Eyetoy: Play

What is the innovation of the year? Wind Wakers graphics? XBOX Live? Nintendo might, nor Microsoft's sacks of money could ever stand up to Sony London's brilliant webcam for the PS2 - brilliantly named 'Eyetoy'.

Eyetoy sets YOU into the heart of the action - not a generic character, or one of those poor create-a-character things - it is actually YOU that interacts, plays and controls all the 12 games, which come complete with the Eyetoy webcam for plug in and play bliss. This wonderful piece of equipment can see you boxing with a robot, spinning plates and even playing keepy uppy on your television, all which make for absolutely astounding Gameplay and an arcade-y, one more go feel to the whole set.

Wishi Washi, although it is a game based on window washing, is possibly provides greatest enjoyment value on Eyetoy: Play, especially for those of you who like to wave your arms around like deranged monkeys. Kung Foo, which is quite self explanatory, is better suited to those of you with Ninja fetishes and Rocket Blaster sees you co-ordinate and detonate a fireworks display, with precision, speed and skill necessary to become a true master.

Where Play really shines, though, is with a few friends. Sure, it is fun alone, but with 2 or more players, struggling to beat each others high scores and laughing at others making fools of themselves is where the game shows its full potential.

How does the Eyetoy work? Well, it has movement sensors, so that it can detect when anything in its sights moves and the characters on screen can react to what you are doing in real life. Of course, this means that a flapping curtain or relative moving in front of the TV can totally ruin your bid to beat down Little Robo Bro in Boxing Chump, but nothing's perfect.

The Eyetoy really is a game for all the family, as with no button combinations to learn, no dodgy joypads to get used to and no complaining about who gets the poor imitation 3rd party pads, literally ANYONE can jump into the heart of the action, and take on one of the games many beasts.

Crammed with extras, the Eyetoy makes you keep on playing even when you don't want to. Bored of catching ghosts and slaughtering flying monkeys on clouds? Then simply visit the playroom and enjoy some of the more simple pleasures. Popping balloons is a particular favourite of mine, as it 'swimming' with fish. There is even 'materialise' option which can help you mimic the matrix. Compared to the main game, it is all a little mundane, and it does the playroom does feel like it has just been added for filler, but many younger players would feel right at home here.

The Eyetoy camera itself isn't just built to play with this set of games, either, and has a huge future ahead of it. By the end of the year it shall have another game which is based around the tiny little camera - Eyetoy: Groove. Made by the same people who invented the Eyetoy, Groovev is a variation on the dancing games which swept the country, and looks set to storm through the nation's living rooms. Also, for those of you with a network adaptor for your PS2, in the near future you will be able to send video messages to friends equipped with the adaptor via the Eyetoy and its built in microphone, which opens up a world of possibility and fun, as well as being substantially better than what an e-mail could offer. It could all end up being another gimmick to make the add another sales pitch for game shops, but it does sound very promising.

It's all to easy to fall in love with the novelty and concept of the Eyetoy, but with the promise that this little webcam holds, and the possibilities it provides, I can see Eyetoys sitting on top of the nations TV sets for a long time to come.

4 Pacs of 5