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.
Fairy Fencer F (PS3)
3 Comments
Posted on December 26th, 2014 by
A long time ago, an evil deity of darkness and a Goddess of light fought an epic battle, but both sides lost. Weakened with swords skewered between the two, both darkness and light fell into a deep sleep and nobody won the battle. Eons later, in the human world, the swords and weapons from that great war that missed the targets fell to the earth. These weapons are called Furies, and only a select few can wield them. These people are called Fencers. Each weapon is infused with a fairy that can help Fencers use magic and special attacks. But these fairies aren’t just little girls with wings. Some of these fairies can be critters, big burly men, and even robot mechs! These Fencers and their fairies seek out other Fury weapons, and even fight amongst themselves for them. The story in this RPG starts out with Fang, a lazy young man who just pulled out a Fury sword containing a young girl fairy whose goal is to revive the light Goddess and save the world. They’ll meet all sorts of other crazy characters along the way with their own goals and objectives. Will they be able to save the world?
Pokemon Art Academy (3DS)
Posted on December 24th, 2014 by
Nintendo’s Art Academy games on the DS and 3DS make clever use of the stylus and touch screen to teach art and painting basics to budding artists. They’re one of the best educational games I’ve ever played. And now they’ve got another one out with kids and the young at heart in mind, especially ones who are Pokemon fans! In Pokemon Art Academy, you’ll learn drawing, coloring, and cartooning techniques as you doodle many different kinds of Pokemon from the popular game series.
Reader Review: Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit (PS Vita)
Posted on December 22nd, 2014 by
Senran Kagura is a beat ‘em up game series starring a group of busty female ninjas. I think it may be an anime series, too, but I’m not sure. And now the crazy characters are starring in their very own…cooking rhythm game?!? Well, since I’m not an expert on this stuff, plus I don’t have a PS Vita, I had my friend Leroy review this.
Unplugged: The Battle at Kemble’s Cascade (Boardgame)
Posted on December 20th, 2014 by
Boardgames have turned into video games (see Civilization) and video games have made their way into a boardgames (Doom, Starcraft, Age of Empires III). To my knowledge, The Battle at Kemble’s Cascade is the first boardgame designed to capture the nostalgia of playing an old arcade scrolling shooter. Yes, in the game each player controls a fighter pilot desperately trying to defeat enemy ships and collect powerups while avoiding enemy fire. There is even a boss battle at the end, don’t expect to get through the game without using up several of your (albeit unlimited) lives. As a boardgame, Kemble’s Cascade may not quite appeal to the typical strategy boardgamer, but to gamers who remember the arcade shooter genre fondly it manages to recreate much of the experience in boardgame form.
2nd Opinion: LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Wii U, 3DS, PS3, PS4, Vita, 360, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on December 19th, 2014 by
Brainiac has hypnotized several members of the super hero Lantern force, and now plans to take over the Justice League and the Earth! But not if Batman and Robin have anything to say about it! Play as the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder as they team up with other DC heroes and even villains in this newest entry in the LEGO Batman series. It’s available for all of the current game consoles, but reviewed on Wii U here.
8-bit Christmas Wreath Decoration
Posted on December 18th, 2014 by
I’ve had this wreath hanging outside my cubicle all month (yes I do have a day job), so I thought I’d share it with you. It’s a video game themed Christmas wreath I ordered on a Web site called ThinkGeek.com. Click here for a closer shot.
Costume Quest 2 (PS3, PS4, Wii U, 360, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on December 17th, 2014 by
A few years ago, Double Fine crafted a turn-based RPG with an unusual premise revolving around kids wearing costumes and trick or treating for candy at Halloween. So what better way to celebrate the Christmas season than with a review of the sequel! Hey, it worked for Nightmare Before Christmas, right? To be fair, Costume Quest 2 was released a few days before Halloween, but I’ve been pretty busy and just now got a chance to review it. Anyway, the sequel takes place right where the original left off. After saving Halloween in the first game and in the expansion pack: Grubbins on Ice, brother and sister Wren and Reynold are ready to take the portal home. When they get back, Halloween is saved, but the two kids notice their dentist, Dr. White, sneaking around. They follow him and find him talking to a mysterious Time Wizard, and then he jumps through a time portal. Just then, the kids’ costumes and candy and all of Halloween disappear! Now it’s up to the two siblings to travel in time to the past and future, get their costumes back, and prevent the evil dentist from ridding the world of candy and Halloween forever! Costume Quest 2 is available to download on most current gen consoles, but reviewed on PS3 here.
Just Dance 2015 (Wii, Wii U, PS3, PS4, 360, XBox One)
Posted on December 16th, 2014 by
Just Dance hopped onto the Wii scene near the end of the peak of music-centered videogames like Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. They’re still around, but the Just Dance series, with its lack of custom peripherals, seems to have more staying power than many of the previous music based games. The 2015 edition of Just Dance has everything users have come to expect from the series, with just a few new online-focused features. A no-brainer purchase for fans, and a decent starting point for interested newcomers.
Hola! Amiibos! (Wave 1)
Posted on December 15th, 2014 by
Riding on the popularity of other toys connectable to video games like Skylanders and Disney Infinity, Nintendo has made their own action figures that connect to their games. These new toys from Nintendo are called Amiibos, and the first wave was recently released, fashioned after some of the popular characters from Super Smash Bros. So what do these Amiibo do, and what’re they all about? Well, I have them all (yes I am insane), so keep on reading if you want to learn more.
Toad’s Top Five
Posted on December 12th, 2014 by
Toad is my favorite Mario game character. And he’s probably one of my top five favorite Nintendo characters overall, alongside Kirby, Samus, Princess Zelda, and Captain Syrup. So in honor of that and the new release of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for Wii U, here is a top five list of my favorite Toad moments in gaming.
