Today is is MAR10 (Mario) Day! #Mar10Day

March 10, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Celebrated by Mario fans each year, the 10th of March is a special day to remember his impact on pop culture, thanks to how the day on the calendar resembles the beloved character’s name. Nintendo is celebrating with fans by listing some of the famous mustached hero’s achievements throughout the past year and by asking fans to participate by tweeting their favorite Mario moments using the #Mar10Day hashtag. So get your tweet on, and tell the world how much you love this feisty Italian plumber.
Mario’s Year in Review:
  • Mario had a big milestone in 2015! He celebrated 30 years since he leaped his way into people’s hearts in 1985’s Super Mario Bros. Fans across the country celebrated with him in this fun video.
  • Nintendo launched Super Mario Maker, a game that lets fans create and share their own Super Mario Bros. levels. So far, 6.2 million levels have been created by fans!
  • Facebook’s engineers celebrated Mario by creating their very own Super Mario Maker levels for fans to play. Check them out here.
  • A special 30th Anniversary Mario amiibo was released in a classic 8-bit design. The limited-edition figure was a tribute to the original Super Mario Bros. game that launched for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.
  • Mario hit the courts with the launch of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U. In the game, fans play as Mario and friends in intense tennis competitions.
  • For the first time, Mario teamed up with his paper version, Paper Mario, in the colorful action RPG Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam for Nintendo 3DS.
  • With the help of his voice actor, Charles Martinet, Mario celebrated the grand opening of the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza.
…and Mario will have more to celebrate in 2016! Competing with his friends in the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is coming to Nintendo 3DS on March 18 (with the Wii U version launching this summer).
Filed Under: entertainment, gaming, technology Tagged With: , ,

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival for the Wii U

January 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are out own and honest. For more, see “I Disclose”.

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Animal Crossing has been a fan favorite series of games where players try to make their character as happy as possible through a regular routine.  This includes helping friends, making friends, fishing, gardening, and even home designing.  The most recent entry in the series is Amiibo Festival which is described by Director Aya Kyogoku, ” we just wanted Animal Crossing Amiibo [toys]”. We wanted the company to make Animal Crossing Amiibo, so that’s why we made a game that works with them.”

In this regard it is a success- there are eight character amiibos in the Animal Crossing line so far, they include Isabelle, KK, Tom Nook, Mabel, Digby, Lottie, Reese, and Cyrus.  In addition to amiibo compatibility, you can also use the amiibo Animal Crossing cards as well to unlock more game modes and characters in the game.

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This game is similar to Mario Party, but it has a much slower pace so little ones can keep up and follow the action on screen without getting lost in game play.  What we really like about the game is you can save your “happy points” to your amiibo and use them to unlock more costumes.  Also, if you happen to have designed your amiibo’s home using the Happy Home Designer for the Nintendo 3DS, your home design shows up in game as well.

My son loves this game because of the cute animal designs and the ability to carry over your game data from Happy Home Designer into this game.  It has become one of his favorite games- it’s up there with Pokemon if you can believe that. There is precious little he enjoys more then animals, and in this game, it’s all about making them happy and being cute.  What’s better then that?

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival is available now for the Nintendo Wii U. It is sold everywhere games are sold for $59.99 and includes 2 amiibo Animal Crossing characters bundled with the game itself.

Filed Under: electronics, entertainment, gaming, kids, technology Tagged With: ,

Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets – Nintendo 3DS Family Fun Pack for Playstation 4

January 22, 2016 by 5 Comments

Today we are looking at the Gravity Falls game for the Nintendo 3DS.  This game follows the familiar characters from the hit cartoon show, Gravity Falls.  In the game, you take the role of both Mabel and Dipper as they try to save the Gnome kingdom.  Game play is 2D platforming with a twist.  You can play as either of the main characters, both of which have unique  gadgets and abilities.  There are 5 main levels to the game in addition to a boss fight.  Each level has cool art and tons of items.  The more items you collect the better, and some are needed to progress to the boss fight.  Through the course of the game, the characters are dead on- the same as the cartoon- unlocking more mysteries as you progress.  This game is great fun for fans of the cartoon series or just video game fans in general. Anyone who wondered about Gravity Falls, this is a great way to get initiated.

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Gravity Falls Legend of the Gnome Gemulets is available now on the Nintendo 3DS both in stores and in the eShop and is also playable on the 3DS, 3DS, and new 3DS XL, retailing for $29.99.

Next we take a look at Hasbro Family Fun Pack , 4 Great Games in 1.  This game includes Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit Live, Monopoly Plus, and Risk.  Each is a full game, full of fun and a blast with a room full of people.

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Adults will team up and laugh/argue over Trivial Pursuit, while the whole family is able to dig into Scrabble, Monopoly, and Risk.  Trivial Pursuit could be played by kids as well, it is just the fact that there are quite a few questions about things kids won’t know or care about honestly.  Teams of adult and child vs another adult and child can be quite fun as well.  In our house, we had a blast playing all the games, but the stand out would have to be Monopoly Plus.  With the updated graphics and the classic game play, this game is a blast.

The Hasbro Family Fun Pack is available now for both the Xbox One and Playstation 4.  Available at retailers across the country and online on both the Playstation store and on Xbox Live, retailing for $39.99

 

Filed Under: gaming, technology Tagged With: ,

Runbow and Yoshi Wooly World

January 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Runbow is a new game by 13AM Games that brings a fun interesting platforming party game to the WiiU.  In Runbow each player is a different colored character, 9 in total, who each represent a color of the rainbow.  Then the players have to mad dash for the finish line to see who can get there first.  But this is no simple foot race, there are obstacles like moving platforms and lava to get in the way.  This game is made for classic game players who love a challenge and are always trying to make that next jump and time it just right.  As such it may not appeal to very young players who just can get the timing right as easily as those who have been playing platforming, 2D games for years.  The best pat of this game is getting a few players together at once, with 2 it is fun, with more then that it gets frenetic and lots of fun.  I can only imagine how fun this game would be with 9 players at once.

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And on the opposite end of the spectrum is a classic platforming game with a softer more woolly quality.  It is Yoshi’s Woolly World for the WiiU.  This game starts one of the Mushroom Kingdom’s most well loved characters,Yoshi.  This is his first Woolly adventure following in the footsteps of Kirby’s Epic Yarn.  This game is the next step in the evolution of the yard medium.  Each character and environment has a handmade touch that is a joy to see.  From fraying yarn to the illusion of hand cut corners its great fun to play a game with this new setting.  In the game Yoshi must reach the end each level while gathering as many collectibles as possible.  For the beginners just finishing the level will be enough but for the more experienced players collectibles are key.  Each level has its own charm bringing to live a new platforming experience.  Also available are Amiibo extras where you can add a second Yoshi to the fun in the form of Samus, Woolly Yoshi or even Mario. to name a few.

Both these games are great platforming fun Runbow is available at the eShop for 14.99 while Yoshi’s Wooly World is available at retail locations now as well as the eShop for 49.99 for the game alone or win a special pack which includes a Wooly Yoshi for 59.99.

Filed Under: electronics, entertainment, gaming, technology Tagged With: , ,

Disney Infinity 3.0 and The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

January 7, 2016 by 4 Comments

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Disney is on its third installment of the ever fun Disney Infinity line of games.  This most recent addition to the crew includes not only Marvel and Disney characters but also those of the Star Wars line of characters including Yoda, Darth Vader and Han Solo to name a few.  But this only scratches the surface for this game which is fun for everyone.  This game is great for beginner gamers because of this easy to pick up and play game play.  Each player picks their character from the Disney Infinity figures they own, characters for the previous 2 games work on the third iteration, and play as them throughout the game.  There are specific levels which work with specific characters and all characters can be used in the Toy Box, which is our personal favorite part of the game.  This portion of the game is player created.  People from all over the world can create and share their creations with others and the best are featured as such in the Toy Boxes section of the game.  These Toy Boxes show just how robust the game is as well as how creative the players of the game are as well.  The little guy loves Disney Infinity and the addition of Star Wars characters as well as new Marvel and Disney characters are an added bonus.  This is also a great jumping on point for new players of the series as well, as toys from the previous games in the series work in the Toy Box as well, which is a nice touch.

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We are also going to look at Tri Force Heroes from the legendary, The Legend of Zelda series.  This game has similar game play mechanics and visuals as A Link To The Past but also includes some new ideas like climbing on top of one of your fellow players in order to solve puzzles and attack enemies.  This game is built on the idea of team work, some levels giving each player a different tool, item or weapon in order to solve their own portion of the puzzle, while others have the players work together using the same items.  Either way the levels are a blast to play through and make for a fun way to spend time with friends and 3DS’s .  There are a total of thirty two levels to progress through each a different challenge then the last and each bringing your group closer together in their quest to save the princess from a fashion emergency.

Disney Infinity 3.0 is available for PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Wii U™, Xbox One, Xbox 360 in the Starter Pack which includes: 1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game Disc,1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base, 2 Star Wars™ Figures: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, 1 Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set Piece, and 1 Web Code Card and is available now retailing for $64.99.  The new Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is available only for the Nintendo 3DS and retails for $39.99 and is available at retailers everywhere as well as the 3DS eShop.

Filed Under: disney, gaming, technology, toys Tagged With: , , ,

Nintendo’s Yo Kai Watch

November 11, 2015 by 8 Comments

The world of Yo Kai Watch is a strange one which centers around the city of Spingdale, where you take on the role of Nate.  Nate is an average kid trying to collect bugs, when he meets a Yo Kai named Whisper.  Yo Kai are mischievous creatures who love to cause problems for humans.  Whisper gives Nate a special watch which gives him the ability to see Yo Kai that are usually invisible.  Nate then has the ability to befriend Yo Kai wherever they may be hiding or causing hi-jinks. As Nate makes friends, they join his team of Yo Kai and help him uncover a mysterious force in town.  With the help of the strongest and best team of Yo Kai, you and Nate can help the town.

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The game play of Yo Kai is quite different then other “capturing creatures” games, instead of directly controlling the action, you act in the role of an assistant, directing Yo Kai in where to attack, when to use special moves, and giving them items as well.  As you battle more, your Yo Kai can evolve into stronger versions of themselves or can be fused with each or other items to make different or stronger Yo Kai.  There are many Yo Kai to befriend and each of them has their own unique powers and personalities.  The town is full of both people and Yo Kai to help, and with each new quest there is another chance to gain experience as well as gain more Yo Kai.

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The little guy loves this game because he thinks the Yo Kai are cute and interesting, so kids should love this game while more experienced players can appreciated the ability to fuse characters together to make new, stronger Yo Kai.

Yo Kai watch is available now for the Nintendo 3DS and 2DS retailing for $39.99 at retailers everywhere and in the eShop on the 3DS.

Filed Under: gaming, Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gift Guide 2015, technology Tagged With: , , ,

NETGEAR Around Town Mobile Internet

October 21, 2015 by 4 Comments

Disclosure- I have received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own and honest.

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Today we are looking at the new Netgear Around Town Mobile Internet device.  This device works as a mobile hot spot, connecting to the Sprint mobile data network at up to 4G LTE speeds when available.  That last part of the sentence is most important- when available.  Do not expect this to work in the middle of the desert where there is no cell service.  This does work via cell phone wireless data connections, so it uses those connections.

When a connection is present, the connection is strong and useful. NO matter if you are pushing through one last email, crunching some numbers while at the airport, or just those last few hits of your favorite game before going away.  Whatever the reason, your connection can be as close as your pocket, and if it is a proverbial dead zone, chances are next time you try it you’ll have a strong connection for all your uses.

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Some of the most common uses for the mobile hot spot is schooling- this opens up everywhere as a mobile study location.  Work is always a few steps away as well, so that small business that always requires your attention is even easier to tend to.  Vacations are also more fun as internet connectivity is only a button push away, giving you a connection even where most will not have it.  It’s always nice to be able to post your photos to Instagram and Facebook.

Some key specs:

4G LTE networks speeds on the Sprint network

No Contract Required, no roaming

Removable Li-on battery

Up to 10 hours of continuous use

Up to 210 hours of standby

Connect up to 10 WiFi enabled devices

Data never expires

Easy device management with LCD screen

The Netgear Around Town Mobile Internet with 1 GB Free is available now at fine retailers everywhere for $199.99.

 

Filed Under: technology

Using @VolunteerSpot for Back to School #SignUpSpot

October 16, 2015 by 5 Comments

Disclosure- This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own and honest. For more info, see “I Disclose”.

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One of the things that I love about working from home is that I can help out with my child’s school. I love being able to help out with school parties or just helping in the class room. What I do not love are the emails back and forth. For something like helping out with a holiday party or event, there are emails flying everywhere that can make volunteering a huge pain.

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That is how VolunteerSpot comes in handy. VolunteerSpot is a free service that makes it easy to organize events where you want to volunteer, or if you are running the event and you need to organize who is volunteering, it’s very handy. VolunteerSpot takes the hassle of volunteering.

You can create sign-ups at once when you are looking in the sign up area. You can also choose to customize your view. You can to see upcoming sign ups, past sign ups, or all of your sign ups, depending on what you are looking to figure out. There is the option to mark some as favorites so that you can have quick access to them, or see past sign ups that you have archived that way you do not have to delete them.

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VolunteerSpot offers group pages that help keep all of the information you need in one place, and makes it a place so that others can see and add to the conversation.

Once you are signed up, you can view all of your groups, sign ups, and invites all in one place. When looking through your dashboard, you can run reports across multiple sign-ups, group Pages or organizations. Choose from popular formats that make your tracking of participation, hours, and activities easy. There are even more options when you activate Premium Reporting.

Using VolunteerSpot makes it even easier to help out your organization, whether you are the one organizing or just helping out. Check it out for your next function- those class parties and school fundraisers would be the perfect time to give it a whirl.

Filed Under: technology