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• Games To Play With During Family Time

  I received a sample of the Gather 'Round Restaurant Game recently to review. What you get is not a board game with pieces but cards with questions relating to mealtime. There are almost 100 games to play with while you wait for your meal at a restaurant or at home. There is a push-button light but Read More... Posted Feb 23 2009, 02:28 PM by Lisa Estall with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, mealtime, game, games, family games, family fun

• Game Review: Neopets Puzzle Adventure Hits Stores for Wii

  Remember that classic Othello slogan, "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master"? Apply that to videogames, add a slew of whimsical, well-drawn characters and the expansive online universe that spawned them, and you're pretty much talking Neopets Puzzle Adventure, which just hit stores for Wii after prior releases on PC and Nintendo DS. We've got a full review after the jump. Read More... Posted Dec 19 2008, 01:00 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, videogames, nintendo ds, wii, pc games, neopets, capcom, neopets puzzle adventure

• Weird Name, Great Game: Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge for DS

  We reported not too long ago about the ways LeapFrog's been grabbing some of Nintendo DS' territory as a hand-held learning tool for the littlest gamers, but if we start seeing more DS titles like Natsume's new Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge (say that three times fast), the mighty 'frog could be kept at bay a little longer. Read More... Posted Oct 06 2008, 10:04 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, video games, videogames, nintendo ds, learning games, ds lite, Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge

• Loving LEGO Batman: The Videogame

  Even though the incredible LEGO Star Wars saga and equally worthy LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures were serious video games for serious players, they maintained enough levity that kids and casual gamers alike could still giggle their way through the games' more intense levels. But what happens when you bring Batman to the series -- can the Dark Knight (especially the Christian Bale version) retain his brooding edge in a world made of block-people and visual punchlines? Full review after the jump. Read More... Posted Sep 29 2008, 10:04 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, pc, video games, videogames, wii, psp, xbox 360, ps2, game reviews, ps3, lego batman the videogame, console gaming

• The Babble Review: Kung Fu Panda the Game

  Unfortunately for the often great kids' movies that spawn them, video games based on CGI animated flicks tend to be so generic, bug-laden and unplayable that they end up doing more harm to the franchise than good (I'm looking at you, Ratatouille). So my expectations going into Kung Fu Panda, the new game based off the awesome Jack Black flick many Babble readers have no doubt been standing in line for the past few weekends, were a little less than high. Sometimes, though, it's good to be wrong: Not only is Kung Fu Panda one of the better movie spinoffs to hit game consoles in recent memory; it's also one of the more enjoyable kids' games that've landed in our mailbox this summer. Read More... Posted Jun 17 2008, 10:04 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, pc, video games, videogames, nintendo ds, wii, angelina jolie, playstation 2, xbox 360, ps2, reviews, playstation 3, ps3, jack black, kung fu panda, david cross, dreamworks, activision, ian mcshane, kung fu panda the game, seth rogen, lucy liu, dustin hoffman, furious five, jackie chan, randall duk kim

• First Look: Shaun the Sheep for Nintendo DS

  Your kids may already be hooked on Shaun the Sheep, the Disney Channel's stop-motion animated series from Wallace and Gromit/Chicken Run creator Aardman Animations (and if not, here are some clips to get you started). Assuming you let them access video games as well as TV screens, you'll want to leave some room in the budget this fall, when Aardman and D3Publisher team up to bring Shaun and his world to the Nintendo DS. After the jump: some advance screenshots from the upcoming game, as well as all the details we know so far. Read More... Posted Jun 16 2008, 09:04 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, first look, video games, videogames, nintendo ds, previews, aardman studios, disney channel, shaun the sheep, ds lite, aardman animations, chicken run, video game news, flushed away

• EA's Smarty Pants (Wii) Packs Trivia Fun for Everyone

  While it doesn't have many frills, EA's Smarty Pants is a party-style trivia game for the Wii that'll keep adults and older kids (or at least prodiguous little ones) alike entertained for hours -- and at over 20,000 questions, that's a literal estimate. You can play by yourself, but odds are you'll spend more time in one of the game's two multiplayer modes -- either competing head-to-head against up to three friends, or breaking into teams for family-style co-op play. You can also set the game's difficulty based on the players' age, so your first grader won't need an advanced knowledge of pop culture to feel like a valuable part of the team. Read More... Posted Nov 24 2007, 11:02 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: games for kids, video games, videogames, wii, electronic arts, holiday gifts, ea, smarty pants, wiimote

• Video Game Review: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Rules)

  Geeks the world over may be frothing over the upcoming be-all, end-all multimedia project Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, but in my house, the only Star Wars universe that matters is the one you make yourself out of plastic bricks and minifigures. Needless to say, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, the new, third installment in LucasArts' awesomely, endlessly fun video-game series, has been at the top of mine and my kids' Christmas lists this year. Luckily for me (but unbeknownst to them -- hey, they don't read Babble), I got it early. Sorry, little dudes. Full review after the jump... Read More... Posted Nov 16 2007, 01:02 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: games for kids, lego, video games, videogames, nintendo ds, wii, online games, xbox 360, xbox live, holiday gift ideas, playstation 3, lego star wars the complete saga, ps3

• Bee Movie Opening-Weekend Overload: Bee Movie Game

  If you took the kids to the theater this past weekend, odds are pretty good it was to catch the opening of Bee Movie; now, you can relive the flick over and over (and over) again via Activision's new Bee Movie Game. What -- I'm not making this sound appealing? The game is actually a lot of fun, especially for a licensed spinoff (see Ratatouille for an example of how badly such games can go wrong), although you're likely to beat it in a few hours after the kids go to bed. Read More... Posted Nov 05 2007, 09:02 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: games for kids, video games, videogames, rated e, bee movie game, jerry seinfeld

• Scooby-Doo 3D Board Game Fun for You and Your Meddling Kids

  Hard to believe it's been 38 years since Scooby-Doo! debuted, especially considering the number of Scooby-related gizmos that seem to find their way into stores every year. Capturing all the spooky-fun kitsch of the classic series, the Scooby-Doo! Haunted House 3D Board Game from Pressman ($17.99 at Amazon.com) is one of the more creatively designed Scooby toys of late, as well as a great way to get your kids in the Halloween spirit while satisfying their (and, if you're like me, your) Scooby jones. Read More... Posted Oct 17 2007, 03:32 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, toys for kids, board games, pressman, haunted house, scooby-doo, halloween toys

• Video Games: Crash of the Titans Ships for Multiple Platforms

  Crash Bandicoot made his debut 11 years ago on the Sony PlayStation, which means that, assuming my math is right, many of us hadn't started breeding when we first got down with the mischievous, planet-saving marsupial. Today, 14 games into the Crash series, the game's developers are still writing code with us in mind: See the Clash of the Titans and (in the game itself) Brokeback Mountain references in the new Crash of the Titans, both guaranteed to soar over our kids' heads while we giggle into our cupped hands. (Screen shots and more after the jump.) Read More... Posted Oct 02 2007, 07:32 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, video games, videogames, nintendo ds, wii, crash bandicoot, rated e10+, dr. neo cortex, game boy advance, gifts under $50, playstation 2, psp, xbox 360, ps2, gba, clash of the titans, game reviews

• Fisher-Price Smart Cycle Shaping Up (Get It?) as Holiday Must-Have

  Elmo has traditionally been Fisher-Price's sure thing at the holiday shopping season, but in light of the company's recent lead-paint recalls, Sesame Street is starting to look like Love Canal. With the new Smart Cycle Physical Learning Arcade System ($99.99 from Amazon.com), however, Fisher-Price's positive image may be on the rebound. Read More... Posted Sep 25 2007, 10:12 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: games for kids, fisher price, video games, videogames, gadgets, smart cycle, exercise bike, fitness games, smartcycle, physical learning arcade system

• Gamewright Card Holder Rescues Little Hands

  So your little guy is finally big enough to learn how to play Go Fish or any one of the million brightly-colored junior card games out there. There's just one problem -- he can't seem to hold the cards properly, so at best he drops them everywhere and at worst he has a meltdown because he just can't seem to fan them out. Gamewright's Little Hands Playing Card Holder is that brilliant never-knew-you-needed-it-til-you-got-it solution. Just $3.75 at Amazon for fuss-free card games. Posted Sep 17 2007, 12:03 PM by Mir with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, gamewright, card holder

• Pokémon Global Trade Station Launches

  Having three young boys, I've learned more than I ever wanted about the complexities of Pokémon trading (and on many grocery trips have found myself empathizing with this poor mom). Now, with the launch of the Pokémon Global Trade Station, my junior Trainers can match wits (and collections) with potentially millions of others outside of our home base. Read More... Posted Sep 17 2007, 09:04 AM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, nintendo ds, pokemon

• Blue Orange Zimbbos Game is Elephantastic

  A Dr. Toy Product of Excellence, this Zimbbos game from Blue Orange is sure to please kids of all ages. Roll the dice, stack your elephants. Learn strategy, balancing, and that a bunch of elephants in a pyramid are pretty giggle-worthy. For ages 3+, and one to four players; $17.48 at Amazon. Posted Sep 10 2007, 11:01 AM by Mir with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, stacking toys, elephants, zimbbos

• Because You Already Have the Book Memorized: Good Night Moon Game

  The classic board book, Good Night Moon, is now a game for preschoolers!   Six different ways to play, promoting visual, matching and manual dexterity skills. Winner of two Best Toy Awards.  Available at Gile Toys for $14.28  Posted Sep 08 2007, 01:02 PM by chrisjordan with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, board book, preschool games, gile toys, classics, good night moon

• I SPY a Game, and for Grown-Ups, Too

  The only thing kids seem to enjoy more than actually reading Scholastic's I SPY books is poking and tearing at the books as they dig for the curiosities hidden in each page. Now, Scholastic Media and Activision bring a neater sort of I SPY experience to the Nintendo DS with I SPY Fun House ($29.99 from Amazon.com), an interactive extension of the book series that has you working the DS' dual- and touch-screen functions to corkscrew through dozens of brain-teasing riddles and games. Rated E for Everyone, and challenging enough to keep even grown-ups entertained for hours. Posted Aug 30 2007, 02:14 PM by Aaron Burgess with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, I Spy, video games, nintendo ds, scholastic

• Eat Your Veggies, Play Your Dinner Games

  Keep kids from three to six in their seats, having fun, and even finishing their food with this great little set of cards ($16 at Uncommon Goods). Beginner Dinner Games' meal-appropriate, easy-to-learn play uses just the utensils already on the table and is fun for the entire family. Heck, anything that keeps my kids from doing armpit farts over dinner gets a thumbs-up from me. Posted Aug 20 2007, 01:02 PM by Mir with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, mealtime, card set

• Test Your Memory Ability with Cool, Funky Patterns

  The idea of matching shapes together is not a new one - it's been around for years.  Children learn about perception and experience visual development; necessary skills for life.  Many versions of The Matching Game exist, and most of them are pretty commercial - featuring Disney or Nickelodeon Characters and the like.  They do get the job done, but they aren't so easy on the eyes. How many different "Doras" can you look at, anyway? The Muistipeli Matching Game, is a vertiable visual feast, with wild colors and patterns. One of the great benefits of The Matching Game is that adults and kids play on the same level - with no advantage given to the adult.   Made of laminated cardboard, this $23 game is one that your child will want to play again and again, and one you can look at repeatedly and not grow weary of seeing. Posted Jun 08 2007, 09:06 AM by Carmen with | with no comments Filed under: games for kids, Memory, Muistipeli Matching Game, Concentration