Wii Fit, Rated E for Everyone - Some Comic Mischief.
Let's start off by saying that Nintendo doesn't guarantee that Wii fit will help you lose weight. Also, PLEASE don't jump on your Wii fit board. Uh Duh. It'll Ruin your board. Ok. Now that I've gotten that out, I'd like to say I have had a limited experience with Wii Fit. I played the Ski Jump and Hula Hoop Mini Games, and had a RAGINGLY good time. Our group ranged in ages from Mid Fourties to around five. We all played each game, a few times. The Ski jump is a bit tricky and remembering not to hop on the board until the game loads is a bit tricky for younger children, but it just takes a few tries for everyone to get the hang of it. You reach a certain point and you are supposed to extend your legs to make the board feel like you jump. Let me emphasize that you do not actually Jump, you can't let your feet leave the board (the game won't understand what to do... My husband tried this, he failed to extend, because the board didn't sense his pressure anymore) One of the younger kids did fairly well, though I don't think anyone beat my fourteen year old brother in law. We moved on to the Hula hoops, where no one wanted to go first... except for me. I hopped on when the game said I could, listened to the little machine groan at my weight (so we assumed, every time you hop on, no matter who it is, or what their size, it says "OH!" like you're squishing it.) and went for it. I did only 36 hula hoops, but it was my first try, I was quickly beaten by my husband, and then he was beaten by his best friend. Who I couldn't stop laughing at as, despite what the game thinks, could not hula to save his life. No offense to him, but I think of that night every time I feel down, and then I giggle. It was a great party game. I didn't get to experiment with any of the yoga section but I was assured it was great, and efficient. I would enjoy having my own game (as this was owned by a friend of the family)
Please note that playing wii fit will get your heart racing, it definitely has the potential to. I got to sweating quickly. Talk to your kids about the importance of exercise and even activities outside of playing video games. Balance is important in all things. Be sure to consult a doctor before starting a new fitness regiment. Also some parents have found that Wii fit has told their children that they are "obese" please keep in mind that the BMI index is being consulted. If you would like to consult one of these charts, I would recommend Going to Google.com searching for BMI and inserting your children's information as requested. It's important to know about your children's health, as well as your own. If needed consult a doctor regarding your BMI index results. Be Happy, Be Healthy!
<3/Video Game Momma
Monday, August 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Rated E 10+)
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, Rated E 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes.
I didn't get past the second chapter in this game, as I was only renting it (I'm sure if you're a parent, you VERY MUCH understand the inability to buy a new game each time it comes out. Diapers and Mortgages take precedence) However in the short amount of time I played I found this game to be WILDLY entertaining, and completely fun. However I was ready to chuck my Wii mote a few times, that's for dang sure.
You play as Chocobo, a cute little bird (kind of like a small ostrich) that is Cid's main companion. You are Treasure hunters exploring an old ruin, where you run into some dippy girl who touches a crystal, and y'all exported to another land. To Memoria. Where, despite the name, people forget things. The Mayor extols that forgetting is a virtuous thing. Well I suppose forgetting can be, but forgetting your name... well that sucks rocks. In any case Shrima, a nice little girl who is also a white mage, comes and pulls you away from the tower before you start forgetting too much. It's a bit too late, Cid has forgotten why he was here. Sheesh. You go back and meet Shirma's aunt, Stella. Whereupon Shirma realizes she has forgotten her staff in the square and must go back to get it, and of course, you follow, since you're a responsible large bird. A few cut scenes later, you find a baby, who is super intelligent and can speak a few words, and you find out his name is Raffaello, he has the ability to turn people's minds into dungeons and recover their lost memories. Very convenient. The battle system is pretty easy, it's turn based, but not as random as some final fantasy games. You can see the monsters coming, and can run away from them much easier.
The real trick to the game happens in the second chapter. They are "Special" dungeons. Where you have 1 HP and no armor, no gil, no items. Though not all special dungeons are quite this hard, each of them has their own challenges. I don't mind leaving all my stuff behind as long as I don't have one HP. Also "jobs" are introduced, as your Chocbo can turn into a Knight, Black Mage, and White Mage. Also, as you progress Raffaello is able to grow at amazing speeds (he went from being a baby to being a toddler in a short 12 hours!) You also get to meet two fat chocobos that will allow you to store your money and items if you are unable to use them in a dungeon or if you want to leave space to pick things up (which I highly recommend!)
I haven't gotten to play too far in, as previously mentioned, but I can tell you that all of the characters I saw were fairly well dressed, Shirma and Stella are prominent characters. I had no problem play this game in front of my daughter, or letting her play a little (even though she wasn't exceptional, she's only 14 months old.)
Talking points with your kids; talk to them about memories, and remembering. Ask them what they think about the story. If your kids are young enough, ask them what it would be like to forget everything, including their own name. (I say young enough because most teens would just stare at you and go back to playing the game instead of listening to what you have to say.) Video games can be a family topic. This game has nothing TOO controversial in it (though I suppose anything can be controversial if you get worked up enough.) Please remember that the number one person in charge of your child's entertainment is YOU. When it comes down to it, if you don't feel good about a game-- don't buy it. No amount of whining should EVER overcome your own gut instincts.
<3/Video Game Momma
I didn't get past the second chapter in this game, as I was only renting it (I'm sure if you're a parent, you VERY MUCH understand the inability to buy a new game each time it comes out. Diapers and Mortgages take precedence) However in the short amount of time I played I found this game to be WILDLY entertaining, and completely fun. However I was ready to chuck my Wii mote a few times, that's for dang sure.
You play as Chocobo, a cute little bird (kind of like a small ostrich) that is Cid's main companion. You are Treasure hunters exploring an old ruin, where you run into some dippy girl who touches a crystal, and y'all exported to another land. To Memoria. Where, despite the name, people forget things. The Mayor extols that forgetting is a virtuous thing. Well I suppose forgetting can be, but forgetting your name... well that sucks rocks. In any case Shrima, a nice little girl who is also a white mage, comes and pulls you away from the tower before you start forgetting too much. It's a bit too late, Cid has forgotten why he was here. Sheesh. You go back and meet Shirma's aunt, Stella. Whereupon Shirma realizes she has forgotten her staff in the square and must go back to get it, and of course, you follow, since you're a responsible large bird. A few cut scenes later, you find a baby, who is super intelligent and can speak a few words, and you find out his name is Raffaello, he has the ability to turn people's minds into dungeons and recover their lost memories. Very convenient. The battle system is pretty easy, it's turn based, but not as random as some final fantasy games. You can see the monsters coming, and can run away from them much easier.
The real trick to the game happens in the second chapter. They are "Special" dungeons. Where you have 1 HP and no armor, no gil, no items. Though not all special dungeons are quite this hard, each of them has their own challenges. I don't mind leaving all my stuff behind as long as I don't have one HP. Also "jobs" are introduced, as your Chocbo can turn into a Knight, Black Mage, and White Mage. Also, as you progress Raffaello is able to grow at amazing speeds (he went from being a baby to being a toddler in a short 12 hours!) You also get to meet two fat chocobos that will allow you to store your money and items if you are unable to use them in a dungeon or if you want to leave space to pick things up (which I highly recommend!)
I haven't gotten to play too far in, as previously mentioned, but I can tell you that all of the characters I saw were fairly well dressed, Shirma and Stella are prominent characters. I had no problem play this game in front of my daughter, or letting her play a little (even though she wasn't exceptional, she's only 14 months old.)
Talking points with your kids; talk to them about memories, and remembering. Ask them what they think about the story. If your kids are young enough, ask them what it would be like to forget everything, including their own name. (I say young enough because most teens would just stare at you and go back to playing the game instead of listening to what you have to say.) Video games can be a family topic. This game has nothing TOO controversial in it (though I suppose anything can be controversial if you get worked up enough.) Please remember that the number one person in charge of your child's entertainment is YOU. When it comes down to it, if you don't feel good about a game-- don't buy it. No amount of whining should EVER overcome your own gut instincts.
<3/Video Game Momma
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Rated T)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Rated T (for Teens, or 13+) - Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, and Violence.
Phoenix Wright isn't your typical game. It's a lawyer game. Your kids (unless into Law and Order, like I was, and I am) probably won't be picking up this game and saying "OH Mommy, Mommy, buy this for me please!" All the same, maybe your husband, Significant Other, Younger brother, etc will be, so I'm reviewing it. Also I enjoyed the game immensely, so there you have it.
First of all, the rating of 13+; I would agree, to a point. I probably would have played this when I was 10, but then again, I did have four older brothers so guts and blood and what not didn't really phase me much. I was not the daintiest of little girls. I probably wouldn't let my daughter play it at 10 though, I think she'll be a bit more sheltered than I was as she's the first child, and I was the last. In any case, You do see deaths, though usually it's nothing too gory, most of the trials are murder trials, and you have to listen to testimony to figure out holes in it. Sound thrilling? Probably not so much. Let's see... your lawyer partner Mia, and then eventually Maya (her younger sister) do dress a bit scantily, and that's nothing to the barrage of dumb "sexy" women you have to interview. What a bunch of dimwits. Oy. So this gets a big thumbs down on the feminist scale, but not every video game can win. :) As you get caught up in the action of the courtroom the main man Phoenix does swear from time to time. There's also a few Junior High-esque jokes (IE: "If something smells, it's probably the Butz.") But over all it's great.
You game opens by watching a crime committed, and it gets framed on your pal Larry Butz (Yes, I know, horrible, yet campy.) you are to go to the scene of the crime, investigate, and essentially, find out why Larry isn't guilty of murder. Luckily for the first few crimes it shows you who really kills the person, which helps the player find where to look for holes. Overall if your kid (or whomever you're considering the game for) likes to snoop, investigate, and/or poke holes in other people's obviously fake stories-- this game would be for them. I had a ball playing it, you can play it with or with out the microphone (built into the DS, handily) and yell "Wait a Minute!" or "Objection!"
I'll admit I did have to use an online guide a few times too, which I'll also admit I'm a big advocate of. I love strategy guides because they allowed me to play games with my brothers even when they were single player games. Some of my fondest memories as a teen are being the guide to my brothers as they played games. It made game playing more fun to hang out together and do it. I wasn't bored, and became enthralled in the story!
Back to the game at hand, Phoenix Wright has a sequel: Phoenix Wright: Justice for All with another one coming out later this year. The game play is not difficult. Mostly point and click, and if you're into it, yelling. Very simple though the matters at hand are probably more mature than you'd want your kid (5-10 year olds) playing, though it is certainly EASY enough for them.
If your Teen has been playing Phoenix Wright, well you raised one freakin' awesome kid, first of all, they probably have a fairly good grasp that killing is wrong (since they're investigating the murders of various people) The game does deal some with inner system corruption (faking of evidence and leading of witnesses, etc) which outraged me a bit. I'd recommend, just asking your teen what's going on with the story, try and start a dialogue with them regarding the story, what they think of the actions of the prosecuting attorney (the jerk!) For reference their names are: Miles Edgeworth, Winston Payne and Manfred von Karma. These prosecutors will stop at nothing to get their guilty verdict! Talk about justice and right and wrong. Discuss how far is too far to carry out justice.
<3/Video Game Momma
Phoenix Wright isn't your typical game. It's a lawyer game. Your kids (unless into Law and Order, like I was, and I am) probably won't be picking up this game and saying "OH Mommy, Mommy, buy this for me please!" All the same, maybe your husband, Significant Other, Younger brother, etc will be, so I'm reviewing it. Also I enjoyed the game immensely, so there you have it.
First of all, the rating of 13+; I would agree, to a point. I probably would have played this when I was 10, but then again, I did have four older brothers so guts and blood and what not didn't really phase me much. I was not the daintiest of little girls. I probably wouldn't let my daughter play it at 10 though, I think she'll be a bit more sheltered than I was as she's the first child, and I was the last. In any case, You do see deaths, though usually it's nothing too gory, most of the trials are murder trials, and you have to listen to testimony to figure out holes in it. Sound thrilling? Probably not so much. Let's see... your lawyer partner Mia, and then eventually Maya (her younger sister) do dress a bit scantily, and that's nothing to the barrage of dumb "sexy" women you have to interview. What a bunch of dimwits. Oy. So this gets a big thumbs down on the feminist scale, but not every video game can win. :) As you get caught up in the action of the courtroom the main man Phoenix does swear from time to time. There's also a few Junior High-esque jokes (IE: "If something smells, it's probably the Butz.") But over all it's great.
You game opens by watching a crime committed, and it gets framed on your pal Larry Butz (Yes, I know, horrible, yet campy.) you are to go to the scene of the crime, investigate, and essentially, find out why Larry isn't guilty of murder. Luckily for the first few crimes it shows you who really kills the person, which helps the player find where to look for holes. Overall if your kid (or whomever you're considering the game for) likes to snoop, investigate, and/or poke holes in other people's obviously fake stories-- this game would be for them. I had a ball playing it, you can play it with or with out the microphone (built into the DS, handily) and yell "Wait a Minute!" or "Objection!"
I'll admit I did have to use an online guide a few times too, which I'll also admit I'm a big advocate of. I love strategy guides because they allowed me to play games with my brothers even when they were single player games. Some of my fondest memories as a teen are being the guide to my brothers as they played games. It made game playing more fun to hang out together and do it. I wasn't bored, and became enthralled in the story!
Back to the game at hand, Phoenix Wright has a sequel: Phoenix Wright: Justice for All with another one coming out later this year. The game play is not difficult. Mostly point and click, and if you're into it, yelling. Very simple though the matters at hand are probably more mature than you'd want your kid (5-10 year olds) playing, though it is certainly EASY enough for them.
If your Teen has been playing Phoenix Wright, well you raised one freakin' awesome kid, first of all, they probably have a fairly good grasp that killing is wrong (since they're investigating the murders of various people) The game does deal some with inner system corruption (faking of evidence and leading of witnesses, etc) which outraged me a bit. I'd recommend, just asking your teen what's going on with the story, try and start a dialogue with them regarding the story, what they think of the actions of the prosecuting attorney (the jerk!) For reference their names are: Miles Edgeworth, Winston Payne and Manfred von Karma. These prosecutors will stop at nothing to get their guilty verdict! Talk about justice and right and wrong. Discuss how far is too far to carry out justice.
<3/Video Game Momma
Final Fantasy IV (Rated E+10)
Final Fantasy IV - Rated E+10 (Everyone Ten and Older) for Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Suggestive Themes.
If you've played FFIV before, this is pretty much a re-hash with a few improvements. I've never played the game while I was older than 8 so, here I go.
I'm still currently playing. I agree with the recommendation of 10+, however I probably wouldn't bat an eyelash if my 8 year old nephew started playing. Why? Because it's not a horrible game. I think the worst cussing is a damn or two in frustration (just so you know) and if you're one of those mom's who is against scanty clothing, you might not want your kids playing it, because Rosa runs around in a bikini type costume most of the game. However, the feel of the game is incredibly cartoony so I wouldn't be too stressed personally.
Short Story Synopsis:
You start the game playing as Cecil (Sehsil, not Seesil, I know weird.) who is the leader of the Red Wings, the King is acting weird and strips you of your post. Your friend Kain decides he'll go with you to the small town of Mist and whoopsie daisy you set it ablaze. Well Damn. You're not quite happy about this, and really neither is the town. You get separated from Kain, and you decide you're going to get all the crystals before that crazy King does. Over all it's your classical action story. The battles are run on turn based, and you can change how fast they go, and even choose not to let the enemy wait for your turn to be up. It's a basic RPG, if you've played one, you pretty much know how they work. A major disappointment to me is that they've taken away the naming feature in turn for voice overs. I'd rather read pages of dialogue and have the characters have their own voice in my head than have someone speak to me with names I hate (Cecil, Rosa, Kain, Edward, Yang, Tellah, etc etc...) I liked picking my own names out for my characters. that way I could have me be the startlingly cute Rosa, and my husband (or back in the day some crush of mine) be Cecil. Blah. It added a dimension I loved to the game.
There is hitting, and kicking, punching, death, etc. Usually when you're character dies, or is KO'd you can raise them from the dead with either magic or a "Phoenix Down" a potion in the game that raised people from the dead. There's really no blood at all, when enemies die, they just disappear. One Non-Playable Character (NPC to those that know) Anna, does die and bids her boyfriend, lover, whatever, good bye and even returns to visit him as a ghost. Some kids might find that disturbing maybe, I always just found it romantic. Rydia also watches her mother die after her village is burned by Cecil (accidentally, smooth move.) so that also might be disturbing. There is no blood, once again, however, it's clear that her mother is dead and not just passed out from smoke inhalation.
I played Final Fantasy games as a kid. Heck, I've played the ones that even have blood in them (later as a teen) I wouldn't have a problem letting my daughter play this game as Rosa (a White mage and main love interest) and Rydia are strong female characters. I like that it shows that men and women are fighting side by side. Cecil does try to keep Rosa from being involved in fights quite often, however she usually ignores him, or ends up fighting anyway. I do wish they'd given her more clothing, but hey, I can't expect everyone who makes games to be completely forward thinking, right? Rydia is a younger girl, who is orphaned and is taken in by Cecil (in penance for his wrong doing) she often gets the team back on track to what they need to do, and kicks Cecil and Edward in the pants when they're being mopey about a variety of things.
I think if you're going to let someone under the age of 10 play this game, make sure they are well aware that death is a permanent state. Also the idea of killing someone, not so cool. I realize you could not give the game to your kids and probably not have to broach the topic, but honestly, if you're not going to give some morals to your kid-- who is? It should be pretty basic, very easy, most people fundamentally get the idea that killing, isn't so great. The characters in the game even struggle with the idea. Always probe into your children's mind a bit. Remember, it's YOUR responsibility to choose GOOD games for your kids. Not mine, Not the ESRB, Not the developers. Try to be involved. Ask what's happening in the story, what they are able to cast, and who is their favorite character. :)
<3/Video Game Momma
If you've played FFIV before, this is pretty much a re-hash with a few improvements. I've never played the game while I was older than 8 so, here I go.
I'm still currently playing. I agree with the recommendation of 10+, however I probably wouldn't bat an eyelash if my 8 year old nephew started playing. Why? Because it's not a horrible game. I think the worst cussing is a damn or two in frustration (just so you know) and if you're one of those mom's who is against scanty clothing, you might not want your kids playing it, because Rosa runs around in a bikini type costume most of the game. However, the feel of the game is incredibly cartoony so I wouldn't be too stressed personally.
Short Story Synopsis:
You start the game playing as Cecil (Sehsil, not Seesil, I know weird.) who is the leader of the Red Wings, the King is acting weird and strips you of your post. Your friend Kain decides he'll go with you to the small town of Mist and whoopsie daisy you set it ablaze. Well Damn. You're not quite happy about this, and really neither is the town. You get separated from Kain, and you decide you're going to get all the crystals before that crazy King does. Over all it's your classical action story. The battles are run on turn based, and you can change how fast they go, and even choose not to let the enemy wait for your turn to be up. It's a basic RPG, if you've played one, you pretty much know how they work. A major disappointment to me is that they've taken away the naming feature in turn for voice overs. I'd rather read pages of dialogue and have the characters have their own voice in my head than have someone speak to me with names I hate (Cecil, Rosa, Kain, Edward, Yang, Tellah, etc etc...) I liked picking my own names out for my characters. that way I could have me be the startlingly cute Rosa, and my husband (or back in the day some crush of mine) be Cecil. Blah. It added a dimension I loved to the game.
There is hitting, and kicking, punching, death, etc. Usually when you're character dies, or is KO'd you can raise them from the dead with either magic or a "Phoenix Down" a potion in the game that raised people from the dead. There's really no blood at all, when enemies die, they just disappear. One Non-Playable Character (NPC to those that know) Anna, does die and bids her boyfriend, lover, whatever, good bye and even returns to visit him as a ghost. Some kids might find that disturbing maybe, I always just found it romantic. Rydia also watches her mother die after her village is burned by Cecil (accidentally, smooth move.) so that also might be disturbing. There is no blood, once again, however, it's clear that her mother is dead and not just passed out from smoke inhalation.
I played Final Fantasy games as a kid. Heck, I've played the ones that even have blood in them (later as a teen) I wouldn't have a problem letting my daughter play this game as Rosa (a White mage and main love interest) and Rydia are strong female characters. I like that it shows that men and women are fighting side by side. Cecil does try to keep Rosa from being involved in fights quite often, however she usually ignores him, or ends up fighting anyway. I do wish they'd given her more clothing, but hey, I can't expect everyone who makes games to be completely forward thinking, right? Rydia is a younger girl, who is orphaned and is taken in by Cecil (in penance for his wrong doing) she often gets the team back on track to what they need to do, and kicks Cecil and Edward in the pants when they're being mopey about a variety of things.
I think if you're going to let someone under the age of 10 play this game, make sure they are well aware that death is a permanent state. Also the idea of killing someone, not so cool. I realize you could not give the game to your kids and probably not have to broach the topic, but honestly, if you're not going to give some morals to your kid-- who is? It should be pretty basic, very easy, most people fundamentally get the idea that killing, isn't so great. The characters in the game even struggle with the idea. Always probe into your children's mind a bit. Remember, it's YOUR responsibility to choose GOOD games for your kids. Not mine, Not the ESRB, Not the developers. Try to be involved. Ask what's happening in the story, what they are able to cast, and who is their favorite character. :)
<3/Video Game Momma
What a failure [a sad intermission]
Despite my plethora of time, i have not been doing so well on the game review front. We've been moving (Yes since April! Yes, it's still going on.) so our gaming consoles have been locked away. How sad :( However in our doldrums we decided to pull our Wii back out and I've had a chance to play a few things on the DS as well, so buckle up-- and let's ride!
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