GamerDad and family 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.
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God of War III

God of War 3 screenshotOur first submitted reader review comes from Some Guy (age 15). We’ve known Some Guy since he was about 12 maybe 13 and he’s always been one of our most eloquent posters. He’s always passionately defended young teens playing M-rated games so I’m particularly excited to see him debut with the infamous God of War franchise. So, parents, want to know what a Teen really thinks? Here you go! -GD

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Game Review: Learn Geography (DS)

LEARN_BOXWith some video games, it’s hard to tell what kind it is by the title. But Learn Geography does what its name sets out to do. It’s like an interactive Geography textbook on your Nintendo DS.

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Game Review: Playmobil: Pirates (DS)

PIRATES_BOXArrr, matey! Playmobil, the international toy line of playsets and figures that encourages imaginative role-play, now lets your kids pretend to be a swashbuckling pirate on the Nintendo DS. In Playmobil: Pirates, be a buccaneer and search for treasure maps to help rescue the mermaid from a wicked army.

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Clitoris

emThat get your attention? Anyway, this isn’t game related but it does demonstrate how phenomenally stupid censorship is. I was reading an article about pop music in 1999 and the MTV/Radio edit of Eminem’s THE REAL SLIM SHADY came up. I know the song well enough but this is what struck me. Eminem sings about how stupid it is to censor sexual stuff because kids have the Discovery channel (meaning they can watch rhino’s having sex) – I’d add that today they have the Internet, where you can’t throw a rock without hitting a picture of breasts – so kids, Eminem says, grow up not knowing what a woman’s CLITORIS is. The ironic thing? In the name of censorship, the word CLITORIS is bleeped out of the song. Thus reinforcing Eminem’s point. Irony, gotta love it! Video here: The Real Stupid Censorship.

Game Review: Playmobil: Knights (DS)

KNIGHTS_BOXPlaymobil, the international toy line of playsets and figures that encourages imaginative role-play, now lets your kids pretend to be a knight on the Nintendo DS. In Playmobil: Knights, help a recently knighted beet farmer save the kingdom. When an evil warlord floods the land and turns all the king’s knights into stone, it’s up to the newly knighted Sir Beetalot to save the day!

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Game Review: Shatter (PC)

SHATTER_BOXSome video games both suck and blow. But in the case of Shatter, a game that borrows heavily from brick breaking games like BreakOut and Arkanoid, that’s a GOOD thing! Originally a downloadable game for PS3, you can now buy it for the PC from Steam, and it’s well worth the price!

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Game Review: Yoga (Wii)

YOGA_BOXLearn all about Yoga and practice the stances and poses with Yoga for Nintendo Wii. Top model Anja Rubik and other in-game instructors will guide you through your training. Yoga for Wii is compatible with the Wii Balance Board, but you can also just use the Wii remote or nothing at all.

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Game Review: Playmobil Circus (Wii)

CIRCUS_BOXLadies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up and join the circus! Playmobil, the international toy line of playsets and figures that encourages imaginative role-play, now lets your family pretend they’re in a circus on the Nintendo Wii.

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Forgotten Fighters: Battle Fantasia

BATTLEWith recent fighters like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom rocking the Wii, and upcoming brawlers like BlazBlue Portable and Super Street Fighter 4 to look forward to, it can be easy to overlook and forget some of the lesser fighting games. Recently I just picked up a little-known 2-D fighter for the Xbox 360 for only ten bucks. It’s called Battle Fantasia, and I thought I’d talk a little bit about it here because of its lively cast of characters, always a plus in a fighting game.

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Game Review: Diner Dash 5: Boom! (PC)

DINER_BOXThe newest Diner Dash on the menu is now available for PC (check it out at PlayFirst’s Web site). But what does the “Boom” stand for? Well, in the game, a mysterious troublemaker erases the Fat-Free Breakfast sign so it just reads “Free Breakfast” over Flo’s restaurant. A crowd of hungry early-birds bum-rushes the restaurant and causes it to collapse into rubble. BOOM! The evil contractor, Mr. Big, wants to take over the newly vacant lot, but Flo is determined to bring her food to the people. Luckily, Handyman Hal is willing to rebuild Flo’s restaurant, but in the meantime, Flo gets creative as she serves her customers outside in the big city!

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