Wii Fit Plus

Torie Bosch — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:15:04 -0400

With the Wii, Nintendo has truly become the Pixar of video games: the company that appeals to kids, teens, and adults without pandering or talking over anyone’s head. The company’s new update of the Wii Fit, the Wii Fit Plus, fits that bill as well as any video game released this year.

Fashion Challenge

Torie Bosch — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:51:05 -0400

When video games and fashion collide, the results are often aesthetically and editorially hideous (c.f., World of Warcraft T-shirts; the tweener game The Clique: Diss or Make Up).

Scribble Me This

Torie Bosch — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:24:03 -0400

Scribblenauts, a new game for the Nintendo DS, is, quite simply, delightful. It’s whimsical and playful and will appeal to casual gamers of all ages—all ages who can spell, at least.

I Spy a Ghost

KJ Dell Antonia — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:10:07 -0400

I Spy: Spooky Mansion for the iPhone offers eerie music; creepy, foggy effects; and the opportunity to find everything from a “book with a bone” to “three open mouths” in scenes from a classic Gothic household (where, judging from the cookbooks on hand, you might not want to dine). No room can be left until all the riddles are solved, and solving a room’s riddles opens up more rooms, building up to a final surprise at the end of the game.

Middle School: The Video Game

Torie Bosch — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:30:25 -0400

While video games for boys allow them to live out fantasies, most fashion-conscious games for tween girls just reiterate the pressures they face every day: fitting in and dressing right. In that not-so-grand tradition, the new Nintendo DS game The Clique: Diss or Make Up, based on Lisi Harrison’s blockbuster YA series, is especially cringe-worthy.

Shooting With Buzz and Woody

Torie Bosch — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:29:54 -0400

My favorite old-school Nintendo game will always be Duck Hunt. Guns and hunting horrify me, but hand me a chunky plastic Nintendo weapon and I will happily target-practice for an hour. The new Wii game Toy Story Mania is, essentially, a beefed-up Duck Hunt: While the challenges include popping balloons, knocking over cacti, and launching rockets, among other nonviolent acts, it’s at its heart a shooting gallery game. A beloved Toy Story character, like Bo Peep or Woody, introduces or is the inspiration for each level, and asks the player to complete a checklist of tasks.

Puzzle Me This

Torie Bosch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:16:27 -0400

This follow-up to the Nintendo DS hit Professor Layton and the Curious Village continues in the same puzzle-filled, mystery-packed vein.

Good Sport

Torie Bosch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:11:38 -0400

This update to Wii Sports, the game that made the Wii a favorite at parties and family gatherings, is a great addition to any gaming library. And I do mean addition: While Wii Sports included only five games, the sequel offers a much larger selection. Think sky diving, wakeboarding, basketball, Frisbee, and sword fighting. To do each one, you use the Wiimote in a slightly different way—tilting it to steer your wakeboard and perform cool tricks, flicking it overhead to sink a basketball. That could help kids develop eye-hand coordination, couldn’t it?

Who You Gonna Call?

Torie Bosch — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:37:22 -0400

It’s been 25 years since Ghostbusters performed that supernatural feat of entertaining both kids and adults with a live-action film.

Photo Credit:

Still from Ghostbusters copyright Atari.

Punch-Out!!

Torie Bosch — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:42:31 -0400

In the relatively short lifespan of video games, Punch-Out!! is practically a dinosaur. It first appeared as an arcade game way back in 1984 and later was released for Nintendo with Mike Tyson branding. Now it’s available for the Wii (minus Mike Tyson.) Just like in the original, you play Lil’ Mac, a boxer working his way up the ranks. He’s scrappy but more built than he was in his arcade days. For a game whose title commands you to do bodily harm, Punch-Out!! is pretty tame.

Photo Credit: