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.
Meet the SimBubs (Sims 2)
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Posted on July 28th, 2009 by
Sims 3 is pricey and Sims 2 still looks good, has loads of extras and can be found pretty cheap. Plus, I got a few letters, and one forum post, complimenting my Sims 3 story and article (scroll down). I went to Yahoo to see if they still had my old Sims 2: Meet the SimBubs article up and ready to link. They didn’t. Ah well, hope you enjoy meeting a family based on my own
Pool Hall Pro for Wii
Posted on July 27th, 2009 by
I didn’t grow up with a table but I recommend teens learn the game simply because it’s a great way to meet people in College. I liked the minimalist take on Pool, or “billiards” if you’re snooty, in Wii Play, and I’ve noticed a few Pool games out there for Wii, I never bought one. Well, publisher Playlogic sent me their newest one and I took it for a “insert pool pun here.”
Leapin’ into Action
Posted on July 27th, 2009 by
I recommend Leapfrog’s Leapster, Leapster 2, and Didj all the time. While I didn’t recommend their innovative and very cool toddler toy “My Pal Scout” (an interactive plush not recommended because it falls outside my purview here at GD), I thought I’d pass along this warning. NOTE: I have one and I can’t see how these decals could come off. I commend Leap for acting fast and spending the money to protect kids.
Game Review: CID The Dummy (Wii)
Posted on July 27th, 2009 by
Anyone my age remember the seat belt public safety ads in the 80’s that had the two talking Crash Test Dummies? And like the rampant commercialism that went on back then, those Crash Test Dummies went on to have their own toy line, cartoon, and even a video game! Even though he’s not related to those guys, there’s a new Dummy on the block and he’s crashing on the Wii.
Game Review: Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
Posted on July 26th, 2009 by
Wii Sports Resort releases today (Sunday) and if you have a Wii system, run (don’t walk) down to your local game vendor and pick up a copy. Many people I know consider the console pack-in Wii Sports title to still be one of the best around for family friendly pick-up and play fun. Wii Sports Resort takes that style of game and kicks it up another level with even more games and options as well as incorporating the new MotionPlus attachment for even better control. If you had any interest at all in the original Wii Sports, you owe it to yourself (and your family) to check out Wii Sports Resort. I’ve had the pleasure to take the game through its paces in the past week. It has dominated my limited play time and I believe it will be my go-to game for weeks to come.
The Gaming Eras of Bit Boy!! (WiiWare)
Posted on July 25th, 2009 by
So as best as I can tell, Bit Boy, or Kubi as he’s sometimes called, is a little pixel who has to go back in time to save his little pixel friends in this new WiiWare downloadable game. Gameplay is similar to Pac-Man, as you run around mazes collecting Bit Boy’s pixel pals while avoiding roving monsters. But the big gimmick in the Bit Boy!! game is that each world’s levels are designed like the different ‘eras’ of video game history. So the mazes progress from blocky 2-D to detailed 3-D. Let’s take a tour of the worlds of Bit Boy!!
CardioGram Kids
Posted on July 24th, 2009 by
I recieved the following and even though I normally don’t do things like this, I figured it was important enough – crucial even – to share it with you. Especially given that I personally suffer from ADHD and Heart Problems. That’s what this is about – ADHD and Heart Problems.
Ask GD: Are These Games Worse than Those Games?
Posted on July 24th, 2009 by
Zack has a question about whether or not he should be allowed to play a bunch of games. Here’s GamerDad’s answer!
Game Review: Elite Forces: Unit 77 (DS)
Posted on July 23rd, 2009 by
Take some action, add strategy, mix with a dash of exploration and you might create something like the top-down team exploration-shooter that is Elite Forces: Unit 77. Players manage a team of four unique individuals as you explore a somewhat confined mission area, discovering traps and enemy agents along the way. A bit too slow paced to be a pure action game, it has too many real time elements to be considered a strategy title. If I had to describe the game to an old-school videogame player, I would consider it a top-down perspective of GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64, but with a team of four instead of a single character.
Unplugged: D&D, A Year in Review
Posted on July 22nd, 2009 by
With the new version of Dungeons and Dragons (4th Edition) revealed last year, there has been the expected line of products released by Wizards of the Coast to supplement the game. Some are targeted at all players, while others are primarily for Dungeon Masters (the folks who put together and referee the game every session). Here’s a quick rundown of supplements released over the past year with a few comments to fill you in on what’s included and who might benefit from them. If you just want the best of the best, feel free to read my previous article going into detail on my favorites for the year: D&D Insider Character Builder, the Players Handbook 2, Dungeon Delve, and the Monster Manual 2.
