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.
Somos (iOS, Android, PC)
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Posted on December 12th, 2018 by
The idea behind Somos couldn’t be any simpler. You are a dot. Tap the left side of the screen to move your dot to the right, and tap the right side of the screen to move your dot to the left. You must do this to avoid obstacles and try to keep your dot from being hit. Sometimes you must tap on objects to clear them away from your dot’s side as well. And that’s all there really is to it. It’s available to download on mobile devices and PC free to start, but reviewed on iPad here.
Save Me, Mr. Tako (Switch, PC)
Posted on December 10th, 2018 by
With titles like Shovel Knight and The Messenger, 8-bit NES styled games are all the rage. But you don’t see too many retro revivals in the style of the old black and white Game Boy. Which is a little strange since that handheld produced a lot of classics like Super Mario Land, Tetris, Kirby, and even Pokémon! Heck, my number one favorite Zelda game: Link’s Awakening, was on the Game Boy. But now comes Save Me, Mr. Tako, which is styled just like a Game Boy game and could’ve been a real classic had it been released back then. You play as (mostly) an octopus named Tako (Tako is octopus in Japanese). The humans and octopuses are at war, but when Tako rescues a human girl, he must decide which side to stand for, and save the world in the process. The game plays like a 2-D platformer, similar to titles like Kirby or Starfy (but much harder). It’s available to download on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas (Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
Posted on December 7th, 2018 by
Skylanders, amiibo, and LEGO Dimensions pioneered the whole ‘toys to life’ game genre, but Ubisoft is taking it out of this world with Starlink: Battle for Atlas. Customize different spaceships with pilots, wings, and weapons, and then play as them in this sci-fi space battle action adventure game. It’s available for Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, but reviewed on Switch here. And I think the game is best optimized on the Switch, as you’ll see why if you keep reading!
Pac-Man Red Bull
Posted on December 5th, 2018 by
I don’t really like canned energy drinks, so I don’t even look at them when I’m at the grocery store. Luckily a relative saw these (good eye, Mom), and got me a couple of these cans of Red Bull with Pac-Man on them, so I’m going to show them to you all here and explain why they have Pac-Man on them in the first place!
Nintendo Hallmark Christmas Ornaments
Posted on December 3rd, 2018 by
Christmas is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than with some Nintendo themed Christmas ornaments you can get at Hallmark! I managed to get them all, and there’s a nice variety of them, so let’s check them out!
The Legend of Zelda Astro Gaming Headset
Posted on November 30th, 2018 by
Astro Gaming is one of the leading makers of gaming headphones, and now they’ve made one featuring The Legend of Zelda. Let’s take a look at it, as well as another headset celebrating the 10th anniversary of Astro Gaming’s A40 model, too!
Bunnymare: Circus Escape (iOS, Google Play)
Posted on November 28th, 2018 by
A troop of weird, bunny puppet things live at a circus, but a cruel ringmaster mistreats them when they don’t perform well and locks them up in a cage at night. One night, one of the bunnies finds a magic hat with a portal to some kind of happy candy farm. Now you must help the bunnies escape in this Lemmings-like action puzzler. It’s available free-to-play on mobile devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Night Slashers (Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
Posted on November 26th, 2018 by
Back in the 90’s, side scrolling beat ‘em ups were a dime a dozen. Most of them had a modern day street gang theme, but some strayed from the norm with sci-fi or fantasy tropes. But I don’t remember too many horror themed beat ‘em ups. But here comes Night Slashers, which is just that. It’s from the now defunct Data East, but I don’t remember it in arcades back then. I would say it was Japan only, but there is English text. So I guess the arcades around me just didn’t carry it. Anyway, now you can download it on the Switch (and later other consoles).
LEGO DC Super Villains (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on November 23rd, 2018 by
In one of the early LEGO Batman games, one of the best parts was that after you beat the main story mode, you could go back and play as the bad guys. And now there’s a whole game featuring a cascade of DC Comics villains in LEGO form. In many comics, like Batman, oftentimes the bad guys are more interesting than the heroes themselves. In the new LEGO game, Lex Luthor is breaking out of prison and the Joker is on a crime spree. But when the Justice League try and stop them, the heroes mysteriously disappear, only to be replaced by new ones called the Justice Syndicate. But are these new heroes really all they seem to be? Either way, Lex Luthor, the Joker, Harley Quinn, and the rest of the bad guys are going to have their hands full in this new LEGO game. It’s available on nearly all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Heavy Fire: Red Shadow (PS4, PSVR, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on November 21st, 2018 by
In the not-to-distant future, North Korea and the United States are at war. You play the part of a US army gunner, and you must defend your post with your turret armed with machine guns and rocket launchers. Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s also compatible with PSVR, but since I don’t have any VR equipment, it’s just reviewed on PS4 here.
