Category: games

NKT Faves: Bot Shots, Chan and Skylanders Cloud Patrol

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As usual, so much has been going on around here.  Even though I haven’t been updating as frequent as I like, I’m always updating Twitter, Facebook and my current obsession (and everyone else’s,) Instagram.

My current Instagram obsession made me think about the other obsessions we have going on in our house.  My Four year old is at that stage in life where he clings onto things incessantly.  And the fact that I review kid products means that his obsessions change with every new package we receive, or so it seems.

So, I thought I’d try to update weekly on what are our new favorites.  It will most likely be a random sampling of things, but all fun finds nonetheless.

1. Transformer Bot Shots

These Bot Shots from Hasbro can be cataloged in a few different ways:  they’re collectible, have a battle aspect and they transform.  They’re small in size, which makes them perfect for young school-aged kids and maybe even preschoolers.  The fact that they’re Transformers adds to the cool factor.  When in battle mode, players can push, then crash into their opponent, and then the Bot Shot automatically transforms.  I can’t tell you how many battles we’ve had with our guys.

I love the low price point for these toys, almost as much as I love the fun play pattern.  It’s competitive, yet creative and all around fun, especially for Transformers fans.

2.  Chan, Pie and Gnon Teethers

I’ve had a lot of baby on the brain as of late, and baby toys are no exception.  I’ve talked a lot of Sophie the Giraffe, but I’m so excited that the makers of Sophie have friends for this famous giraffe.  Chan, Pie and Gnon are rubber, just like Sophie.  These little mushroom-looking characters are easy to grab and even have a squeaker toy inside.  As my baby learns to grasp things, it’s so cute to hear that little squeaker squeak.

3.  Skylanders Cloud Patrol

The uber popular video game franchise is already a hit on the web and on consoles, and now, it’s available on mobile platforms.  Our whole family loves playing Skylanders, so naturally, Cloud Patrol was an instant hit for all of us.  Cloud Patrol has a combination of mini-missions and shooting adventures, which are all easy to play on a touch-pad devices.  The colors and characters are just as vibrant as the other game platforms, and quite honestly just as addicting.  Activision is getting it right with the multi-platform interactivity.  I love the way you can engage characters you already own, just by inputting the number they came with.  Skylanders Cloud Patrol is a game that will be along with many of our roadtrips and train rides this summer.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster for Kinect is Family Fun at its Best

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Sesame Street is always at the forefront of children’s media, and the video game segment is no exception.  Last month, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released Once Upon a Monster, the first Sesame Street title for Kinect for Xbox 360.

A vibrant, funny, family adventure game, Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster features a storybook-like experience that allows kids to explore scenarios with Elmo, Cookie Monster and meet new monster friends along the way.  The game features a helpful co-op gameplay option, which, I think, is inherent for young players.  And according to WBIE, through gameplay, Once Upon a Monster underscores social, emotional and other life lessons, for which Sesame Street is already known.

The friendly, familiar and furry monsters, ultimately, were the main appeal of this game for my preschooler.  The dancing and other adventures, coupled with the sharp graphics, “made” this game for him in the end.  From start to finish, and whether they’re big or little, the game involved players’ movement from head to toe, creating active gameplay that was virtually nonstop.  This would be such a fun alternative to movie night or even a complement to traditional game night.  The co-op gameplay feature gives parents a proactive approach to  stay involved in this specific element of screentime.  And although it may not be the most educational title (as far as letters and numbers go,) I do appreciate that Once Upon a Monster gets kids moving–without a remote!

Rated E for Everyone, this game is ideal for preschoolers to early grade school and their family members.  Change up the holiday family gathering monotony! I personally can’t wait to see my 20-something brother join in on the fun!  Coordination and the ability to comprehend basic verbal instructions are important, but a little monkey-see, monkey-do always helps with that.  Sesame Streeet: Once Upon a Monster for Kinect for Xbox is available in stores now and retails for $49.99.

The kid and I were onhand at the NYC Once Upon a Monster launch, where we had a chance to demo the game before its official release.  Suffice it to say, the kid and I both had a blast moving and grooving to “that monster game” as the kid lovingly calls it.  Check out the kid and a few little buddies checking out Once Upon a Monster at the launch event.

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Visit the official Sesame Street Store and save 15% on Once Upon a Monster with the promo code: SESAMEBLOGGER

This offer expires December 15, 2011.

Full disclosure:  I’m an affiliate of the official Sesame Street Store, and there are two affiliate links above.  As always, I appreciate your readership, and by visiting and shopping through any of my affiliate links, you help me keep this site afloat!
Product sample was provide to facilitate this review; as always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Halloween Episodes on PBS Kids are Spooky but Fun

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the excitement that Halloween brings with it, not surprisingly, kid programming is joining in on the ghoulish fun!  PBS Kids, an NKT fave, always does a great job on incorporating educational episodes while sharing seasonal shows, and Halloween is no different.

Last week, as part of PBS Kids’ Halloween-inspired programming, the animal exploration series, Wild Kratts, (think: Animal Planet for the grade school set) highlighted all kinds of creatures during Predator Week.  The Kratt brothers explored fierce predators such as great white sharks, wolves, cheetahs and raptors.  With Great Whites in the news so much recently, the episodes from Predator Week couldn’t be more timely.  Be sure to keep an eye out for these fun episodes.

On Dinosaur Train, the kids set off for an adventure at the Haunted Roundhouse and explore the spookiness of the “unknown.” Like many families do as part of an Autumn rite of passage, in the Big Pond Pumpkin Patch, the dinosaurs learn all about gourds, pumpkins and everything else that makes the pumpkin patch so fun.

On The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot About That! Nick, Sally and Cat go trick or treating and learn about some fruity non, candy treats.  They also meet a “scary” creature who teaches them a few new things, including how he eats bugs!

Everyone’s favorite inquisitive scientist in training, Sid The Science Kid, encounters his own scary adventures in the “Halloween Spooky Science Special.

We’re a fan of most of the shows on PBS Kids, whether they’re geared to the preschooler or not, so we always find these holiday-themed shows a great way to learn even more about how everyone celebrates these fun holidays, even the animals!  After screening these Halloween-themed episodes, I learned that my guy is totally mesmerized by The Wild Kratts, even though it’s targeted to the older crowd (ages 8 and up).  The episodes were a perfect primer for our recent trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom; he even took away some of the lessons he learned from the show and applied them to our visit!

Check your local listings for air dates and times!

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On a related note, last week, PBS Kids launched 40 new games which are aimed to help children ages 2-8 build critical math skills. The games comprise PBS Kids’ largest offering of interactive math content for preschoolers to date. The games are centered around various PBS Kids media properties, ranging from Curious George to Sid the Science Kid.

My guy is a huge fan of Curious George’s Monkey Jump.  Jumping, counting and Curious George? Count him in!  These are the kind of games that will be sure to keep us busy when we start hibernating!

Interview with Seth McMahill: Pokemon Black Version and White Version

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Pokemon Black Version and Pokemon White Version, both released earlier this month, have reported record sales as well as positive reviews.  PCMag.com reported:

According to publisher Nintendo, both versions have sold over 1 million units since their March 6 launch. The record was previously held by “Pokemon Diamond” and “Pokemon Pearl,” which came out in 2007 with a combined sales total of 780,000 units in one day.


And the gaming blog Joystiq said the latest additions to the Pokemon lineup:

represent the very best that the franchise has to offer: An endearing cast of monsters and trainers, addictive collection mechanics, a 40-plus hour single-player campaign and a bevy of bolstered multiplayer functions.

And though I’ve yet to check them out firsthand, I did, however, have a chance to chat with Pokemon expert, Seth McMahill.  See what McMahill has to say about the latest Pokemon titles.

Epic Mickey Launches Today

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The much-anticipated game, Epic Mickey from Disney Interactive officially debuted today, and the kid and I were onhand in Times Square for the launch event. We got up bright and early, before the sun was even up, and kid and I made our way to the Disney Store in Times Square for the festivities.

In addition to demos of the game with the creator and developers of Epic Mickey, in Disney fashion, there were celebrities onhand: Kyle Massey and Jennifer Grey, both of whom just finished up Dancing with the Stars.

I’ve been anticipating the release of this amazing video game, which is exclusively on the Wii platform. I had the chance to check it out at the Disney Media preview this summer, and I’ve been smitten ever since.

The incredible graphics, cool premise and overall family appeal of the game are reasons worth checking out Epic Mickey, and seriously, the only reason why I was up at 5am this morning…and randomly made a brief appearance in the audience as part of the Good Morning America’s coverage of the launch.

Since we haven’t had time to play the game to appropriately review this title, I’ll leave you with a quick vignette of Epic Mickey from my coverage this summer.

ImagiPlay Dinosaur Puzzle Play Merges Puzzles, Activity Fun

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Puzzles are well known activities that involve cognitive development, problem solving and hand-eye coordination for children of all ages.  Better yet, puzzles are awesome activities that can engage the whole family.  Who doesn’t love an activity that promotes brain power and team work?

 

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ImagiPlay, a toy company that creates sustainable toys and games, has found a way to combine an activity set and a puzzle with their Dinosaur Puzzle Play.  The Dinosaur Puzzle Play is comprised of 13 puzzle pieces that are made of rubberwood.  When not being used as a puzzle, the pieces double as wooden dinosaur play pieces.

 

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My dinosaur-loving preschooler recently acquired an interest in puzzles, so ImagiPlay’s Dinosaur Puzzle Play is such a fitting new activity.  The kid had a fun time with dad, putting the puzzle together over and over, and then going on to exercise their imagination to play a little Jurassic Park on their own terms, with a little help of some colorful dinos.  I appreciate the quality wood pieces, colorful and imaginative design, and the very reasonable price point.  ImagiPlay toys, always a perfect addition to our toy box, has great lineup of toys that would make great holiday gifts.  Don’t be surprised if you see more ImagiPlay on the NKT holiday gift guide.

 

Giveaway

Speaking of gifts, want a Dinosaur Puzzle Play for your kids?  Please comment below and tell me which ImagiPlay product you’d love to check out.

 

Want extra entries?

Follow ImagiPlay on Twitter

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Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to @jenrab

Please comment below for all entries

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Want to do some early holiday shopping?  ImagiPlay has kindly offered NKT readers a 20% discount from their website.  Just enter Play420 to receive a 20% discount from their website.  The coupon code is valid for 30 days and is only available in the U.S.

 

Full disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

 

Time to Play Announces Holiday Must Haves

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s October, and fall is officially in full swing.  (How did that happen so quickly?)

Even though the season is just now starting to change, media and bloggers alike have had the holidays in mind for months now.  In fact, I think I went to my first holiday preview back in May?

Nevertheless, I’m excited once again to curate—what I consider—cool new kid gear that would make fun gift for the holidays.  But this week, to get the season started right, I had the chance to attend Time to Play magazines Holiday Showcase here in NYC.

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The pros, Chris Byrne, content director, and Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com unveiled Time to Play’s Most Wanted list, the 16 toys they predict will be the “must haves” for the upcoming holiday season.  And once again, NKT was onhand to check things out and tweet all about it.

And here they are, TimetoPlayMag.com’s Most Wanted List for the 2010 Holiday Season:

  • AIR HOGS MOTO FRENZY
    (Spin Master/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • DISNEY PRINCESS & ME DOLLS
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • HOT WHEELS R/C STEALTH RIDES
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • LEAPSTER EXPLORER
    (LeapFrog/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $69.99)
  • LEGO Games – LEGO Systems
    (LEGO/Ages 7 years & up/Approx. Retail Price $29.99)
  • LOOPZ
    (Mattel/Ages 7 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • MONSTER HIGH Dolls
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $16.99)
  • NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS Blaster
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • PAPER JAMZ
    (WowWee/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • REAL CONSTRUCTION
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • SCRABBLE FLASH
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • SING-A-MA-JIGS
    (Mattel/Ages 3 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $12.99)
  • SQUINKIES
    (Blip Toys/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $6.99)
  • TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS CHUCK’S STUNT PARK Playset
    (Hasbro Playskool/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99)
  • V.READER
    (VTech/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99)
  • ZOOBLES
    (Spin Master/Ages 4 years & up/ Approx. Retail Price: $4.99)

They also highlighted three family-friendly video games, which include:

  • Kirby’s epicYarn
  • Epic Mickey
  • Dance Central

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Most of the toys at the showcase were toys that I’ve had the chance to check out at Toy Fair, at media previews or have even been dubbed NKT faves, so some of the “must haves” were no surprise.  They’re all great picks, but I have several more on my radar that I think should’ve made the mark.  I’ll be sure to share those in my holiday gift guide, which is coming soon.

Do you guys see any toys that you think might be the “it” toy this year?

Whatever you think might be hot, put it on your radar NOW.  Time to Play’s sage advice for consumers and industry insiders alike:  “If you see it early, grab it early.”

2K Sports Releases MLB 2K10

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s not quite official yet, but Spring has sprung in our neck of the woods, and you know what that means…

It’s time to root, root, root for the home team!

Just in time for Spring Training, 2K Sports has released Major League Baseball 2K10.  For the MLB video game series’ tenth anniversary, this variation showcases perhaps the best graphics yet.  Check out the trailer to see for yourself.

The ongoing battle of pitchers vs. hitters is the highlight of the game, where pitching mechanics and right-stick swing control enhancements convey realistic experiences.  MLB 2K10 also boasts a revamped fielding system, new signature animations, as well as a new star player rating system.  The game is available for XBox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS and PC and is rated E for Everyone.

The kid and I had the chance to preview 2K Sports’ MLB 2K10 the other week, just before it hit the shelves.  During the demo, I was in disbelief how incredible the graphics were; if I didn’t know any better, I could’ve mistaken this new game for a live broadcast of an actual ballgame on tv.  The audio adds to the whole realistic experience as well.  During our demo, we chose to play using our team, the Mets in their homefield, Citi Field. Having visited the new ballpark for the first time last summer, I was in awe of just how realistic the graphics of MLB 2K10 were to the park.  Speaking of Citi, did you know 2K Sports has a cool gaming suite within the Fan Fest area at the ballpark?  It’s a must-see and must-do if you make it out to the park.

For the most part, I watched the demo, rather than played MLB 2K10 myself, but I plan on having a more thorough review of the game as soon as we have the chance.  There’s quite a few other baseball games that are big for sports gamers, but as a non-sports gamer who reviews a host of games for kids, I think MLB 2K10 is certainly one to check out.

Win it!

Two of lucky NKT readers will have the chance to win a copy of 2KSports MLB 2K10!  That’s right, two.

To win a game, let’s make it easy, tell me about your favorite MLB team, players or stadium.

Per usual, share on any social networking site for extra entries.  Comment below for all entries.

 

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While we’re talking about baseball favorites… together with some fellow bloggers and kids from the NY Boys and Girls Club, our family was invited to participate in Citi Field’s Kid’s Day tomorrow.  As diehard Mets fans, we’re over the moon about this cool experience.

Citi Field

Want to see what we’re up to at the ballpark?  Be sure to follow me on Twitter and on Facebook to get live updates throughout the day!

If you’re in the NYC area tomorrow, Citibank branches in the five boroughs will host baseball themed activities, including kids’ games, food, face painting, balloons, clowns and characters. Former Met Ed Kranepool will visit the Park Slope Citibank branch from 12:00-1:30pm to sign autographs. Baseball themed refreshments will include hot dogs and cracker jacks.

 

 

Racquet Sports Hits Shelves

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Tennis, anyone?  Ubisoft has released Racquet Sports, a new Wii video game that includes tennis, ping pong, badminton, squash and beach tennis.

Targeted for the entire family, Racquet Sports can be played with up to four players, bringing the backhands and lightning-fast serves to our living rooms.

The graphics in this game are reminiscent of most Wii based games: colorful, quirky, yet realistic.  The characters aren’t Miis, but the big cartoonish characters are diverse and can be customized.  Racquet Sports can also be played with Ubisoft’s Motion-Tracking camera, which is available separately.

The game that’s familiar with many families, Wii Sports, already has its own arrangement of racquet sports, but I think Ubisoft’s new game adds a even more dimension to these family favorites.  Beach Tennis and squash, in particular, are the racquet sports I like seeing on this new game.  Also, the racquet extension that’s available for the Wii controllers (I’ve seen them at Costco) make this game a little more fun.

 

The other weekend, before the game’s official debut, we had the chance to check out the game being demo’ed by none other than the reigning French Open Champ, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and the reigning US Open champ, Kim Clijsters, in a Match Before the Match at Madison Square Garden.  At the event, the tennis stars debuted Fila’s Spring 2010 Center Court Collection while they battled it out for the title of Racquet Sports champ.  In the fun-spirited match, Kim defeated Svetlana, and added another title to her resume–Wii Racquet Sports champ!

Celebrate Opening Ceremony with Olympic Video Games

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In honor of tonight’s Olympic Opening Ceremony that will officially kick off the Winter Games, I thought I’d mention these Olympic inspired video games.

There’s no shortage in video games inspired by major sporting events, and yes, that includes the most revered sports event of all time, The Olympics.  If you couldn’t make it to Vancouver to see the Olympics in person, Sega has a pair of Olympic-branded video games so that everyone can play along.

In case you’re wondering why only Sega?  Well, that’s because Sega is the sole video game publisher of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, through an agreement with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), exclusive licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC.)

Two beloved video game characters, Mario and Sonic, are once again taking their rivalry to the snow and ice in another officially licensed Olympic-themed game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

 

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