After some clunky Kinect experiences, I approached NBA Baller Beats with a sense of lowered expectations. I've seen a number of Kinect games falter because of control issues and I didn't feel confident about adding an extra peripheral to the equation. However, Majesco Entertainment and HB Studios washed away any doubts I had after I went hands-on with the game for the first time. On top of being a fun rhythm game and a sound teacher of fundamental dribbling skills, NBA Baller Beats is one of the most responsive Kinect titles I've seen to date.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, NBA Baller Beats is a rhythm game played solely by dribbling a basketball. Players can select from three varying difficulty levels (Rookie, Pro, and Baller) and from 30 licensed tracks that include songs from Queen, Kanye West, and DJ Tiesto. The object is to dribble to the beat of the song in order to follow along with a highway of basketball-shaped notes, while performing different ball handling skills in order to increase your multiplier.

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Microsoft's Kinect packs some impressive technology, but it hasn't found a breakout game in its releases so far. It's been a tough nut for third-parties to crack, but Majesco and HB Studios have opted to try something a little different: a rhythm/sports hybrid that uses a real basketball as a prop.

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