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.
River City: Rival Showdown (3DS)
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Posted on December 29th, 2017 by
There’s a popular video game character in Japan named Kunio who has been fighting the good fight for about 30 years now! Kunio is a high school student who is hot-blooded and gets in a lot of fights, but he has a good heart. He mostly stars in a lot of beat-em up games, but also is very athletic and competes in sports titles as well. Many of Kunio’s games have made it to the US, with some graphical and name changes, of course. Some of these include the very first Kunio game, called Renegade in the West. Some of his sports titles that have been brought over here are Super Dodge Ball, World Cup Soccer, and Crash N the Boyz Street Challenge. Even the Double Dragon games have ties to Kunio. But perhaps his most famous game in the US is the NES classic River City Ransom. Over the past year or so, Natsume has brought over some of the more recent Kunio games to the 3DS in the US, and the newest is River City: Rival Showdown. In the game, twin brothers have taken over a neighboring high school and threaten to take over Kunio’s turf. Even worse, Kunio’s best pal and friendly rival Riki has discovered that his girlfriend has gone missing. Kunio only has three days to beat the bad guys and solve the mystery in this 3DS game.
Crawl (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Steam)
Posted on December 28th, 2017 by
Crawl is a pixelated, crazy action rouge-like game (reminiscent of Vs Pac Man) where one player explores and the others control the monsters, taking a turn at being an explorer if they manage to kill him. While an explorer, players level up experience and gain gold. Gold can be spent at a shop to improve one’s items and abilities. While monsters, players gather up “rage” and can spend it to upgrade their monsters. The first person to level their explorer up to level 10 and make it back to the start will warp out of the dungeon and “win” the game. Working well with up to 4 players on the same console, Crawl is another great multiplayer title on the Switch (Switch version reviewed here.)
The Next Penelope: Race to Odysseus (Switch, PC)
Posted on December 28th, 2017 by
The Next Penelope is like a cross between a top down racer like Super Sprint, mixed with the high speed action of an F-Zero game. The story combines intergalactic battle racing with Greek mythology, but the plot doesn’t really enhance the gameplay much. And no, this game is not about Wacky Races’ Penelope Pitstop. You’ll compete in all sorts of super-difficult racing and battle missions as you progress through levels around the galaxy. The Next Penelope is available to download on Nintendo Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
SUPERBEAT XONiC (Switch, PS4, Vita, Xbox One)
Posted on December 27th, 2017 by
SUPERBEAT XONiC is a music and rhythm game featuring a wide selection of international techno songs. Icons will move from the middle of the screen outward, and when they reach a line, you must hit the correct button in time with the music. It’s available for nearly all current game consoles, but reviewed on Switch here.
Poi: Explorer Edition (Switch)
Posted on December 26th, 2017 by
You are either a boy or girl orphan who dreams of going on an adventure. One day you meet up with an old man who has an airship. He is a former explorer, but lost all his Explorer Medals in a violent storm many years ago. Now it’s your job to explore the land of Poi and help the old man get his medals back. Poi: Explorer Edition is a 3-D platformer that hearkens back to the days of the N64 and GameCube, where colorful 3-D collect-a-thon platformers were at their peak.
More Fire Emblem amiibo
Posted on December 25th, 2017 by
I got a couple more amiibo figures I thought I’d show off here. These are Fire Emblem characters that were released to coincide with the new Fire Emblem Warriors games. I don’t really play Fire Emblem games or know much about the characters, so you’ll have to forgive my lack of knowledge and short blog here.
Super Beat Sports (Switch)
Posted on December 22nd, 2017 by
Some may say that many skills in sports require a rhythmic action to them, and now you can put that statement to the test with Super Beat Sports. It’s a music/rhythm game with a sports theme and you can download it on the Nintendo Switch. In the game you play as a human who travels to a whimsical alien world where they play sports based on music and rhythm. It’s cute and quirky and reminds me a bit of the Rhythm Heaven game series (those games even had golf and ping pong rhythm games).
Unplugged: Holiday Guide 2017
Posted on December 21st, 2017 by
Happy Holidays! Boardgaming has had a serious upsurge in the past few years, and there’s no better time to get into the hobby than an extended holiday break. As we at GamerDad have done for the past 15+ years, it’s time for an annual rundown of recent boardgames well worth your time. Nothing beats the social aspect of in-person gaming with friends. Last year’s run-down is a great list of recommended games. Here again are some great examples of boardgames to get you and your family gaming. You might not find all these titles at your local mega-mart but many can be found online or in a friendly local game store. Some may argue $50+ boardgames are expensive, but compare that to videogaming (and where multiple copies are required for multiplayer play) and the economics of boardgaming shows their true value. Good boardgames are timeless, just as good today as they will be years in the future. They will provide many more hours of entertainment than most video games. In that vein, feel free to delve into some past year’s guides for 2015, 2014 , 2013 , or 2012.
Party Planet (Switch)
Posted on December 21st, 2017 by
Aside from 1-2 Switch, there’s not a lot of multiplayer mini-game party titles on the Nintendo Switch, at least not that I’m aware anyway. Which is a little surprising, considering Nintendo’s recent console history. But now, Party Planet is here to fill that void for Switch owners this Christmas season. It’s a collection of 30 mini-games for up to four players, and can be played solo, cooperatively, or competitively.
Steven Universe: Save the Light (PS4, Xbox One)
Posted on December 20th, 2017 by
There is quite a dedicated fanbase for Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe series. And there’s yet ANOTHER new game out based on the franchise. Steven Universe: Save the Light is actually a sequel to a mobile game I reviewed a couple of years ago called Attack the Light, which was on mobile devices. It’s unusual for a mobile game to get a sequel on a console, but that’s just what happened here, as Save the Light is available to download on PS4 and Xbox One (PS4 version reviewed here).
