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 Messenger (Switch, PS4, PC)
Add Comment
Posted on September 19th, 2018 by
In the distant future, demons have taken over the land and only a scant few humans remain. A clan of ninjas hide out on a remote island protecting the prophecy of a savior delivering a message on a scroll. You are a ninja in this clan and end up being the messenger in the prophecy. Now it’s up to you to save the day in this 8- and 16-bit retro styled 2-D platforming adventure. It’s available to download on nearly all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Chiki Chiki Boxy Racers (Switch)
Posted on September 17th, 2018 by
At first glance, Chiki Chiki Boxy Racers may look like a typical top down racer like RC Pro-Am or Micro Machines, featuring blocky graphics straight out of Minecraft or Crossy Road. And it is. But this downloadable Switch title also ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be, thanks to solid controls and fun gameplay.
Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe (PS4, Switch, PC)
Posted on September 14th, 2018 by
Mina Han is a young woman who lives in a fantasy world full of orcs, dwarves, and monsters. She also works at her parents’ restaurant, but desires to enlist in the Battle Chef Brigade: an army of chefs who fight monsters and then cook them. So she runs away from home to participate in a big cooking competition so she can join the brigade. In this game you play as Mina in a unique mix of 2-D hack and slash and match three puzzle solving. It’s available for PS4, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on Switch here. Since I didn’t review the original release of the game, I’m also not sure what was added for this Deluxe version.
Neptunia & Friends (iOS)
Posted on September 12th, 2018 by
A few years back I reviewed a couple of games in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. It was some RPGs with lots of video game references and anime girls. But I stopped reviewing them because they just got too much for me. But now there is a new game where you can take your favorite Neptunia characters on your mobile device and play games with them, so I figured I could handle that one. It’s available to download for free on iOS devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Spectrum (PS4, Switch, Xbox One)
Posted on September 10th, 2018 by
Spectrum is an action maze game where you play as a blob with three eyes. You must ‘swim’ through the air and avoid certain colored blocks as you make your way to the exit portal. It’s available to download on nearly all current game consoles, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Overcooked 2 (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on September 7th, 2018 by
Last year I reviewed Overcooked, an action game where you and a bunch of chefs try to prepare food and fill orders in kitchen mazes as fast as possible. It was pretty popular, and definitely one of the better recent indie titles. And now you can have a second helping of culinary fun with Overcooked 2. It features different kitchen mazes and new ways to team up. It’s available on most current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Hacky Zack (Switch, PC)
Posted on September 5th, 2018 by
As a kid, I didn’t have much exposure or experience to the game of hacky sack. I probably saw the little balls in stores but didn’t know what they were. The first time I saw the game played was in a video game called California Games. But I never saw anyone actually play it until I got to college and there would always be students playing it outside the dorm lobby. And that’s my history with hacky sack, until this new game. Hacky Zack is a 2-D puzzle platformer where you must kick a ball into a goal to move to the next level. It’s available to download on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Robbotto (Switch, PC)
Posted on September 3rd, 2018 by
One of my favorite kinds of arcade games are single screen maze games where you either have to run from things or chase things. Examples would include Pac-Man and Bubble Bobble. So I was happy to find out that retro styled Robbotto plays like those titles. In this game, you are a robot and must deactivate all the enemy robots in a room. To do this, first you must zap them with a bolt of electricity, and while they are still electrified, you must spray them with water to stop them. Robbotto is available to download on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Summer Movie Heroes
Posted on August 31st, 2018 by
As the summer season comes to a close, it’s time for me to talk about the movies I saw in the past few months. There really wasn’t a whole lot of movies this summer that I wanted to see, so this blog may be a bit on the short side. I’ll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, but there might be a few here and there, so you’ve been warned. OK, let’s get started!
Little Dragons Café (PS4, Switch)
Posted on August 29th, 2018 by
A brother and sister live with their mom, who runs a café on a magical island. One day, the mother falls into a deep sleep and won’t wake up. But shortly after the siblings find her, a mysterious old man appears and tells the children that their mom is half dragon, half human. Her dragon blood and human blood aren’t syncing right, which caused her to fall ill. Luckily the old man brought a dragon egg with him, and tells the children that if they can hatch and raise the young dragon, their mom will get better. In this game, you play as one of the siblings and must both run the café and raise a dragon at the same time in this restaurant sim/virtual pet hybrid. It’s available on PS4 and Switch, but reviewed on PS4 here.
