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.
Game Review: Shimano Xtreme Fishing (Wii)
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Posted on October 26th, 2009 by
While there is a glut of fishing games on the Wii, one nice thing about them is that each one offers a different experience. If you want a more realistic, laid back fishing game for casual players, you can get hooked on Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream. If you or your kids want a more cartoony, arcadey Mario Kart styled fishing game, you can reel in Rapala We Fish. But what about the teen and up crowd who are into extreme sports and new ways to fish, like Bowfishing? Well, now those types of armchair anglers are covered with Shimano Xtreme Fishing.
Game Review: Bakugan: Battle Brawlers (Wii, DS, 360, PS2, PS3)
Posted on October 23rd, 2009 by
As they say in the business, Bakugan is ‘hot’ right now. More than 55 million Bakugan toys were sold in 2008, meaning that every four seconds; one Bakugan toy is bought in the US. Just like any other popular playthings, Bakugan has its own cartoon show as well. Right now, Bakugan toys are in McDonald’s Happy Meals and it’s the top game for boys ages 6 to 12. So what IS Bakugan, anyway? Well, it’s like a cross between a collectible trading card game such as Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon, mixed with the classic playground game of…marbles?!? Yup, marbles! Marbles that turn into…monsters! No wonder why it’s so popular with the kids. And now you can enjoy the fun of Bakugan with the recent release of the video game for all major consoles (Wii and DS versions reviewed here).
Game Review: Half-Minute Hero (PSP)
Posted on October 21st, 2009 by
Some of you gamers around my age can probably relate to what I’m about to say. Back when I was in high school, I was totally enamored with 16-bit RPGs like Final Fantasy 4, FF6, and Chrono Trigger. And since I had few responsibilities outside of school, I had lots of free time to enjoy these lengthy, time-consuming adventures. Fast forward to the present. Today’s 3-D RPGs are all overblown, long-winded, and take up WAY too much time. And now that I’ve got a job and other life commitments, I don’t have as much time to play the RPGs I once loved. What’s a gamer to do? I needed a hero. A Half-Minute Hero. It’s a PSP RPG that you play in 30 second increments! Yes, really, it’s true! Intrigued? Read on to find out how it works:
Game Review: Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition (Wii)
Posted on October 19th, 2009 by
It’s your first day as an animal wildlife photographer and it’s up to you to explore the wilderness of Animal Island (think savannahs and jungles of Africa). Become familiar with the wild animals on the island so you can take good photos of them. Now you can enjoy the thrill of a wildlife photo safari right in your room with Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition for Nintendo Wii.
Game Review: Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space (Xbox LIVE)
Posted on October 19th, 2009 by
Sam & Max aren’t your regular police force…they’re the Freelance Police. Sam is a no-nonsense dog detective and his pal Max is a hyperkinetic rabbity thing. For more than 20 years they’ve been serving their brand of justice on the pages of underground comic books, on a Saturday morning cartoon, and in some popular computer adventure games. Now they’re back again on Xbox Live with all the hilarious episodes of their Season Two adventures from the PC.
Holy Invasion of UMD, Badman!
Posted on October 18th, 2009 by
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do To Deserve This is a unique PSP game where you make your own monster-filled dungeons to trap pesky heroes in. (Click here to read the review) Up until now, you could only buy this game through the PlayStation store, as it is a download-only title. But if you always wanted a UMD version of Badman (I know I have), NIS might be able to help. On their site at RosenQueen.com, they’ve started pre-orders for the UMD version of the game. If they get 1,000 pre-orders, they’ll go ahead and make it! So make your voice be heard if you want the UMD version of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!
Game Review: The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (DS)
Posted on October 17th, 2009 by
While The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was originally a book written by Frank L. Baum more than 100 years ago, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the more popular Wizard of Oz movie. And now you can explore the mystical Land of Oz with Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man on the DS. And here’s the big surprise, Beyond the Yellow Brick Road plays like a well made RPG, similar to Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy!
RPGs “R” A-OK
Posted on October 15th, 2009 by
For all three of you who read my game reviews on this site, you might have been wondering where I’ve been this past week and a half or so. Since it’s the holiday rush time for new game releases, it may seem kind of weird that over the past week and a half, I haven’t had many new games to review here. I guess it’s the calm before the storm. So I took the time to just play some of the games I’ve gotten and just enjoy them. Sometimes you just have to play games for fun through gamers’ eyes, not reviewers’ eyes. So I thought I’d fill you all in on what I’ve been playing lately, and oddly enough, they’re all RPGs.
Wet? I’m soaking in it
Posted on October 13th, 2009 by
The new 3rd person action title Wet (short for Wetwork, which is a euphemism for “an operation likely to result in casualties in close contact” – which means killing people personally) isn’t a particularly innovative or unique game. But ‘m playing it constantly nevertheless because I like it so much.
Karen O. Wild Thing
Posted on October 11th, 2009 by
Okay, I gotta think that most of you guys are fans of the Where the Wild Things Are book (by Maurice Sendak). 10 sentences that wouldn’t really work if it wasn’t for the inspired artwork that seems to have captivated a few generations. When I heard a movie was coming, the only reason I didn’t get angry about such a stupid idea is that Spike Jonze was directing. Then I learned that one of my favorite singers – Karen O of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs was doing the soundtrack and accompanying her would be a choir of untrained kids. I’ve heard the soundtrack, and its brilliant, but I just came across this little “making of” video (some tiny movie spoilers involved) showing Karen at work. Inspired stuff, folks. Enter this post to check it out!
