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.
Dreamworks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders (Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
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Posted on March 15th, 2019 by
The final installment in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy just hit theaters recently, and now you can have even more adventures with your favorite dragons and Vikings with Dawn of New Riders. It’s available on most current home consoles, but reviewed on Switch here. Even though there are events from the third movie happening in this game, Dawn of New Riders is a whole new adventure. In this game, you play as Scribbler, a Viking scholar who has lost his memory. He finds himself on an island refuge for dragons and must fend off trappers. He finds a dragon egg that soon hatches into a new friend: Patch. Together, Scribbler and Patch embark on a 2-D top down Zelda-like adventure to save the dragons. Along the way, they’ll meet up with several familiar characters from the movies and cartoon series, including Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, and more!
Crocs, Climbers, and Carnivorous Plants, Oh My!
Posted on March 13th, 2019 by
I got a new batch of amiibo figures recently. These include two of the newly added characters to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as one returning from a previous game in the series. So let’s take a look at them!
Spike Volleyball (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on March 11th, 2019 by
As far as sports video games are concerned, there’s not a whole lot out there for indoor volleyball. Oh sure there are a few beach volleyball games here and there. In fact, one of my favorite sports games is SEGA’s Beach Spikers on the GameCube. But now there is a new indoor volleyball game with Spike Volleyball for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (reviewed on PS4 here).
Mercury Learning Books
Posted on March 8th, 2019 by
When I was at PAX South, I visited Mercury Learning Books. They publish all sorts of books about game design, and I got the opportunity to review a couple of them. So here we’ll take a look at three books I got. The first is Classic Game Design, which teaches you how to make examples of popular early arcade games. The second book is Video Game Writing, which explains what to expect if you go into that field. The third book is a treat, as I had my dad, Randy Woodham, review it here! It’s Basic Electronics: Theory and Practice! So let’s dive in and take a look at each book!
Sennheiser GSP 550 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset
Posted on March 6th, 2019 by
Even though I mostly write game reviews, I’ve also written reviews on gaming accessories ever since my days at The Dallas Morning News more than 20 years ago. And I think the Sennheiser GSP 550 gaming headset is probably one of the most high end headsets I’ve ever reviewed. So if you do a lot of PC gaming and take it very seriously, you may want to check out this review and see if this headset is right for you.
Glass Masquerade (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC, Mobile)
Posted on March 4th, 2019 by
In Glass Masquerade, you put together pieces of a stained-glass window to form a clock face. So yeah, it’s a jigsaw puzzle. It’s available to download on nearly all current gaming devices, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Cary Wrecks Winter Movies!
Posted on March 1st, 2019 by
At the end of summer, I usually see enough movies that season that I can write a blog about them. And sometimes during the winter, I see enough movies to do that, too! And this is one of those times! So here are my impressions of new movies I’ve seen in the past few months. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but in case a small one seeps out here and there, you’ve been warned! OK let’s begin!
JackQuest: The Tale of the Sword (PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on February 27th, 2019 by
One day, Jack and his girlfriend are sitting under a tree when all of a sudden, a giant green hand comes out from the earth, grabs Jack’s lady, and takes her underground. Jack hops into the hole to rescue her and discovers a maze of caves and monsters. But luckily he also finds a giant sword that can talk, so now he must explore the caverns and dispatch monsters to save his sweetheart. JackQuest: The Tale of the Sword is a 2-D 16-bit style platformer with exploration elements similar to Metroid. It’s available for nearly all current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
A Coin-Op Arcade on My Desk
Posted on February 26th, 2019 by
No office desk is complete without a desk toy to help you through the slow times of the day. For anyone raised in the heyday of video game arcades, the folks at My Arcade are there for you. They offer a line of nostalgic classic videogames in realistic arcade cabinets that are small enough to fit on one’s desk. Some of the biggest names in early arcade history are available in a handheld portable Pocket Player, as a 7” tall arcade-shaped Micro Player, or the top-of-the-line 10” tall Data East Mini Player. Sure, they’re fun to play, but I get a smile simply seeing it there on my desk.
Pikuniku (Switch, PC)
Posted on February 25th, 2019 by
In this game you are a little red dot with eyes and wiggly legs. Kind of like an unevolved 7up Spot. After emerging from a cave, you enter a colorful world full of other cute little critters. But these folks are being tricked by an evil pink cloud who wants to take over their land, and it’s up to you to save the day. Pikuniku is an indie 2-D puzzle platformer downloadable on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
