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.
The Games of the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle
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Posted on May 29th, 2020 by
I don’t know if it was because there was a Spring Sale, or if it was Golden Week in Japan, or maybe because of all the Coronavirus stuff. But there have been a BUNCH of games on sale lately. A few weeks ago, I got about five games on sale on PS4 for mostly less than ten bucks each! Most of them were arcade collections. Originally they were all 20 bucks, which isn’t THAT bad anyway. But I feel that digital only collections like this are still too pricey at that amount. If they were physical copies yeah I’d pay that. But since they were only digital I decided to wait for a sale. One of the games I got from that sale was the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle, which comes with seven arcade classic co-op side scrolling beat ‘em ups. There are also a bunch of neat artwork galleries in this game as well, plus you can save your games and even play them online! But since I like to talk about the games in these collections, let’s do that with this one. In the coming weeks I’ll talk about some of the other games I got on sale, too!
Knights and Bikes (Switch, PS4, PC)
Posted on May 27th, 2020 by
One of the things that I like about reviewing games is the opportunity to try out titles I otherwise might have missed. Such is the case with Knights and Bikes. It actually came out last year but I didn’t know about it, or else it just slipped under the cracks for me. But I got a second chance to take a stab at reviewing it, so here we go! Anyway, Knights and Bikes is set on the fictitious Penfurzy British island in the mid 1980s. A girl named Demelza lives there with her dad, who owns a trailer park and mini golf course. Demelza has her head in the clouds and likes to use her imagination a lot, as kids tend to do. Recently, Demelza’s mother passed away and she’s been taking it pretty hard, and now they can’t afford to keep their land. One day, a homeless runaway girl named Nessa sneaks onto a ferry going to Penfurzy Island (don’t worry, the game isn’t as depressing as it sounds). Nessa is a bit more down to earth, and she and Demelza run into each other and become fast friends. Along with their pet goose Honkers, they set off on a treasure-hunting, bike riding adventure to save the island. Knights and Bikes is a 2-D co-op action adventure game for 1 or 2 players, and it’s available on Switch, PS4, and PC (reviewed on Switch here).
A Fold Apart (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mobile)
Posted on May 25th, 2020 by
A couple in a relationship are about to be presented with a challenge. When one of them takes a job in a different city, they must deal with having a long-distance relationship and the difficulties that ensue with that. You’re along in this tumultuous ride in this puzzler game. You must get one of the people in this relationship from point A to point B, and everything is presented on pieces of paper. You have the power to fold the paper to provide platforms and useful passages to help bring the couple together in A Fold Apart. It’s available to download on current game consoles (some coming soon), PC, and mobile, but reviewed on Switch here.
The Ladies of Gals Fighters
Posted on May 22nd, 2020 by
Recently I reviewed Gals Fighters, one of the best games on the NEO GEO Pocket Color. I loved that little handheld, and I’m glad they ported this game to the Switch! It took a more silly, lighthearted tone. Female fighters from other SNK series compete in the Q.O.F. (Queen of Fighters) tournament to win a talisman that grants any wish. But the stories they gave to each of the characters and their wishes are pretty silly, and since I like talking about silly fighting game characters, I thought I’d make a separate blog about them!
Moving Out (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on May 20th, 2020 by
Moving to a new house can be a stressful time, but one way to cut down on that stress (maybe) is to hire a moving company to load your furniture onto a truck and move it for you. And now you can play a game where you do just that in Moving Out. This humorous multiplayer co-op game is available on all current home consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
StarCrossed (Switch, PC)
Posted on May 18th, 2020 by
In a distant galaxy, a magical artifact called the Harmony Star brings worlds together. But at a celebration revolving around the star, it gets stolen and five nearby characters are chosen to receive special powers so they can get the star back. The five heroes include a pop idol, a fanboy, a princess, a buff outlaw woman, and an android. They get the power to fly in space and bounce back a star between one another to destroy bad guys. This unique arcade style ‘shooter’ combines elements from games like Pong, as well as obscure Japan only titles like the twin stick game Libble Rabble. You may not have heard of that one, but it was created by the same guy who made Pac-Man, so it’s worth looking up. Anyway, StarCrossed is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Streets of Rage 4 (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on May 15th, 2020 by
In the 16-bit era when I was a kid (well, a teen), I only had a Super Nintendo. Back then, kids didn’t usually have both a SNES and a SEGA Genesis, you had one or the other. So there were a lot of Genesis games I missed out on. Most of the time I was OK with that, as the SNES offered more games for my tastes. But there were a few times when a Genesis game caught my eye, and ones I didn’t even know about altogether! The Streets of Rage series was one of those games. I didn’t discover them until I played the second one on one of those early SEGA Genesis classic collections. But once I did play it, I was blown away by the graphics, gameplay, and especially the music. The secret to its success was that it was developed from the ground up to be best on a console, not like the other beat ‘em ups out there that were originally arcade quarter munchers. After three games, the Streets of Rage series only stayed on the Genesis, until now. FINALLY we get a sequel with Streets of Rage 4, available on current game consoles and PC (reviewed on PS4 here). Does it live up to the legacy? You’ll just have to read on to find out!
SNK Gals Fighters (Switch)
Posted on May 13th, 2020 by
Nintendo has always pretty much dominated the handheld gaming scene, and that’s certainly the case with my handheld gaming time, too. But there were a couple of periods where another handheld drew my attention away for a bit. One was with the PSP, but another was with the NEO GEO Pocket Color. This came out in the tail end of the 90s to compete with the Game Boy Color, and man I loved this little system. It had neat rarities like a Crush Roller remake, great card games like SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash (which I liked better than Pokémon), and loads of fighting games. SNK has always been known for their one on one fighters, and a lot of their franchises had handheld versions on this thing. But they had one slightly original fighter on their handheld: Gals Fighters. It featured female characters from their other fighting titles, and had a more lighthearted, humorous approach. I even got to review it way back when for The Dallas Morning News, and now I’m reviewing it again for the Switch!
Reader Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)
Posted on May 11th, 2020 by
Hey folks, Cary here. Before I start with this review that one of my brothers wrote, I thought I’d give a bit of an intro. It may be hard to believe now, but back when I was a teen in the 16-bit days, I was super big into RPGs, especially the Final Fantasy games. So when I was in college and got the PlayStation, I was super excited for FF7. But after I played it, I appreciated its differences, but I didn’t have a desire to play it again. And it was a turning point in the series for me because from then on, aside from some spinoffs and such, I had no interest in Final Fantasy after that. Well, except for Final Fantasy 9. That was what 7 and 8 should’ve been. So yeah, I didn’t have any interest in the Final Fantasy VII Remake. Luckily one of my brothers, Nathan, volunteered to review it. Now keep in mind that Nathan had never played the original FF7. In fact I think he was just a toddler when the original came out! But that’s exactly why you should read this review because it’s written by someone who never played the original and I’m sure it’ll offer a unique take on the game. So here is Nathan Woodham’s review of the Final Fantasy VII Remake!
Pac-Man Loot Box
Posted on May 8th, 2020 by
We’re ending Loot Box Week on a high note, as I’ve saved the best for last. Well, you all may know how much I like Pac-Man, so it’s the best for me anyway. I first saw this Pac-Man Loot Box before Christmas at Target, but it was too expensive. So after Christmas I got it on sale. Even then, it’s the most expensive loot box I’ve ever bought, at 20 bucks. And the paper packaging around it was gone, too. But I said, “Aw what the heck” and bought it anyway! So let’s take a look inside!
