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.
Ode to Q*bert
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Posted on November 5th, 2012 by
Well I just saw the Wreck-It Ralph movie this past weekend. I don’t want to talk about the movie too much because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. I enjoyed the movie, but the only problem I had with it was they show too much of the cool stuff and video game references in the previews. But that’s a fault a lot of movies have. But one thing that most everyone knows about the movie already (probably) is that Q*bert is in it. Q*bert was one of my favorite arcade games as a kid, and it was one of the few coin-op titles that could pull me away from Pac-Man if only for a short while (along with Pengo, Mappy, and Frogger). So in honor of him being in the Wreck-It Ralph movie, here’s a tribute blog for Q*bert!
Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning (3DS)
Posted on November 4th, 2012 by
November is a time for giving thanks for the harvest of the season, and what better way to celebrate than with another Harvest Moon video game? Especially considering this year is the series’ 15th anniversary! This new game, available on 3DS, has all the standard features fans love, while adding a few new important twists to keep things interesting. You’ll just have to read on to find out what they are!
SpinCraft (iPad)
Posted on November 3rd, 2012 by
Help Pyd the alien pilot his UFO to deliver pizzas all across the galaxy. SpinCraft is a free-to-play game for iOS devices (iPad version reviewed here). Similar to games like Super Monkey Ball, help maneuver Pyd’s UFO around 3-D checkerboard mazes, avoiding enemies, obstacles, and pitfalls. Collect three special yellow gems in each level to open a portal and move onto the next stage. I’m not sure how that correlates into delivering pizzas, but oh well. Now I’m hungry.
Review: A Game of Dwarves (PC)
Posted on November 2nd, 2012 by
One may be tempted to compare the new mining-based simulation, A Game of Dwarves, with the currently successful Minecraft game. However, it’s true predecessor (and Minecraft’s as well) is the niche game, Dwarven Therapist. In Dwarven Therapist, one manages a small group of dwarves trying to meet their needs while simultaneously staffing off the occasional crisis like rampaging monsters. A Game of Dwarves is much less complex (and thankfully is much easier to grasp) while also presenting a much more lush and beautiful dungeonscape to explore. Manage a small colony of dwarves who must carve out their domain from the bedrock of a mountain, complete with managing dwarves’ food supplies, contentment, and their need for rest. The game can be played in a campaign mode with successive challenges or in a sandbox mode where a creative player can go wild to carve out their “dream cavern”. As a mix of The Sims, Minecraft, and a role-playing game, A Game of Dwarves serves up a nice bit of exploration, strategy, and creativity.
Thundercats (DS)
Posted on November 1st, 2012 by
As a child of the 80’s, most of the cartoons I watched as a kid had toys tied in with them. So basically we were watching 30 minute commercials back then. Girls had Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, and Care Bears. Boys had stuff like Transformers and He-Man. If any of these currently sound familiar, it’s because they’re still around today, in new forms for younger generations to enjoy. There were many other 80’s toy and cartoon lines that didn’t quite reach the notoriety of stuff like Transformers, but some got real close. One of those that rode the coattails of the popularity and themes of He-Man was Thundercats. I was never into Thundercats myself (I was more of a Transformers man), but I do remember the old cartoon and many of the kids in my third grade class had Thundercats lunchboxes that year. Now, Cartoon Network has an updated remake of the Thundercats cartoon, and you can enjoy all the adventures of Lion-O and friends on the Nintendo DS.
Reader Review: Clan of Champions (PC)
Posted on October 31st, 2012 by
Get ready for battle with Clan of Champions, downloadable on Steam for PC. Since younger brother Jeff is the computer game expert, I let him take a stab at this review.
Skylanders Giants Gigantic Blowout! (Wii, 3DS, PS3, 360, Wii U)
Posted on October 29th, 2012 by
One of last year’s biggest holiday releases for kids is back in a gigantic way! Skylanders Giants is the sequel to the hit video game and action figure combo blast that took young gamers and collectors by storm. This new game features a different quest, Series 2 figures of some of the original cast with different abilities, new characters that light up, and extra big giant figures that pack a humongous punch. Skylanders Giants is now available for Wii, 3DS, PS3, 360, and the upcoming Wii U (Wii and 3DS versions reviewed here).
Mugen Souls (PS3)
Posted on October 28th, 2012 by
She may look like a cute little pink-haired girl, but Chou-Chou is actually a goddess deity whose sole desire is to take over the seven worlds in her universe and make everything and everyone her peon. Help her conquer her lofty goal in Mugen Souls, an anime-inspired Japanese role playing game for PS3.
Unexpectedly Scary Games!
Posted on October 26th, 2012 by
Every year around Halloween, people write blogs and article features about the scariest video games. And all the usuals make the list: Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, etc. It’s all games you EXPECT to be scary. But what about the games that you don’t expect to be scary; and they end up having at least one part that’s a little spooky or disturbing or startling? Well I’ve picked out a few of those games in this blog that had something in them that personally freaked me out, and I wasn’t expecting it. Get ready to be surprised!
Lola and Lucy’s Big Adventure (iPad)
Posted on October 25th, 2012 by
Lola and Lucy’s Big Adventure is a downloadable interactive storybook for iPad. You and your kids can join Lola and Lucy, two bulldogs that live happily with their family. But when they overhear a sheepdog at the dog park talking about his duties at the farm, Lola and Lucy decide to go out into the world and find out what their real job is. But they eventually discover that their true purpose was where they were at all along. This storybook is unique in that it’s great for kids who are in that transitional stage from picture stories to chapter books. Around the middle of elementary school or so.
