February 9, 2012

Hits from Under the Xmas Tree: Skylanders (Wii, DS, Xbox, Playstation, PC & DS)

For my kids and apparently tons of other kids according to my Facebook friends, Skylanders Spryo’s Adventure is the game hit of the season.

If you have a game system, this one is available to you: it comes for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, Playstation or PC. Just about any kid can participate in this game.

The appeal? Little characters that are interchangeable throughout game play via a base that comes with the game. Characters have different powers that seem to enhance their abilities given the level you’re on (earth, fire, water, etc.)

It’s rated E 10+ but I’ve got my 8 and 5 year old playing with it with no issues (I’m guessing the rating is for the violence – you fight enemies in each level.)

It’s around $59.99 for a starter pack for pretty much any game system you’re choosing for. It’s a hit for sure and I definitely recommend this one for young gamers. Get Skylanders Spryo’s Adventure on Amazon with free shipping.

So Much Fun: ABBA You Can Dance Wii Game #UbiABBA #spon {with Video}

The mere mention of the band ABBA makes me smile as it holds so many fond college memories.  I imagine it’s the same for many of you out there.  I danced during many late nights to “Dancing Queen” and “Take A Chance on Me” with my sorority sisters and friends and we were always those “Woo” girls when an ABBA song came on.

I also went the Sing-Aloud version of the movie Mamma Mia when that came out a few years ago and remember remarking to the friend who went with me that it was tough to stay sitting throughout the movie as I wanted to get up and dance!

So I was all over testing out  Ubisoft’s latest dance game, ABBA You Can  Dance on the Wii (Amazon, $39.99).  If you aren’t familiar, Ubisoft is the maker of the extremely popular Just Dance games, of which I’m also a fan. (I use them for both fun and exercise on days I can’t get to the gym!)

A couple of weekends ago, we got together with some friends to test out the game.  My friend is also a die-hard ABBA fan and we actually managed to even rope some of the guys into dancing along with us!  (Note the one Dad who did not want to be identified on camera so danced to the game with a Batman mask on – so funny!)

This is just an all-around fun party game for anyone of any age.  You can see in the video that my friend’s children (8 & 6) enjoyed dancing along with it just as much as we did.   I’m all for a game that gets everyone laughing and having a good time.

And a fun bonus that isn’t available in the Just Dance options – what would ABBA be without the ability to sing along???  In this game you can plug your microphone in and there’s a setting in the game where you can sing along as you dance.  Awesome!

Find Ubisoft’s (Just Dance makers) ABBA You Can Dance on Amazon for $39.99 with free shipping.  A great gift for any ABBA fan on your holiday list who has a Wii!

Here’s a video of us all dancing to it!  I’m bummed it’s not the best quality and it’s sort of dark because we obviously danced after dark but you can see how much fun we had!

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Holiday Wii Game Pick: Mario & Sonic {45.99 on Amazon}

Released just earlier in November and a great Wii pick for the family this holiday season is Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.  This game follows the original release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympics.  Obviously this one plays on the upcoming London games and what fun it is!

The add on here is that the city is your playground!  London landmarks mark the background of all of the fun Olympic games.  All of your favorite characters are there like Bowser, Luigi and more.

It’s 4-player optional and I would recommend this as a great party game. $45.99 on Amazon for Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games with free shipping.

New to Wii: Kirby’s Return to Dream Land

My kids are huge Kirby fans.  You can see here in a little video capture I did of my kids playing Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii) back in June of 2011 that they clearly have a good time when playing it.

So under the tree this holiday season will be the latest Kirby installment for the Wii – Kirby’s Return to Dream Land.  It releases on October 24th and you can get it on Amazon for $49.99. It looks like a ton of fun – up to 4 players and it’s rated E for everyone so it’s sure to be a great family game.    

Also for other Kirby fans – here’s a neat little news tidbit related to Nintendo and Halloween:

Nintendo is partnering with the Starlight Children’s Foundation to sponsor Starlight Fun Centers in select hospitals around the country to demonstrate the power of helping others with some inspiration from Kirby and his new Super Abilities.

Kids are encouraged to find their inner Super Ability and explain how they would use it to help others or make the world a better place by downloading and filling out the Kirby coloring sheet and submitting it to Nintendo. Nintendo and Scholastic will post select submissions to a virtual gallery on the Nintendo site, and some submissions will be featured at a special Oct. 27 unveiling at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., to celebrate Nintendo’s sponsorship of the Starlight Fun Center. For added inspiration, kids can visit The Stacks and take a “What’s Your Super Ability?” quiz. Participants can answer questions to determine which of the Super Abilities featured in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land would suit them best.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Nintendo for providing me with a review copy of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land to facilitate this review.

Dancing to the Totally Smurftastic new Wii Game: Smurf’s Dance Party {Video} #UbiChamps

If you follow any of my game reviews, you know I’m a big fan of dancing Wii games.   Anything that gets me or my kids moving  is a big plus in my opinion.  I still regularly work out to Ubisoft’s Dance Party 2 when I can’t make it to the gym.  It’s a huge workout when you do it for an extended period of time!  My kids like to dance along with me (that, or sit on the sofa and make fun of my dancing movies which always gets everyone laughing.)

Ubisoft’s latest is a Smurf version of it’s Dance Party hit – aptly named, Smurf Dance Party. Players dance along with Papa Smurf and the other characters from the movie to songs from the movie as well as some recent familiar radio hits.

The dance moves are a little easier than the regular Dance Party but are definitely an all-play for the whole family.  (It is the Smurfs, so duh, this should be for kids, right?)

Look how much fun my kids had playing with it with friends the other day.  (Even the non-remote holders were dancing up a storm!)

Get the Smurfs Dance Party for the Wii on Amazon for $29.99 with free shipping.

Mystery Case Files – Malgrave Incident: Fun new Wii Game for All Ages

My kids love I Spy games and books.  And seek and find books.  And those hidden picture games in Highlights Magazine.  They just get such a thrill out of having to look for something hidden in a bigger picture.

So I knew that Mystery Case Files – the Malgrave Incident ($26.99 with free shipping at Amazon) would be right up their alley.  I should note that there is reading involved so my 4-year-old needs help with this game but it’s great for my 7 year old. 

Using the Wii remote, the gamer is tasked to find objects in a room all while solving the bigger mystery.  You can play single player or multi player and verse people while you race to find the tasked object.  This game is addicting and a great one for anyone who loves seek and find games.

Disclaimer:  Thanks to Nintendo for sending me a sample game to facilitate this review.

A Favorite Wii Game of the Summer: Wii Play Motion ($47.99 with New Wii Remote on Amazon)

Before we left for the beach (where we went Wii-free), my kids had a new favorite Wii game: Wii Play Motion. A collection of mini games like the original Wii Play, this game comes with a new Wii remote with motion plus which is a good deal since remotes aren’t cheap.

Personally it felt a little more of the same old to me but my kids were enamored with several of the mini games – especially the stone skipping game which admittedly is slightly addicting.

Get it for $47.99 on Amazon with free shipping.

Lastly, here’s a break-down of all the mini-games from Amazon:

The Games

Wii Play: Motion includes one Wii Remote Plus controller, along with the 12 games – each with challenging gameplay and various modes, that adds up to a powerful package in motion-controlled gaming. Games include:

  • Wind Runner – Tilt the Wii Remote Plus controller all around you to control the direction of an umbrella – riding the wind through a race course filled with gems.
  • Grappling Ghosts – Catch ghosts that fly out of from your television and surround your body. First, you’ll search for a ghost with the Wii Remote Plus controller, which beeps faster as you bring it near the “invisible” ghost. Then you’ll hook it with the controller, wrestle it back into your TV, then stuff it into a cage.
  • Teeter Targets – Flip a ball upward to break targets, holding the Wii Remote Plus controller like you’re gripping the ends of a teeter-totter.
  • Veggie Guardin’ – Smack garden pests on the head or bat them far away – twisting, turning, and swinging your Wii Remote Plus controller as you defend your vegetables.
  • Trigger Twist – Shoot your way through UFOs, ninjas, and dinosaurs. While holding the Wii Remote Plus controller, you’ll move your arm to aim and turn your body to pivot – giving you the new experience of being surrounded by enemies and whirling to face them.
  • Skip Skimmer – Skip stones, by making that motion with the Wii Remote Plus controller in your hand, to get the highest number of skips you can on a lake or to earn the highest score on a floating obstacle course. Shuttle parts safely to a space station by tilting the Wii Remote Plus controller, as if the ship is in your hand, then firing thrusters with controller buttons.
  • Star Shuttle – Shuttle parts safely to a space station by tilting the Wii Remote Plus controller — as if the ship is in your hand — then firing thrusters with controller buttons.
  • Flutter Fly – Guide balloons through an aerial obstacle course by fanning them along with the Wii Remote Plus controller – fast, slow, and on all sides. You’ll also scare off crows by pointing at them then pressing a button before the birds pop your balloons.
  • Cone Zone – Hold the Wii Remote Plus controller like an ice cream cone, then try to keep it in balance as more and more ice cream is piled on.
  • Treasure Twirl – Lower a diver to the bottom of the sea by twirling the Wii Remote Plus controller to unspool his cable, and dodge sharks and jellyfish by moving the controller left and right. After you grab the sunken treasure, you’ll have to pull him all the way back up again.
  • Jump Park – Jump around a huge trampoline park by tilting the Wii Remote Plus controller at the exact angle you want to bounce next. You’ll gather all the gems you can to earn a high score.
  • Pose Mii Plus – As your Mii character flies through space, you’ll rotate the Wii Remote Plus controller in all directions to squeeze your character through silhouette-shaped holes in barriers before you crash through them. Your Mii will change its pose often, so you’ll have to act fast.

This Week’s Favorite Wii Game: Kirby’s Epic Yarn (VIDEO)

We’ve actually had this game – Kirby’s Epic Yarn (Wii) - for awhile but hadn’t ever given it a chance to play it.  It’s rated E for everyone and while it takes a few minutes to get used to the controls to play this game (or did, for my 4 year old).  Great for a rainy day or afternoon break from the sun.  It’s really cute too – as Kirby you go through different levels as a piece of yarn and using your yarn to make different shapes and finish different challenges.  A great game for all ages.

Here’s a little video of my kids playing on one of the levels the other day:

Get Kirby’s Epic Yarn for the Wii fo $37.95 with free shipping on Amazon.com.

Wii Party: The Wii Game for Everyone

So I have to start out this review by saying that this game is totally awesome.  WiiParty was released by Nintendo on October 3 and it’s sure to be a hit this holiday season.

This game is all about group play – playing up to 4 player you can interact and work together as a team on various games, or go head to head on various challenges.  There are party games like Bingo or you can set it to mini-game mode and play short challenges that last from only a few seconds to a few minutes.

Here’s a screenshot of a group collaboration where you have to balance Miis on a tipping boat.

Wii Party retails for $49.99; it’s currently on sale on Amazon for $44.99.  Don’t let the mixed reviews on Amazon fool you – I really don’t know what those people are talking about, this is a fabulous family game that is guaranteed to bring hours of family fun.  You can see for yourself – we had a Wii Party at our house with a couple of neighborhood kids and friends and everyone had a blast:

Disclaimer:  I was provided with a Wii Party Kit, which included the game, remote and a small gift card for pizza, to facilitate this review.

Wii Family Fun Night with the new Carnival Games

While I’m a sucker myself for some of the quest-type Wii games (Super Mario Brothers, Anything Lego), I do sometimes like to have a short family game play with something like New Carnival Games for the Wii.

The latest release from 2KPlay, this game is an updated version to the popular Carnival games.  There are over 30 new carnival-related games that you can play up to four players like Haunted House, Bumper Cars and Ring Toss.

It’s cute, it’s quick and it’s good for lots of laughs with family members of all ages.

Get the new Carnival Games for the Wii on Amazon for $37.99 with free shipping.

Last day to enter Birthday Party Bash game for the Wii – 5 copies available

Today’s the last day to enter to win one of 5 copies of Birthday Party Bash for the Wii – enter here to win

And don’t forget to tweet about it too if you are on Twitter for one extra entry.

Holiday 2009: Hot Game Picks for the Wii

Although I definitely have some fun memories of my Dad playing Pong and Frogger with us on our first game system, an Atari back in the ’80s, those memories and those games seem pretty lame compared to the kind of comphrehensive game play for everyone that the Wii can provide.  (Not to mention the upgraded technology in the last 20 years, of course!)

We’ve had our Wii just shy of two years now and we really do have a game for everyone in our house.  We even have games we play over the Internet with my parents from their Wii down in Florida, which provides endless entertainment.

I’m starting this review out this way because I know not everyone has a Wii yet and I definitely recommend it for all ages.  If you don’t have a Wii, don’t just skip over this review.  There are games for toddlers, games for kids of all ages.   There are games you can play and games your parents can play.  Really!   There is truly something for everyone. 

This year the price has come down for the first time since the system released – you can now get the entire system for $199.99.  Check your local stores – I do know they are limiting only one Wii per house at various stores.

Below is my list of Holiday Picks for the Wii this Holiday season:

Birthday Bash - Over 20 classic birthday party games including Pin the Tail, Hot Potato, Present Frenzy, Balloon Popper, Musical Chairs, Sack Race and many more.   It’s a lot like Carnival Games – mini games that are fun for the whole family.  $17.99 on Amazon.

Animal Crossing: City Folk - okay, okay you could call me a tad obsessed.  But read my review from earlier this year (“I think Mommy likes this game more than the kids“) to see why.  We adore this game.  Everyone in our house plays this from my 3-year-old on up through my 36-year-old husband; it’s definitely a family affair.  $39.77 on Amazon.

It’s also available for the Nintendo DS.  I bought it back in November for a road trip and it’s virtually the same game and same fun.  It’s called Animal Crossing: Wild World, and although it’s tough to find in-store (I tried 3 stores), I was able to order it off Amazon with no issue for $33.48 with free shipping.I would imagine this one’s adorable for a girl to play.  Pick a baby (boy/girl) and care for it by teaching it how to walk, talk and play.  Potty train them and grow them through the toddler years.  $29.99 on Amazon. 

My First Baby Steps – A great game for girls.  Select a baby (boy or girl) and feed them, teach them how to walk and much more.  It’s cute – hours of simulation fun at a basic level.

And if you like that, check out Imagine’s Party Babyz where you can dress your baby and play games with them.  This one’s $14.99 (currently 25% off) on Amazon.

Family Fun Football – this game is described as “catering to the casual gamer,” which is alright by me as we have young kids in the house.  I look at this one as a good intro to playing football games on the Wii.  “Family Fun Football offers a coaching playbook that makes it easy for everyone to learn and understand the game of football.”  It’s $29.99 on Amazon.

Currently the#1 selling video game on Amazon is Super Mario Bros.   Santa may have to bring this one to our house as I have fond memories of playing the original on our first Nintendo when I was in high school.  You can have up to four players on screen with this game which makes it a fun all-play game for the entire family.  $49.99 on Amazon.

Samples of some of the above games were provided for review purposes.

Giveaway: Scooby Doo game for the Wii

scoobydoowiiSo who doesn’t love Scooby Doo?  Here’s a giveaway all-play for anyone who owns a Wii.  In honor of the September 22nd release date of the new Scooby-Doo First Frights game for the Wii, Mommies with Style is giving away 4 copies of the game to 4 lucky readers.

To enter to win, comment below:  who’s your favorite Scooby-Doo character?

One comment only per person, please.  For additional entries:

1) If you use Twitter, tweet about this contest with the hashtag #mommieswithstyle. (Something like this works: “Enter to win a copy of Scooby Doo for the Wii @mommieswstyle #mommieswithstyle”)

2) Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

This contest will run until the end of day September 18th.  4 winners will be chosen at random and notified thereafter.

Buy 1, Get 1 50% off DS and Wii Games at Toys “R” Us

I’ve been on the hunt for the latest deals on games for my daughter’s new DSi she just received for her birthday.  I thought this deal was amazing since the price of  DS and Wii games can really add up!  Buy 1, get 1 50% off on ALL DS and Wii Games (excludes pre-orders) through Saturday, August 28th. Valid in-store and online.   Stock up for the holidays while you can!

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