Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster. This Sesame Street game for Xbox 360 Kinect requires no controllers, and it allows kids to play the game by jumping, dancing, running, and being active in front of the television. The game allows children ages four to six to interact with the Sesame Street characters to learn about making friends, sharing, teamwork, and problem solving.

Monkey Quest. This computer game from Nickelodeon has exploded in popularity this past year for children ages eight to fourteen. Found online for both Windows and Mac, Monkey Quests connects players from all over the Internet. The child plays a monkey who goes on adventures to save the world of the game, which is brilliantly displayed in 3D. The missions are funny and engaging, and they are conducive to learning for the whole family, as there is an option for the whole family to play on screen.

The Magic School Bus: Oceans. This Scholastic game is best for ages five to nine, and is available for the Nintendo DS. The favorite show of many children, the game players join the zany Ms. Frizzle on an adventure under the ocean. The players interact with several species of underwater sea life, and learn about the creatures of the deep. The Magic School Bus always has plenty of energy and fun, and combines games and missions to keep the attention of elementary aged children.

Lego Harry Potter. This Warner Brothers game is the children’s version of the multitude of other Lego Harry Potter games available with each movie. For Harry Potter fans ages five to seven, the game is a recount of all of the major events in the last four films. Along with Harry’s intense missions, there are plenty of collectibles and even stimulating puzzle play. It is available for all gaming systems, and it is best suited for children in upper elementary school.

Super Mario 3D Land. For the Nintendo 3DS comes yet another game in the classis Mario Brothers series of racing and strategy games. In this edition, Princess Peach has been kidnapped from the evil Bowser. The player must use puzzles, logic, and strategy to free the princess from her captor; moreover, the game is completely in 3D, leading to extremely engaging game play for children eight and up. This edition of the ever-popular game will not disappoint.

Chrono Trigger tells the story of Crono, a young man who goes to his town’s fair where disaster strikes due to a malfunction in his inventor friend’s matter transporter, sending a young girl back in time. Crono, being the gallant person he is, risks his life to go back in time to save her. Since the game is apparently going to be re-released sometime soon, and since I understand we’ve got some younger readers out there who may never have even heard of this game, I’ll spare you the spoilers. Wikipedia has an excellent writeup, however, if you choose to venture further.

The game is set on a planet similar to our own, in many different time periods. You begin in a relatively modern time, but are able to journey back to prehistoric times, the middle ages, and even forward to a post-apocalyptic future. All this in the name of not only saving a girl, but of saving the world from certain destruction.

Chrono Trigger featured seven playable characters that would join your party as you progress through the game, and each character brought with them their own special attacks and skills. This did well for the game’s combo-attack feature, which allowed you to mix and match characters in order to combine your attacks for an even greater edge against your enemies (of which there were plenty).

Due to the amount of characters involved and the elaborate storyline the game told, Chrono Trigger featured 14 different endings, depending on where and when in the game’s timeline you defeated the last boss, which quests you’ve completed, and which side-quests you’ve completed. It gets wildly complicated, but is worth it for die-hard fans of the game who wish to see everything the game has to offer.

Chrono Trigger is available on the Nintendo DS and is scheduled to be re-released sometime this year.

The Oregon Trail debuted originally in 1971, but has since been updated and re-released through the 80′s and 90′s, and even as recently as this year, in the forms of an iPhone app and Facebook game. Its addicting format was designed to teach school children about the hardships endured by the first Western pioneers of the United States, and also to teach basic computer skills, such as typing and using the mouse. The player takes on the role of the leader of a wagon train of settlers, and he or she has the opportunity to create a family and buy supplies for the journey. The adventure stays true to history by beginning in Independence, Missouri and ending in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

Much like the real Conestoga wagon trains of 1848, players encounter challenges and tasks to complete along the way. One of the most important tasks to complete is hunting. Weapons and ammo must be purchased along the journey, and when it comes time to hunt, the player must spell certain words, such as bang, wham, and pow, correctly to make it a successful hunt. Without a proper amount of hunting, members of your family could die of starvation along the way, just as it was on the real Oregon Trail.

The deaths of characters are by far the most memorable part of the game. Members of your party could become ill and die from various diseases, including measles, snakebites, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, and even exhaustion. People in the wagon trains die frequently and at obnoxiously unexpected times. When someone dies, a funeral is held, and you can write on their tombstone before continuing on your journey.

If you successfully make it all the way to Oregon with your wagon intact, you win the game and are awarded a large number of points. If you die before reaching the destination, you must begin all over again. In school, the teachers would always give us prizes for who was the “Best Pioneer.” I can honestly say that The Oregon Trail greatly improved my computer literacy.

Surprisingly, this game does take some level of logical planning and skill, but can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In fact, it is still used in many schools today as a successful educational tool. Copies can be found for anywhere from $4-49.99, wherever games are sold. So, see if you would have been a successful pioneer, and pick up The Oregon Trail today!

Released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Metroid was revolutionary in several ways. Being the first game to be a truly open adventure, Metroid did away with the linear nature of video games and replaced it with a free-roaming environment where a player (if skilled enough) could reach nearly any area they’d like and break the intended progression set by the developers.

In addition to being the first truly open-ended video game, Metroid was the first game to incorporate a password system for the player to resume the game where they left off. This held true only for the North American version of the game, while the Japanese release utilized a disk system for saving the game. Not only was the password system used for resuming play, but it would allow modification of game elements, such as the famous “JUSTIN BAILEY” code, which allowed the player to play as Samus Aran in her swimsuit instead of her spacesuit.

Speaking of swimsuits, Metroid was instrumental in ensuring that females in video games weren’t just treated as damsels who needed to be rescued. Samus was introduced as a hard-as-nails bounty hunter who could kick ass and look beautiful doing it.

The story goes that Samus Aran is a bounty hunter who is sent to the planet Zebes in order to find and destroy the hideout of intergalactic Space Pirates, who have stolen dangerous creatures known as Metroids from a research vessel in order to use them as biological weapons.

Metroid’s adventure-oriented gameplay focused on exploration and smart battle tactics rather than the shoot ‘em up strategy that prevailed in so many games at the time. A treasure trove of power-ups and weapons were at the player’s disposal, including boots that allowed you to reach impossibly high platforms, an ice beam for freezing enemies (and the only effective way to deal with Metroids).

The game’s sizable world, combined with the engaging and sometimes eerie music produced a strong feeling of isolation while playing the game, making the player feel truly alone in the mission. The game was influential in many future games in the adventure genre, not the least of which was the series of ten sequels the original has game spawned thus far, and is held in high regard as one of the most paramount games of all time.

3D movies used to be “special,” but lately they have become the norm. However, a new gadget in the 3D world is the Ninetendo 3DS that allows you to play games with 3D graphics on a DS without wearing the stylish red and blue glasses.

If you have ever used a Nintendo DS Lite, DSi, or DS XL, then you will have no problems getting used to Nintendo’s newest DS gadget. It is essentially the same size, though a little bulkier, and the basic game play is essentially the same.

One new aspect is the an analog thumb slider — this will make game play much smoother and attractive to gamers. Furthermore, you will notice that this DS has two screens! One can be controlled by touch and a stylus, but the other screen is what you are probably more interested in — the glasses-free, parallax-barrier 3D screen.

3D does not work the same for everyone. Nintendo knows this, so they have incorporated a slider that lets you determine how strong you would like 3D effect to be. You can even turn it off. If you do that, you’ll be left with a bright and clear image. Yes, you can play non-3D games on the DS. You can even play the older DS games; you just can’t play the 3DS games on the older consoles because the games have a little tab that won’t allow them to be inserted into the previous models.

Not only can the DS play 3D games, but it also can take 3D pictures. This is a novelty fad that will probably soon grow old, but this does make the 3DS a little more enticing for people who “kind of” want a 3DS. The 3DS has three cameras; one on the inside and two on the outside. The two on the outside are what allow you to take 3D pictures. Of course, what good are 3D pictures if you don’t have a bigger 3D screen to show it on? The 3DS screen is about 3.5 inches.

That being said, I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of a series of 3D gadgets. For a whopping price of $250, I’m not sure if I would ever buy one, but it certainly is a fun creation.

Check out this video for some cool quirks that it can do.

The Legend of Zelda made history upon its release on February 21, 1986, by being the first game for the Nintendo Entertainment System to implement saving. In addition to introducing the saving feature, it was one of a handful of titles of that time to include a second quest once the player finished the initial game. The replay value, along with the epic story and memorable characters helped The Legend of Zelda achieve remarkable critical and commercial success. Now, 25 years later, the kingdom of Hyrule is more grandiose and beloved than ever.

A new title for the Nintendo Wii, Skyward Sword, was announced June 15th, 2010, at the E3 Expo to much fanfare. The game uses the Wii MotionPlus controller to provide the player with greater control over combat and to provide a more deeply immersive experience. The game is expected to be released sometime this year, along with a 3D remake of Ocarina of Time for the Ninendo 3Ds.

It’s amazing to see how far the series has come and how the story has evolved throughout the years. It’s gone from a simple story about a kidnapped princess and an unlikely hero to a story about a kingdom in peril from great and powerful evils, and a recurring prophecy wherein the hero manifests as a young boy in a green tunic. So iconic is The Legend of Zelda that even if you aren’t a person who has ever played a video game, you know who Link is (even though you may call him Zelda by mistake).

If you have an old NES laying around and are feeling nostalgic, by all means bust it out and get to swinging that sword! If you aren’t lucky enough to have a working NES, I’m sure you can find other methods for getting your game on.

The answer is that I am completely fascinated by the very idea of 3D gaming; so much so, in fact, that I’m seriously pondering a pre-order of the 3DS (for those unaware, I’m staunchly against pre-ordering when it comes to video games). You see, 3D movies and television doesn’t impress me. I don’t care about filmmakers having knives or characters jumping out at me. Don’t ask why — it just doesn’t impress me. However, the idea of being able to actually interact with a 3D object instead of just watching it? That excites me. If done properly, we may see the big gaming companies usher in a new era of gaming. Instead of being a dumb gimmick, this could really turn heads and make games truly revolutionary as a form of entertainment.

I’d like to tell you about an idea I had a few years back for a game on Nintendo’s Wii system. The idea was simple: A massive, multiplayer, online role-playing game done in first person (with a 3rd-person option). You control the left and right hands with the Wii remote and nun-chuck and battles are in real-time. You would have employees devoted to the maintenance of the gaming world and the managing of new and old quests. The game would be ever-expanding, and would be supported with a monthly subscription fee. Given the proper amount of story-telling and quest-incentive, this could be a very lucrative and fun project. Why hasn’t this happened yet? The Wii is perfect for this kind of thing and it pains me to see an opportunity like this wasted. But how awesome would this game be in 3D?

My hope is that the next iteration of consoles (or the current consoles, if technology allows), will embrace 3D as a real means of immersion and run with it. Making concept games won’t cut it; if you talk a big game, you’d better bring it.

You’re living in a large city, and you start out working in someone else’s boutique. Grace manages Strata, one of the city’s best boutiques, and she works as your mentor throughout the game. Renee is your co-worker, and while she is helpful, she is competition. Dominic is a businessman who helps you launch and run your own shop. Godfrey is his assistant and sometimes the middleman as you have to go through him to get to Dominic. Rococo is a fashion expert who runs the fashion shows that you will compete in to win prizes and prestige. You will meet other characters in the game that while they are not that significant at helping you, they are sometimes important. Remember always to pay close attention to the key figures above as they really help you throughout the game.

The aim of the game is running a shop and selecting a certain item to keep the customers happy. You will get a lot of customers, each of whom has her own distinct personality and style. Pay attention to each customer’s stats and what they are wearing as it will help you assist them in the game. Most of the time it’s easy to help them select their item du jour (dresses, sweater, pants, etc.), but sometimes it’s not. With each customer you get three chances to select an item that she likes. If in the end, you cannot please her, rest assured that she is pleasant and probably will come back again. The key to success in this game is to frequently stock your shop with a variety of clothes and accessories from various brands. Go frequently to the Buyer’s Center to stock up on a fresh variety of clothes for everyone. Mind your budget, and don’t go over the limit.

Are you ready for Style Savvy?

1- Sims 3 features a more interactive neighborhood. What used to be a small town with mostly residential lots now has become a “real” neighborhood with schools, gyms, libraries, etc.- all of which are interactive. However, certain public buildings don’t allow an “inside view” so you will have to control your Sims from the outside of the building.

2- The Sims 3 are more career-oriented.  Have you ever wondered what your Sim does at work? Now you know! With Sims 3, your Sim now actually goes to work in a building and deals with a supervisor, just like the rest of us!. This game also allows you to choose part-time jobs or take in some overtime if your Sim is so inclined. Like Sims 2, this game allows players to unlock career rewards to attain.

3- Sims 3 offers more control. With this latest version of Sims, you can really fine tune your character’s appearance and personality. Choose from three body types of fit, regular, and fat. From there you can select their genetic appearance, style, and personality traits. Now you can make your Sim have a distinctive personality that can make or break his interactions with other Sims.

The levels are bright and colorful and look like a cartoon as you navigate the levels on the ground, as well as underwater as a mermaid. The game also features puzzles to solve with their primary focus on color patterns, number orders, as well as size comparisons. What really makes this game perfect for children as young as three, Three-feet’s age, is that it’s “no-fail”, which means kids play even if they do the puzzles incorrectly. The game will continue to give them another chance taking out the wrong choice until they are only left with the right one to continue. When Three-feet first started playing he’d just button mash until the only right answer was the one left, but now he knows how to select the right answer and progress more quickly through the game.

This game also has huge replay value. Three-feet has beaten the game several times, takes about an hour, and still asks for it regularly. While I’m sure the novelty of the game being made by his daddy sparked the love of the game, I think it’s because of the game that he keeps coming back for more.