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.
Reader Review: Dungeons and Dragons: Family Time or Bad News?
2 Comments
Posted on May 16th, 2022 by
I’ve never been able to get into Dungeons and Dragons or any tabletop role playing game, really. Too much math for my tastes. That’s why I just stick to Final Fantasy games. And even then just the old school ones. But most of my other brothers really like Dungeons and Dragons. For instance, my brother Jeff once ran a long running DnD group at his local library. And another one of my brothers, Benjamin Woodham, wrote this neat article I’d like to share here. So please read his article below. –Cary
The Racers and Tracks of Chocobo GP
Posted on May 13th, 2022 by
Back during the PSOne days, Square released a mascot kart racing game featuring cute versions of their Final Fantasy staple characters. You know, chocobo, moogle, white and black mages, etc. It was called Chocobo Racing. I wanted to get this game when it came out, but I was poor college student at the time and couldn’t afford to get it at full price. Plus I heard it was getting a lot of bad reviews, so I decided to wait for a while. Shortly after I graduated college, I found a new copy of Chocobo Racing at a flea market and it was only 20 bucks. And since I had a bit more disposable income by then, I decided to get it. And you know what? Despite it having such bad reviews, I really liked it! Sure it was no where near as good as Mario Kart or other mascot racers at the time such as Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Team Racing. But I really liked how they implemented Final Fantasy themes and tropes into the gameplay and presentation. So when Square-Enix showed a sequel of sorts last year coming to the Switch called Chocobo GP, I was really excited and wanted to get it. So now I finally have it and I wanted to talk about it and all the characters and tracks found therein. So let’s get started!
Parkasaurus (Switch, PC)
Posted on May 11th, 2022 by
Dinosaurs from another planet have crash landed on Earth, and it’s up to you to give them a good home in a special dinosaur zoo. What kid wouldn’t want to design and run their very own dinosaur park? Parkasaurus is a simulation game very similar to titles such as SimCity or Zoo Tycoon. It’s available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Ayo the Clown (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S, PC)
Posted on May 9th, 2022 by
When I was a kid, clowns were not considered scary like they are now. Granted that was a long time ago. But back then, clowns like Ronald McDonald frequently graced TV commercials, and even video games featured clowns as main characters, like Mr. Do!, Circus Charlie, and Kid Klown. And now comes another not-so-scary video game clown with Ayo the Clown. One day Ayo’s puppy pal gets dognapped, and it’s up to Ayo to go on a 2-D platforming romp to find him. Ayo the Clown is available on most current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Sonic the Hedgehog Toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals
Posted on May 6th, 2022 by
There’s a new Sonic the Hedgehog live action animated hybrid movie out now, and McDonald’s just did a promotion with Happy Meal toys featuring characters from the games and movies. I got a few of them, so let’s take a look at them!
Mokoko X (Switch, Xbox One, PC)
Posted on May 4th, 2022 by
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but in Mokoko X you play a classic styled arcade game to reveal pictures of anime ladies. So yeah, a lot like Pretty Girls Panic. It’s available on Switch, Xbox One, and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Marble Maid (Switch, PC)
Posted on May 2nd, 2022 by
Around this time of year, many people do a bit of Spring cleaning, so here’s a game about that. Roll a housemaid inside a ball as you navigate mazes, try not to fall, and run over dust bunnies before finding the exit in a given amount of time. I’m surprised SEGA didn’t sue, as even the logo of this game looks like the Super Monkey Ball one! Anyway, Marble Maid is available on Switch and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.
Unplugged: Pac-Man: The Card Game
Posted on April 29th, 2022 by
As many of you may already know, I’m a huge fan of Pac-Man. So when I saw this Pac-Man card game, I had to get it and try it out! I don’t know how long it’s been out, I got it on sale at Amazon for 5 bucks. But I figured I’d review it anyway.
Pretty Girls Rivers (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC)
Posted on April 27th, 2022 by
Play a version of Mahjong with slightly different rules, all the while unlocking outfits for a bevvy of anime ladies in Pretty Girls Rivers. It’s available on current PlayStation systems, Switch, and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.
Z-Warp (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, X/S)
Posted on April 25th, 2022 by
Z-Warp is a fast paced vertically scrolling shooter with classic styled graphics and sensibilities. In the future, a spaceship with a new warp drive goes missing, and it’s up to you to pilot a special craft to recover the black box and find out what happened. But story doesn’t really matter, just shoot everything that moves and avoid all the bullets! Z-Warp is available on most current consoles but reviewed on PS4 here.
