Beyond the Thumb

By Anita Hamilton

I used to think I was the only one who had trouble memorizing all the buttons on video-game controllers and figuring out which one to push when. Now I know better. How else to explain the success of EyeToy games for PlayStation 2? EyeToy games replace the handheld game pad with a video camera that translates your body movements into onscreen action. Since the first EyeToy game went on sale last year, Sony has sold more than 4 million units worldwide (including 1 million in the U.S.). To put that number into context, it is about as many units sold as the single best-selling video game of the past year, Electronic Arts' Madden NFL. This fall there will be 10 EyeToy titles available, including Crave Entertainment's World Championship Poker ($20), which lets online opponents see one another with their cameras, and THQ's Nicktoons Movin' ($20), a collection of cartoon-based kids' games.

The best of the bunch is the new EyeToy: AntiGrav, on sale Nov. 9 ($50, camera included). In this fast-paced fantasy racing game, you play as a hover-board rider who flies over gorgeous terrain, performing skateboard-style tricks, flips, grinds and spins. You can jump off ramps and slide along rails. You can fly through multicolored rings in the sky. Along the way, you hit targets with your hands to rack up points and earn speed bursts. With five levels to master, it could take weeks or months before you tire of AntiGrav.

Your arms, on the other hand, will probably need a break in less than an hour. That is because you use them, along with the rest of your body, to maneuver through the game. To start, you crouch; to turn left, you lean left; and to jump, you literally jump up in the air. You can even do a backflip by rolling your arms in circles. Feeling dizzy? Stick your arms out to the side to stop.

I have to admit that it felt funny jumping around in front of my TV--it was a little like doing an aerobics workout video--so I closed the blinds to keep the neighbors from staring at me. Also, I got a little frustrated when the camera didn't always register my maneuvers. When I tried backflips, the camera too often thought I was doing a one-armed roll to the right instead. But moving my body made me feel more immersed in the game than if I had just been pressing buttons on a controller.

What sets AntiGrav apart from earlier EyeToy titles is its appeal to both casual and serious gamers alike. Previous titles, on the other hand, suffered for appealing only to novices. In AntiGrav, however, mastering complex tricks like the gravitron (that's a backflip plus a 360DEG spin to the right) takes skill. The better you get, the more you are rewarded with surprises and new challenges. On a level called the Aerodome, for example, you ride through man-made lava, ice and jungles. In the Falls, you soar past waterfalls and skyscrapers. As you jump and duck, flip and soar, the only thing to fear is a wipeout. But in AntiGrav, there is no blood and gore--just hop back on your board and keep riding.