Gaming For GIrls

The Nintendo DS was released in 2004 and recently its name was changed to Original Style Nintendo DS, because just two years ago, in 2006, Nintendo introduced the DS Lite, which is even available in pink. The Nintendo DS Lite has much better screens with brighter colour and is a lot slimmer, so you can fit it in your pocket a little easier. With the Nintendo DS Lite you can go online wherever you have a Wi-Fi signal and it allows players to interact with each other without the need for messy cables. It is a really fun, hand-held video game console that you can take just about anywhere. If you remember the Game Boy Advance, it kind of looks like that and is perfect for those long car rides with your parents and annoying little brother. There are a bunch of fun games for the DS Lite, including Nintendogs, Pony Friends, High School Musical and Zoo Hospital. These games are good for girls starting around the age of six or seven upwards. For older girls, you can find Crosswords DS, Brain Age, Rock Blast, Myst, Cake Mania 2, SEGA Superstar Tennis and Soul Bubbles. If you want to dress up your Nintendo DS Lite, you can. There are carrying cases, pouches and shells for the little game console or if you prefer to just add a little sparkle and shine, you can get stickers, gems and other decals to stick onto the outside of the clamshell,

For generations, Nancy Drew has brought excitement and fun to girls all over the world. Our mothers and grandmothers remember reading their very first Nancy Drew book and today, we have not only the Nancy Drew tales, but also movies and video games. One of the more interesting games is Nancy Drew - The Secret of Shadow Ranch, by Her Interactive. Nancy Drew - The Secret of Shadow Ranch is set on a vacation ranch in the Old West. There is a beautiful background and ancient secrets hidden among the terra cotta cliffs that any Nancy Drew enthusiast will enjoy figuring out. Don’t forget about the ghostly horse on a quest for revenge, because as a detective, it is your job to find out which are just ghost stories and which are clues. The Secret of Shadow Ranch is an interactive mystery and adventure game that offers more than twenty hours of exciting game play. This instalment, in the Nancy Drew series of video games, is truly thrilling for girls of any age. The game allows players to interview suspects and solve mysteries, as though they were Nancy Drew herself is designed for either single players or teams. Aside from all the thrilling adventures, there are plenty of new puzzles that tie into the storyline of the game, while giving players important clues. If you are new to this type of detective game there is a difficulty setting just for you and don’t worry, old pros, there is also a setting for more experienced players.

My Horse Farm is a dream come true for many horse lovers who also happen to be gamers. As we all know, most girls love horses and more and more are starting to love gaming, so My Horse Farm gives us the best of both worlds. The game itself allows players to learn the business of managing and owning a real horse farm, how to care for horses, how to train horses and hones good decision making skills. As you play the game, you will learn how to train your horses to be world-class champions and outfit your riders, by selecting from a wide variety of accessories, clothes and hairstyles. You need to remember to spend your money wisely otherwise your farm may fail. This fun and educational game welcomes players to Trotterville where their next stop could be the Winners’ Circle. Of course, My Horse Farm does have a few minimum system requirements that you will need to check out before buying it. Make sure that your computer has a Pentium 3 processor with at least 500MHz, 64MB of RAM and at least 600MB of free hard disc space available. You also need at least a 32MB graphic card, DirectX-7 or higher, a CD-ROM, a SoundBlaster compatible sound card, speakers or headset and a mouse. My Horse Farm is rated E for everyone and is a great way to let true horse lovers spend time with their horses on a rainy day.

If you are an animal lover, Pet Vet 3D: Animal Hospital is the video game for you. This is a virtual role-playing game in which you experience the fun and challenges of running your very own animal clinic. You play the part of the top animal doctor at the clinic and will need to take care of baby bunnies, cute cats, horses, dogs, piglets and many more animals. While playing you will get to experience many different activities, which include dog training, horseback riding and animal examinations. As you progress through the game, you will learn so much amazing stuff about each of the featured animals. Although this game will never take the place of vet school, later on, it is an excellent way for young animal lovers to learn about the tiny creatures they love most. In Pet Vet 3D: Animal Hospital you will learn all about running your own animal hospital and overseeing the staff. You’ll also have a lot of fun trying to figure out the ailments of each animal that is brought into your hospital, taking care of the critters and shopping for vet supplies, pet toys and food. Pet Vet 3D: Animal Hospital allows you to not only learn all about animals in a fun way, but also encourages you to develop virtual relationships with your patients. You can play in either story mode or freestyle mode and the game is packed with great 3D graphics, cool animation and awesome sound. It offers three levels of challenging game play, five different species of animal, more than one hundred animal ailments and tons of fun.

Most of the time people might think that the Sony PlayStation 2, also called the PS2 by hardcore gamers, was designed for boys’ video games only, but they are completely wrong. While many girls actually do like to play the same games as boys, there are so many more options that girls and their parents just might not know about. The Sony PlayStation 2 is one of the best selling consoles of all time and is very popular with boys, because of the type of games that run on it. It seems like girls are always forgotten when people talk about video games and it is about time this changed. Girls of all ages love to play these games, just like their brothers. The Sony PlayStation 2 has a wide variety of games that girls would enjoy, including Shrek and The Incredibles. It really depends on the age and interests of the girl in question. For the younger crowd, five years of age and up, Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet, is a great game of puzzle solving and fun. Sims 2 is another great game, in which players embark on a virtual lifestyle simulation, while Sims 2: Pets allows you to raise pets in your virtual world. There are also action-adventure games, karaoke games and sports games that are made with girls in mind. They just don’t get as much attention as the video games everyone thinks the boys will like.

The Nintendo Wii has been making waves ever since it came out a couple years ago and there is always a long waiting list for the newest games and accessories for this very exciting gaming console. The Wii is great for boys, girls, children, and even adults. It really is one of the best gaming consoles released to date. Most girls have to admit that they even love the basic Wii Sports that come included with most Wii consoles. It has tennis, boxing; maybe that’s really just for the boys, bowling and more. It’s fun to get up and play a sport in the living room with mum and dad. Maybe you could even kick your big brother’s butt at baseball. The Wii also offers many other games, especially some that girls will probably love. One such game is Cooking Mama, for ages six and up, where the main objective is to prepare a variety of different meals from all over the world. Hannah Montana Spotlight World Tour, for ages seven and up, is another fun one, where you can act out singing and dancing, using the Wii’s motion-sensing remote and nunchuck attachment. With My Sims, for ages eight and up, you just can’t go wrong; it’s like virtual Lego, where you help rebuild a town. There is also Trauma Center, for ages twelve and up, a game in which the name says it all. The Nintendo Wii is probably a good starting point for any girl who may be interested in video games, but is not really sure where to begin. The Wii can be addictive, even for your parents, so watch out.

If you are a fan of the Bratz dolls, then you will definitely be a fan of Be-Bratz. Operated by MGA Entertainment, Be-Bratz.com is one of the newer online virtual worlds, which allows you to take on a Bratz personality, have loads of fun and socialise with your other Bratz gal pals. In order to gain access into the virtual Bratz world, you need to buy one of the special Be-Bratz fashion dolls, which come with a USB device necklace. This necklace is your key into the Be-Bratz virtual world and is needed for your initial registration on the Be-Bratz website. With your special doll, you’ll also get a really cool computer mouse and a Bratz Pet. In order to play Be-Bratz, you must have a computer that runs Windows 2000 or XP. Right now, there is no Mac or Windows Vista support. As long as you meet these requirements, you can log on, choose a user name and password and get started. You’ll need one of your parent’s email addresses, since they have to approve your new Be-Bratz account. Your parents will also need to decide what they think is appropriate for you, they will set chat rules like text, pre-made text, or no text, as well as game play rules. Once the rules for your account have been set-up, you will get to start the fun on the Be-Bratz MYPAGE. You can choose from a wide variety of songs, background themes, set your personal favourite snack, ice cream, cookies, school subject and so on, as well as take a personality test. The layout of this page is one of the coolest things around. It is just like a MySpace page, but remind your parents that Be-Bratz is not a part of MySpace. Be-Bratz appeals to the girl, who loves to shop, have fun and make friends. The main thing to think about, when you are on this site, is looking good and wearing cool clothes. There are plenty of shoe stores, food courts, boutiques, dress shops and home decor stores for you to choose from. You can shop till you drop and you will drop soon, because your Be-Bratz money will run out, just like the money you get from your allowance or chores. Be-Bratz lets you earn Be-Bratz points to buy more cool stuff for your avatar by sending your pals e-greeting cards from the Bratz post office or by playing a wide variety of mini-games in the game zone. Be-Bratz is a great way to make new friends, online. You can send invitations and pal requests to other girls, right through the Be-Bratz MYPAGE options. It is up to the girl that you send the message to, to either accept or deny your pal request. The overall look of the Be-Bratz virtual world is stimulating and really cool. This is the ideal virtual world game for girls who don’t want to be bothered playing with Barbie or think it’s too childish for them. Be-Bratz is a cool alternative to the more childish online virtual world games.

Everyone always thinks that it is just the boys that like video games so much, but that is simply not true. There are plenty of girls that love to game and although they may not always enjoy the same type of video game, girls should not be left out in the cold when it comes to the range that is available. Video games, even though they may get a bad rap in the news, can actually be good for kids, especially girls. Games that can be played with other people can provide social and fun entertainment, increase self-confidence and encourage teamwork. Just like boys, girls love to get together and spend time gaming, either as a group or online with their friends. Mastering technology is important in today?s society and video games can help. We all hate stereotypes, but in most cases, girls, even though they like video games, will shy away from technology. They should be just as comfortable with technology, computers and other hand-held devices as boys are and video games provide the perfect starting point. Most video games are designed for teenage boys and this inevitably means that teenage girls are kind of lost in the shuffle and are stuck with low-end games. There are lots of Barbie and Dora the Explorer games out there and that?s fine for children. But teenage girls need a little more excitement and challenges in their gaming. The best way to choose a video game for a teenage girl is to do a little research. Think about her interests and then maybe check out a video game guide to see what the top rated games are all about.

We all remember Tamagotchi, right? How could you not? Well, Tamagotchi Connexions version 3 is out and selling for £8.95, which means that it is totally affordable. It is jam-packed with new colours, new designs, new games and new characters. Tamagotchi is still the good old virtual pet that our older siblings remember from the 1990’s, but the new generation is even better. In Tamagotchi Connexions version 3, we get the chance to dive even further into the virtual world. We can learn more about how our virtual pet will grow, evolve and interact in different situations. The little guy can even have Tamababies. It is so much fun to be able to raise several generations of Tamagotchi pets. We can use new special passwords, visit the virtual world, on the Internet, where our Tamagotchis play and live and even visit Tamagotchi town. There are plenty of games to play and win GOTCHI points, which can later be used to buy food and other items for your pet. There are so many different things to buy and you can also spend points on travelling, visiting Tamagotchi parents or the Tamagotchi King and even earn gifts. The new Tamagotchi Connexion will let you store up to forty-five friends in the notebook. It is also able to connect with friends who own either Tamagotchi Connexion version 2 or 3, through an infrared function. If you really love your new Tamagotchi, there are plenty of charms, pouches and lanyards to check out at different online stores.

Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour, for the Nintendo Wii, is a great game for Hannah Montana fans worldwide, especially for ages seven and up. The game, which is based on the Emmy winning Disney show, is not only fun and exciting, but allows Hannah Montana fans to actually jump into the performance pieces of the Spotlight World Tour. A young girl couldn’t ask for more. Players of the game will be on stage as their fabulous idol, Hannah Montana. As you play, you will be able to develop not only your musical talent, but also hone your fashion skills, all on stage; nothing could be more exciting. You play by using the Wii remote and the nunchuck to control your Hannah Montana avatar. This way, you and Hannah get to dance and sing together. The better and more frequently you dance together; the bigger your fan base will grow, which is very important. Aside from playing Hannah herself, you can also play other characters from the show. When you are not on stage, you get to create concert wardrobes and have a chance to shop all over the world. Don’t worry though, Lilly, Jackson, Oliver and Robbie will be there to give you a hand when you need it most. It will also be your job, throughout the game, to control lighting and stage effects for every concert, aiming to make each one unforgettable. You will also be able to record dances and share photos of your fashion designs with your friends. Get ready to really perform when you play Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour, because you will be mostly in rehearsals or live on stage. There are fifteen original songs that you will be performing, in several different countries, so the pressure and excitement is on for most of the time. As you perform, your moves are timed and matched to the icons that you see scrolling on the lower section of your television screen. Mostly, you will need to match your hands, not your feet, which makes this a pretty easy game, even for girls under the age of seven. Even clumsy adults can just about manage this one. The better you dance and perform, the more credits you will get to go shopping. This will definitely be a perk for any girl who dreams of shopping in some of the most fabulous stores in the world. If you are a parent reading this post, you might be a little lost and be wondering who Hannah Montana is. Hannah Montana is a character in a TV series and is played by Miley Cyrus. In the show she takes the part of a preteen girl, living a secret life as a pop star. Miley’s real dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, plays her father/manager and the show is filled with tons of original music and performances. The soundtrack was one of the best selling albums of 2006 and Miley Cyrus continues to sell-out concert halls worldwide. This game will get the creative juices flowing, the body moving and the fun coming for hours and hours. It’s a great game for slumber parties.

The game, SingStar Pop, for the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2), is great if you want the chance to be a pop music sensation. This game is really great for all ages and as long as you can sing and dance, you can definitely play SingStar Pop. It is perfect for a get-together with your girlfriends for a fun afternoon or even a slumber party. SingStar Pop is a karaoke game that features more than thirty songs from some of the most famous pop artists in the world. Although some of them are what we might call ?one hit wonders?, you will definitely know them. There are songs made famous by A-Ha, Three Doors Down, My Chemical Romance, Rihanna, Avril Lavigne and many more. There are plenty of game modes and play levels to keep the party going all night long. You have the chance to earn points as you battle against your friends to see just which one of you is a master at the mic. You will also get to play in the ultimate MC showdown on any video game yet released. Medley mode is definitely a favourite amongst players. In this mode, you will get short segments of five different pop songs, all strung together. You will definitely need to think fast if you want to score high before the song or the tune changes. If you get the answer wrong, you lose points, but keep getting them right and you will reign as master of the mic. Even if you can?t sing very well, this is still a game you can enjoy without embarrassing yourself in front of your best pals. SingStar Pop has new voice filter technology that can be used during the playback mode. This feature will distort your voice and in some cases, even make it sound better when the time comes to listen to yourself singing. For extra fun, SingStar Pop is compatible with the EyeToy USB camera, which means that you can see yourself sing and perform, instead of the artists on the video game. The game is very versatile and the Disc Swap feature allows you to keep the party rocking and rolling by letting you add more songs to the song library. There are three levels of difficulty, so the rising pop stars in your group of friends can challenge themselves even more. Unlike other karaoke games, SingStar Pop has pitch and timing bars at the bottom of the screen, in addition to the lyrics. The game can be played in single player, party, multi-player and freestyle modes, which make it a great get-together video game. In fact, boys and girls can play this one together and have a blast. You can pick-up SingStar Pop for about £25, complete with a bundle of two microphones or £15 without. Even though it was designed specifically for PS2, you can pop it into your PS3, if you have one and still have a ton of fun.

My Sims is a new instalment in the world of the Sims, made for the Nintendo Wii. This is a great game for the entire family, but many girls enjoy playing this one. This instalment brings about an entirely new mindset and exploration to Sims game play. As the player, you move to a struggling town, which you will need to rebuild. You have to use your problem-solving skills, creativity and help from locals in the town, to make the place thrive once again. Part of the overall objective is to improve the place so much that new characters will want to come and be a part of it, like DJ Candy Supergroove, Chef Gino Delicioso,’ Vic Vector, the arcade owner and even Cap’n Ginny, the town pirate. You will discover what the residents of the sad little town want and need and it will be your job to help them achieve their goals. Together, you then build a new town and watch the residents learn to love it. You will love it too, as building new things for the town is so much fun. You’ll be able to design a jukebox, from scratch or even a hot tub. You also build homes, businesses and schools; all from top to bottom. Everything will also need to be decorated and furnished, so this game is perfect for someone thinking about becoming a decorator or city planner. Basically, My Sims is a construction game of sorts. It is kind of like a virtual Lego game, because you will actually be building houses, schools, appliances, businesses, furniture and a lot more, to help the struggling town rebuild itself. Talking to the locals is at the heart of the game since that is the best way you get your new tasks. With each new task, you receive a set of blueprints for the desired item and a list of all the essentials needed for completing the task. Your challenge is to get your hands on all these essentials. You will need to find them, harvest them or even fish for them around the town. Unlike other Sims games, social interaction is limited and there is a lot of building. Also different, is your Sims character or avatar, which is pretty much maintenance free and this means he or she won’t need to shower, eat or even sleep. This is why My Sims is so much different from any other instalment in the franchise that has been so popular for so many years. The graphics and design of My Sims is really great and there are plenty of adorable things to look at as you play the game. The only downside to it is that there are lots of loading interruptions that slow the game down, but that is something we can easily get over. The game is pretty easy to understand and play, which makes it perfect for both adults and kids. It is also a great way to introduce someone to the world of the Sims.

Although the CD-ROM game, Petz: Dogz 5 and Catz 5, has been discontinued by the manufacturer, it is still one of the most fun virtual pet computer games ever. Even though it is no longer being made and sold new, there is a good possibility there are a couple old boxes in the stores or used ones available online. Petz: Dogz 5 and Catz 5 is a compilation of two different games in one, ?Dogz 5? and ?Catz 5?, which makes for a great combination of fun, excitement and adventure. What happens in this game is that catz and dogz live on the computer; while you, the player, raises them from baby puppyz and kittenz to full grown animals. As they develop, you and your Petz learn to play and grow together. In the game, for each Petz you adopt, you must sign an adoption pledge, just like you would with a real animal. This pledge is a promise that you will be an excellent Petz owner and will make sure that your dogz and catz have plenty of food, play, exercise and love. You must reward good behaviour with tasty treatz, but remember to not overdo it. If your Petz behave badly, there is a spray bottle to teach them a lesson. Petz will run away and you will lose the game if they feel that you aren?t taking care of them, so be careful. Only adopt Petz you really want to take care of. Since Petz: Dogz 5 and Catz 5 is a compilation, there are actually two games, as I mentioned above. Let?s start with Catz. In this, you can have up to four little kittenz at a time. In the previous version of the game all litterz were limited to just one, so now gamers can have a lot more responsibility and challenges. Catz has five new breeds to add to the already diverse family and also five new play scenes that bring the Petz to life. Just remember, weather affects your Petz, so there are weather effects and day-to-night cycle changes, which provide a realistic setting for your catz. This version of the Catz game also has five mini-games, which is a brand new feature and makes gaming even more entertaining than before. The updated 24-bit graphics of this CD-ROM knock the graphics of the previous Catz games out of the park. Dogz also has a lot of features that are different and better than the previous version. Just like with the Catz game, dogz can now have up to four puppyz at a time, which makes for a lot more challenges. The Dogz game features several new breeds, including Jack Russell Terrier, Papillon and Golden Retriever. There are new play scenes and mini-games that create new and exciting opportunities for you and your dogz to interact. There are also plenty of new toyz and clothing for your dogz. In this version of the Dogz game, there are weather effects and you can experience day-and-night cycle changes with your Petz. Also, this version is backwards compatible, which means that if you have any previous dogz games, you can bring your adopted Petz into the newer version. Plus, the graphics on the Dogz part of the compilation is pretty awesome.