This weekend we celebrated my son’s fifth birthday and he and I spent some father-son bonding time with Mario Kart: Double Dash. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, this is a Gamecube title that has been available for a few years. If you have a Wii and you’ve been having trouble tracking down Mario Kart Wii, this could give you a great option for half the price!

Having said that, it plays beautifully on the Wii as well as the original Gamecube and, like many of the Gamecube games, it is capable of displaying at 480p if you have your console connected to an HD television via component cables. Honestly, it looks beautiful and the control is spot on. Yet, what makes this title a real family winner is the two-player options.

My son’s first exposure to this title was at a kiosk while we were at a local GameStop. As with most Mario games, he was drawn to the colorful graphics and humorous sound effects. However, as much as he seemed to enjoy the visuals, he wasn’t quite understanding the racing mechanic itself and when he finally crossed the finish line in eighth place, he seemed discouraged to see that his characters looked sad.

Rather than race head-to-head with him, I chose the 2-player option that allows him to control the second character on my kart. We were able to race as a team against the other characters and while I controlled the vehicle itself, he was in charge of the power-ups. This meant that when we’d pick up a speed boost, he’d ask me when it would help and then press the button. And when we’d pick up a banana peel or other trap/attack device, we’d coordinate on where to use it.

I found this experience far more enjoyable than playing the game against him and I felt that it instilled a sense of cooperation within him while providing a sense of accomplishment when we won the tournament.

Keep in mind that you can play up to four players with this title (4-player split screen or two 2-player teams) on a single machine and it has support for network play using the broadband adapter on the Gamecube. This has some great potential for a family or a small group of kids playing together. I don’t have a problem with competition, but in this case, we enjoyed cooperation and competition together.

I heartily recommend it and as an adult I can say that it’s as much fun for me as it is for my son!

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Those of you who have been visiting our site for a while may remember my joy when I received the demo of the PSP God of War title last October. Well, as of yesterday, I finished the full version of the game and I really enjoyed it!

First - this title is rated “M” by the ESRB and it recommended for players 17+ years of age. (For more information about the ratings system, feel free to read our article or visit their site.) Having said this, you may find that it’s acceptable for your teen, but you need to make that call. It is a violent action-adventure title with some interesting puzzle elements. The title begins in ancient Greece amidst the backdrop of the Persian war, but takes you into the underworld and has you battling gorgons, cyclops, basilisks, and others (without giving too much away). It is gory, but appropriately for a Spartan fighting foes in this context. There is some occasional female nudity (some of the goddesses are bare-chested). But I found nothing in the game that seemed out-of-place considering the subject matter.

Having said that, this game is a blast! In fact, I found its references to particular figures of Greek mythology inspiration to crack open an old college textbook to re-read a few of the myths. The game developers have modified the stories slightly to include the protagonist as a factor in these events. Using these familiar characters and events as the setting for their story grants a familiarity to the experience without spoiling anything.

From a presentation point, God of War: Chains of Olympus does an extraordinary job of conveying a sense of immenseness that I wasn’t expecting from a handheld screen. In many ways, this experience is every bit as impressive as the original two God of War titles for the PlayStation2. However, the one area in which this game is not immense is its length. This is the only criticism that I have for the game. It took me less than 10 hours to complete the story. But don’t let this stop you from considering this game.

I would much rather have a short game that feels complete, well constructed, and provides a unique experience than a longer game that includes a number of redundant tasks and repeated environments. I cannot emphasize how impressive the environments are in this game. And the sense of wonder when you witness the titans in chains is practically disarming.

Two of my favorite games of the last decade are Ico and Beyond Good and Evil. They both were critically acclaimed titles that many thought were too short. I would gladly put Chains of Olympus in their company - short but sweet. And oh so sweet it was. In fact, I’ll probably play it again at a higher difficulty before I put it back in the case for a while.

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If you see the above graphic someplace, chances are that the individual who placed it there isn’t trying to bring back roman numerals. This is just one of the ways that Rockstar Games is promoting Grand Theft Auto 4. As of today, they announced the official release date for this anticipated title. It is due to hit the streets April 29th, 2008. If you’re interested, you can read their actual press release.

Before we go into a little history, let’s establish that the Grand Theft Auto series has been steeped in controversy since the original was released in 1997. In fact, I would venture to say that GTA is considered by many to be the most notorious gaming franchise on the planet. Many parent organizations point to this series when they want to criticize videogames. We expect that another wave of uproar will coincide with the imminent release of GTA4 - the first incarnation of the series on this generation of consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360).

We are not here to tell you what is good or bad. We’re here to help you make informed decisions for yourselves. The fact is that we have played these games over the years and we consider the Grand Theft Auto games to be some of the most impressive titles in the industry…for adults. These are very much mature games and are rated accordingly by the ESRB. These games are NOT intended for children. You should think carefully about the subject matter of these titles if you are considering bringing them into your household. They are violent. They include strong language. They involve drugs. They are filled with sexual subject matter. Yet the content is no stronger than most R-rated movies. Having said that, my children won’t be watching such movies or playing these games for many years.

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We mentioned some of our top game suggestions for this year in our last VodCast. We promised that we would follow-up with a longer list for each system to cover a wider range of games. This is the collection of those lists. Not all of these games are brand new, but almost all were released within the year. Please note the ESRB ratings for these games when you’re deciding what would be best for your family and feel free to comment below or chime in on the forums if you have questions about these titles. We’ll gladly get into more detail. (Chris can testify that I would easily talk anyone’s ear off about practically any of them. You should see how much editing he has to do on our videos. Once I get going…um…there I go again.)

Before I get sidetracked again, we present our lists. They are in ESRB rating order (lowest to highest) per system and alphabetical within the rating group. Enjoy!

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The Scooby Game, Part 2:
For those of you who missed Part 1 or would like a refresher, you can find it here.

As noted previously, when a game is rated “E” for Everyone it is referring to the content. Let me qualify this, if I may. Since viewing a film is more passive, the rating is appropriate for all viewers because everyone who sees the film is capable of participating similarly based on their level of interpretation. (This is not to say that everyone walks away with the same experience.) However, with a videogame, you have the player and you have others who may view the game. Now if a game is rated “M” for Mature, I would infer that my four-year-old should neither play the game, nor watch someone else playing the game because of the content. Does that make sense? In contrast, a game that is rated “E” should have no objectionable content for practically anyone in the room to view. But that doesn’t mean that anyone can play the game. (Keep in mind that games rated “E” for Everyone are actually intended for ages 6 and older, not everyone as the rating implies. For more details, check out the ESRB ratings guide here.)

In the case of Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights I found nothing that was objectionable for my son to watch. However, playing the game requires a level of hand-eye coordination and patience that was far beyond my (then) three-year-old. In fact, as a seasoned gamer, there were a number of sequences in this game that truly frustrated me and required that I play them over and over until I accomplished the objective (and survived). Many more challenging games have such sequences and provide a sense of accomplishment for a veteran gamer. However, sequences like these can discourage and dishearten a younger and less-experienced player.

There are a few specific sequences in this title that hearken back to old arcade games or early 2D platformers where the only way that you can survive the sequence is through memorizing the patterns. Gamers 20 years ago thought that this was “fun” and it provided an opportunity for bragging rights. However, these days it can be a bit tiresome.

As I mentioned in the first part of this article, Scooby Doo! Night of 100 Frights is a hub-based game. This means that as you accomplish certain tasks and navigate particular areas, you then can return to the starting point. Usually, sucessfully navigating an entire area gives you the opportunity (thankfully) to unlock another linking point. This allows you to jump in at that point instead of having to go through the whole area again. In many cases, this saves time. In certain instances, it truly preserves sanity. I don’t mean to beat a dead horse. As I said before, overall the game is actually pretty good. It’s just those few areas that test whether or not you are committed to finishing the title.

In part one I mentioned the monster tokens. These are for the completist and are simply a novelty within the game. Acquiring them neither pushes the plot further nor helps in any way to finish the game. What they do offer is another opportunity to nurture the desire to collect things. It was this aspect of the game that really captured my son’s attention. He wasn’t as interested in the story or the plot line as much as seeing the different monsters in the areas and collecting the monster tokens. Once a token is acquired, it unlocks that creature in the monster gallery. There were entire 0ne-hour sessions during which all my son wanted to do was look at the statuesque representations of the monsters in this cavern showcase. This macabre trophy room became more important than any other aspect of the game. And it was his interest in this that got me thinking.

Whether it be Pokemon, Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars, or baseball cards, our culture encourages children to collect things. When I was a kid, I collected rocks and coins. As a young adult I began to collect comic books and videogames. The fact is that there is a big difference in collecting rocks as opposed to comics or baseball cards. Though there are rare gems and minerals, there are no lists that say, “only 1,000 gold nuggets were made.” Yet no matter what, when you want to fill a gap in your collection with a rare or limited item, it usually costs more and can become a bit of a thorn in your side until it’s acquired.

This concerns me. I see games that encourage this level of collecting (and we can trace this as far back as the original arcade version of PacMan) and I wonder what we’re “wiring” our kids brains to do. If my son becomes as obsessive about baseball cards as he was about those monster tokens, is he going to justify spending a thousand dollars on some single card one day to complete an historic team from his childhood? Should this be an issue for concern?

I don’t have answers. I have questions and concerns for my family. We all want what’s best for our children. And we want to help our kids navigate the challenges that life offers. Sometimes games (including sports, board games, and videogames) can offer the opportunity to role play and problem solve to enhance a skill-set for life. But they can provide the opportunity to learn other behaviors as well. Some of which may not serve our children’s best interest. All I can say is that as with all things, we parents must try to maintain open communication with our sons and daughters to better understand what they are learning and to help shape those lessons accordingly.

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Halloween is a special holiday for many and ideally it provides an opportunity to be scared without real fear of danger (i.e., those fangs were bought at the local drug store). For those that want to enjoy some halloween game choices, Game Apparent has a few suggestions for you ranging from the kid-friendly options to the more adult oriented fare.

First Up is a PlayStation 2 EyeToy title called Play. For the uninitiated, the EyeToy is a USB camera that hooks up the the PlayStation 2 and enables players to interact with the games without a controller. You can wave your hands or jump up and down and the software recognizes your actions and applies them onscreen. Play was the first release for the EyeToy and it includes a collection of mini-games. One of these is called, Ghost Eliminator. Essentially, this is a scene with a haunted house and ghosts and bats appear and you have to wave your hands over them to dispel them. It’s really simple and fun for young and old. This is a great family choice and these games get people off the couch and laughing. Good stuff!

One franchise that is virtually replete with options is Scooby Doo. You’ll find Scooby games for the GameBoy Color, Super Nintendo, Genesis, and all of the previous generation systems (GameCube, PS2, and Xbox). One that I personally reccommend is Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights. (However, don’t introduce it to a child under 6 without reflection. For more information, see this article on our site.) Having said that, Scooby is always fun - especially when you finally reach the end and the villian claims that he/she would have gotten away with it if, “it weren’t for those meddling kids.”

Though this is a fun title, I’d suggest that you consider this for your 6+ kids in spite of the “E” rating on it. There are a number of truly frustrating platforming sequences in this game that challenge veteran gamers and I’d hate for your family to get frustrated unnecessarily. This is also a fairly involved title that easily takes 15+ hours of gameplay to finish. But for the Scooby fans, it has cameos from many of the original monsters. It’s available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a modern classic stop animation marvel. It is a wonderful film for Halloween and for those who want to play within this ficticious world, there are a few options. The PlayStation 2 offers Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2 which include Halloween Town and many of the cast members. There’s also a Kingdom Hearts on the GameBoy Advance entitled, Chain of Memories. The GBA also has a prequel game entitled, The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King.

Many have begged for a sequel for this cult classic over the years. Capcom granted us something close with, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas - Oogie’s Revenge. This is a 3D adventure platformer with some interesting play mechanics. I recommend it highly for fans of the original, but it wasn’t as good as I hoped. However, it was most certainly worth playing. The voice acting is credible, but the camera can be a bit frustrating at times. Of these games, Kingdom Hearts and KH: Chain of Memories are rated “E” and Kingdom Hearts 2, TNBC: The Pumpkin King and TNBC: Oogie’s Revenge are rated “E10+.” As endearing as the characters are, I would consider adhering closely to the 10+ for those titles. There is a bit of violence, but most importantly, Tim Burton has a rather twisted imagination and many of these creatures in this could give a smaller child real nightmares.

For the older teen in the household, or even the parents who are interested in gaming, there are a number of horror-based titles available and many of these (being older) are available used for a fraction of the orignal cost. Please be aware that these are “M” rated titles and, therefore, are not intended for children under 17 years of age.

The Resident Evil series and Silent Hill titles offer some partiuclarly dark imagery that will scare the most jaded horror film buff. There are a couple of Buffy the Vampire Slayer titles (one for the Xbox, and the second for Xbox, PS2, and GameCube). These are interesting 3D adventure platformers that include a number of familiar characters if you were a fan of the series. In addition to these, I’d like to recommend 3 other creepy options.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
This “M” title for the GameCube is a fascinating psychological thriller. It takes place over multiple time periods and in each of these, you control a different member of the Roivas family. As you play through the game you must remain aware of your character’s sanity through an onscreen bar. If you lose all of your sanity, the slightest scare begins to cause your character physical harm. The visuals are exceptional and the control scheme is very fluid. Be aware that in this game your character is expected to cast spells. Though this game mechanic is implimented well, it may not be appropriate entertainment for some families.

Call of the Cthulhu
This “M” title for the Xbox brings H.P. Lovecraft’s horror world to life in a first person adventure that will have you pausing the game and walking away at times. Similar to Eternal Darkness, you have to be concerned with your character’s sanity. If he sees too much that he cannot process properly, the screen will begin to blur and control will fail. It’s quite an impressive effect as well as being quite unnerving. I was a little disappointed with the overall graphics, but it was worthwhile to play a title based in a world envisioned by Lovecraft.

Fatal Frame
Though the first title is rated “T” I consider both titles ”M” rated. The second is more visually disturbing, but the sense of fear accomplished in the first title seems reason enough to save it for your teen. The series utilizes a rather unique play mechanic that has the player using a camera to see the ghosts (otherwise invisible) and trap them. There are plenty of moments in these titles when you suddenly feel all the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Nothing like coming around a corner and seeing something move in the distance. It’s not about the jumping out and scaring you moments as much as the frightening things that you see out of the corner of your eye. And nothing shocks you quite as much as thinking that you’re all alone and then when you look through the camera, you realize you’re not! Both titles are available for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. However, these have a bit of a cult following and might be harder to find.

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