Archive for November, 2009

Game Review, Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration (DS)

KAILAN_BOXNi Hao, Kai-Lan is a new cartoon TV show on Nick Jr. Little girl Kai-Lan and her animal friends learn about friendship, getting along, and helping others, as well as snippets of Chinese culture and language on the show. On the new Nintendo DS game, it’s the Chinese New Year! Help Kai-Lan, her grandfather, and the rest of their super critter pals get ready to go, go, go celebrate the holiday!

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Game Review: The Backyardigans (DS)

BACKYARD_BOXThe Backyardigans is a popular computer-animated TV show on Nick Jr. Pablo the penguin, Tyrone the moose, Uniqua the pink, uh…bug …thing, and the rest of the gang play outside in their backyards and use their imaginations to go on wild adventures. Along the way they’ll sing songs, do dances, and all before snack time. Now your child can join in on The Backyardigans’ adventures on the Nintendo DS.

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Game Review: LEGO Rock Band (360, Wii, PS3, DS)

LEGORB_BOXFor the past couple of years, families and friends have gathered around the TV and game systems to jam together with the Rock Band series of music video games. Now the rockin’ group fun of Rock Band has been stacked up with the whimsy and humor of the LEGO brand of toys and video games for all the major consoles (Xbox 360 version reviewed here). Best of all, even the youngest rockers can enjoy LEGO Rock Band along with the big kids.

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Game Review: Guitar Hero 5 (PS2, Wii, 360, PS3)

GH5.Wii.boxThe first of its kind, Guitar Hero has spawned an entire genre of rhythm video games played with fake instruments. (OK, technically there were games using Maracas and/or Bongos first, but Guitar Hero was the first to go mainstream – primarily due to the rock-focused music selection.) The newest Guitar Hero, #5, has been out for a few months. While each title in the series adds a little bit more to the options available, this new edition has the most family-friendly options and gameplay modes of the lot – especially on the Wii version.

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The Retro Challenges of Game Center CX 2

CX2_BOXRetro Game Challenge came out earlier this year, and it was a collection of made-up 8-bit games and you had to pass certain challenges in each game to go onto the next. The beauty of this game is all the 8-bit titles were actually really good, and would’ve been able to stand on their own had they been real games to begin with. In Japan, they made a sequel: Game Center CX 2, and I found it on sale and imported it. So now here are the games on Game Center CX 2!

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Game Review: iCarly (Wii, DS)

ICARLYWII_BOXiCarly is a popular sitcom on the kids’ cable channel Nickelodeon. Teenager Carly runs her own Web site and she and her friends make crazy videos to post online. While filming, the gang goofs off, learns a lesson or two, and sometimes they’ll go on the occasional adventure. Now you can join in and help make crazy iCarly Webisodes, too, with iCarly for the Wii and DS.

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Game Review: Adventures To Go (PSP)

ADVENTURES_BOXFinn Courtland is a warrior-in-training who helps out his struggling family by taking on odd jobs in town. Luckily for him, a new facility for training warriors just opened up. At Adventures To Go, you order what kinds of enemies you’ll fight and what types of land you’ll explore, then wizards will conjure up whatever you ordered. Finn uses Adventures To Go to help him make money and complete the odd jobs collected in town. Join Finn and his ragtag ream of adventurers as they make a profit and maybe even save the kingdom in the process.

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Guest Review: Afrika (PS3)

AFRIKA_BOXAfrika is a wildlife photography game on the PlayStation 3. Featuring lush, realistic graphics and animation, Afrika has more than 70 African animals to discover over 100 photography missions. We’re going to do something a little different with this review, though. I actually didn’t write the meat of this review. A co-worker and good friend of mine enjoys playing PS3 games with his son, James Kessler, so I decided to have 9-year-old James review it (plus I don’t have a PS3). So read on for his take on the game:

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Free Wallace & Gromit Game!

GROMITNormally I don’t like putting press releases up here on this blog page, but if it’ll help you folks get a free PC game, I don’t mind.  In honor of the award-winning clay animated duo Wallace & Gromit’s 20th anniversary, TellTale games is offering one of their episodic Wallace & Gromit games this week for free!  They’re excellent, family-friendly, point and click PC adventure games, so read on to find out how to get your free episode as well as other Wallace & Gromit goodies and tidbits.

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Track IR – Head in the Clouds

TRACKIR4-photoSome who’ve followed my career believe that I’m a sucker for gimmicks. That I like doo-dads, gadgets and most of all, weird controllers. I’m the type of guy who when he heard about the Wii, he almost fainted. But the main reason I love them is that I see video games as fantasy play. Doing virtually what you can’t in real life. Controllers enhance that immeasurably. more…