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.
Cary’s 2013 Summer Movie Checklist
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Posted on August 16th, 2013 by
Well the summer is winding down, and so is the summer movie season. So in honor of that, here’s a rundown of the movies I saw this summer. Slight spoiler warnings here and there, but I promise I won’t reveal too much.
Rivals at War 2084 (iPad)
Posted on August 14th, 2013 by
This is a free-to-play game for iOS and Android devices (iPad version reviewed here). It’s a card battle game with a futuristic war theme. Select soldier cards, equip them with armor cards and other attribute cards to beef up their stats, and pick a few boost cards to help your team for good measure. Then view how your strategy plays out in 3-D action sci-fi war scenes.
Tunnel Town (iPad)
Posted on August 12th, 2013 by
Burrowing your way onto iOS devices (reviewed on iPad here), comes Tunnel Town, a spinoff of the popular National Geographic Animal Jam franchise. Colorful bunnies from the Animal Jam world have been whisked away to a strange new place, and you must help them build and dig a fantastic new home! This game is similar to other simulation titles such as Farmville, Viva Piñata, or Animal Crossing (with a little bit of Dig Dug thrown in for good measure).
Unplugged: The Return of the Fantasy RPGs
Posted on August 11th, 2013 by
Last time I talked about role playing games, it was a discussion of Dungeons and Dragons, including the rereleases of many old retro versions of the game and adventures as well as the upcoming revision of the game entitled “D&D Next”. When it comes to Fantasy RPGs, there are many more fishes in the sea. Today we’ll look at two of them. First, we’ll examine Hero Kids, an extremely kid-friendly title for ages as young as four. Next, we’ll look at the “other” top-tier fantasy RPG: Pathfinder, produced by Paizo Publishing – past publisher of the D&D magazines Dragon and Dungeon. While it is moderately complex in its player options, actual player combat and skill resolutions aren’t too bad. What makes the Pathfinder RPG system stand out is the large level of support materials produced by Paizo. The Game Master (the person who runs the bad guys and helps manage the story) has many available options they can use to make things easier and help create a more immersive game (eg. maps, cards, tools to manage fights, etc…).
New StreetPass Mii Plaza 3DS Games Reviewed!
Posted on August 10th, 2013 by
About a month ago, Nintendo brought out a massive update to the 3DS StreetPass Mii Plaza program, and added four games in addition to Puzzle Swap and Find Mii I & II. I’ve been able to try these games with some StreetPass tags I’ve gotten over the past month at meetups and whatnot, so now I’m ready to properly talk about these titles. So here are some quick, fun little reviews of each game!
Angler’s Club: Ultimate Bass Fishing 3D (3DS)
Posted on August 9th, 2013 by
Wow! Two fishing games right in a row. In Ultimate Bass Fishing 3D, you create your own fisher and venture out to a mysterious lake to try and catch a legendary bass that lives there! This game is now available for download on the Nintendo 3DS eShop. But how does it stack up against the previous fishing game I reviewed? Read on to find out.
Reel Fishing Pocket (iPad)
Posted on August 8th, 2013 by
Game maker Natsume is best known for their long-running successful Harvest Moon series of farming simulations, but did you know they also have a popular line of fishing games, too? Now you can enjoy Reel Fishing on the go with a portable version for iOS devices (played here on iPad). Best of all, Reel Fishing Pocket is totally free!
Cloudberry Kingdom (PS3, Wii U, 360, PC)
Posted on August 6th, 2013 by
This game is famous for being a successful kickstarter funded program and was picked up by large publisher Ubisoft. It’s a straight-up, no-nonsense 2-D platformer downloadable for the three major home game consoles and PC (PS3 version reviewed here). But the twist is that the short levels are randomly generated, and adjust the difficulty based on your skill level.
Do Not Fall (PS3)
Posted on August 5th, 2013 by
When you put money into a drink vending machine, have you ever wondered what happens inside between the time you put your money in and the drink comes out? Well, in Do Not Fall, a downloadable game for PS3, they try to explain that. Play as a dog…bunny…thing, well I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t matter as you can unlock other characters later. Anyway, in this top-down viewed platforming challenge, you must make it to the end of the level while avoiding obstacles, baddies, and crumbling floors. Just like the title says, you must do everything you can to “Do Not Fall.”
Layton Brothers: Mystery Room (iPad)
Posted on August 3rd, 2013 by
The Professor Layton games on DS and 3DS have captivated and puzzled fans for many years with mind bending brain teasers and likeable animated characters. Now Layton’s son is getting a chance to puzzle gamers in a new way. In Mystery Room, play as newbie detective Lucy Baker as she is assigned to be Investigator Layton’s new assistant. The two of you will investigate crime scenes and solve murder whodunit cases in this game downloadable for iOS devices (iPad) version reviewed here). It actually kind of reminds me of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games.
