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 Nintendo Switch Sports
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Posted on May 27th, 2022 by
Welcome to Spocco Square! It’s a big sporting facility where you’ll play all the Nintendo Switch Sports! Seems like a neat place to visit, if you like playing sports I suppose, but it ain’t no Wuhu Island! It kind of reminds me of those touristy sporting goods stores that have been popping up around near where I live lately, like Scheel’s. Anyway, come with me on a tour as we take a look at all the games you can play in this game.
Slap the Rocks (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S)
Posted on May 25th, 2022 by
I love it when games describe what you do in their title. “Don’t Die!” “Jump on Things.” Well, anyway, here’s one: “Slap the Rocks.” You know those Zelda dungeon puzzles where you have to push sliding blocks that move until they hit something, and you have to figure out the best paths to push them in? Yeah this whole game is that. In this one, you’re a dude with a sword out to collect treasure, but there are rocks, bushes, and holes in your way. Use your sword to chop down bushes and hit rocks so they slide into holes to create a path for the treasure. This top-down viewed action puzzler is available on most current consoles, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Cotton Fantasy (PS4, Switch, PC)
Posted on May 23rd, 2022 by
“Cotton” is a series of 2-D horizontally scrolling shooters that were very popular in the 90’s during the 16- and 32-bit eras. They star a candy-obsessed witch girl named Cotton who flies on her broom as she shoots down foes in spooky yet silly settings. It’s an example of the “Cute ‘Em Up” subgenre of shooters similar to titles like Twinbee, Parodius, Fantasy Zone, or Ordyne. Last year was Cotton’s 30th Anniversary and we got a few games and re-releases out of that. There was a reboot of the original game, which I reviewed here, as well as re-releases of some of the 16-bit titles, which I also reviewed. And now Cotton is in a brand new 2-D shooter named Cotton Fantasy! It’s available on PS4, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Min Min amiibo
Posted on May 20th, 2022 by
I got another amiibo figure so I thought I’d show it off here. This is one Min Min, a character from ARMS who was added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, hence the amiibo. Usually when they do these Smash amiibo, they release them in groups. But according to Nintendo, because of supply shortages or whatever, they only could release one this time, so we got Min Min! So let’s take a look at her!
Reader Review: Rune Factory 5 (Switch)
Posted on May 18th, 2022 by
I’m no stranger to reviewing Rune Factory games. In fact, I recently reviewed Rune Factory 4 Special on PS4. Unfortunately I was not able to review the recently released Rune Factory 5. But luckily my brother Benjamin Woodham decided to review it on Switch, so check out his review below! –Cary
Reader Review: Dungeons and Dragons: Family Time or Bad News?
Posted on May 16th, 2022 by
I’ve never been able to get into Dungeons and Dragons or any tabletop role playing game, really. Too much math for my tastes. That’s why I just stick to Final Fantasy games. And even then just the old school ones. But most of my other brothers really like Dungeons and Dragons. For instance, my brother Jeff once ran a long running DnD group at his local library. And another one of my brothers, Benjamin Woodham, wrote this neat article I’d like to share here. So please read his article below. –Cary
The Racers and Tracks of Chocobo GP
Posted on May 13th, 2022 by
Back during the PSOne days, Square released a mascot kart racing game featuring cute versions of their Final Fantasy staple characters. You know, chocobo, moogle, white and black mages, etc. It was called Chocobo Racing. I wanted to get this game when it came out, but I was poor college student at the time and couldn’t afford to get it at full price. Plus I heard it was getting a lot of bad reviews, so I decided to wait for a while. Shortly after I graduated college, I found a new copy of Chocobo Racing at a flea market and it was only 20 bucks. And since I had a bit more disposable income by then, I decided to get it. And you know what? Despite it having such bad reviews, I really liked it! Sure it was no where near as good as Mario Kart or other mascot racers at the time such as Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Team Racing. But I really liked how they implemented Final Fantasy themes and tropes into the gameplay and presentation. So when Square-Enix showed a sequel of sorts last year coming to the Switch called Chocobo GP, I was really excited and wanted to get it. So now I finally have it and I wanted to talk about it and all the characters and tracks found therein. So let’s get started!
Parkasaurus (Switch, PC)
Posted on May 11th, 2022 by
Dinosaurs from another planet have crash landed on Earth, and it’s up to you to give them a good home in a special dinosaur zoo. What kid wouldn’t want to design and run their very own dinosaur park? Parkasaurus is a simulation game very similar to titles such as SimCity or Zoo Tycoon. It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Ayo the Clown (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on May 9th, 2022 by
When I was a kid, clowns were not considered scary like they are now. Granted that was a long time ago. But back then, clowns like Ronald McDonald frequently graced TV commercials, and even video games featured clowns as main characters, like Mr. Do!, Circus Charlie, and Kid Klown. And now comes another not-so-scary video game clown with Ayo the Clown. One day Ayo’s puppy pal gets dognapped, and it’s up to Ayo to go on a 2-D platforming romp to find him. Ayo the Clown is available on most current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Sonic the Hedgehog Toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals
Posted on May 6th, 2022 by
There’s a new Sonic the Hedgehog live action animated hybrid movie out now, and McDonald’s just did a promotion with Happy Meal toys featuring characters from the games and movies. I got a few of them, so let’s take a look at them!
