Tag: Parent Trap
Parent Trap I Really Miss The Nintendo Wii
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson remembers the good old days of waggle
Parents are notoriously bad for being sentimental. Whether it’s watching Monty Python, playing Tetris on the Game Boy or buying sweets by the ounce, I often catch myself getting more excited about introducing my children to the things I loved from my childhood than actually...
Parent Trap A Family Gamer's Perspective On The Nintendo Switch
Andy Robertson has a new console in the house
Putting the Nintendo Switch in front of the kids was a fascinating experiment. They had, of course, heard of the console but beyond that knew very little about it. So far Nintendo aren't again the talk of the playground - although give it a few months and that seems likely to change. I got the console...
Parent Trap Nintendo Switch Parental Controls Beat Console Rivals To The Punch
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson loves no longer being the bad guy
With all the excitement of going hands-on with the games, controller and screen at the launch event it's easy to pass over some of the finer details of the Nintendo Switch. Chief among these details for families is the Parental Controls app. Other features may be sexier or more...
Parent Trap Welcoming A Yo-Kai Into The Family
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson catches some spooks
With the European launch of Yo-Kai Watch taking place today the families I work with have been discovering how good a fit the world of Yo-Kai is for them. I was expecting it to be pretty popular with the strong collecting and character aspects of the game, but I hadn't realised how much substance...
Parent Trap Mario & Sonic At The Rio 2016 Olympic Games Scores With Download Play
Andy Robertson builds up a sweat on the 3DS
For families it is often the games you least expect to be a big hit that get played more than any other. While I liked the look of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games I wasn't expecting it to turn into my family's go-to game this month. There are a few factors here that make it a great fit for...
Parent Trap Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Gets Personal
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson gets asked some probing Poké-questions
Creating games for children is tricky because it's the small things that make the biggest difference. My kids often get as much fun from unintended consequences of the main game as they do completing the campaign. I've been reminded of this while playing Pokémon Super Mystery...
Parent Trap Is 3DS Download Play The Perfect Family Feature?
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson celebrates an underrated system-seller
The 3DS is quite a system, and has found its way into the hands of more than 50 million players all over the world. However, there are a few features on the console that families often overlook, one of which is Download Play. Of course, expert and avid Nintendo players know all...
Parent Trap Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Goes Where Other Wii U Games Don't
We also break down the amiibo card mini-games
Families come in all shapes and sizes, we say that often, but then we expect a handful of popular games to work with all of them. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival breaks the mould in both its form and structure, in doing so it caters for a brand new type of audience and introduces them to the world of...
Parent Trap Oft-Forgotten Wii U Features That Matter To Families
Family Gamer TV looks at the eShop, backward compatibility and more
Weighing up which console to invest in for a family is a matter of identifying which features are most important to you. I've had a repeated conversation over the last few months where I introduce friends and parents to some of the lesser known features of the Wii U. Some of these...
Parent Trap Choosing The Right Nintendo 3DS For You And Your Family
Which 3DS is right for you? Family Gamer TV's Andy Robertson explains
The 3DS has had a long and winding history. Over the years it has developed a strong collection of games for families, but which version of the hardware is the best fit these days? Family Gamer TV works with a range of different families of varying shapes and sizes. They all play...
Parent Trap Does The Wii U Still Make Sense For Families?
Andy Robertson takes a family-focused look at Nintendo's console
Choosing a videogame console for a family is a big decision. Get it right and you'll bring a positive experience into the home that matches how you play games together. Get it wrong and you'll be constantly looking over your shoulder at the experience you could have had on another...
Parent Trap Skylanders SuperChargers Dials Nintendo Love up to Eleven, Even on Wii
FGTV learns more about cross-platform compatibility for Wii U, Wii and 3DS
The natural way of things in the video game world is be to moved on to the next generation of console pretty quickly. The Wii has changed all that, for better or worse. Millions of families who don't consider themselves avid gamers still have that little white box tucked...
Parent Trap Woolly Yoshi amiibo Finally Turn Toys To Life Figures Into Actual Toys
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson has a yarn Yoshi, don't hate him
It may seem that the knitted amiibo for Yoshi's Woolly World are simply a gimmick. However, for children the difference here is more than aesthetic. They mark a new toys to life trend of offering playable toys rather than collectable figurines for the shelf. Of course, historically toys...
Parent Trap Splatoon Gets Family Tested, And Comes Through With Flying Colours
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson investigates Nintendo's new smash-hit
With Splatoon out in the wild we can get a first proper impression of how the game is going down with families. With this in mind I checked in with the Huo family to see how they'd taken to the local and online components of Nintendo's new shooter. They took a while to get used to...
Parent Trap Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Makes Chess Players Of Us All
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson on old and new turn-based strategy
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. creates a knife edge multiplayer challenge for families with as much to commend it as Chess. Fighting talk I know, but this 3DS game made me reconsider how I see (and limit) video games in the home. While few have ambitions for their children to get really good at...
Parent Trap Splatoon Is The Perfect Family Firepower-Fest
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson gets inked up in Nintendo's new hit
Splatoon has been bubbling away for a while, but it's only now - thanks to the recent Global Testfire events - that we start to see how unusual and engaging a game this will be for a whole new audience of shooting fans. Every family is different but a video game flash point for many...
Parent Trap Why Affordable Multiplayer Adventures Matter
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson tackles a space odyssey with his kids
Players in young families are all different, but they are also all in the same place. That's why local multiplayer games with different roles of varying difficulty work so well. However, get the balance wrong and young players will soon los
Parent Trap Lego Dimensions Could Be A Game-Changer In The Toys To Life Sector
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson reveals why Lego fever is gripping his home
With each year of parenting comes new challenges and, it seems, a new video game craze to spend money on. After Skylanders, Disney Infinity and amiibo, this year we also have to contend with Lego Dimensions. As you've likely seen, this offers a Toys to Life experience with...
Parent Trap Mario Party amiibo Toys Get Both Genders Battling
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson talks Toys to Life
While my family have well and truly been bitten by the deadly amiibo collecting bug, until now this had been the territory of my two boys rather than my daughter. Although we all play Super Smash Bros. she rarely gets the game out herself. However, the arrival of Mario Party 10 and the related Super...
Parent Trap Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Is Beast-Slaying Brilliance For The Whole Family
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson goes hunting with the youngsters
Keeping gaming healthy in the family isn't an easy task. Children always are inevitably attracted by the allure of more mature experiences. Playground chatter and children
Parent Trap The Eyes Have It, Why amiibo Detail Matters
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson on why amiibo is such a hit in his house
Spending an afternoon unboxing Wave 2 amiibo figures got my boys more than a little excited, but along with the frenzied Christmas joy they quickly latched on to just how detailed these toys are. We first caught up with Wave 1 amiibos Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Peach before getting...
Parent Trap amiibo Packs a Hidden Family Payload
More than meets the eye
Toys and video games used to compete for family spending power at supermarket check-outs. The recent trend in toy-video-game crossovers does away with this rivalry, but for families makes purchasing decisions all the more confusing. With amiibo joining the likes Skylanders and Disney Infinity (not to mention more niche...
Parent Trap Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Is Shaping Up To Be Another Family-Friendly Classic
Family Gamer TV checks out Toad's latest adventure
If you’ve played through Super Mario 3D World you’ll already know the intricate puzzle treat of the Captain Toad levels. Looking initially simple, these fixed isometric worlds presented a substantial and layered challenge to those wanting to find every last coin. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker...
Parent Trap Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Demo Is Perfect For Pocket Monster Newcomers
Both young and old alike
Parents can lag behind their children in their video-game consumption. A combination of a sentimental connection to games of yore and a dwindling amount of free time for their hobby often results in the kids playing new games first. Even for a series as long standing as Pokémon, many parents simply don’t get what all the...
Parent Trap Can Biff, Chip And Kipper On 3DS Really Help Kids To Read?
Family Gamer finds out
The best-selling Phonics Fun with Biff, Chip and Kipper book series offers a unique learning experience tailored to UK schools not only in the style of teaching but the characters and books used to help children learn to read. The global nature of video-games warrants the investment that brings us some of the best...
Parent Trap Rewriting The Family Gaming Script With Pokémon Art Academy
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson gets his crayons out
What most parents think when you say the words “video game” and what gaming families enjoy are two very different things. Far from the shooting and high impact action many mums and dads assume are the driving force behind the hobby, video games actually offer experiences as creative, imaginative...
Parent Trap Amiibo Charts A Fresh Course In The Toys To Life Sector
Wallets are going to suffer this Christmas
Seen one toy-video-game craze and you’ve seen them all, right? Counter to first impressions Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Angry Birds Telepods each offer a distinct experience. Nintendo’s amiibo characters offer another new way to combine toys and video-games, but how different is it to these other...
Parent Trap Wii Fit U Accepts Our Varied Bodies
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson has another look at Nintendo's fitness title
Video games reflect wider society’s desire for the perfect body. Having children only presses this issue home and means I’m pickier about the shape of our video-game protagonists. However, I have been happily surprised then to see how Wii Fit U handles this. Rather than...
Parent Trap StreetPass Makes Social Networks Social Again
StreetPass is social networking without the junk, says Andy Robertson
We all have peculiar reasons to like particular videogame hardware. Whether it’s the diminutive form factor of the Game Boy Micro, the wonderful ergonomics of the GameCube controller or the ingenious speaker on the Wii Remote, these designs trigger something inside us that...
Parent Trap Children Are Our Future, So Let Them Play
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson on the topic of game length
The perfect game length is a personal thing. Those with oodles of time will want maximum value from their purchases and demand at least 30 hours of gameplay, but those with less time — such as myself and the many other games-playing parents out there — may prefer games to be shorter. I...
Parent Trap Super Mario 3D World Is Another Family Classic From Nintendo
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson is feline groovy
It’s been a while since I first stepped into the world of 3D with Mario. Super Mario 64 seems like an age ago, and my whole family of five has been created in the meantime. However, like any worthwhile creation, a multiplayer version of this three dimensional play-space was important to get right...
Parent Trap Forging A Link Between Worlds
Andy Robertson reveals how Zelda has inspired his son's artistic side
The biggest challenge in a family is the different perception of video games. While the gamers understand these experiences to be some of the most endearing, creative and life-giving encounters they experience, non-gamers consider them dry, solitary and mechanical affairs. Over...
Parent Trap Helping Newcomers Start Playing Pokémon, Zelda and Metroid
Andy Robertson on bringing new players to the Nintendo banner
One of the difficulties of big video game series for any newcomer (never mind families) is when and how to jump in. Franchises like Skylanders, Zelda and Metroid offer lots of different games on lots of different formats that a family could buy to get started. However, the problem is that...
Parent Trap The Wii Is Still Crucial To Family Game Success
Andy Robertson (not pictured) on why Nintendo's old console is still vital
While core players slowly turn their attention to the next generation of consoles, families are still getting a lot of value from the Wii. Families don’t buy as many games for their gaming systems as other demographics — the long tail of family gaming habits means that...
Parent Trap Nintendo 2DS Family Stress Test
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson takes a look at the 2DS
With the 2DS fast approaching I've had some hands on time with the device. Rather than waxing lyrical over the perfectly crafted design (or indeed bemoaning the cheese-like profile) I wanted to put the console to the test in a real family setting. So I set-up another of my time-lapse battery...
