, and the two-player component makes this a great party game.
In fact, you even get a little bit of a workout while playing.
The other XaviX games use a similar system, giving you a baseball bat to swing or a bowling ball to roll.
Although this technology shows promise and the company says more games are on the way, the price is too high.
It's $80 for the XaviX Port console and $50 per game. You can get a GameCube system and a game for that price.
But the XaviX is a fun, well-designed technology, and let's hope some other console developer will license it and put it into a regular PS2, Xbox or GameCube game.