Deca Sports Freedom

Review

Common Sense Media says

Collection of easy, active sports mini-games for Kinect.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Deca Sports Freedom is a very active sports game. It requires players to move their hands and arms around to swing tennis racquets, spike volleyballs, and set up defensive postures in boxing. It's designed to pick up and play, so players can easily get into the action. It's pretty basic and doesn't get too involved with strategy or unlockable features, but it does offer a good number of sporting events to mix things up.

  • Positive messages2
    Like many games for the Xbox 360 Kinect camera, this game encourages players to play together, to get up and move, and to develop an interest in becoming active. The many sports in the game can deliver a pretty good workout, and they can all be played with others.
  • Positive role models1
    The point of this game is to perform in sporting events as well as possible. Whoever manages to get the best score is the top dog and the one to look up to. The game creates healthy, sportsmanlike competition.
  • Ease of play2
    It is very easy to step into this game and start playing. Games like tennis have very basic controls that really only require players to swing their hands when the ball approaches the screen. But the controls aren't precise, so you don't feel as if you have control over winning the game.
  • Violence1
    This game lets players compete in numerous sports -- some which come with a little violence. In the boxing game, there are punching sounds and characters wobble amidst flashes of light when hit. There is also a paintball game that looks and feels somewhat like a shooting game, but players will easily recognize no one is in any real physical danger. Given the sporting context of the game, the violence comes across as more of a genuine representation of a sport than anything gratuitous or over-the-top.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism3
    In many of the sporting venues, just like in real-life, there are signs and billboards advertising real world products and brands such as Adidas and the game's publisher, Hudson.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
CloseExpand to see more details

What's it about?

DECA SPORTS FREEDOM lets players get up and move and to virtually compete in a whole bunch of sporting events. There are 10 sports to choose from -- tennis, boxing, archery, paintball, beach volleyball, dodgeball, kendo, mogul skiing, snowboard cross, and figure skating. The goal is for players to push themselves to do the best they can.

Is it any good?

 

The controls in Deca Sports Freedom are very basic, and work more to just get players to move around than provide a good simulation of the actual sport. As such, some players might find frustration with the lack of depth. However, it does make it more accessible to younger players, and allows non-gamer parents to play along as well. The large selection of events also introduces players to the variety of sports that exist in the real world. In the end, there are other games, like Kinect Sports, that do a better job at simulating the actual physical activity involved. Deca Sports Freedom is fun and easy, but its lack of good, solid controls makes it difficult to recommend.

Online interaction: Players can compete with others online, but it is the same kind of gameplay experience as playing with other people in the same room. It's good, clean competition. However, voice chatting is possible between players. Common Sense Media advises parents of younger players to disable unrestricted voice chats.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how to include video games as part of a regular exercise routine. How can this game help keep you fit?

  • What are other fun ways of staying active?

  • Which sport do you like to play the most in real life?

This review was written by Mark Raby
Teen, 15 years old
March 23, 2011
AGE
14
 
MADDEN 2011
IT IS FUN TO PLAY
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (6) | Had useful details (5) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Mark Raby
Topics:sports and martial arts
Platforms:Xbox 360
Available online?Available online
Genre:Sports
Developer:Hudson Entertainment
Release date:November 18, 2010
Price:$39.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Mild Cartoon Violence
This review was written by Mark Raby

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Screenshots

  • 1 of 2
  • 2 of 2

Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.

About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

Other good active sports games
For kids who love active gaming
Browse more games
 

vote now

Will you play Deca Sports Freedom?

Game on
Press pause
Game over

Already played it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it