Beyond the ESRB
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Posted on November 18th, 2008 by
Recently, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (the body that rates the games) announced that they would – finally – add more detail about why games get the ratings they do. This is something I’ve been advocating for my entire career and it took them 5 years, but they finally did it. So why didn’t I post about it? Sour grapes isn’t the right word and I don’t feel slighted or wounded really – I’m just disappointed. Here’s why…
Mirror’s Edge
Posted on November 18th, 2008 by
Mirror’s Edge is the kind of game I hate because of how much I love it. (Portal is another great example.) These are games that thrill me with their style or uniqueness while making me want to break the record for how fast you can throw a controlleragainst a wall. I’m about halfway through and stuck in Mirror’s Edge, stuck in a way that makes me want to NEVER start the game again … but I know that’s not true. I’ll break eventually. Mirror’s Edge is too interesting and cool for me to be able to ignore it completely.
Pac-Man Christmas Ornament
Posted on November 15th, 2008 by
In my 10+ years reviewing video games for various publications, I’ve written about some pretty weird stuff. When I was writing for the Dallas newspaper, Chex cereal at one point included a prize in every box: a PC game called Chex Quest (a family friendly Doom clone). Thinking it would never be published, I wrote a review of it as kind of a joke. But the joke was on me because the newspaper actually published it and it garnered some pretty positive feedback! Later, when I was also writing reviews of video game accessories and gadgets, they had me review a PlayStation memory card that was shaped like Lara Croft. I mean, how do you review that? I wanted to say, “It’s the only memory card with breasts,” but this was a family newspaper so I wisely used some restraint. And then there was the time where I wrote The Grinch video game review entirely in rhyme. Well today I’m going to continue that tradition of writing reviews of weird stuff with the Hallmark Pac-Man Christmas Ornament!
Happy Veterans Day
Posted on November 11th, 2008 by
It’s Veterans Day. This day has usually been marked pretty quietly at my house. Most of our family’s involvement in the military was in the past and those men had passed on, so the bulk of our remembrances have been for Memorial Day.
But now my eldest son is in the Army, and has been through a tour of duty. His best friend is in the Navy. Among the gang who I used to clutter my foyer with huge sneakers every weekend there are two Marines, two more Navy people (both girls), and another guy in the Army. My brother-in-law is a Navy vet. Veterans Day isn’t only a day off school at my house anymore.
more…
Air Traffic Chaos DS
Posted on November 10th, 2008 by
Air Traffic Chaos takes the nightmarishly tense world of “pushing tin,” that is, managing giant aircraft with hundreds of lives at stake that are, at the same time, approaching, departing, landing, taking off, and circling above. It’s the kind of job that turns people into jelly or leads to early heart failure – so why not simulate it as the backdrop to a puzzle game?
Game Review: The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga (PS2, PSP, Wii)
Posted on November 10th, 2008 by
Arcade game maker SNK is best known for its 2-D one-on-one fighters. And now you can enjoy one of their longest running fighting game series with The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga for the PS2, PSP, and Wii. This collection contains five KOF games: KOF 94-98, along with special challenges and unlockable bonus material.
Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon Wii/DS
Posted on November 6th, 2008 by
Spyro the cute little purple dragon is back with The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, a 3D game that promises flight, fire, and fearsome foes. Spyro and his friend have to save their world using elemental magic powers and players have to switch between the two characters frequently to get through the game. In what should be a standard feature in every game aimed at families, they offer drop-in cooperative gameplay. Yep, at any time a more (or less) skilled player can drop in to give the youngster a hand and then jump back out again to continue making dinner. Content review comes in Wii and portable DS versions.
GD Keynote: Reviewed Part 2
Posted on November 6th, 2008 by
The American Library Association’s Official Gaming Blog posted a summary review of my keynote: “Andrew Bub, parent and game reviewer and creator of the site Gamer Dad promised that by the end of the session we would all be gamers. He built on comments from our other kyenote speakers: that everytime a new art form enters our media, hysteria ensues. Movies, horror comics, rock & roll, even penny dreadfuls etc. The video game discussion always seems to boil down to violent or catharsis? Perhaps Nintendo did a disservice by promoting the concept that video games are for kids.”GD: Again, thank you kindly ALA – I recommend clicking in. It’s a great summary.
GD Keynote: Reviewed Part 1
Posted on November 6th, 2008 by
Greg Landgraf of the AL Inside Scoop (the blog for the magazine for the American Library Association) reviewed my Keynote at the Gaming Libraries and Learning Symposium:“GamerDad was born of my frustration at what passes for common sense in the media,” explained Bub, particularly in the wake of the Columbine shootings, where the media treated the fact that the shooters played Doom as a cause of their actions, rather than observing that most kids did. GD: Here’s the article. It dramatically shows that I reached them, I think, and maybe taught them a few things about gamers. All in a days work. We’ll have the video soon. Promise! Oh, here’s another review!
Soul Bubbles DS
Posted on November 5th, 2008 by
Soul Bubbles is exclusively sold at Toys R Us, which is shame because the game literally feels like a breath of fresh air (assuming you don’t have halitosis) in that you blow into the microphone to play the game. Soul Bubbles is a gentle game. The protagonist is a strange little cherubic creature who’s job it is to shepherd lost souls to the underworld. The souls are fragile, so he creates bubbles to protect them and guide them through ever-increasingly complex and hazard-ridden mazes. Click here for the content review.
