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Natal 'River Rush' gameplay glimpsed, first wild gesticulation-related violence reported

In a surprising expose on the seedy underbelly of pre-release gaming demos for the whole family, Parade Magazine's own A.J. Jacobs reports on a bit of fun gone awry. Mr. Jacobs details the horrific scene: "We next tried an obstacle course where you have to dart under trees and jump over logs. I was really working it, leaning my body and windmilling my arms. Unfortunately, Zane, 3, wandered a bit too close to me and, well, I inadvertently smacked him in the face. He started crying." Luckily, Zane bounced back quickly, and the Jacobs household (6-year-old Jasper was also in attendance) quickly determined that their best chances at beating the few Project Natal demos Microsoft was showing them might involve benching the old man. The Jacobs brood got three demos in all, including a couple we haven't had a chance to play ourselves: an obstacle course, and a river rafting game we've seen referred to as "River Rush." You can see a brief glimpse of it yourself (along with entirely more arm flailing than is strictly necessary) after the break.