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 Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
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Posted on December 1st, 2023 by
In the distant past, long before streaming services and 24-hour cartoon channels, there was a thing called Saturday Morning Cartoons. Kids back then, me included, looked forward to this time because it was one of the only times TV was made just for kids. And as a child of the 80s, one of the most popular of these cartoons I remember was The Smurfs. Originally a European comic strip, The Smurfs gained popularity in the US from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. I was never a super big fan of it, but I watched it anyway because, one, kids will watch pretty much anything. And two, it came on right before the Pac-Man cartoon. In recent years, The Smurfs have had a bit of a resurgence with a handful of computer animated movies and specials, and a new series on Nickelodeon. And that begat a few Smurfs games, too. Like a kart racer I reviewed last year, and a 3D platformer I reviewed the year before that called The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf. The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone is the sequel to that game. In this installment, Handy Smurf has invented the Smurfomix, a gun that shoots out pastries and cakes. But he’s having trouble getting it to work right so he decides to sneak into Gargamel’s Lair to use a magic green stone to help improve it. But when Handy accidentally breaks the green stone, a mysterious being named Stolas is freed and wreaks havoc and scattered green crystals everywhere. Now Handy, Brainy, Storm, and the other Smurfs must make a temporary alliance with Gargamel to stop the chaos and save the day. It’s a bit of a shock, but this game is actually kind of good, and it’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
NASCAR Arcade Rush (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on November 29th, 2023 by
Get ready for the craziest NASCAR game ever! I think this game just got the license to use the NASCAR official track logos and that’s it, because the rest of the game is its own thing. You’ll race around official tracks like Daytona and Talladega, but these aren’t just your typical ovals. No, these circuits have twists, turns, boost pads, and more! It’s more imaginative and based on fantasy and is very arcade-like. NASCAR Arcade Rush is available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Swapshot (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on November 27th, 2023 by
Help a space lady make it to the exit of each level in this hybrid single screen 2D precision platformer mixed with an action puzzle game. Your heroine has a gun that when you hit a box with a bullet, you’ll swap places with it. Use this skill to solve all sorts of puzzles and bypass obstacles in Swapshot, available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Hallmark 2023 Video Game Christmas Ornaments
Posted on November 24th, 2023 by
Hallmark always has a wide variety of Christmas ornaments every year, and in the past few years they’ve even had lots of video game themed ones! I got a bunch of them this year as well, as I always do, so let’s take a look at them!
Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on November 23rd, 2023 by
Taito has made a name for themselves with famous arcade titles with worldwide popularity. Notable ones include Space Invaders, Bubble Bubble, and Bust-A-Move. Another super popular arcade game they made was Operation Wolf. It was a light gun game with military themes, and while it certainly wasn’t the first light gun game, it really helped boost that genre’s popularity. It spawned many ports and sequels, like Operation Thunderbolt. Fun fact: In the movie Wonder Woman 84, when she is beating up the bad guys in the mall, you can see an arcade in the background and an Operation Wolf machine! Of course, the movie was supposed to be set in 1984 and Operation Wolf didn’t come out until 1987, but I guess I’m the only one who would notice that. Anyway, now there is a new game in the series with Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures (Switch, Mobile)
Posted on November 22nd, 2023 by
For nearly every little girl who loves to play with Barbie dolls, the ultimate dream is to own Barbie’s Dreamhouse, a giant dollhouse for Barbie and her friends. And now your little girl can have that dreamhouse without having to put in a second mortgage and spend all night putting it together with Barbie Dreamhouse Adventure. It’s basically a virtual dollhouse for the Switch. When I first popped this review copy into my Switch, the game seemed vaguely familiar. Turns out I reviewed this game five years ago when it was just a mobile app. But this version takes out all the in-game purchase crap and adds a bunch of new things, so that’s good. As a 47 year old man, I don’t have any interest in Barbie, but the franchise sure did get a boost of popularity this past year with that new live action movie that just came out (never saw it myself). But let’s take a tour of Barbie’s Dreamhouse and see what all you can do!
Little Friends: Puppy Island (Switch, PC)
Posted on November 21st, 2023 by
I’m honestly surprised there hasn’t been a Nintendogs game on Switch yet. Luckily there’s Little Friends: Puppy Island to fill in the gap. You and your pup are vacationing on an island, watching a house for a friend. This house has a backyard with all sorts of things to take care of puppies, and as you take yours on walks, you’ll meet new puppy friends to take care of, items to find, and things to build on the trails. Little Friends: Puppy Island is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Ball laB II (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S)
Posted on November 20th, 2023 by
Ball laB II is a minimalistic precision single screen platformer. Guide a white ball through beige and orange obstacles like spikes, pits, and air gusts as you make it to the exit of the level. I’ve never played the first game so I don’t know if this one has any additions or improvements. It’s available on all current consoles, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Welcome to Merry Magoland!
Posted on November 17th, 2023 by
So recently I played through Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe on Switch. Knowing that I’m a huge Kirby fan, you’re probably wondering why I didn’t get this game back when it released in February. Well I don’t really like paying full price for Switch re-releases and remakes, especially when I already paid for these games back on the original console. So I waited and asked for it for my birthday, which is what I usually do for games I want to get, but don’t have to play right away. So since I had already played this one back on the Wii, I decided I can wait and put it on my birthday list. After playing it, I have to say that unlike a lot of other Switch rereleases, this one’s actually pretty good and adds a lot of extra content. One of the extra things is an amusement park with ten Kirby mini-games from past titles! And since I like to write blogs about games that have a lot of mini-games, especially if they are presented in a museum or amusement park, let’s take a tour of Merry Magoland!
RedRaptor (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on November 15th, 2023 by
RedRaptor is a 2D vertically scrolling shooter. It features an upgrade system, but otherwise pretty standard stuff. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
