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.
Two or More (iOS)
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Posted on November 28th, 2016 by
You’ve probably played a variation of this puzzler and not even realized it. In Two or More, the field is full of colored squares. You must drag your finger across as many adjacent same colored blocks as you can. When you do, they’ll disappear and you’ll get points. Only difference between this and the many others like it is that in this one, you must make a path with your finger, not just tap on the squares, so you may not be able to clear all the squares depending on how they are arranged. So it’s a bit trickier. Two or More is available free-to-play (two bucks will remove the ads, though) for download on iOS devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics (Book)
Posted on November 25th, 2016 by
The 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System was literally a game changer. It helped bring the video game industry out of a slump in the mid-80’s. And for many children at the time (myself included), the NES was a household name. You didn’t just play video games, you played Nintendo. To honor that excellent time in gaming, Prima Games has just released a new book: Playing With Power: Nintendo NES Classics. It features games published by Nintendo for the NES, as well as strategies for select games, probably to coincide with the NES Classic Edition (a smaller NES shaped device with 30 games inside) which was recently released as well (sadly, as of this writing, I have not been able to find one of those).
New Mario Series Amiibo
Posted on November 23rd, 2016 by
Hey folks. Just got a new batch of Nintendo amiibo figures. This time they’re of more Mario characters. This set includes Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Boo. Let’s check them out!
Pokémon Visual Companion: 2nd Edition (Book)
Posted on November 21st, 2016 by
With the popularity of the mobile game Pokémon Go, recently released Pokémon Sun and Moon on the 3DS, and a new series of the anime cartoon soon to be airing on Disney XD, Pokémon is bigger than ever. So if you have a young fan of the Pokémon cartoon around the house, you may want to check out this nice hardcover book! It chronicles the adventures of Ash and his friends in the cartoon, as well as which Pokémon they’ve caught and battled, what gear they use, who they’ve met and where they’ve been.
Pathfinder RPG Fall 2016: Smaller and More Evil
Posted on November 19th, 2016 by
The theme for all things Pathfinder this fall has been dark and deadly supplements to the game to bring a bit of horror to player’s games. Supplements have been released featuring the covert shenanigans and evil organizations found in Ultimate Intrigue and Villain Codex, the dank and dark setting found in Horror Adventures, and the dark ghostly burdens found in the Haunted Hero Handbook. It is as if the teenaged(1) Pathfinder RPG has entered its Goth stage. There is even a release of miniatures, Deadly Foes, designed to complement these dark tales of woe. Aside from the darker side, the Pathfinder rulebooks have taken a page from cell phone technology and have been shrunk into easier-to-carry paperback editions.
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice (3DS)
Posted on November 18th, 2016 by
Strange fissures have appeared in the Sonic Boom world, and while trying to seal them up, Sonic and Amy discover that the radiation from the fissures has affected their armband communicators, and now allows the team to have fire and ice attacks. Using their new abilities, Sonic and Co. must track down the source of the fissures (most likely Dr. Eggman), and save their world from strange weather anomalies in this 2-D platforming adventure based on the computer animated TV show.
Dragon Quest Builders (PS4, Vita, PS3)
Posted on November 17th, 2016 by
Dragon Quest Builders mixes the classic Japanese RPG game with the sandbox elements of Minecraft. Combined, they create a story-oriented game that focuses on exploration, combat, and world building. By harvesting resources through exploration and combat, you must use your unique “builder” abilities to save the kingdom. Along the way, you encounter new characters who will join you in your self-made expanding village. Dragon Quest Builders provides Dragon Quest fans a unique take on the Dragon Quest realm (known as Dragon Warriors in the U.S.) and it provides Minecraft (or Terraria) fans a more story focused game. Like combining peanut butter or chocolate, fans of either should find the combination pleasing to the palate.
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LEGO Dimensions Mission Impossible Level Pack
Posted on November 16th, 2016 by
The first Mission Impossible movie came out way back in 1996. I remember watching it, and it was a decent action flick, but it didn’t compel me to watch any of the sequels. Plus, even though the TV show it was based on was a little before my time, I seem to remember it focusing more on teamwork between the agents, while the movie was just “Tom Cruise Does Everything.” But the movie was certainly popular enough to spawn sequels. And now, your mission, if you choose to build it, is to check out the Mission Impossible Level Pack for LEGO Dimensions. The game is available for nearly all current game consoles, but reviewed on Wii U here.
Wayward Sky (PSVR)
Posted on November 15th, 2016 by
Touted as a Playstation exclusive, Wayward Sky is a fun little puzzle game that shows off the Playstation VR technology in a beginner friendly format. The game plays like a mix of a standard puzzle video game somehow mixed into a 3D dollhouse sized setting. It provides a fun puzzle experience that isn’t demanding but does show off the 3D aspects of the technology while staying away from experiences that might cause motion sickness. While the game is short, playable in just a few hours, it provides an excellent experience throughout. It holds up as one of the best “beginner” games for the PS VR release, an excellent fit for family-friendly gaming.
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Pirate Pop Plus (Wii U, 3DS)
Posted on November 14th, 2016 by
Thanks to the success of games like Shovel Knight, there are now many others out there trying to recreate the charm and look of older 8-bit titles. But hardly any attention is given to the monochrome handheld look of what was on the original Game Boy. That is until now, with Pirate Pop Plus. It looks like something out of that era, and even the border looks like the sides of a handheld! In the game, Pete Jr. finds that the Bubble Pirate has trapped villagers in bubbles, and it’s up to you to pop them with your anchor in this game that plays very similarly to arcade classic Buster Bros. (also called Pang in some parts of the world). It’s available as a cross-buy for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS, meaning if you buy it on one system, you can download it on the other without having to pay for it again. Pirate Pop Plus is reviewed on the Wii U here.
