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.
Ninja Strike: Dangerous Dash (Wii U)
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Posted on November 18th, 2015 by
Ninja Strike: Dangerous Dash is a continuous runner just like what you’d find on a mobile device. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where this game started. But thanks to Natsume, now you can download it on your Wii U. Play as a ninja and run as far as you can while defeating and avoiding enemies, as well as nabbing treasure, coins, and power-ups.
Care Bears: Belly Match (iOS, Android)
Posted on November 16th, 2015 by
When I was a kid in the 80’s, Care Bears were pretty popular for a little while. They even had a couple of animated movies! (And the first one was surprisingly dark if I remember correctly.) Well, apparently the Care Bears are still around, because now you can play a free Match-3 puzzler featuring the Bears who don’t wear their emotions on their sleeves, but on their bellies instead! One day, Grumpy Bear was in such a bad mood that he accidentally caused a storm to split up Care-A-Lot! Now you must help Grumpy piece the land back together somehow by matching the different symbols on the Care Bears’ bellies, similar to other games like Bejeweled or Candy Crush. Care Bears: Belly Match is available to download on iOS and Android devices, but reviewed on iPad here.
Disney Infinity 3.0 (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC)
Posted on November 14th, 2015 by
Combining much of the best of past years with some new improvements, the newest Disney Infinity game is a worthy successor. In its third year, and creatively titled Disney Infinity 3.0, it is the newest incarnation of one of the two powerhouses of the hybrid toy figurine-videogame hybrids. Whereas the Skylander line has focused on unique characters and an engaging storyline, Disney Infinity relies on its huge back catalogue of well-known characters to bring into its game. Just in time for the upcoming movie release, Infinity version 3.0 has the pleasure of presenting the Star Wars universe.
Amiibo…Amii-whoa!
Posted on November 13th, 2015 by
Here’s another blog where I show off my Amiibo figure collection additions. This time we have the Classic 3-Pack, a couple of Amiibo figures included in recent games, and some exclusives I thought I wouldn’t be able to get! So let’s check them out!
Race the Sun (Wii U, PC)
Posted on November 11th, 2015 by
Race the Sun is one of those 3-D endless runners/flyers that’s all the rage now on mobile devices and such. You pilot a solar powered flying machine and must glide as far as you can without crashing into anything or staying in the shade too long, causing you to stop completely. But be careful as the sun is setting, and the shadows get longer and bigger. How long can you last against the sun? Race the Sun has been available on PC for a while, but now you can download it on Wii U as well, which is the console I’m reviewing it on.
Freedom Planet (Wii U, PC)
Posted on November 9th, 2015 by
There hasn’t really been a very good Sonic the Hedgehog game in the past 10 years or so. Sonic Generations and Sonic 4 almost got it, but they weren’t quite there. So if you miss the classic 2-D Sonic games of old, you’re in luck. There’s a new game in town that plays like those classics, and it’s not even made by Sonic Team or SEGA! The game is Freedom Planet, and it’s a fast-action 2-D platformer with lots of loops and thrills and awesome bosses! It was a hit last year on Steam, and now you can download it on the Wii U as well. It’s a perfect fit on the Wii U system, and that’s the console I played it on for this review.
Unplugged: The Star Wars RPG – Force and Destiny
Posted on November 7th, 2015 by
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set to appear a month from now. Aside from repeatedly watching the film’s trailers, how will a Star Wars fan manage to occupy their time? Enter the Star Wars Role Playing Game from Fantasy Flight Games. A story-oriented game, it features streamlined rules so that player actions aren’t bogged down with complicated rules. Many aspects of combat, such as range, are abstracted and most actions are quickly resolved with a simple roll of custom dice. The core rules have been released in three different settings, with the newest one, Force and Destiny, focusing on force sensitive characters under the Empire’s rule (Episodes IV through VI.)
Cary’s Top Five Favorite Autobots and Decepticons!
Posted on November 6th, 2015 by
Recently I reviewed Transformers Devastation, and it got me to thinking about the franchise. When I was a kid in the 80’s, I was pretty big into Transformers for a couple of years. Ever since I was a kid I always wanted a GOOD Transformers game that was truly based on the cartoon. And now we finally got one with Transformers: Devastation (although I still like Fall of Cybertron better). So in honor of the release of this long-awaited game, here’s a blog about my top five favorite Autobots (good guys) and Decepticons (bad guys).
Transformers: Devastation (360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, PC)
Posted on November 5th, 2015 by
When I was a kid, I was big into Transformers. I played with the toys and watched the old cartoon from the 80’s. It took nearly 30 years for us to get a GOOD Transformers video game, and even then, they weren’t based on the toys and cartoon I loved. But now, finally, there is a game based on the cartoon I watched as a kid, and it even has many of the same voice actors, too! Transformers: Devastation is a 3-D action game from famed game makers Platinum, and it’s reviewed on 360 here. It could almost be called, “Cary’s Childhood: The Game.”
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (3DS)
Posted on November 4th, 2015 by
Right in the middle of Toon Week, and we’re going to look at a game based on one of the most popular Japanese anime cartoons of all time: Dragon Ball Z! The newest game based on the popular animated series: Extreme Butoden, is now available on the 3DS from Namco Bandai! It’s a 2-D, one-on-one fighter from Arc System Works, makers of other great 2-D fighters like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear!
