Ghostbuster: The Video Game (Wii)I was too young when the movie
Ghostbusters came out in
theatres. In fact I was still too young when the sequel came out five years later. But I do remember watching the cartoon series and I loved it as well as the movies when I eventually watched them. Now Atari is releasing
Ghostbusters: The Video Game for the 25th anniversary of the first film. It’s a pretty neat adaptation of the story line to include you, the “intern” who joins the team to conquer some of New York’s infamous apparitions.
In the game, you play an experimental equipment technician who busts ghosts along with the original team, Ray, Peter, Egon and Winston. At the beginning of the game, there is an animation about some supernatural events happening at a museum, where we see a bright blue light and a mysterious woman. When the team heads out to recapture Slimer and bring down the return of the giant “Stay Puft” marshmallow man, they run into the mysterious woman, who we learn is Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn, who is researching paranormal happenings.
The game is a third person shooter where you use the Wiimote to look around and aim, while the nunchuk is used to move your character through the levels and to shake when you’re drenched in slime. The characters for the Wii look like caricatures of the actors, which is different from the more realistic look of the Xbox and PS3 versions of this game, but the Wii version is still fun to play. There are also three different difficulty settings. The easy setting is more for kids and people who just want to play it casually where the hardest setting is for more hardcore gamers who want a challenge.
One positive feature for the less experienced players using the easy setting, is that it’s very difficult to get so seriously slimed or killed that your character is put out of action.
If you enjoyed the
Ghostbusters franchise and like well executed story games then this is the game for you.
Fisher Price TurboFill Blasters
For the hot days of summer, water gun fights are a great way to cool off. But some water guns aren’t easy for younger kids to use. Fisher Price has come out with the
TurboFill Blaster, which is perfect for kids three and up.
It comes with a base that you hook up to your water hose. You insert the gun into the base, which fills up the gun’s tank and pressurizes it. Once it’s filled, just press the release button down and lift the gun off. Then all your child has to do is pull the trigger.
I do have to say that when I first started playing with it, I couldn’t get the gun off of the base, which caused much frustration. Then I found out it was because I was holding down the release button, instead of pressing it down, letting go, and then pulling the gun off. The only thing that could improve this is if the base shot water out when the gun wasn’t attached.
If you have a youngster who wants to join the older kids in a water gun match you should try this one out. It’s sure to provide active fun, cool the kids off and water your lawn all at the same time.
ItzaBitza
When I was in first grade, I wrote in my classroom journal about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote that I was going to be an artist, live on the street (I was very realistic), sell my paintings and give my money to my first grade teachers. Years later, I have become a graphic artist (thankfully with an apartment) and art has always been something I’ve loved. That’s one reason why I was intrigued by
ItzaBitza.
ItzaBitza is a web-based computer game for kids where users draw on the computer screen and animated characters interact with whatever is drawn.
Now you don’t get free range to draw whatever you please; the character will ask you to draw something like a house. Then a transparent sheet of paper covers the screen for you to draw your house where you want it in the picture. You add doors and windows and then once you are happy with it, the house comes to life and the character enters and exits from it. From there you draw all sorts of other things, the sun, a tree and even a friend.
This game is simple enough for preschoolers to play with it, but it’s not too boring for those a little bit older. There are stars that appear while you draw that indicate objectives to complete. When you get enough stars you unlock one of the other pictures to draw on.
The only thing I didn’t like was that you don’t get to choose the color of what you are drawing. Sure the sun is yellow and the tree trunk is brown, but I’d like to pick the color of my house. Even when you draw a paintbrush for your friend to paint the house you don’t get a choice in what it looks like. However that is just a minor personal preference and kids probably won’t care.
This is an easy, fun way to let your kids play at a computer, hone hand-eye coordination and experiment with both drawing and simple animations. It’s an enjoyable game that your kids can use to explore their inner Picasso and you may even find yourself discovering yours. Just don’t be alarmed if your child start saying he wants to be an artist who lives on the street.
You can find it at www.itzabitza.com for $19.99.
Find it online:
Ghostbusters: The Video Game for the WiiTurboFill BlasterItzaBitza
Something old. Raggedy Ann is turning 95 years young this year, and Applause by Russ has produced a 95th anniversary Raggedy Ann doll. She’s 12 inches tall and has a more vintage look to her. She still has button eyes, yarn hair, and a triangle nose like she has had for years, but her hair is a darker red, and her colors are more muted than that of the more recent Raggedy Ann dolls that have come out. Raggedy Ann’s new look pays tribute to how she appeared in the 1930 storybook Raggedy Ann in the Deep, Deep Woods. This is a great gift for Raggedy Ann collectors as well a great way to introduce her to girls who may not yet know Raggedy Ann. You can find this anniversary- edition doll on Amazon.com for $25, and, of course, you can purchase Raggedy Andy as well.
Something new. Mix Pups are little dogs you can mix and match. Each dog has removable hair and ears and clothing that you can use to create any kind of dog you want. They come in packs of one or two dogs that range from bulldogs to terriers. There are also some accessory packs that allow you to make your dog a fairy dog, a beach dog, or a sports dog. You can also purchase playsets to keep your pup entertained. At the time I write this, Mix Pups haven’t been released yet. The single-dog packs have a suggested retail price of $6, and the double-dog packs have a price of $10. Visit my Toy Box website for more information on when Mix Pups will be available.
Something to borrow. Squinkies are soft and squishy friends who are small enough to hang out on the top of your pencils. They come in packs of 16, and each lives in its own plastic ball, which reminds me of Pokémon. They’re available as kitties, puppies, ponies, pets, friends and babies. You can collect and trade them with your friends. There are also playsets and jewelry that your Squinkies can hang out on. You can find the packs of Squinkies on Amazon.com for $9.
Something Blue. Here is a game for the whole family, and it comes in a blue box. Disney Sing It: Family Hits is full of songs from your favorite Disney films, from Sleeping Beauty to The Princess and The Frog. The game is played like all the others in this genre with the goal of singing the song pitch perfect. It contains 30 songs that are accompanied by videos from the movies they’re in. Find a complete list of songs at disney.com/SingItFamilyHits, and buy the game on Amazon.com for $37.
