Game: Leedmees

Platform: Xbox 360 (XBLA) Kinect

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

ESRB: E

Genre: Puzzle/platformer

Players: 1-2

What's Hot: Simple, clever gameplay, appealing aesthetic, absolutely hilarious multiplayer

What's Not: Not having enough space to fully enjoy multiplayer, some minor frustrations with the Lemmings-like Leedmees

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Review by: Danielle Riendeau

I’ll say it right now – Kinect needs more games like Leedmees. It’s small, it’s clever, and it makes excellent use of the technology. A light, friendly puzzle platformer with charm to spare, this is an accessible title that deserves special attention from Kinect-owning families.

You start the game with a very brief story screen, explaining precisely why you now look like a funky tribal-art inspired 2D figure. Your job is very simple – you will move your limbs and position onscreen to get the cute little “Leedmees” from a starting point to a planetoid goal. The little guys walk in straight lines, turn around when they hit edges, and prove remarkably prone to falling off edges, Lemmings-style. Once you get the hang of the basics, you’ll start to figure out how to arrange your body, squat, glide and gently toss the little dudes in the right direction, all while attempting to hit bonus stars that litter the playing field.

It starts off with easy, largely empty screens, and then quickly introduces a few new mechanics and obstacles to the mix. You cannot let your little charges fall, nor can you throw them too hard (or they’ll die in an adorably morbid splash of sparkles). There are spikes, moving platforms, dastardly arranged walls and other hazards to keep you on your toes, and later levels play out like dangerous 2D minefields in which you’ll be crouching, lunging and flicking to keep your little guys alive and on the right path.

The single player campaign is fun, but multiplayer is a true riot. While it requires more space than I really have available, gamers (especially gamers with kids) with big living rooms absolutely need to try these collaborative challenges, wherein two players chain their limbs and work in tandem to get their Leedmees to safety. It’s frantic, physical, and hilarious.

As a puzzle game, it’s much more physically challenging than cerebral. Solutions to puzzles are never too difficult to parse, though later levels can become quite difficult to actually beat (obstacles are instantly deadly, and you never have 100% control over your charges, just your own body). It’s also likely that you’ll get tired – much of the game has you splaying your limbs at odd angles, and you’ll need to hold them that way for extended periods of time. Stages are short and sweet, so it’s never really a problem, but extended play may tucker you out.

The entire game carries sweet and simple charm to burn. The art style is funky and appealing – it’s a 2D game with clean, almost minimalist art and rich, deep colors. Backgrounds look like impressionist paintings, while your character is comprised of clean, stark lines – you look sort of like a tribal rendition of Gumby. Without a doubt, Konami has crafted one of the most visually distinctive Kinect games to date.

There’s no shortage of puzzle games on XBLA, and structurally, Leedmees is competent and fun, but not revolutionary. However, given the art style and excellent use of Kinect controls – let alone the riotous multiplayer, Konami’s awesome little experiment deserves a look.

Danielle Riendeau is a regular contributor to GameShark and is the cohost of Jumping the Shark , GameShark.com's official podcast and is co-founder of the gaming blog No High Scores. She's also a serious workout warrior.

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