Transform your iPad into a zany Dr. Seuss horn, with eight buttons, arranged as a whole-tone. Content includes 10 songs, including the soundtrack from The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss’s ABC, Hop on Pop and more. There are five horn-style instruments with different voices, and fun effects, including an echo-chamber fish bowl. The GameCenter feature lets you match scores with others. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This one player Zelda game turns your Wii into a flying, sword-fighting puzzle solving adventure, complete with problem solving opportunities and reading. Note the E10+ rating, for plenty of fantasy violence mostly due to the realistic fighting. Also note the gender bias, with a story line full girls who tend to giggle and boys who are warriors who must prove themselves for the girl’s approval. You must play the male role. This title requires a Wii MotionPlus controller. Zelda, like Mario, is one of the hallmark Nintendo characters. As a result, the limited-edition version of the game ($70) includes a gold Wii RemotePlus controller and a music CD featuring the Zelda Symphony. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Dressed in bright orange and white colors (to make sure it doesn’t get confused with a real gun), this is a plastic gun that houses your camera-equipped iPod Touch, iPhone 3 or greater in a plastic case that snaps onto a gun barrel, about where the sight would be. So instead of looking down the barrel, you look into your iPhone screen. The first step is to download one of the apps. We tried AlienAttack, a game that plays exactly like many Nintendo DSi and 3DS games, where you see creatures floating around your room as seen through the camera on your device. A radar screen clues you into the creature location — the more you shoot, the harder the challenge. There are just two buttons on the app, one for each trigger. When you pull the trigger, the capacitive energy from your finger is passed to the screen, through a little plastic pad that presses against your screen. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Based on the printed book “When I Grow Up” by Al Yankovic with illustrations by Wes Hargis, this 18 screen book deals with the age-old question “what will I be when I grow up.” In this case, the question is answered by the author, “Weird Al” Yankovic, the famous wisecracking comedian/musician. Note that the app was initially released as a book but has since been enhanced with five story-related games. For example, in Haute Cuisine Hero you’re a cook who is supposed to tap an ingredient when it is above a pot of stew. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Lego Life of George lets you test your pattern matching skills under the pressure of a stop watch, providing you have a camera equipped iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad 2, and have downloaded a free app called Life of George from iTunes (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grNO42UK5q8). The app serves as your blueprint, timer, progress tracker, and — most interestingly — your judge. The $30 kit contains the basic supplies — 144 Legos and a special cardboard grid that serves as a backdrop, allowing your camera to “see” your work, using special software called EyeCue (see www.eyecue-tech.com). In addition to Game Mode which can be played alone or against one competitor in a pass-and-play format, it is possible to design and capture your own models to be saved in a scrap book. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
In this one player game you navigate through the maze-like stages by learning a series of two-step swipes. For example, to get Kirby to float, you have to drag a star onto him, and then draw a line. In the story, Kirby is split into 10 pieces by an evildoer with a magic cane. You use the stylus on the DS touch screen to control a group of Kirby characters (up to 10) as they set off on a journey to return to their original form. The number of Kirby characters you control is important, because some challenges require a specific number of Kirbys in order to be solved. When the number of Kirby characters is increased, you can gain the upper hand. You can control each Kirby in a variety of ways, for example, a Kirby character can be launched into the air with a flick of the stylus, or you can make a swarm of Kirby characters dash to a given point by tapping on that spot on the touch screen multiple times. You can also swipe the touch screen to launch them in a mass attack against enemies, then tap the enemies into submission. The goal is to collect medals hidden throughout the various stages and to unlock additional minigames. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This one or two player game brings together four characters from Ratchet and Clank, Jak & Daxter, and Sly Cooper. They work together (you can choose who to play) to compete in a series of challenges using the PlayStation Move controller (required). In the story, aliens have swiped chunks of the worlds of Ratchet, Jak and Sly in order to create a mysterious new planet in the galaxy. After they are abducted to this new world, Ratchet, Clank, Jak, Daxter, Sly Cooper and Bentley compete in competitions. You can use a variety of weapons including Ratchet & Clank’s combustor, Sly Cooper’s cane and super power weapons that are customized to each character. Medals are earned for completing missions and challenges; and the more medals you earn the more missions you unlock. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This sequel to “StarWars: The Force Unleashed” (2008) is a “hurriedly thought out excuse for you to plow through a bunch of Storm Troopers” according to Chris, our intern tester. He reported “if you wanted to, you could skip all the cut scenes and really not miss anything. And this is coming from someone who tends to like cut scenes.” Even if a game is lacking a compelling story, it can still be fun. There’s something cathartic about slashing your way through wave after wave of essentially defenseless enemies. Aside from learning a few new attacks here and there things can get old. The bottom line? This edition isn’t as good as its predecessor. While this game had its moments and might be worth a borrow, it’s hard to justify the investment.
Teaches: fighting, timing, logic. LucasArts. www.lucasarts.com, $30. Best for ages 8-up.
Rating: 
or .775%
This third of the Hasbro Family Game Night series contains five classic board games from Hasbro. There are both classic and remixed versions of The Game of Life, Clue, Twister, Mouse Trap, and Yahtzee Hands Down. You can play in either local multiplayer capability (for up to four players) or — for the PS3 or Xbox versions — online. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
In case you’ve never played Bust-A-Move, the goal is to aim and shoot little colored balls, one at a time, into an approaching mass. If you can hit the same color, the balls pop, giving you more time and points. You beat the level when all the balls have been popped. When in the puzzle mode, there are 8 stages with 10 levels per stage, each represented by a planet. As with other versions of the game (there are thousands of Flash based editions on line) the game is simple enough for a four year old to play, but some of the later levels require a surprising amount of nuance, including using angles. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Designed exclusively for the Wii, this game features characters from seven Disney channel shows, including Camp Rock, Sonny With A Chance and Wizards of Waverly Place. You can jump to a tutorial at anytime — even in a game, which is a nice feature, and the controls are explained well. The more you play, the more games you unlock. There are both circuit mode and free play mode, and high scores can be saved. Developed by Page 44 for Disney Interactive Studios. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Based on the animated film, this game lets you take on the role of Yogi Bear in his efforts to save Jellystone Park from shutting down. The DS version is a traditional side-scrolling platformer for one player, where you try to steer Yogi through a maze, collecting food and parts to gadgets, while avoiding skunks, mean squirrels and tourists. There are three game-save slots, and progress is saved automatically. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This is a collection of 30 multi-player (1-4 simultaneous) mini-games, exclusive to the Wii. You race to earn points by aiming a water gun at burning windows, dodging a bull dozer, decorating Mater in the shop, and more. The theme is inspired by the Cars Toon animated shorts and features Mater, Lightning McQueen and the Cars gang, and the narration is right out of a movie. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The game mechanic is very similar to Guitar Hero, requiring timing, matching and beat awareness. Modes include Freestyle (mix, scratch and sample during set points), Play (start and stop spinning on the fly, drop-in or drop-out of lyrical gameplay, and switch difficulty level without interrupting the party), Competitive (includes DJ Battle, Star Battle, Accumulator, Checkpoint and Streak) and Empire (start as an up-and-coming DJ and become head of a major entertainment empire). Developed by FreeStyleGames for Activision. Prices are $60 for the standalone game, $100 bundled with one turntable controller, and $150 bundled with two turntable controllers and a microphone. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
The game looks and feels a lot like past versions of Mario Party, and there’s a LOT of content, with 80 diverse activities found in 13 party game modes. In Animal Tracker, for example, you place two or four Wii Remote controllers on a table. The game will make a noise, and the first player to grab the remote associated with the noise wins. Hide ‘n’ Hunt has one player asking the other players to leave the room while the Wii Remote controllers are hidden. When the other players return they have only a few seconds to find the hidden controllers. More traditional minigames include Derby Dash (use the Wii Remote as if you were holding a whip to spur your horse to victory); and Chop Chops (use the Wii Remote to see who can cut through vegetables the fastest). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Polar Plunge is a simple sledding game adapted from the Webkinz.com web site. You can pick up to four routes that vary in difficulty, and then race down a slope. To speed up, you lean right. To slow down, you lean left. You can jump over logs by tapping the screen. The better you do, the more Kinz cash you earn, and the cash is deposited directly into your online account, providing you’ve purchased one of the animals, creating a clever extension of Webkinz Online to your pocket. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Club Penguin: Game Day is a collection of 12 multiplayer minigames designed for the Wii that can optionally be integrated with the Club Penguin virtual world. So it is possible to earn coins in the game, that you upload to your online account. In addition, you can download your online penguin’s identity to your Wii Remote and take it to a friends house. You start by creating a penguin (or you can download your penguin from the Club Penguin website), then find some friends. For children with no friends, the computer can fill in. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This party game (for up to four players) for the Wii contains 18 activities inspired from Chuck E. Cheese pizza restaurants. To start, each player chooses from one of six avatars. Good scores earn tickets that can be traded for up to 50 prizes. An online leaderboard lets you compare scores with others. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Available in both free and “Pro” ($.99) versions, TonePad lets you compose rhythmic simple songs by arranging dots (or notes) on a 16×16 grid. Like the pins on a music box, each dot activates a tone, making it easy to make rhythmic and melodic patterns. The Pro version lets you compose your own ringtones. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
In this game, you play as Buzz, Woody or Jessie as you run, ride and fly through scenes inspired by the film. For example, in one scene, you jump along the cars of a moving train, ducking under low poles or swinging buckets, and navigating across train cars with moving logs. You can complete missions to earn rewards such as gold and new customizations, and purchase new toys with your virtual earnings. Or you can customize new buildings, and then change how they look with paint and accessories. A “Toy Box” mode lets you add new characters and game elements. Developed by Avalanche Software for Disney Interactive. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Family Game Show for the Wii lets you become a contestant in the world of Family Gameshow. There are three shows – Control Freak, Brain Strain, and Puzzle Addict – each hosted by a different character, and more than 3,000 questions in total. The games can be played alone or with up to four players, and each game has three difficulties and ten levels. There is also a Kids vs. Adult Mode so the entire family can play. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Join the world’s largest soccer tournament from the comfort of your home, as you battle your way through 199 teams from around the world. The World Cup is the largest sporting event and this is the only official and exclusively licensed video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. You can take your home nation team from qualification through a virtual re-creation of the World Cup Final. And, for the first time, you can play out the World Cup in a full online tournament mode against fans from other countries. You will compete under the same conditions that your team will face in South Africa, from the group stage through the knockout rounds, to the chance to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Imagine Bikini Bottom as a demolition derby for up to four players, and you get the idea of this game. Content includes 100 boat mobiles that you try to knock off track. You play as one of nine SpongeBob characters and “crash-n-bash” your way to victory within demolition arenas throughout Bikini Bottom. The multi-player game allows up to four players to drive more than 100 customized boat mobiles, while trying to knock off and collect other boat parts in order to earn points and move up levels with the hope of ultimately earning your boat mobile license. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Based on the book Dragonology, this scavenger hunt game for the Nintendo DS lets you explore an interactive journal, travel the world, and learn ancient tracking skills to find dangerous dragons to study, protect and preserve. As you progress from apprentice to Master of Dragonology, you will build your own Dragonological Encyclopedia, and collect dragon curiosities which include dragon claws, scales, and teeth. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Inspired from the UK television show with the same name, this DS-only game puts you in the role of the sheep, Shaun. In the story, the other sheep have escaped and you must find the rest of the flock before the Farmer returns home. As you explore the barnyard, you must find hidden items, and interact with characters from the show such as Shirley, Blitzer and Timmy.
There are three modes: Story Mode, Mini-game Mode, and Collection Mode, with eight unlockable mini-games such as Baath Time and Bend It Like Shaun. Based on the television series from Aardman Animation. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Zap moving flies with a frog’s fast tongue, in this fast-moving, thumb exerciser. You see a frog surrounded by moving flies, which can be tapped to be eaten. But don’t wait — the clock is ticking and the flies get smarter. After 60 seconds (marked by audio countdown), the frog burps and the flies escape for another round. Developed by 360KID for People Operating Technology. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
DJ Hero Renegade Edition Turntable
This game expands on the gameplay mechanics of Guitar Hero but instead of pressing buttons, you use a turntable controller which, at times, has you bending streams of notes to earn a higher score. There are 100 songs highlighted in 93 mixes that blend genres of music, including hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock and electronica.
The turntable controller allows you to use and master various DJ techniques including scratching, crossfading and sampling. So you can learn some real DJ techniques. The game features five levels of play: beginner, easy, medium, hard and expert. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In PES 2010, you take your team to the Champions League. Your roster can include real life players, each with unique characteristics. The improved AI will now help your offense to build attacks or close down your opponents attacks. Other new features include a Master League where you can create and manage your team for a longer period of time. Prices are $40 for the Wii version, $60 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and $30 for the PS2 and PSP versions. Developed by Winning Eleven Productions. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Like it’s two sister titles (My Hero: Firefighter and My Hero: Astronaut) this Nintendo DS-only title is a fictional and at times playful recreation of a series of medical emergencies. As in many games, the better you do, the more content you can unlock.
After you type your name into one of the three game-save slots, you are given an assignment, e.g., go and rescue a football player who has fainted.
Next, you steer the ambulance in a surprisingly fun driving simulation. As you weave through the traffic using the stylus to steer, you can try to hit targets that let you turn on the siren for short bursts, to clear traffic. Once you reach the patient, you fill syringes by matching colors, scan for broken bones, apply bandages, or try to get a heart started with carefully timed taps. There’s not a lot of novel game play here, but in this context, it is fun. High scores unlock new cases and a better ambulance. When you complete your missions quickly and without error, you can earn gold medals and a spot in the Hall of Fame. If you’re looking for a realistic medical sim, this isn’t it. But it is a fun game, with an opportunity to solve problems, in addition to the fine motor coordination required to complete some of the tasks. Created by Game Life and Mod Monkey Studios for Majesco. Teaches: timing, strategy, logic, fine motor coordination. Majesco Entertainment. www.majescoentertainment.com, $20. Best for ages 8-up.
Rating: 
or 88%
Pull out your balance board and start your workout, with this second release in the Wii Fit series that combines 15 new games and six new yoga positions with a calendar-based management system.
You can choose a workout based on the amount of time you have available, from as little as five minutes to a full hour session. In addition, you can select from the Wii Fit Plus routines which target specific areas. The $20 price is for the standalone game; and a balance board is required. A version bundled with the balance board costs $100. Note that the original Wii Fit games are included as part of this package. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
A classic title gets a lot better, in this second edition of Marvel Ultimate Alliaance. The PS3 version features 24 playable Marvel heroes including Spiderman, Wolverine, Iron Man, and villains such as Venom and Green Goblin. You will choose a side – Pro-Registration in defense of national security, or Anti-Registration and fight for personal liberties – and create and customize four-character teams. Developed by Vicarious Visions for the Xbox 360 and PS3 ($60), n-Space for the Wii ($50), Nintendo DS ($30) and PS2 ($30) and Savage for the PSP ($40). Note: All games are rated T except for the DS which is rated E10+. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Looking for a baby or toddler’s ideal first computer experience? Available as a $20 download from www.giggles.net (think of it as an App for your computer), for Macintosh or Windows, Giggle’s: Computer Funtime for Baby My Musical World expands on Leveractive’s library of baby/toddler selections. This title, with a musical focus, succeeds in letting your busy child freely explore a standard mouse/keyboard interface, sans worry. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This 25-hole mini-game simulation features holes that are grouped into themes, like Pirate’s Delight, Wild West, Prehistoria, 
Spook-O-Rama and Fairytella. After you line up your shot, you hold the ‘A’ button, and swing your virtual club. The multiplayer version lets you distract the other players. Good scores earn coins for prizes, including custom clubs, clothing and special golf balls. Winnings can be saved to your Wii Remote, making it possible to take your game to your friends house, provided they have the game on their Wii. Developed by Cat Daddy Games for 2K Play. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Similar to the “Diner Dash” types of games, this game inludes 84 new levels of cake-baking and six bakery environments
including the Jurassic Period, Medieval England and the Future. As you improve in your skills, you can earn 50 kitchen upgrades such as ovens, toasters and display stands, which are needed in order to serve the 30 types of customers. For example, in the Egypt world, you get to serve mummies. Three minigames — Servo-Rama, Cakey-Makey, and Match Cakes can be unlocked. You earn a trophy at the end. Created by Sandlot Games for Majesco. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The clean rhythms and addicting melodies of The Beatles map perfectly to the Rock Band format, in this best edition yet of Rock Band. While the format is the same as previous editions, for the first time you can sing along in three part harmony, making it possible for up to seven people to share the same song, at once. In addition, the “easy” level is basic enough so that Grandpa can play along — most players find the drums to be the easiest instrument. Compared to previous editions of Rock Band, the sound quality is better as well, providing you have your game console plugged into a good stereo system; you’ll swear you can hear Ringo Starr settling into his drum set. Other goodies include the ability to visit a virtual Beatles museum.
Unlike past versions of Rock Band, this edition is organized into chapters, each with four songs and a challenge. Testers noted that the graphics are “flawless” in giving the title a psychdellic 60′s and 70′s “trippy” feel. Another noted that the Beatles themselves look “weird”, but that their actions are exactly synched to the music (no “fake” mouth moving like in guitar hero). If you already own a Rock Band set, you can plug in your existing Rock Band instruments and purchase the $60 software, or you can spend $250 and buy the special edition Beatle’s wireless controllers, modeled after the band’s original instruments. Four tracks appear at once on the screen — guitar, bass, mic and drums, and, for the first time, the software can detect multiple harmonies at once to recreate the Beatle’s vocals.
The 25 songs include I Saw Her Standing There, Twist And Shout, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Yellow Submarine, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Here Comes The Sun.
The Teen rating comes from the lyrics of the songs. As you play the songs, historic Beatles photos are shown on the screen. More detail has gone into the visual presentation than with any other version of Rock Band that we’ve reviewed.
With this release comes some new frosting including custom-built instruments modeled after the ones that the Beatles used. More information can be found at http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com. Rating:
Unlike the three DS versions of CGC (Charm Girls Club) this is a party game, specifically designed for one to eight girls, with about every imaginable stereotype, from hair dressing to pillow fights. Content includes 27 minigames that vary in quality and difficulty. As a result, there’s something for everyone. Games include Speed Hair Teasing (shake the Wii Remote as fast as you can to see how big you can make a hairstyle) and Water Balloon Fight (target your friends to see how you can earn the most points). There are several DDR style rhythm games, where you compete to earn points by following moving commands. Please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.