GamerParenting: The Family Game of the Year Awards

The GamerParent phenomenon is growing every year as adult gamers pick up the gamepad to play with their kids. GamerParenting is a biweekly column exploring parenting issues in the gaming space.
2/6/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 1 of 3

I know you.

You eat, sleep, breathe, and live games, but you've got kids now, and it's time to be a grown-up and move on to more serious things. Put down the gamepad and get a life, right? Yeah? Well, forget that noise! Gaming is one of the best ways to bond, laugh, compete, and just plain have fun with your kids, and recent innovations like Nintendo's Wii system make gaming appealing to just about everyone -- even your game-hating spouse (if applicable). Ah, but just because you're a hardcore gamer, that doesn't mean you know the kiddie market. It's bigger than just Mario and games based on movie licenses. There really is a lot of great stuff out there. I'm the GamerDad and I know games and families -- and that's why CrispyGamer is letting me pick the best family games of 2007.

The rules are simple: One winner per age category and two runners up.

Age 0-5
Winner: Cosmic Family (Wii): Billed as the first game aimed directly at four-year-olds, UbiSoft's Cosmic Family is a charming, silly and cool little wonder. The game is bound together by a quirky art style and some bizarre transitional cartoons that'll have your kids laughing. The challenges are varied, kids are totally in control of what they're doing and when they're doing it (a rarity in this age group), and parents actually won't mind the cool electric guitar riff that functions as a soundtrack and the giant, yellow, polka-dotted elephant that serves as host. (ESRB Rating = E)

Peggle (PC, iPod, Mac, Xbox 360): PopCap knows how to make compulsive games and this terrific variation on Pachinko has style, finesse and Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as a reward. Oh, and fireworks, too. The main draw is that it's relatively cheap, requires no disc fumbling, and even the youngest kids can master the controls. Oh, avoid the T-rated Half-Life-themed version if you're buying the game for kids under 13. It replaces the cute fairy tale artwork with gritty dystopian science fiction. (ESRB Rating = E)

QuickSpot (DS): "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things isn't the same, one of these things is doing its own thing. It's time to play our game!" QuickSpot is basically an interactive version of those matching puzzles in Highlights magazine. It's so much better than it sounds. Oh, and children and adults will both love it. (ESRB Rating = E)

Age 6+
Winner! Super Mario Galaxy (Wii): Leave it to Mario to innovate 3-D platforming by shooting their Italian plumber into space. The game is extremely deep and rich, yet it's fairly easy if you don't spend a lot of time and energy exploring for bonus stars. Best of all, younger kids can help an older sibling (or mom and dad) by controlling the remote, stunning enemies and gathering star shards in those hard-to-reach places. (ESRB Rating = E)

Wario Smooth Moves (Wii): With a sardonic Zen style, Wario Smooth Moves is actually one of the most innovative games ever made. Kids will love the bizarre actions and how the game makes you use the remote in increasingly funny and silly ways -- like holding the remote to your nose so you can play an elephant-based mini-game. Good, clean, silly fun. (ESRB Rating = E)