Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad - and I've been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 15 years now. After working as a magazine journalist, I switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educating parents about them, and working closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. Games, movies and media are fun, kids and families love them, they aren't going away. So join me in cutting through the hype and lets have a real conversation about the things that matter: Video Games, Violent Media, and their supposed effect on children and families.
Welcome to GamerDad: Gaming with Children. My name is Andrew S. Bub - the GamerDad - and I've been writing about videogames, movies, and children for over 15 years now. After working as a magazine journalist, I switched gears to write about how media violence affects children, educating parents about them, and working closely with magazines, newspapers, major retailers and even politicians. GamerDad is an internationally recognized expert in this field. Games, movies and media are fun, kids and families love them, they aren't going away. So join me in cutting through the hype and lets have a real conversation about the things that matter: Video Games, Violent Media, and their supposed effect on children and families.
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
1 Comment
Posted on July 23rd, 2021 by
We all know Sonic the Hedgehog as SEGA’s beloved mascot. But did you know that before Sonic came along, SEGA had a roster of other mascots? One was Opa-Opa, a winged spaceship with feet who starred in the Fantasy Zone series. Another popular one was Alex Kidd, who starred in a bunch of games for the 8-bit SEGA Master System. His very first game was Alex Kidd in Miracle World, which was definitely made in response to compete with the more popular NES title Super Mario Bros. In the game, Alex Kidd uses his giant fist and martial arts skills to save the Radaxian kingdom from the evil Janken in this 2-D platformer. And now the game has been given a new lease on life with a DX remake featuring enhanced graphics and sound. It’s available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here. So does Alex make good on his second chance? You’ll just have to read on to find out.
Mondoku (Mobile)
Posted on July 21st, 2021 by
So what happens when you mix Sudoku puzzles with modern art? You get Mondoku, that’s what! You know how in Sudoku, you must place numbers on a grid so that no two of the same numbers appear on a row or column of squares? Well what if those squares were different sizes? That’s what you have to deal with in Mondoku, and when you finish a puzzle, the squares will be colored in and look like those famous modern art paintings by Piet Mondrian (yeah I had to look that up, I’m not THAT cultured). Anyway, Mondoku is a free-to-play mobile game, but reviewed on iPad here.
Beasts of Maravilla Island (Switch, PC)
Posted on July 19th, 2021 by
Boy do I love me some New Pokémon Snap! I even named it my Game of the Year SO FAR recently. It’s just so much fun taking pictures of Pokémon. But what if I told you there was another game where you get to take pictures of mythical creatures, but instead of being on-rails, you’re free to move around in 3-D space! Well that’s exactly what you get to do in Beasts of Maravilla Island. In the game you play as Marina, a young woman who was told fantastical stories of a magical island with one of a kind creatures by her grandfather. When her grandfather passes away, she inherits his camera and journal, with his dying wish for her to photograph the creatures on this island to prove to the world that it exists. So now she’s off on an expedition in this 3-D photography game that takes elements from titles like Pokémon Snap and the photo mini-games in Beyond Good and Evil. It’s available to play on Nintendo Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Summer of SNK: Part 2
Posted on July 16th, 2021 by
Last time we looked at the arcade cabinet shaped NEO GEO Mini, which has a total of 40 games! That’s enough to split this blog series into two parts, so here’s the second part with the rest of the games on this mini console.
Knockout City (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC)
Posted on July 14th, 2021 by
One of my favorite sports video games of all time is Super Dodge Ball on the NES. In fact, it was my number one favorite sports game until Wii Sports came along. So when I heard about Knockout City, a 3-D online dodgeball game that’s free to start on the Switch, I was willing to give it a try!
Retrograde Arena (Switch, PC)
Posted on July 12th, 2021 by
Retrograde Arena is a multiplayer twin stick shooter, with a retro vector visual style. It’s free for Nintendo Switch Online users, so I figured, ‘what the heck, I’ll give it a go.’ Like most twin stick shooters, you move with the left JoyCon and aim with the right. Fire your lasers with the Z trigger button. But from what I could tell, most weapons won’t kill you, but push you back farther. Firing your own weapon does that, too, so you can use that to your advantage to move faster. What you really have to watch out for are dangerous walls that you can bump into, that can ether bounce you around or outright kill you!
Summer of SNK: Part 1
Posted on July 9th, 2021 by
When I was a kid, (well, early teen I guess), game maker SNK came out with a console called the NEO GEO. The games on it were arcade perfect, which was amazing, but not really when you consider the cartridges were the same being used in the NEO GEO arcade machines that let you choose which games to play. The only downside was the home console was EXPENSIVE! The console itself cost more than 700 bucks, and each game was over 100 dollars! I didn’t know ANYONE back then who owned a NEO GEO! That’s why when I see a NEO GEO collection now for cheap, I feel compelled to buy it. It’s like retribution. Take that, SNK! I can afford your stuff now! So the fad in the past few years is to make mini game consoles with games already included on them. They’ve done it with the NES, SNES, SEGA Genesis, TG-16, and more. And now they’re doing it with the NEO GEO! But this one is different! Instead of being shaped like a tiny NEO GEO, it’s made to look like a little arcade machine! You can even play the games on a small screen, so it’s portable, too! But you can also hook it up to a big TV! I got one at a reasonable price, so let’s take a look at it!
Guilty Gear -Strive- (PS4, PS5, PC)
Posted on July 7th, 2021 by
While Street Fighter 2 is probably the most recognizable one-one-one 2-D fighting game series, there are plenty of others that have made a name for themselves over the years. With its anime styled characters and rockin’ soundtrack, Guilty Gear is just one of those series. Now the newest entry is out for PS4, PS5, and PC (reviewed on PS4 here). Is it any good? You’ll just have to read on to find out!
LEGO Builder’s Journey (Switch, PC, Apple Arcade)
Posted on July 5th, 2021 by
I have been fortunate enough to review nearly every LEGO game that has been released in the past decade or so (maybe longer). It’s been a true honor and it’s great because the LEGO games are fun and perfect for both kids and adults to play together! But there’s only one problem. Pretty much every LEGO game in the past 20 years has played the same. So much so that I can basically cut and paste parts of my reviews and change very little to meet the needs of each LEGO game review. Don’t get me wrong, this format of LEGO game is still tons of fun. But if you crave something a little different, this next LEGO game has you covered. Builder’s Journey presents small single screen areas made of LEGOs, and you must solve puzzles with real LEGO blocks in each one (kind of reminds me of Captain Toad in a way). Originally released on Apple Arcade, Builder’s Journey is now available on Switch and PC (reviewed on Switch here).
Cary’s Best Games of 2021 SO FAR Awards Show!
Posted on July 2nd, 2021 by
I’d like to say this year’s been better than the last, but it really hasn’t. Even though it’s improved, we’re still having to deal with a lot of COVID crap. And then we found out my mom had breast cancer late last year and we had to deal with the surgeries this year. Luckily she’s cancer free now, which is a miraculous and wonderful thing, and I thank God everyday for that. But man it sure was rough for a couple of months there. You have no idea. But anyway, around this time of year I like to make a list of my best games SO FAR, because usually the AAA titles are released later in the year during the holiday season, and the titles that came out earlier tend to be forgotten. So here’s when those games get their due. Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed. And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet. Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!
