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.
Arkanoid: Eternal Battle (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
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Posted on December 9th, 2022 by
Arkanoid is a classic arcade game that came out in the mid 80s by Taito, makers of Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble. It’s a Breakout clone, meaning you move a paddle on the bottom of the screen as you bounce a ball to break blocks at the top. Except Arkanoid features improved graphics, power-ups, and enemies, so it’s really a better game. Arkanoid is a special game to me for many reasons. It was a mainstay arcade machine at the local Pizza Inn when I was a kid, and it was one of the few arcade games I could get my dad to play. Because of that, Arkanoid was also one of the first games I got for my NES (I also thought the included paddle controller was cool). Over the years I’ve enjoyed other Arkanoid games, like Arkanoid: Tournament Edition and Revenge of Doh in arcades, Doh it Again on SNES, and Arkanoid R. I also really liked Arkanoid DS because the music in it is freaking awesome. So I was excited to review Arkanoid: Eternal Battle, the newest in the series. It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Super Chicken Jumper (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC, Mobile)
Posted on December 7th, 2022 by
Aliens have invaded Earth so the President sends out her secret weapon: a chicken! Super Chicken Jumper is a continuous runner with 8-bit styled retro graphics. Play as a chicken as you run, jump, defeat bosses, and collect power-ups and items to help you keep going further. It’s available on pretty much anything you can play a game on, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Unplugged: GamerDad Holiday Guide 2022
Posted on December 6th, 2022 by
Happy Holidays! Boardgaming continues to make inroads to wider audiences, and there’s no better time to get (or get your friends and family) into the hobby than an extended holiday break. It is yet another “unusual” year so there may not be as much mixing in your neck of the woods but there are boardgames out there to meet up with almost any taste. If you only have access to online gaming buddies, check out BoardGameArena.com. Boardgames are timeless, just as good today as they will be years in the future, so a purchase today will still be serving you well after the lockdowns go away. As we at GamerDad have done for the past 18+ years, it’s time for an annual rundown of recent boardgames well worth your time. Feel free to delve into some past year’s guides for 2021, 2020, 2019, or older as they’re still great candidates for your consideration. You might not find all these titles at your local mega-mart but many can be found online or in a friendly local game store. Some may argue $60+ boardgames are expensive, but compare that to video gaming (and where multiple copies are required for multiplayer play) and the economics of boardgaming shows their true value. For each game I’ve provided the publisher (to help you find it), an approximate MSRP (you might find it lower), the number of players, the expected time for one game, and the manufacturer’s recommended ages. These age listings are often set for legal reasons and I would say most could easily be skewed lower for experienced younger gamers.
Hatup (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on December 5th, 2022 by
Help a little purple dude collect and wear his fez hat and make it to the door in this single screen 2-D precision platformer. It’s available on all current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Them’s Fightin’ Herds (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on December 2nd, 2022 by
About ten or so years ago, there was a My Little Pony cartoon based on the toy line with the subtitle “Friendship is Magic.” The cartoon was directed by Lauren Faust, who also worked on such cartoons like The PowerPuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. So because of this, the My Little Pony cartoon was surprisingly good and developed a fan base of all ages and genders. Some fans even made a fighting game based on the My Little Pony characters. Hasbro shut that down, understandably, since they didn’t want their toy line associated with fighting. But people liked that idea so much that Lauren Faust created some new characters for a fighting game, and that’s how we got Them’s Fightin’ Herds! It’s a cartoony one-on-one fighter featuring all manner of hooved animals, and it’s available for all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Star Wars, Marvel, Star Trek, and More: – Boardgames for the Franchise Superfan
Posted on December 1st, 2022 by
With the explosion of media from big-name franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and Lord of the Rings there is almost too much for one person to consume. However, some will say there is never enough of their favorite setting. For those folks, or friends of those folks who need gift ideas, I present the following list of thematic boardgames. Each captures the flavor of the settings, supported by a quality, enjoyable boardgame underneath. They’re not just a copy of Monopoly with scenes from a movie slapped on top.
Super Woden GP (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on November 30th, 2022 by
Top down viewed racing games have always been a staple in arcades and consoles, with titles like Super Sprint, World Rally, Micro Machines, RC Pro-Am, and many more. And now there’s Super Woden GP for modern consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Rule No. 1 (PS4, PS5, Switch)
Posted on November 28th, 2022 by
Rule No. 1 is a first person shooter that’s more like a obstacle course testing ground for your FPS skills than anything else. You play as a sassy yet attractive lady who must shoot everything in a single small rectangular area. Enemies come in waves, and you are scored on how many you can shoot before your health runs out. The game is available on PlayStation consoles and Switch, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Hallmark 2022 Video Game Christmas Ornaments
Posted on November 25th, 2022 by
Hallmark always has a wide annual selection of new Christmas ornaments and series, and in the past few years they’ve even done video game related ones! This year they had even MORE than ever (my wallet is still crying), and I got most of them, so I thought I’d share them with you here.
reky (Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, X/S, PC, Mobile)
Posted on November 23rd, 2022 by
“reky” is a isometric maze puzzle game where you must guide a ball through a minimalistic maze to get from point A to point B. There are colored blocks in the mazes that you can move to certain spots by pressing the A button. When your ball is over one of those colored blocks, you can absorb that color with the X button. You can then transfer that color to another white block, and then move that block with the A button to hopefully move forward. But your ball can’t be on colored blocks for them to move. There are nearly a hundred of these maze puzzles to solve in reky, and it’s available on pretty much anything you can play a game on, but reviewed on Switch here.
