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.
Cartoon Network Battle Crashers (3DS, PS4, Xbox One)
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Posted on December 19th, 2016 by
Uncle Grandpa accidentally shifts his RV into Dimension Break gear and ends up crashing through all sorts of Cartoon Network worlds. Now it’s up to him, Steven Universe, Finn and Jake from Adventure Time, Gumball, Clarence, and Mordecai and Rigby from Regular Show to fight enemies across all their universes in this arcade style action sidescrolling beat ‘em up. It’s available for 3DS, PS4, and Xbox One, but reviewed on 3DS here.
Flick em Up or Cool Penguins – Dexterity Games
Posted on December 17th, 2016 by
As you look through your holiday lists, don’t forget to include a good boardgame or two. Aside from eating together (also highly encouraged,) there are very few activities requiring people to interact face to face. Not everyone is all that interested in a heavy thinking game, and there are a whole line of simple dexterity games that are great fun for all ages. The following is a list of what I call ‘flicking games,’ games that involve players flicking wooden (plastic in some cases) pieces around a playing area as the main objective. Some are straightforward while others require a bit more than just manual dexterity.
Cary’s VR Game Wishlist
Posted on December 16th, 2016 by
Virtual Reality is nothing new. Back in the 90’s, when 3-D graphics were getting a little more commonplace in games, we got to see its infancy in the form of special arcade games and failed consoles like the Virtual Boy. It even entered the realm of movies and TV with films like The Lawnmower Man and kids shows such as VR Troopers. Fast forward to the present, where technology has advanced exponentially, and VR has made a bit of a comeback, with games on PC and even consoles like the PlayStation. So I started thinking about games that I would like to play in VR. Here’s my list:
Ninja Usagimaru: The Mysterious Karakuri Castle (3DS)
Posted on December 14th, 2016 by
A rabbit-eared ninja named Usagimaru sets out to save villagers who have been captured by evil Oni in this puzzle platform adventure. It has a mythical Japanese look and feel, and plays similar to other classic platform puzzlers like Solomon’s Key. It’s available to download on the Nintendo 3DS.
Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky (PS4, Vita)
Posted on December 12th, 2016 by
A group of high schoolers from Tokyo get involved in a serious accident (a huge hole appears in a road). But instead of winding up dead, the bunch of teenagers ends up in a strange world full of floating islands, monstrous creatures, and a huge tower. Now they must fight to uncover the truth as to why they’re there, and stop evil forces along the way in this anime styled RPG. It’s available for Sony’s PS4 and Vita, but reviewed on the Vita here.
Just Dance 2017 (Wii U, Wii, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, 360, PC)
Posted on December 9th, 2016 by
Ubisoft’s popular dance game series’ most recent entry is out, with new features and of course, new songs. It’s available for nearly all the current game consoles (even the Wii), but reviewed on Wii U here. The biggest new feature is the ability to use your smartphone as a controller. Just download the Just Dance app and make sure your console is connected to the Internet. I didn’t try using my smartphone myself, as my phone is a bit old and Wii remotes are easier for me to figure out. But I imagine more people have smartphones than Wii remotes, so more people can join in on the fun with this game!
Chase: Cold Case Investigations -Distant Memories- (3DS)
Posted on December 7th, 2016 by
This is a downloadable text adventure game where you play as two police detectives in Tokyo. You’ll crack cold cases, which are crimes that haven’t been solved in a long time. Aside from reading a lot, you’ll interview suspects and witnesses, as well as investigate crime scenes using the 3DS touch screen and stylus.
Tumblestone (Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on December 5th, 2016 by
Tumblestone is a puzzle game that hearkens back to the puzzlers that had a bit of a boon in the late 80’s and 90’s. When you see it, you may think of games like Puzzle Bobble, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Cleopatra Fortune, or Magical Drop (especially Magical Drop). The top of your well playfield is covered with colored blocks, and you move a character around on the bottom. Line them up to a block at the top and press a button to take it away and it’ll move to the top of the screen. Then you must match two more squares of the same color before you can repeat the process again. So yeah, it really reminded me of Magical Drop, except less arcade-y and more cerebral. It’s available to download on computers, Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U, but you can also get physical disc copies of it on the PS4 and Wii U. That version on the Wii U is what’s reviewed here.
Skylanders Imaginators (PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, 360)
Posted on December 2nd, 2016 by
Skylanders is super huge here at GamerDad.com, as it is the first of the ‘toys to life’ games to come out. The game series is extremely popular, with a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon and now a new cartoon on Netflix. And now they’ve released the sixth main game in the series! Have you ever wanted to create your own Skylander? Nah, me neither. But when I was a kid, I doodled all sorts of Pac-Man mazes in my school notebook, and created all sorts of imaginary Mega Man bosses. So I imagine kids today would definitely be into creating their own Skylanders. And that’s just what you do in Skylanders Imaginators. It’s available for nearly all the current home game consoles, but reviewed on PS3 here.
Runbow Deluxe Edition (Wii U, 3DS)
Posted on November 30th, 2016 by
Last year, one of the most popular (and fun) downloadable indie games on the Wii U eShop was Runbow. Now you can get it in a physical disc form, with all the DLC and added extras included! There’s also a version called Runbow Pocket Deluxe Edition for the 3DS, but we’re reviewing the Wii U version here. Runbow is a competitive 2-D platformer for up to nine players, and it has a colorful twist. Every second or so, the background will change to a different color, and any platforms or walls that are that same color will blend into the background and disappear, so you’ll have to stay on your toes!
