If you already have the camera, you might as well download TotemBall. But don't expect to get much enjoyment out of it.
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TotemBall is a simple Xbox Live Arcade game that's designed to work exclusively with the Xbox Live Vision camera. The game was originally scheduled to be inside the box with the camera, but after a bit of a delay, it has been released as a free download in the Xbox Live Arcade. You can't beat that price, and if you already own the camera, you might as well download it. But if you're looking for a reason to run out and buy that camera because video chat alone isn't doing it for you, TotemBall isn't a good enough game to warrant the expenditure.</p>
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In the game, you play as a small turtle on top of a ball. You control that ball like you would control a tank, but instead of using two joysticks to move forward, back, or turn, you have to move your arms up and down. You stand in front of the camera, and the game puts a faded image of you on the screen. Your hands or arms must be positioned in two waterfalls on either side of the screen, and raising and lowering your two arms is how you determine the way the ball rolls. The level of control you have over your movement is incredibly sketchy and leads to more frustration than fun, especially when you get to portions of the game that require any kind of precision.</p>
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TotemBall is a very tedious game that might make a good diversion for any rambunctious young children in your home, but it isn't good enough to hold your attention for long, and it certainly isn't good enough to justify the camera's purchase price.</p>
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Thanks to Jeff Gerstmann from Gamespot.</p>