Snow Day
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Posted on December 19th, 2008 by
The kids are watching a movie upstairs, their mom is home today, and so am I, for we are housebound by a couple feet of the stuff pictured on the left. A snowday! Boy were my kids happy. Henry immediately and has repeatedly asked to play games today – and we will – once Linda is through with her baking. It’s a wonderful day at the GamerDad house. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Last Few Weeks of Child’s Play 2008
Posted on December 19th, 2008 by
Just a head’s up to remind everyone that this year’s Child’s Play annual toy drive for children’s hospitals is still going strong. There are over 60 partner hospitals in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Egypt to choose from.
Reviews: Everyday Shooter and Super Stardust Portable (PSP)
Posted on December 18th, 2008 by
Recently Sony released two digital downloads for the PSP –Everyday Shooter and Super Stardust Portable. Each is a revamped version of an offering on the Playstation Network for the PS3, and each can trace its’ lineage to the Asteroids games. To say that both of these games were successful on the PS3 is an understatement – they were critically acclaimed and loved by fans; so I was thrilled at the opportunity to try them on my PSP-3000 which hasn’t seen many good new games since I got it a few months ago. But rather than have separate reviews that end up comparing back and forth incessantly, I am going to review both together! Of course each will get appraised and scored separately at the end. more…
NWN2: Storm of Zehir – Looking forward by looking back
Posted on December 18th, 2008 by
For most older PC gamers, the thought of the heady days of game releases like Baldur’s Gate 2 bring a flush to their cheeks and a twinkle to their eyes. For many, the games of today – role-playing games in particular – have lost a great deal as they have shifted focus from quality of writing and combat systems to quality of graphics. While bemoaned initially due to what many consider a lackluster main campaign, the Neverwinter Nights games have become central to an older style of gaming because of their pseudo turn-based combat and ease of creating custom content. Many of the classics of the RPG genre have been redone using either the original NWN or the sequel. Some of these – such as the ‘Premium Module’ Wyvern Crown of Cormyr and the excellent Darkness Over Daggerford added innovative features not found in the original game (Cormyr added mounted combat via a jousting game, and Daggerford allowed you a stronghold). The first expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2, Mask of the Betrayer, focused on providing some of the best writing in a game since Planescape: Torment. The recently released second expansion focuses on delivering a classic feeling party-based RPG experience. While I am still fairly early on in the twenty-plus hour campaign, I wanted to provide my first impressions of how they did. more…
Reader Letter – Thanks Halo 3
Posted on December 17th, 2008 by
“dear gamer dad, thank you very much, i am a 12 year old boy and your article about halo convinced my mom it’s an ok game so simply, thanks.”
He’s talking about Halo 3 folks, a game that I feel has been rated too hard by the ESRB. Halo 3 features violence, but we’re talking about aliens and alien blood here. The aliens aren’t even scary except for the Flood, which is kind of upsetting but not at all worse or scarier than the mutant vampires in Will Smith’s I AM LEGEND, a movie rated PG-13. You can see why I’m semi-popular with the teenage crowd. So, how do I feel about this letter then?
GamerFamily Holiday Guide ’08
Posted on December 8th, 2008 by
Turkey Day Gaming
Posted on December 7th, 2008 by
It’s only been a week (or so) since Thanksgiving? How is it that the holiday seems like a really long time ago AND like it arrived in a blip. Hmmm. We did a lot of gaming over the past 10 days or so and I’m glad to say the kids are progressing nicely. I’ll post an artice soon about their “video game training” later, but for now lets say that Maggie (8) has shown a vague interest in games since she was five, and is only getting into it now. Henry latched on at 4.5 and he’s been playing Leapster, DS, and some Wii, for weeks now. Here’s what the GamerDad Family played last week.
2008 GamerDad Holiday Game Guide
Posted on December 5th, 2008 by
Life during the Holiday shopping season is just too busy without having to wade through game review after game review – especially when they aren’t written by actual GamerParents who understand kids gaming habits. Here at GamerDad we believe that there are great games available for kids of all ages – and some games that are more appropriate for one age group than another. Check out each of our Holiday Shopping Guides to see some of the best games we’ve played for each age group.
Unplugged: 2008 Holiday Game Guide
Posted on December 4th, 2008 by
My favorite gaming experiences are almost exclusively multiplayer games. Multiplayer boardgames have an advantage over their electronic cousins as players can face one another as they gather around the game board. In addition to increasing social interaction, boardgames have the advantage of far better longevity. A $50 video game may be in the $10 bargain bin in a few years while a boardgame will retain its value for years to come. Here are some of my favorites I’ve come across in the past year.
Ask GamerDad 11/28/08
Posted on December 1st, 2008 by
The GamerDad went to the Mississippi, European and Japanese fronts, and lets slip the Gears of War!
