Kinect Star Wars

The main mode of the game, the campaign story, is set in the prequel trilogy of Star Wars movies.

On a Republic Consular-class cruiser on route to Kashyyyk, Mavra Zane escorts a group of Padawan learners to be taught under Grand Master Yoda and finish their training at a Jedi outpost. Zane instructs the Padawans on how to wield a lightsaber, to deflect blaster bolts and duel an opponent. After their training on the ship, the group lands on Kashyyyk and are greeted by Master Yoda, Master Mace Windu and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (as a hologram). Master Yoda greets the Padawans and instructs them to rest for their lessons. The next day, Master Yoda instructs two Padawans on how to use the Force on the training course that the Wookiees trained in for millennia. The two progressed through the course speeding, destroying dummies, jumping, and ducking obstacles with the guidance of Yoda, and continued their training. They learned to use the Force to destroy training dummies; lift, throw, and catch rocks; and lift a Jedi Starfighter. After finishing these tests, their training was over and they had mastered their control of the Force.

After finishing their training, the two Padawans and Yoda found Trandoshan transports invading the planet with Battle Droids and Trandoshan warriors. After dispatching some battle droids, Yoda and two Padawans flew two speeders across the jungle and the lake to reach the Wookiee village. After reaching the village, Yoda left the Padawans to fight the Trandoshans and battle droids on his own. After dispatching some B1's, B2's, Droidekas and Trandoshans, the Padawans were reunited with Mavra and made their way to the beach to take out a Trandoshan base. After dispatching many Trandoshans, droids, and missiles, the three made it to the base. Zane went inside to blow up the main reactor while the Padawans fought more Trandoshans and droids, and even facing two Trandoshan sword-wielding sport-hunters, Zane set the thermal detonator and they only had a few seconds until the base's utter destruction and the Trandoshans retreated.

After the first battle's end, debris and bodies from both factions were everywhere. Mavra Zane, Master Yoda and Chewbacca discussed what the Trandoshans were doing. Chewbacca tossed an Accelerated Charged Particle Repeater Gun to her to show her what it was. It was obvious to her: it was no hunting party, it was a full-scale army.

Yoda left Kashyyyk to inform the Jedi Council of the battle. After his departure, Mavra Zane and Chewbacca saw incoming Trandoshan dropships mounting a counterattack. This time, the Wookiees and Jedi barely stood a chance against the Trandoshans. All of the Wookiees and Padawans tried to make it to a Raddaugh Gnasp fluttercraft to escape. Before they could get on, a chunk of platform fell in front of Zane and the two Padawans. Before the platform fell, the three made it to a zip-line on the far end and mounted it. After dispatching more droids and Trandoshans, the Jedi made it to some more fluttercraft. But Trandoshans already blew them up with their hover pods. They fight through more invaders and destroy an Ubrikkian floating fortress. Then Master Zane instructed the two Padawans and Chewbacca to escape Kashyyyk and warn the Jedi council of the Trandoshan counterattack. Then she left to engage more Trandoshans. After making their way past droids and Trandoshans, the two Padawans and Chewbacca made it to a landspeeder and used it to get to the Star Runner.

The Padawans and Chewbacca reach the Star Runner, where they battle Sun Guards on board the vessel before being greeted by an adventurous but naïve protocol droid named TC-38, who assigns the two Padawans to the ship's defense systems and shoot down a group of vulture droids along the way. After jumping into hyperspace, the ship's occupants are contacted by Windu and Yoda, who inform them that Zane and the other Padawans are being held captive aboard a Providence-class destroyer called the Nihilist above Felucia.

After escaping Kashyyyk, they travel to Felucia, where they are chased by Sith Infiltrators. They then break through the fleet and crash into the flagship. They fight their way to the elevator, which they take to the detention level. They free the Padawans but are surrounded. Zane, who had escaped previously, rescued them. They then destroy the main reactor, leading to a chain reaction that destroyed the ship.

They crash the Star Runner on Felucia and have to fight through more Trandoshans. They meet Mak Pra, leader of the resistance. The next day they launch an attack on Shu Mai's fortress. They are captured inside, but escape the Sarlacc. They then head back into orbit to meet with reinforcements from Master Yoda. They destroy a Droid Control Ship and then go to intercept the Trihexalon fleet.

They revert in the middle of a massive fleet battle over Coruscant. The Padawans fly into the Subjugator and destroy its main reactor, ending the threat. They are then promoted to Jedi Knight in a ceremony at the Temple.

The menu screens between modes have their own storyline. Luke Skywalker sends R2-D2 and C-3PO to retrieve files from the Jedi Archives on Coruscant. In the temple, they meet the "Commander," who "supervises" their mission. The player is the commander and each mode appears as a separate file from the archives.

In this mode, a Rancor wreaks havoc on different planets, with the player controlling the Rancor. The goal is to destroy everything in their path, the player's arm movements controlling the Rancor's arm movements. The Rancor can also jump and charge.

In this mode, very similar to Dance Central, the player copies dance movements the characters on screen perform. Several famous songs are used in the game, such as "Ridin' Solo," but given slight re-writes, such as "I'm Han Solo," to fit the Star Wars universe.

These songs were featured in the Galactic Dance Off mode, and are included here along with their real-world counterparts in parentheses:

• "Aerodynamic" (Daft Punk – "Aerodynamic")
• "Blasterproof" (La Roux – "Bulletproof")
• "Celebration" (Kool & the Gang – "Celebration")
• "Demons" (South Central – "Demons (Reset! Remix)")
• "Empire Today" (Village People – "YMCA")
• "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (deadmau5 – "Ghosts 'n' Stuff")
• "Hologram Girl" (Gwen Stefani – "Hollaback Girl")
• "I'm Han Solo" (Jason Derülo – "Ridin' Solo")
• "Just the Way You Are" (Bruno Mars – "Just the Way You Are")
• "Kashyyyk" (Jamiroquai – "Canned Heat")
• "Little White Doves" (Dirty Vegas – "Little White Doves")
• "Naturally" (Selena Gomez & the Scene – "Naturally")
• "Princess in a Battle" (Christina Aguilera – "Genie in a Bottle")
• "Stronger" (Britney Spears – "Stronger")
• "We No Speak Huttese" (Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP – "We No Speak Americano")

The following is a list of dance moves used in the game:

• The 3-Pointer
• The Speeder
• Double Blaster
• Tusken Raider
• Lasso
• Hyperdrive
• Not a Scratch
• Freezing Point Pose
• Trash Compactor
• It's a Snap
• Falcon in Flight
• Solo Pose
• Chewie Hug
• Kamino Wave
• Punch It
• Raise it Up
• Force Throw
• Bantha Rider
• Touch and Clap
• Dewback Party
• Yub Nub
• TK-421
• Kessel Run
• Flyboy
• X-Wing
• Funky Blaster
• Quad Cannon
• Cantina Jam

• Vader Pose
• Push Off
• Jar Jar Rock
• Ooh-La-La
• Mind Trick
• Evacuation
• There is No Try
• Force Push
• Duel of Fates
• The Force Pose
• Feel the Power
• Wingman
• Slice Pose
• Mynock
• Lando Fever
• Sorcerous Ways
• Jetpack
• Scout Trooper
• Jetpack Pose
• The Windu
• Push It
• Cloud City Slide
• Fly
• Take Off
• Open Up
• Dagobah Bump
• Han Shot First

The player controls a podracer and makes their way to the finish line, using their hands to control the podracer. You can choose from the following characters' pods:

Destiny Mode

All the Pilots in destiny mode use young Anakin's Podracer from Episode 1

• Noor Sak'ar
• Cha Ji Zhek
• Vi Fortuna
• Brood Makti
• San Maxus

Quickplay Mode

• (Young Anakins Podracer)
• Elan Mak
• Teemto Pagalies
• Ody Mandrell
• Wan Sandage
• Ebe E. Endocott
• Mars Guo
• Mawhonic
• Gasgano
• Ben Quadinaros
• Ark Roose
• Aldar Beedo
• Dud Bolt
• Clegg Holdfast
• Boles Roor
• Sebulba
• Anakin Skywalker (Clone Wars Style)

In this mode, the player controls a Jedi and has lightsaber duels with Sith or other sword-wielding opponents.

The game is controlled entirely by the Kinect periphery sensor. The vehicle portions are on-rail, and the players control their chosen character through hand gestures and body movements.

It was announced in June 2011.

It was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 platform on April 3, 2012.

As of February 12, 2013, Kinect Star Wars was the most popular true Kinect game on the Xbox 360 console. It is, however, the eighth most popular when including games that are only enhanced with Kinect. Despite the game getting less than stellar reviews from many game reviewers, Conan O'Brien did a review of the game on his late night talk show and enjoyed playing it.

Kinect Star Wars received mixed reviews, with reviewers citing the underdeveloped gameplay, weak writing and inaccurate controls. It received an aggregated score of 53.53% on GameRankings and 55/100 on Metacritic.

The Official Xbox Magazine rated the game at 4.5 of 10. The reviewer cited control issues with the Kinect motion sensor, comparing it to a lumbering sandcrawler. For the Force powers, the reviewer compared it to The Force Unleashed, although noted that it was slower here without the use of a controller. The review team also cited issues with the other game modes.

The reviewer did notice the respectable graphics during the Dark Side Rising campaign, and the review team enjoyed Galactic Dance Off.

When first released, Kinect Star Wars was the number-one game in the United States and the United Kingdom (where it was the first Kinect game to reach that milestone).