GamerDad and family 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.
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Pac-Man Pop! (iOS, Android)

POP_BOXSo what happens when you combine my all-time favorite video game (Pac-Man), with one of my favorite puzzle game series (Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble).  You get Pac-Man Pop!  It’s a new free-to-play puzzler downloadable on iOS and Android devices (reviewed on iPad here).  So you know I had to check it out!

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Axiom Verge (Wii U, PS4, Vita, Xbox One, PC)

AXIOM_BOXSo Federation Force may not have been the Metroid game that fans wanted, but luckily you can get your 2-D Metroid-style game fix in with Axiom Verge.  In the game you play as Trace, a scientist who gets caught in an explosion in a lab in New Mexico.  But instead of dying or winding up in a hospital, you are transported to an alien world, and it’s up to you to survive, explore, and find out how you got there in the first place.  Axiom Verge is a 2-D platforming 16-bit style game very similar to Super Metroid on the SNES.  It’s available for download on nearly all current consoles, but reviewed on Wii U here.

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Woody: Endless Summer (iOS, Android)

WOODY_BOXSummer may be over, but you can still enjoy the season with a wakeboarding dog!  Yup, they made a game about a wakeboarding dog.  Now I’ve seen everything.  Help Woody the dog avoid obstacles and collect coins in this free-to-play action game downloadable on iOS and Android (reviewed on iPhone here).

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Solitairica (iOS, PC)

SOLITAIRICA_BOXThis isn’t your typical Solitaire game!  It’s a mix of the familiar single player card classic mixed with RPG battle elements!  Fight the monster armies of Emperor Stuck by challenging crazy characters.  It’s available to download on iOS and PC, but reviewed on iPad here.

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Picross 3D: Round 2 (3DS)

PICROSS_BOXYou may know HAL Laboratory best for their excellent Smash Bros. and Kirby series, but they’re no slouch when it comes to puzzle games either.  They made the downloadable 3DS BoxBoy games, the original Picross 3D on the DS, and old fart gamers like me may remember the NES Adventures of Lolo series, all done by HAL.  And now they’ve done it again with Picross 3D: Round 2, downloadable on the 3DS.

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Star Trek: The Boardgame Generation – Episode Two

As wfranklin-mint-star-trek-50th-anniversary-3d-chess-set-1e celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise, “Trek-ifiying” things is rampant and the world of boardgaming is no exception.  While there are probably Star Trek versions of Monopoly, Risk, and Trivial Pursuit, I intend to take a look at Star Trek versions of games popular with boardgame hobbyists.  These games, sometimes called Eurogames (since they are popular in Europe) or designer boardgames (as the game designers are recognized for their efforts just like authors or directors) are popular as they emphasize player interaction and minimize luck and player elimination.  Episode 2 deals with a couple games best for more serious strategy gamers.

 

 

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Shadow Archer (Wii U)

SHADOW_BOXShadow Archer is like something you’d play back on the NES or in an arcade from the 80’s.  You play as a dark elven archer who must shoot arrows at an onslaught of spiders and spirits who have invaded a night forest clearing.  You can tell the developers were trying to recreate a simple game from a simpler time in gaming.  It’s available to download on Wii U.

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Star Trek: The Boardgame Generation – Episode one

Leonard_Nimoy_William_Shatner_Star_Trek_1968As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise, “Trek-ifiying” things is rampant and the world of boardgaming is no exception. While there are probably Star Trek versions of Monopoly, Risk, and Trivial Pursuit, I intend to take a look at Star Trek versions of games popular with boardgame hobbyists. These games, sometimes called Eurogames (since they are popular in Europe) or designer boardgames (as the game designers are recognized for their efforts just like authors or directors) are popular as they emphasize player interaction and minimize luck and player elimination.

 

 

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George of the Jungle: Owie Owie (iOS, Android)

GEORGE_BOXI’m a big fan of Jay Ward Studios, and I even used to know someone who worked there.  So what is Jay Ward Studios?  Well they made a pretty well-known cartoon called Rocky and Bullwinkle.  They also did a lot of animated advertising, and created a pretty popular cereal character.  You may not remember Quisp and Quake, but you might recall a certain seafaring gentleman known as Cap’n Crunch.  Another cartoon they did back in the day was George of the Jungle.  Despite having two dopey live action movies and a lousy animated remake, George still has one of the catchiest theme songs on TV.  So when I read about a George of the Jungle free-to-play downloadable game on iOS and Android (reviewed on iPad here), I was mildly curious. 

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Reader Review: Style Savvy: Fashion Forward (3DS)

STYLE_BOXStyle Savvy is a fashion designer video game published by Nintendo.  The newest entry in the series, Fashion Forward, was recently released on 3DS.  Ali Capasso, a good friend of mine and also an accomplished elementary school teacher, reviewed this game for me.  She’s also the wife of Leroy Capasso, another very good friend of mine who has written reviews here for me before.  Anyway, Ali is a huge fan of the Style Savvy games, so you’ll definitely want to click here to read her review!

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