It’s no longer Kinect Sports: Season Two launch week, so here’s a round-up of some of the best review comments so far. And to spice it up, we’ve thrown in a few photos from the Rare on-site launch party/comedy awards ceremony last Friday, with Voice of The X Factor/Kinect Sports and all-round top bloke Peter Dickson hosting. There he is, look! Second picture! We’re not lying! He came to our late-night bash in Birmingham too, but you’re not seeing any pictures from that.

“As much as we loved the original, there was a feeling that it would take another year before we really got the Kinect Sports game we all hoped for. Thankfully, that gut instinct has proven to be entirely correct; Kinect Sports: Season Two is bigger, bolder and even more enjoyable than its illustrious forerunner, making it arguably the title of choice for Kinect players this holiday season.” – Kinectaku

“We’d go as far to say Kinect Sports: Season Two is the defining party sports game for the Xbox 360. Said it. It’s out there. Can’t take it back.” – DIY

“Let your guard down long enough and you’ll soon find you’ve lost hours flailing away to the game’s genuine charms.” – Tech Digest

“From the moment the game begins, Kinect Sports: Season Two exhibits a level of care and polish — in its clean, attractive graphics, in its innocuous but appropriate licensed soundtrack, and in its supreme approachability — that many players may associate more with Nintendo than Microsoft. Simply put, Rare and BigPark have delivered a world class casual sports game that easily competes with the best in the genre.” – Game Rant

“It’s the little touches that make the big differences, such as the ability to pull faces behind an opponent in darts or trigger off-putting cow bells in a ski slalom. Rare have nailed the art of creating a package more fun than self-consciously silly. In fact, it’s a Rare treat.” – The Mirror

“Kinect Sports was great fun, and Kinect Sports: Season Two not only matches that fun, but ups the ante, makes it easier to enjoy, and embraces a crisper, cleaner tracking capability too.” – Pocket-lint

“The fact that most of the featured events are so easy to pick up and play make so much sense to even non-gamers, really helping to exemplify what Kinect is all about. Now with voice control and even less barriers between the player and the sport, you really ARE the controller, more than ever before.” – God is a Geek

“Kinect Sports Season 2 isn’t a super authentic recreation of sports, but that isn’t really what this series is about. No matter who you are you’ll likely have fun messing about with what’s on offer here, especially if you’re in the company of friends.” – Videogamer.com

“For a renewed sense of wonder about Kinect, simply play this game. In exactly the same fashion as last year, Rare is at the cutting edge of what the device is capable of and as a result Kinect Sports Season 2 is, yet again, an essential sports game.” – OXM UK

“All in all, Kinect Sports: Season Two is a worthy successor to the first — and easily the premiere casual Kinect experience.” – EGMNOW

“There’s nuance and depth here that goes beyond most people’s preconceptions of what motion gaming is about, and yet the game never loses sight of the fact that anybody should be able to get up, have a try and have fun doing so. The sad part is that more studios aren’t using the technology to this standard.” – Eurogamer