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.
Here Comes Niko! (Switch, PC)
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Posted on February 22nd, 2023 by
Niko is a girl who has run away from home but now she needs a job. She applies for a position as a “Professional Friend” and her boss is a small frog with a necktie. Together they’ll travel to little areas and help out others to earn enough money to travel to the next location in this 3D platformer. The trailer and description say it’s a game for ‘tired people,’ but I don’t know what that means. The game was made by the same folks who did A Hat in Time, but I actually think I enjoyed this game more. It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Lil’ Gator Game (Switch, PC)
Posted on February 20th, 2023 by
Lil’ Gator loved to play with his big sister at a park on an island. But when she went off to college, he didn’t get to spend time with her as much anymore. Now she’s back on fall break, but she’s so busy with assignments that she can’t play. So Lil’ Gator devises a plan to get her to want to play again. He recruits all his animal friends to play a pretend video game (lots of Zelda references here) and build a giant RPG town out of the playground with characters and quests to go on. Lil’ Gator Game is a 3-D platformer adventure game available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Pizza Pixel Podcast Episode 13: Top Five Favorite 2-D Platformers
Posted on February 17th, 2023 by
My brother Nathan wanted to record a podcast with me on our favorite 3-D platformers, so before I do that, I wanted to talk about my favorite 2-D platformers, so that’s just what my other brother Jeff and I did in this episode of The Pizza Pixel Podcast. Please click on the link and give it a listen if you can. Thanks.
Panda Punch (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 15th, 2023 by
A red panda’s home is rampaged by robots, but he escapes. Unfortunately, his arm is wounded, but his father is a mechanic red panda and fashions his son a mechanical arm. Now with a powerful metal punching fist, the red panda sets off to pummel the robots in this 2-D platformer. Panda Punch is available on all current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Wings of Bluestar (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 13th, 2023 by
This is a story driven 2-D horizontally scrolling shooter. It features hand drawn looking graphics and tried and true gameplay. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Cary is Looking Forward in 2023
Posted on February 10th, 2023 by
Happy New Year! Around this time of year, I like to make a list of games that are releasing in the coming year that I’m looking forward to. Of course, this isn’t a full complete list, as there will assuredly be titles announced throughout the year that I may get as well. Heck, last year we didn’t know about Pac-Man World: Re-Pac until late summer, and that ended up being my Game of the Year in 2022! But anyway, here’s what I know now, for the most part, so let’s take a look at what games I’m looking forward to in 2023!
Epic Encounters (Tabletop RPG)
Posted on February 9th, 2023 by
Tabletop role playing is at an all time high, as one can see by the major kerfuffle over the Dungeons and Dragons brand last month. (The publisher was going to restrict 3rd party content creators but then had to backtrack due to fierce protest.) Where there are players, there are opportunities to jazz up one’s game. The folks over at Steamforged Games decided to use their experience in producing miniatures-heavy boardgames and apply it to the tabletop role playing experience. The result is Epic Encounters, a line of ready-to-play encounters containing everything needed for a great in-person gaming experience. Each box contains figurines, a double-sided fold-out map, and a booklet that gives suggestions for setting up and running the encounter.
Buddy Simulator 1984 (Switch, PC)
Posted on February 8th, 2023 by
When I was a kid back in the early 80s, our first computer was an Apple ][+. It was really my first gaming ‘console’ and I played a lot of games on it. Most were arcade titles like Pac-Man, Zaxxon, and Frogger, but there were also some original ones like Spare Change and Aquatron. But the way you started these games was totally different than how you do it now. Back then you had to enter a floppy disk in and type in some text like ‘run’ and then whatever game you wanted to play. Some of these games were just text only, too. And some of those text only games simulated you having a conversation with a person. I remember one called “Freud” where it was like you were talking to a psychiatrist. But the main thing I remember about that game was the blocky face of a bearded man. Another one I remember later was called “Alice.” Well Buddy Simulator 1984 aims to recreate the feel of those games, while adding in some unsettling AI horror elements as well. It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Trifox (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on February 6th, 2023 by
A band of nasty animal pirates have ransacked a fox’s home and stolen his remote control. But luckily this is one clever fox and must use skills from a warrior, mage, and engineer to take back his stuff! Mix and match various abilities to defeat enemies, bypass obstacles, and solve puzzles in this 3-D adventure. It also has a bit of a retro vibe as it feels like something that would’ve been on the PS2. Trifox is available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Cary’s Best Games of 2022 Awards Show!
Posted on February 3rd, 2023 by
It’s the end of the year so you know what that means? It’s time for my “Best Games of 2022 Awards Show!” Keep in mind that this is my list only and no other outside opinions contributed. And if a game isn’t on this list, it either just didn’t appeal to me as much or I haven’t had a chance to play it yet. Ok with that out of the way, let’s begin!
