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.
Thunder Hoop Collection (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
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Posted on October 14th, 2026 by
You’ve probably heard of arcade game makers like Namco, Capcom, SEGA, etc. But have you ever heard of Gaelco? They were an arcade developer from Spain and while you may not have played many of their games, they did do some that gained international fame in the late 90s and early 2000s. Some examples I remember would be Radikal Bikers, a game where you deliver pizzas on a scooter. There was also a pretty fun street luge game called Rolling Extreme. But their most famous game was probably Smashing Drive, a game that looks like a Crazy Taxi ripoff but isn’t really. But here’s a collection of a series from Gaelco I had never heard of: Thunder Hoop. This collection is available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Paddle Paddle Paddle (Switch, PC)
Posted on October 12th, 2026 by
Have you ever heard of an arcade game called Rapid River? It came out in the late 90s and was made by Namco. The arcade cabinet had you sit on a chair shaped like a river raft and you used real oars to paddle down a river. Two could play at the same time, one for each oar. You could also play by yourself but man that would be a major workout! One cool thing about the game is that there is one part where a T-Rex is chasing you down the river, but there is a secret way to change it to be a giant Pac-Man chasing you instead! I never got it to work myself, though. Anyway, Rapid River was pretty fun and I still see it in arcades today sometimes. It never got a home port but that’s kind of understandable due to the nature of the game. But now you can play something close to it with Paddle Paddle Paddle. It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Garfield: Escape from Monday (Switch, PS5, Xbox X/S, PC)
Posted on October 9th, 2026 by
I’ve been a huge fan of Garfield ever since I was a little kid back in the 80s. Newspaper comic strips like Garfield were a big part of my childhood. You might even say that I liked Garfield almost as much as Pac-Man. And if you know me, that’s saying a lot. So I’m always on the lookout to review Garfield video games. Unfortunately, they haven’t had the best track record in recent years. So how does this new one stack up? Pretty well, actually. In the game, Garfield accidentally takes a bite of vegetable lasagna and the shock causes him to pass out. Now he’s got to escape his dream while dealing with Chef Monday and Garfield’s other nemeses like Nermal the cute kitten. All the while getting help from his friends like Jon and Arlene. Garfield: Escape from Monday is a 3D platformer and is available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Lucky Luke Clock (Switch)
Posted on October 7th, 2026 by
Lucky Luke is a popular European comic series. Despite being set in the American Wild West, it’s relatively obscure here in the States. The only other time I’ve ever seen it before was a few other video game releases. And now you can have a Lucky Luke desktop clock on your Switch. Does anybody really use their Switch as a clock? Well, this also has a little mini-game in it, so maybe they’re going for a modern Game & Watch motif.
Birdcage (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on October 5th, 2026 by
Birdcage is a 2D vertically scrolling bullet hell style shooter. But this one has some unique gameplay ideas that set it apart from the rest. It almost kind of reminds me of a PSOne shooter called Einhander from Square of all people! Anyway, Birdcage is available on all current consoles but reviewed on PS4 here.
Happy Meal Crazy Crossovers
Posted on October 2nd, 2026 by
Lately I’ve seen some crazy crossovers in McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. So I thought I’d share them with you here, just for fun.
Dimensional Animals (PS4, PS5, Switch 1 & 2, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on September 30th, 2026 by
A guy is playing fetch with his dog at the beach. But this isn’t just any dog, this dog can instantly teleport a few feet in front of him. When the guy throws the ball too far, the dog sets out on an adventure somehow. Dimensional Animals is a 2D platformer where you play as animals with special powers and the game has “Metroidvania” elements. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Woodo (Switch 1 & 2, PS5, Xbox X/S, PC)
Posted on September 28th, 2026 by
Piece together wooden dioramas to tell a story in Woodo. Foxy is a city fox who just graduated elementary school and is spending the summer in the country. But she’s not happy about it. No friends, nothing to do, and worst of all, no WiFi for her cell phone! But her outlook changes when she meets Ben the frog. Woodo is a cozy puzzle game available on most current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch 2 here.
Mineru’s Construct amiibo
Posted on September 25th, 2026 by
I recently got the Mineru’s Construct amiibo from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. So let’s take a look at it!
Boardwalk Builders (Switch, PC)
Posted on September 23rd, 2026 by
I’ve been to a few beaches in my lifetime but very few of them had boardwalks. Which is a shame because from what I’ve seen, there are many cool ones out there with arcades and other neat stuff. Well if you’ve ever wanted to build your own boardwalk beach attractions, now you can with Boardwalk Builders. It’s a simulation game with a retro style, and it’s available on Switch and PC but reviewed on Switch here.
