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.
Video Game Breakfast Cereals
Add Comment
Posted on May 13th, 2011 by
The other day I played a trick on my mom. I nearly convinced her that they had just made a Portal breakfast cereal, due to the popularity of Portal 2. I said the cereal had blue rings and orange rings just like the portals in the game, and the box had the two co-op robots holding the bowl and spoon! But it got me to thinking about video game based breakfast cereals I remember as a kid, so I thought that in this blog, I’d go over the ones I can recall. So get out your bowl, spoon, and milk, and let’s begin!
Game Review: Moon Diver (360, PS3)
Posted on May 11th, 2011 by
Hey old school gamers! You like Strider? You know, the futuristic ninja dude with the slashy sword who can climb up walls and ceilings? Well, Moon Diver, a new downloadable game on 360 and PS3 (360 version reviewed here), is the best definition of ‘spiritual successor’ out there! Heck, it was even developed by the guy who originally created Strider! Moon Diver is a 2-D action game for up to four players. So yeah, co-op “Strider 3.” Very cool!
Game Review:Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury (360)
Posted on May 7th, 2011 by
Treasure is a small game developer best known for crafting very challenging twitchy arcade style shooters. One of their most popular titles is Bangai-O, and it fits that bill perfectly. And now you can experience it on Xbox LIVE Arcade with Bangai-O HD: Missile Fury.
Game Review: Dino Strike (Wii)
Posted on May 5th, 2011 by
Perhaps the easiest arcade genre to translate to the Wii home console is the point and shoot type hunting game. Dino Strike, by Zoo Publishing, is one that mixes hunting with that perennial favorite, dinosaurs. Dino Strike is a simple hunting game on rails, where the players shoot nearly everything on screen while the game controls the screen movement. While its story mode is somewhat short, it makes a pretty good game for the younger gaming set. It isn’t perfect, but would make a good budget title selection for younger gamers who would enjoy the mix of simple gameplay and dinosaur theme.
more…
Game Review: Portal 2 (PS3, Xbox360, PC, Mac)
Posted on May 3rd, 2011 by
When it was released as a small bonus section to The Orange Box collection of Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2, Portal received such critical acclaim that many gamers bought the release primarily to give this new game a try. Based around the use of a portal gun that can generate two linked openings in any wall, allowing free passage between them, Portal remains one of the most unique games of the past decade, in a genre that can best be described as puzzle-first-person-shooter. Portal received such high praise that it spawned numerous discussions of the debate of quality over quantity among video games. Some worried that the stand-alone sequel, Portal 2 – which recently released, would not stand up to comparison to the dark humor-laden, but short original. However, the new Portal 2 does not disappoint. Containing much more content than the original, at least as mind-stumping puzzles, and perhaps even more humorous material, Portal 2 is a recommended purchase for nearly any video gamer.
more…
Game Review: Back to the Future: The Game, Episode 4: Double Vision (PC)
Posted on May 3rd, 2011 by
Last time we left Marty and Doc in the Back to the Future point and click adventure from TellTale, they had just returned to 1986 after beating gangster “Kid” Tannen back in 1931. Only something happened in the timeline to make their present Hill Valley a police state, with Doc Brown in control. Now Marty has to escape the new Hill Valley and return to 1931 to prevent Emmett Brown from marrying Edna Strickland, the cause of the bad future. But it won’t be easy, as the time circuits in the DeLorean are malfunctioning and end up sending Marty into the past two months too late! Will he run out of time?
GamerDad Charity – I’m Lovin’ It!
Posted on May 1st, 2011 by
We get games here and they stack up fast. What to do with them after I’ve cracked the shrink wrap and checked out the content. I’ve also sent M-rated games to Military charities and kids games to www.GetWellGamers.com. I’ve sold some and directed the money to childsplay.org. But I’ve been lazy since my health took a nosedive and three years of games E-M piled up. Also, several Rock Band/Guitar Hero guitars, drums, and microphones. Some Leap Frog stuff , a steering wheel controller, and loads of DS games. Roughly 200 games in total. That’s a lot to ship to a charity. Then, at a McDonalds (I didn’t order anything) I saw the Ronald McDonald House charity and BOOM I knew what to do. See, this charity provides free accommodations to families with a loved one in the hospital. Often these families have children – kids in need of as much distraction as possible. I learned that first hand with my heart attack. Without distractions from family, my kids would have been a lot more traumatized and had my wife not been able to visit daily – I may have gone insane. Those kids need their families nearby and those families need comfort. So, yesterday, my family and I donated ALL of it to the local house
Game Review: Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection (PSP)
Posted on April 27th, 2011 by
Final Fantasy IV wasn’t my first RPG. Sure I played the original Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior on the NES back in the day, but it was at a friend’s house. And while I had fun playing those early RPGs over there, I never felt compelled to buy them myself. But then, early into the Super Nintendo’s life, I played Final Fantasy IV (called FF II back then). I was totally enthralled with the story, characters, and gameplay. So even though FFIV wasn’t my first RPG, it was certainly the first one that got me into RPGs in the 16-bit days. Now you can relive or discover that special game with Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection on PSP. It includes the original game, The After Years follow-up, improved graphics and sound, and more extra goodies than you can shake a Chocobo at!
Game Review: Pac-Man Battle Royale (Arcade)
Posted on April 22nd, 2011 by
How long has it been since you’ve played a brand spanking new Pac-Man arcade machine? Well, that’s too long! Recently I FINALLY got to play the new multiplayer Pac-Man Battle Royale tabletop arcade game (thanks to my friends), so here’s a short picture blog and review of it.
The Games of The Dreamcast Collection (360)
Posted on April 20th, 2011 by
Since I love game collections and enjoy writing blogs about them, here’s one about the Sega Dreamcast Collection for Xbox 360. It’s not the best collection in the world, and I certainly would not pay full price for it. But I found it recently on Amazon for 15 bucks, so I decided to snag it then. So here are all the games on it!
