droolicious : nintendo ds

Giveaway: Win 2 New Nintendo DS Games from Ignition Entertainment

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:00:00 GMT

To celebrate the launch of its two new kid-friendly Nintendo DS titles, Ignition Entertainment has teamed with Babble to give away three copies of each game to six lucky Droolicious readers!

For the younger gamers, we've got Boing! Docomodake (screenshot above), which has been drawing rave reviews since its arrival on U.S. shores. Though based on a popular Japanese mobile-phone mascot, the game is anything but a typical "we licensed it, now you play it" affair. You play as the lovable mushroom-dude Papa Docomodake, weaving through a variety of challenges in a race to find your family of fungi and get them to the Docomodake Forest's annual festival on time.

The game (imagine a sort of bizarro-world Super Mario Bros. with double the cuteness) is clever enough when you're navigating it with button controllers, but the real fun comes when you break out the stylus. You can split Papa Docomodake into "Minis," tiny versions of the main man that let Papa get into smaller areas of the challenge. Drag the Minis with your stylus to slide into previously unreachable spaces, or use them to fill gaps so Papa can keep cruising toward his destination.

For older players, we've got the equally well-reviewed Blue Dragon Plus (screenshot above), whose name your kids may recognize from the Cartoon Network series Blue Dragon. If the grown-ups in your house are into role-playing games, they may find themselves lining up to tackle this one, too. The Blue Dragon saga centers on a boy named Shu and several of his friends, who have the ability to control phantom shadows that can mirror their masters' actions. Blue Dragon Plus finds Shu & Co. emerging from a world-shaking battle to face a sinister horde of new adversaries.

Though the action is mild and the gameplay easy to follow, this one's strictly for the more advanced DS navigator. Kids who haven't yet learned to read or have trouble grasping role-playing features such as item collection will just end up handing the game to their older siblings, anyway. For those kids, however, Blue Dragon Plus packs over 30 hours of thrilling, customizable gameplay, as well as more than an hour's worth of high-quality video content that'll further immerse them in the story.

OK, so how do you win 'em?

Easy: Just email us at babblecontest@gmail.com with your name, address and the game you're entering to win. (Only one per winning entry, and three winners per game.) On March 31, we'll draw six winners at random from the pool of entries.

Good luck, and happy gaming!

Nintendo DSi Confirmed for April 5

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:30:00 GMT

If your household still doesn't have at least one Nintendo handheld, fear not: The much-speculated-about Nintendo DSi (which we previewed back in October) finally has a North American ship date.

The system -- which features two digital cameras (one pointing outward; another at you) as well as some welcome, WiiWare-style support for downloadable content -- will hit Western stores April 5 for an MSRP of $169.99. That's around $11 cheaper than the Japanese-exclusive price first reported, but considering all the currency fluctuation of late, who's keeping tabs? [Destructoid]

Coraline Videogame Hits Stores Today

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:00:00 GMT

We're still over a week away from seeing Neil Gaiman's Coraline come to life on the big screen, but the videogame version of Coraline -- which hit stores today for Wii, DS and PS2 -- promises to keep us occupied (or at least creeped out) before the ticket lines open.

Starting out as faithful to its subject, Coraline puts you in the role of the story's heroine (here, as in the movie, voiced by Dakota Fanning), who's just moved with her family to the Pink Palace apartments, a complex where nothing is as it seems. Unlike the movie, Coraline the game lets you embark on all sorts of unscripted adventures, including minigames, as you journey into the "other" world beyond the secret door of your new home.

Check out the trailer below for a closer look. True, the movie's 3D stop-motion animation doesn't quite pop when sized down for game consoles, but it's nice to see the eerie ambience at least didn't get lost (much) in translation.

Rated E10+ for mild cartoon violence and mild suggestive themes (read: spooky stuff), Coraline is available at Amazon.

Peggle Coming to Nintendo DS in March

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:00:00 GMT

We've already geeked out at length over Peggle, Popcap Games' addictive, family-friendly puzzler for the PC (read the full review here), but if your kids prefer to do their gaming away from the home computer, be sure to highlight March 3 on your calendar: That's the day Popcap finally rolls out Peggle on a new platform.

Peggle Dual Shot will feature all the same pachinko-pong action we've come to love, but thanks to the game's new levels and duel modes, the fever should be more extreme than ever. (Sorry, terrible inside joke.)

Preorder for $29.99 at either GameStop or Amazon.

CES 2009: iHearSafe Headphones Limit The Volume For Kids

Chris Ford — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

If I was ranking the cool stuff for kids and parents I saw at CES (which I'm defintely not), then this would undoubtedly land in the top of the list. These headphones from iHearSafe are made for kids, and they won't let any audio pass that's higher than 85 decibels.

Each pair of headphones limit sound output through the hardware in the headphones themselves, so there's no softare or anything you have to do to the imput sources. So no matter how high your kid blasts his iPod, Nintedo DS, PSP or whatever, it will never get above 85 decibels. They come in standard headphones, earbuds and "gaming headphones" - which are really just ear clip type headphones. I got a pair for my daughter and we're going to check them out, and I'll write up a review here in Droolicious.

iHearSafe headphones cost $19.99 for the buds and the regular and gaming headphones are $24.99 from iHearSafe.com.

Game Review: Neopets Puzzle Adventure Hits Stores for Wii

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

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.

The game's whimsical characters and comic-style art should be instantly familiar to Neopets.com visitors.

You start the game by personalizing one of 12 different Neopets and selecting your play mode: Instant Action, which throws you right into the game's titular puzzles, or Story Mode, which puts you into the three Lands of Neopia (whose landscapes should be instantly recognizable to kids familiar with Neopets.com) and lets you compete in a series of challenges against other Neopets. Minigames -- including a fun, easy memory game that will delight young players -- also abound and help to break up the story-based play.

The Neopets' main challenges revolve around deceptively simple, Othello-style puzzle gameplay.

The game's puzzle challenges may be called "battles," but there's nothing in the way of violence here: Instead, Neopets Puzzle Adventure finds players taking turns laying down tokens on a grid, with the winner being the one who can convert the most tokens to his or her color. If you're thinking it sounds a lot like Othello (or Reversi), good call: The similarities aren't just limited to a slogan, and if you're looking for a simple game that requires kids to put some strategic brainpower behind their onscreen actions, even grade-schoolers can rule in this conquest.

There's plenty of room to explore in the Lands of Neopia.

Also, while it may seem easy to breeze through, Neopets Puzzle Adventure has several features that'll keep kids engaged outside of the puzzle challenges. As your Neopet proceeds through the game, it can collect 150 different PetPet companions, each of which packs powers that can help you back on the game grid. The game also generates codes to unlock special items on Neopets.com, so if your kids haven't already set up camp there, they'll have plenty of incentive to do so now. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, by the way -- though the site has many immersive, community-oriented features and boards, all kids under age 13 must have a parental-consent form mailed or faxed to the company before they can use the interactive content.

Neopets Puzzle Adventure is rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB. Get it at Amazon in any of the following formats:

Wii ($39.99)

DS ($29.99)

PC (from $19.99)

Babble Giveaway: Win a LeapFrog Didj + Hannah Montana Game! (Ends 12/1)

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:04:00 GMT

When we first got some hands-on time with Didj, LeapFrog's new learning-game system designed to knock that learning-averse DS Lite out of your kids' hands, we went gaga: Not only does Didj play like a typical high-quality handheld -- which is to say, it blows away the simplistic graphics and gameplay usually associated with learning games -- but it also packs enough character-based kid allure to keep little ones returning to it.

This week, in fact, LeapFrog announced the latest in its series of licensed games, a Hannah Montana title aimed at girls in 3rd through 5th grade, and we've got a copy of the game and a Didj to play it on ready to give away to one lucky Droolicious visitor!

To enter the contest, just email your name, address and daytime phone number to us at babblecontest@gmail.com. On Dec. 1, we'll draw one winner from the pool of entries to receive a brand-new Didj ($89.99 value) and Hannah Montana game ($29.99 value).

Here's the skinny on the game -- which helps to teach multiplication, division, vocabulary, and time management skills -- straight from LeapFrog:

Help Miley study so Hannah Montana can take the stage! Miley is scheduled to perform as Hannah Montana this weekend, but only if she passes her big test at school on Friday. With four days to go, can you help Miley make the grade? Use your skills to fly through quizzes and puzzles so the show can go on! Earn points as you play to customize the game with outfits, dance moves and special effects for Miley's concert, and choose the skills you need to study for school!

For the full specs on Didj and the LeapFrog Learning Path online tool exclusive to all three of the company's "LeapFrog Connected" systems, visit the LeapFrog shop.

Goosebumps HorrorLand Ships Today

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:04:00 GMT

R.L. Stine's ever-popular kiddie-horror books return to videogame consoles today with Goosebumps HorrorLand for Nintendo DS, Wii and PS2.

Welcome to HorrorLand, where nothing is as it seems.

Set in a creepy amusement park, the game throws players into a typically Stine-ian plot twist when the park's menagerie of monsters and 30-plus horrific attractions are found to be all too real. Kids fight mummies, ward off vampires, get the ride of their life on the "Roller Ghoster," and try to survive long enough to see HorrorLand's shocker of a surprise ending.

Puttin' around in one of Goosebumps HorrorLand's many minigames.

While HorrorLand's many carnival-style minigames are a lighthearted diversion, some of the scenes may be a little creepy for younger players (hence the E10+) rating. The action's no more realistic or graphic than anything in the Goosebumps books or TV series, though, and kids from around age 8 onward will delight in getting to be such a big part of the story. But don't just take our word for it -- check out the official trailer for a slightly longer peek at Goosebumps HorrorLand's scare tactics:

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

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:04:00 GMT

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.

Aimed at those kiddoes for whom Brain Age is too advanced but big brother or sister's DS is just too alluring, the game does require some rudimentary reading skills, so don't expect to be able to slide it into Junior's DS Lite and just walk away. In fact, it seems Ham-Ham Challenge's developers already had that possibility in mind, as they've thrown in a bunch of features that enable Mom and Dad to monitor children's progress, adjust the game's difficulty level, control play time, and even grant rewards via special in-game goodies.

As for gameplay, nothing too taxing here, which is just the point: The characters, all pulled from our favorite hamster-starring Japanese cartoon, are there to entertain, while the 12 minigames are meant to give kids' brains a workout, specifically through focusing on memory, math, word-comprehension and fine-motor skills, among other kindergarten-age necessities.

Rated "E" for Everyone, Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge is $29.99 from Amazon.

Get Your Kids To Study For The SAT On Their Nintendo DS

Chris Ford — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:02:00 GMT

My SAT Coach is not a video game, and you can be sure your kids will never mistake it for a video game. But you might be able to get them to use their Nintendo DS (or DS Lite) to study for the SAT. Today UbiSoft released My SAT Coach - a "game" that uses questions and study techniques from the Princeton Review to help your kids prepare for one of the most important tests they'll ever take.

Everything is covered in My SAT Coach, from math to verbal. There are timed drills and mini games with over 2,000 questions and two "diagnostic" exams. The scores are tracked and recommendations are even given to students about where they should concentrate their studies. I'm guessing it won't cover 100% of their SAT preparation, but as a supplemental tool it sounds pretty cool.

My SAT Coach, $29.99 from Amazon.com.

The Babble Review: Kung Fu Panda the Game

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:04:00 GMT

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.

In a Nutshell: If you're an experienced gamer, you'll probably want to skip Kung Fu Panda altogether. With its tiny learning curve and relatively simple controls, the game can be beaten in a little less time than it takes to sit through the movie. It's a great game for younger players, though, with a fun script (complete with a dead-on Jack Black sound-alike) that uses the film's story as a springboard for bigger tales, as well as a big, jolly sense of humor to balance its cartoonish kung-fu fighting. And just as importantly, unlike so many movie-themed games, it plays as though it's more than a quick cash-in, with actual care put into easily botched stuff like graphics, gameplay and storyline.

Age-Appropriateness: Full disclosure: I reviewed the Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS versions of Kung Fu Panda with my two sons, 7 and 5, fighting for controller time by my side, so right off the bat I defied the game's "E10+" ESRB rating. Odds are, though, that you may not be considering more than the "E" in a game's rating to determine whether it's suitable for your under-10 kiddoes, and with Kung Fu Panda itself being so appealing to a younger audience (in the theater where we saw it, giggling, cheering preschoolers far outranked any 10-year-olds), I figure it's only sensible to put the game in the hands of the age brackets that are probably asking for it. The good news is, at least one of those age brackets had no problem diving into the game and enjoying it -- more on the other in a bit.

Po and two of the Furious Five take on the evil Tai Lung.

Plot and Gameplay: Kung Fu Panda follows its jelly-bellied title character, a bumbling-but-aspirational panda named Po, across multiple stages on his quest to become the fabled Dragon Warrior and stop the recently prison-busted Tai Lung from returning to destroy the village that spawned them both. Sounds just like the movie, right? Well, unlike the movie, the game packs a host of other animal bad guys to take on, and if you thought Tai Lung's nerve strikes were nasty, just wait till you have to rescue a group of baby turtles from the Croc Gang while flying down whitewater rapids and dodging flying arrows. Other levels allow you to play as Po's warrior counterparts, the Furious Five, or as their master, Shifu, while taking on similarly nasty animal crews created just for the game.

Close call: Crane hoists Po and a baby turtle up, up and away from a hungry croc.

As with other multi-console games, your experience with Kung Fu Panda is going to differ depending on the system on which you're playing it. However, even though the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions offer some bonus content and unlockable items , their basic action doesn't differ much from that of the Wii, PS2 and PC versions. Also, with minigames and missions being key parts of the game, the action isn't completely focused on combat (and I do use that term in the jolliest sense here). Of course, combat makes up the best parts of Kung Fu Panda's action, and your kids will have a blast figuring out the different moves and combos for each character as they clobber their way through the game.

Getting Personal (My Kids' Hands-On Experience): Where gameplay was concerned, my 5-year-old suffered most: After getting his butt kicked in a few rounds of combat and not being able to grasp the controls and combo moves as quickly as he'd hoped, he gave up on the Xbox 360 version. Unfortunately, even though the DS version offers a relatively simpler side-scrolling experience (read: you move from one side to the next, hurdling over obstacles and jumping up to different levels as you go), it ended up being twice as frustrating for the little guy, and he gave up after being unable to clear the first few screens. (Poor kid is still just learning to read, so the reading required to follow instructions -- par for the course in many DS games -- usually ends up being a point of frustration, anyway.)

A shot of Tigress in combat, from the Nintendo DS version.

The good news is that his brother, though three years younger than the ESRB's recommended age for Kung Fu Panda, had no trouble getting cozy with the controls and knocking out the bad guys -- although after playing the far more expansive, open-ended and graphics-rich Xbox 360 version of the game, he rarely went back to the DS version. Out of curiosity, I went back to the DS version and found it a blast, and if your kids are familiar with a game like Spider-Man 3 -- which combines the sort of side-scrolling action mentioned above with clever touchscreen controls (in this case, you move with the directional pad and put together your fighting moves with the stylus/touchscreen), they should have no problem getting cozy with this different, but equally solid, version of the game.

Grab your own copy of Kung Fu Panda the Game at Amazon.

First Look: Shaun the Sheep for Nintendo DS

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:04:00 GMT

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.

Shaun the Sheep encounters his naughty nemesis, Pidsley the farm cat.

The game finds our hero working to round up his escaped sheep brethren before the Farmer comes home, and in addition to playing as Shaun and interacting with familiar characters from the series (including Pidsley the feisty farm cat and Bitzer the slacker sheepdog), you'll make your way around new obstacles, access hidden areas, and take a whack at eight unlockable minigames and eight collectible slide puzzles. If mini isn't enough, the game also packs five "micro" games that put you smack in the middle of some of the show's more memorable moments.

Above: a shot from the "Flock 'n Roll" minigame. Below, "Tap a Mole."

Whereas many kid-oriented DS games seem aimed at the youngest players but upon opening require either extensive reading or a steep learning curve just to understand the logic behind their controls, Shaun the Sheep promises an intuitive, "pick up and play" experience, as well as sound, graphics, and character animation that stay true to the show's idiosyncratic style. The jury's still out on both of those claims, but what we've seen so far has us ready to hit the farm for some quality game time with Shaun and friends. At least that's how my 5-year-old seems to be interpreting the buzz...

Rated "E" for Everyone, Shaun the Sheep will retail for $29.95 when it hits stores this fall. For all the latest, keep your eye on D3's website.

Toys"R"Us Previewing Guitar Hero On Tour in Stores This Saturday

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:04:00 GMT

We tipped you off to Guitar Hero On Tour, the upcoming portable Guitar Hero entry for Nintendo DS, a few months back, but if the kids are feeling restless this Saturday and you're looking for a way to kill some time, head to your local Toys"R"Us for a free, hands-on sneak preview of the game.

From noon to 4 p.m. local time on June 14, gamers will get to rock out with the new Guitar Hero On Tour a week in advance of the game's June 22 ship date. A refresher, for those who missed our earlier post: Unlike the console versions of the game, the fully portable, all-in-one On Tour features a unique grip controller that plugs into your DS to allow you to fret virtually, as well as a pick-style stylus for your strumming (because after all, outside of Sonic Youth, who strums a guitar with a pen?).

Besides a jones for the new controller, gamers who try out Guitar Hero On Tour during the preview will walk away with some freebies (a Guitar Hero sticker, dog tag and temporary tattoo, while supplies last), while those who preorder the game during the event will also get a limited-edition Guitar Hero pick-stylus. If you can't make it out to Toys"R"Us, no need to worry: Just hit up the preorder link to secure your own (regular-edition-stylus) copy of the game.

Free LEGO Indiana Jones PC Game Demo Available Starting Today

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:03:00 GMT

We'll forgive you if you didn't bookmark LucasArts' LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures website the other day like we suggested -- we parents do have 8 million or so more important things to worry about, after all. However, if you only make one trip to the site, today's the day, as LucasArts and Games for Windows have released a demo of the upcoming LEGO Indy-themed video game, which is hitting stores June 3. Head here for the demo, and mark your calendars: The movie opens May 22.

If you don't have a PC or don't care about game demos, grab your junior archaeologist and head to Cartoon Network's LEGO Indiana Jones site for a round of fun (and funny) LEGO Indy mini-movies. And don't forget your hat...

LEGO Indiana Jones Game Site Launches; Demo Coming May 13

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:09:00 GMT

Just as we were getting cozy with Cartoon Network's LEGO-themed spin on everyone's favorite Nazi-fighting, AARP-card-carrying archaeologist, LucasArts rolled out its own LEGO Indiana Jones website, this one based around the LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures video game that's hitting stores June 3.

Loaded with fun Flash content, the site is also packed with news, trailers and game details, as well as a treasure-hunt feature that lets you collect points toward stickers, wallpaper and other gimcracks promoting what, if past experiences with LEGO Star Wars are any indication, is looking to be the summer's most awesome kids' game. (Illicitly obtained copies of Grand Theft Auto IV excepted.)

As you and your kids are playing around the site today, be sure to bookmark it: LucasArts and Games for Windows have a PC demo of LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures slated for release on May 13, nine days before the latest Indy movie hits theaters. The final game, which is rated E 10+, will also ship for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS.

Preorder Guitar Hero: On Tour for Nintendo DS (Ships June 29)

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:03:00 GMT

Despite the awesome-looking images (such as the one above -- thanks, Uncrate) that've been leaking since it was announced, it's still hard to comprehend how smoothly the new Guitar Hero: On Tour is going to translate to the Nintendo DS. That said, we're still excited as all get-out to road-test it when the game hits stores on June 29.

The new controller sticks onto the back of the DS, and you use the included pick-stylus to "strum" the touchscreen with your right hand while working the four colored frets with your left. (Which technically makes it Bass Hero, but we'll let that slide...) There's a strap to prevent you from dropping the whole mess, and if you're a lefty, well... surely there's a flip mode, right?

Basic controls aside, the developers have taken good advantage of some of the DS' functional quirks: For instance, when a pyrotechnic effect goes awry, you blow into the microphone to extinguish it. And if you're within range of a wireless network, you can also shred against a competitor via the game's co-op mode.

$50 gets you the game and the peripherals you need to get rockin': Start your warm-up exercises now and get to the official Guitar Hero: On Tour site to preorder.

Cooking Mama 2: The Video Game for Foodies

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:03:00 GMT

I may be a papa, but I love Cooking Mama, the video-game series that lets you slice, dice, mix and match raw ingredients into all manner of culinary creations, most of which can be easily carried over into a real-world kitchen. (The Wii version even has its own set of virtual chef's tools.)

Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends ($29.99; pictured) ups the gameplay to include a competition in which your dishes are taste-tested and judged by a group of digital foodies, although if you select the easier "Cook With Mama" mode, it becomes much more forgiving: Botch a recipe, and Mama steps in to help you fix it.

If only I could get my kids to eat half as adventurously as they cook in these games, I might never have to look at food in nugget form again.

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

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:02:00 GMT

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 my 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.

LEGO Star Wars II marked the series' entry into next-generation consoles, but The Complete Saga maximizes the systems' technology -- which means, if you're playing on an Xbox 360 or PS3, you're going to notice some major improvements in graphics, as well as some cool new online capabilities. Wii users, unfortunately, don't get either, although the Wii version does make use of the system's motion-control capabilities. DS players, meanwhile, get a LEGO Star Wars experience completely redesigned from the ground up.

Playing like a combined version of its predecessors, The Complete Saga works in LEGO-fied versions of the characters, scenery and scenarios from all six Star Wars films, complete with LEGO Star Wars' trademark cheeky humor to take the edge off. Meaning: Star Wars Battlefront this ain't -- and you'll dive right into playing alongside your kids for just that reason.

Even if you beat the games the first go-round -- and despite the kiddie appeal, that's not as easy as you might think -- there's plenty here to keep you playing. Besides new characters like Watto, Zam Wessell and Boss Nass (with over 120 playable characters in all), you'll find 10 new bounty-hunter challenges, the ability to mix and match characters from all six episodes, and even a cameo by a certain archaeologist movie hero who's about to get his own LEGO video-game treatment.

It's not entirely "new," so calling LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga the season's best kid-friendly video game may be a stretch (and besides, Mario did come back fighting this fall). But for those of us who've enjoyed bonding with our kids over George Lucas' universe, boy, it'll sure feel that way.

EA Playground Website Launches; Game in Stores Oct. 23

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:32:00 GMT

It's a wee bit late, considering the game (which you can preorder here for $39.99) will be in stores next week for Wii and Nintendo DS, but the EA Playground website has gone live, and it's a fun place to kill time while you wait for the game to arrive.

Rated "E" for Everyone, EA Playground is essentially a collection of mini-games that puts you back in the action at your local playground, where you compete in challenges ranging from dodgeball to slot-car racing (never had that at my playground, but whatever) while exploring new areas in your quest to become the neighborhood alpha kid.

The really cool feature -- besides the different mini-games available on each console -- is in the mechanics: Swing your Wii remote to play tetherball or guide a paper airplane, or blow into your DS' microphone to launch a spitball. And if you're hyper-competitive or still carrying some old playground grudge, take note: As much as EA Playground is visually geared for kid appeal, you and your friends will want to call in a sitter for multiplayer mode.

Pint-Sized Power Play: Backyard Hockey for Nintendo DS

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:32:00 GMT

It's been around since 2002 for PC and Game Boy Advance, but Backyard Hockey ($29.99) just shipped in an all-new edition for Nintendo DS, which makes it not just the DS' first Backyard game, but also its first hockey game, period. It's a great entry, too, with players from all 30 NHL teams represented in cartoonish, kid-sized form, as well as customization tools that let you tweak the game's rules, length, difficulty and realism to match your patience/maturity level.

The graphics and environments -- from NHL arenas to frozen public pools -- have also been souped-up for the DS, as have the controls. You can use the touch screen to set up tricky shots or pass to teammates, or if it better suits your fingers, play the entire game using the D-pad and buttons.

Like all games in this series, Backyard Hockey emphasizes fun and sportsmanship over rough-and-tumble action (no crosschecking or missing teeth here, kids), and though it has a short learning curve, it's long on repeated playing. Once you've worked your way through the season, go back for single-game pick-up matches or dive into addictive minigames like air hockey, and watch the hours fly by.

Video Games: Crash of the Titans Ships for Multiple Platforms

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:32:00 GMT

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.

Crash Of The Titans still finds our hero facing off against the evil Dr. Neo Cortex, who this time has discovered a mysterious substance called "mojo" (another term that'll be fun to explain to kids) and is using it to build an army of mutants out of the Wumpa Islands' peaceful inhabitants. As Crash, you spend the game battling the mutants, a.k.a. Titans, while collecting mojo and showing off your new acrobatic fighting skills; and this time, you've got an added skill called "jacking" that lets you take control of the Titans. (In two-player mode, you can even, er, jack yourself as the mutant-hero Carbon-Crash.) A learning game this isn't, but kids will eat it up -- as will the more slapstick- and action-loving parents among us.

Rated E 10+, Crash of the Titans is available for PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, GBA and PSP.

2D, Too Fast: Sonic Rush Adventure for Nintendo DS

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:01:00 GMT

Poor Sonic -- endearingly hyperactive as the hedgehog was when he debuted back in gaming's dark ages, his franchise became maddening to play as console technology and 3D gameplay caught hold of it. Luckily, the new Sonic Rush Adventure ($29.99) for Nintendo DS puts the critter and his enemies -- this time it's pirates! -- back where they work best: in a fast-moving, predominantly 2D landscape that makes great use of the DS' dual- and touch-screen capabilities. And when you're tired of zipping around in single-player mode, you can go wireless and face off against a friend. Rated "E" for Everyone.

Pokémon Global Trade Station Launches

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:04:00 GMT

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. Using Pokémon Diamond and Pearl software and a Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, players beam their info to the GTS (imagine E*TRADE, only with flashing colors and a hyperactive 8-bit soundtrack), where they can deposit their collections and trade/battle/compare with fellow Trainers around the world. (Mindful of global etiquette, the site even teaches vistors how to say "hello" and "thank you" in select languages, and also provides mini-lessons on countries visited.) And, parents, even if you don't have the gadgets needed to connect, it's also a fun primer on the ever-expanding world of Pokémon.

Fall Videogame Preview: Animal Genius

Gwynne Watkins — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:17:00 GMT

One of two new Scholastic games for the Nintendo DS (the other being I Spy Funhouse), Animal Genius actually consists of five different games -- each of which tests players' coordination, matching skills and knowledge of the animal kingdom. Complete the five mini-games and you get a new animal for one of your habitats; keep playing and you'll eventually create whole ecosystems. Animal Genius is more challenging than it first appears, but if your kid is obsessed with any or all animals, it could easily occupy them for hours. Animal Genius will hit stores on September 25th and is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Fall Videogame Preview: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Gwynne Watkins — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:43:00 GMT

Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog are in a game together! If you ever subscribed to Nintendo Power, we bet your inner child just squealed. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a new all-ages Sega game for the Nintendo Wii and DS, in which classic Nintendo characters compete in Olympic events ranging from skeet shooting to gymnastics. We recommend the Wii version, which our staff tester describes as "the most self-explanatory game ever" -- in other words, perfect for kids. Mario & Sonic will hit stores in late November and is available for pre-order now on Amazon. (Sorry, folks -- no screencaps for this one.)