Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

March 23, 2015 by 6 Comments

Pokemon games are little gems of RPG, which have you addictively collecting Pokemon until the end of the game is met.  The real challenge is ‘catching them all’.  Through trading and lots of time and energy, it is possible.  Poke-fans, keep collecting.  Today we are looking at the newest entries in the Pokemon franchise, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire which are for the 3DS, 3DSXL, and 2DS.

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In this game, players will collect and fight their way through the Hoenn region, trying to stop a secret group who plan to mess with Hoenn forever.  A new feature to use is Soar, so flight over the region is also possible now.  The two Legendary Pokemon of these games are Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.  Both Groudon and Kyogre both undergo a new Primal Reversion transformation, which unleashes new power from within your Pokemon, as well as Mega Evolutions and the ability to Pokemon favorites.
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Fossil Fighters Frontier for Nintendo 3DS

March 4, 2015 by 8 Comments

pic8We recently tested out a new game at the New York City Nintendo store called Fossil Fighters Frontier,  for the Nintendo 3DS.  At that time, the game was being demonstrated for kids 10 and up, since it has quite a bit of reading and bigger words.  There are options for 3D and non 3D play, depending on the use of parental controls. You can use the Parental Controls to restrict 3D mode (always recommended for children 6 and under) for your child or yourself if you don’t like the way it looks or affects you.

You act as a paleontologist, excavating dinosaur bones, as well as battling your Vivosaur (dinosaur) with others that you encounter along the way.

Check out this video of the demo-

More about the game (courtesy of Nintendo);

The latest game in the Fossil Fighters series delivers a first: Players can now hop into their vehicles and drive around exotic locations to excavate fossils, which transform into real-life dinosaurs known as Vivosaurs. Players battle their Vivosaur with wild Vivosaurs they encounter on digging adventures.
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Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Video Game

March 2, 2015 by 5 Comments

Disclosure- we received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest.

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My son and his friend, trying the game out in the Nintendo store.

Nintendo has a quite a few classic characters but few are as fun as their pink fluffy one, Kirby. Kirby is the pink, round guy with a vacuum mouth, for those who don’t know. There is a new Kirby game by Nintendo, which is available now. The game is called Kirby and the Rainbow Curse and brings Kirby into a new style of game play, clay. The clay style is really neat, and must be seen in action. The animation smooth and seamless. It is like playing a cartoon of years ago like Gumby in game version. However, this cartoon stars our favorite little pink guy- Kirby.
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Nintendo eShop and Parent Portal

February 2, 2015 by 5 Comments

If you have a video game lover in your life, this year for Valentines Day, why not make them feel extra special with some Nintendo digital goodies while being sure they don’t have the items already?  You will want to take a look at the eShop- great for special occasions and last minute shopping, too. (Not to mention it makes shopping easier for those of us who are not up and current on all things gaming.)

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Both my son and husband love Nintendo, and my husband especially enjoys eShop store credits. These can be used in either the eShop for the Wii U or the eShop for the 3DS. My son recently received an eShop gift card, with which he bought a few fun digital items. One of his favorites has been the new Pikmin movie shorts, which are available now for both the 3DS and Wii U in the eShop. Retailing for $4.99, the cute little critters are a welcome treat and at just under $5, the price is perfect. In addition to new treats for gamers and fans of well known franchises, there are also new indie gems to uncover available for the first time on the Wii U in the eShop. One such title is “Shovel Knight”, which has a classic game feel with a modern spin on it. It’s roots are clear and it is a welcome change to the super shined, polished treats of recent. Sometimes a hidden gem is great to find. No matter what the gamers level of intensity or age, there is always a fun game to find in the eShop. Shovel Knight is available now in the eShop and retails for $14.99. There is one unfortunate event which does occur with digital games, stock can change. So if you see something you are interested in be sure to grab it quickly because it might not be there forever.
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Getting Your Game On

January 19, 2015 by 3 Comments

Looking to add on to your world of gaming?  Check out these fun playthings that will keep your little one (OK, you too) entertained through the long winter months.

pic4Got a little gamer?  The cute 7.5 inch plush from Nintendo are soft and great for bedtime cuddles (or anytime).  You can find them in characters like Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Link, Red Pinkmin, and Yellow Pinkmin for about $8 in stores like Target and Toys R Us.

Again, good for the younger gamers among us (and some of the bigger players who are young at heart) is JAKKS Pacific’s Hero Portal.  The latest additions of the Plug It In and Play TV Games come in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers (each console comes with 2 heroes). These are simple to use-  since the games are built into the controller, there is no additional gaming console needed. The Hero Portal just plugs into the A/V jacks of any standard TV and contains all games with no additional consoles, wires, or software needed.  Just pick your Hero, place him or her on the portal, and begin battling your way through 6 stages and 18 missions in each game.  You can also unlock secret missions and characters with booster packs. Available for $40 at stores like Amazon.  Additional characters and consoles sold separately.

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Angry Birds Telepods are a lot of fun for any fan of the game- and by now, we are guessing that’s nearly everyone.  The latest sets come in Transformers or Stella (the pink lady bird) variety.  There are so many options of sets and characters available, that we will focus on the Telepods as wholes rather then any one set.  With many price points and sized sets (some even have play houses) available, there is one that is right for every budget and every fan.
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Captain Toad: Treasure Hunter

December 24, 2014 by 8 Comments

Disclosure- We received the below in order to complete this review.  All opinions are our own and honest.

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There are many Nintendo characters out there who, after a major to minor introduction in a Mario game, received their own spin off game. Some of this elite crew are Yoshi, Luigi, and Princess Peach. Of these classic characters the newest addition is Captain Toad. Captain Toad started out life as a series of mini games in Super Mario 3D world. The mini games were puzzles where the player manipulated the point of view using the Wii U game pad to navigate carious 3D worlds based on the current levels Mario is working on.

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Captain Toad: Treasure Hunter builds upon this premise of puzzle solving through point of view manipulation and changing camera angles. The interesting bit about Captain Toad is he has no powers, no jumping at all, just running and walking. Of his unique talents, he can puck plants which reveal themselves to be gold coins or turnips which can be used to defeat enemies. Also Captain Toad can collect a pickaxe which can destroy enemies and blockades.
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New amiibo From Nintendo

December 21, 2014 by 7 Comments

Disclosure- we received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are out own and honest.  My son is a Nintendo Kid Reviewer.

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Brand new and just in time for the holiday season are Nintendo’s new amiibo (Wii U compatible). The best part about these video game figurines is that you don’t need to buy a portal or system upgrade to use them- just the figurines.  This cuts the cost and makes them more accessible to everyone. Buy only the ones you want, customize them in the games, and interact the way you want to.  This is new experience for Nintendo fans in the game play and toys coming to life area, joining the likes of Skylanders and Disney Infinity.  These amiibo characters are ONLY Nintendo, and they interact with Wii U games and across multiple games (like the relatively new Super Smash Brothers).  The figures retail for about $15 each, and you can collect many of your favorite characters now.
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Skylanders Trap Team

December 20, 2014 by 7 Comments

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest.

Skylanders are here again?  Still? Either way the new Trap Team game is a blast to play.  Not only for adults but also for kids.  This is one of those games that will bring parents and children together in the same game with the same goals and game play.  The controls are simple, jump, attack, explore, with special powers unlocked the more you play.  Trap Team takes this familiar game play of the previous Skylanders games and adds a new element, the traps.  Traps come in many different types all of which can be used to capture enemies in the game and change them into your own playable characters.  This includes for the first time Kaos himself.  This element doesn’t sound like much to the uninitiated but it is actually great fun with added sound effects and voices which come from the portla itself as your new conquests are sucked into the trap crystal.
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