Gaming For GIrls

Activision’s action game, Kung Fu Panda, is based on one of the hottest animated movies of the 2008 summer season, ‘Kung Fu Panda’. The movie has quickly become one of the most beloved in recent times, with so much action, adventure and cute characters. The game, Kung Fu Panda, came out this past summer to accompany the release of the movie. It is available on the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 2 and Sony PlayStation 3. Kung Fu Panda lets you develop your acrobatic and kung fu combination attacks as you try to defeat a bunch of evil enemies. Some of these nasties include the Wu Sisters, the Great Gorilla and the dark hearted Tai Lung. Throughout your journey, you will need to overcome many dangerous obstacles and solve plenty of difficult puzzles. You are definitely going to get a challenge when you play Kung Fu Panda. The game actually offers a new and exciting experience, since the game play and puzzles are set in a variety of different environments, including land, air and water. As you play the game, your kung fu will get better and better, you will even learn the impressive kung fu moves of many of the movie’s favourite characters. Kung Fu Panda can be played as a single player game or with multiple players. If you are feeling competitive, play with a friend and battle paw to paw in an arena, challenge your friends to puzzles or even team up to battle your enemies.

Almost everyone out there loves the movie Happy Feet, so a video game of the same name should be just as good, right? Right. Happy Feet is an action and adventure video game for the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii and even the PC. The game is incredibly cute, fun to play and easy to manage. Happy Feet has three modes to it. The first is dancing, which is very much like the video game ‘Dance Dance Revolution’, where you must respond to arrows on the screen by pushing certain buttons. The second is the fishing mode, where you have to collect pebbles and shrimps, but don’t forget to collect air bubbles so you can breathe. The third is a belly-sledding mode, in which you will sled around and collect fish. All three modes are pretty entertaining. If you want to play Happy Feet with one of your parents or your best friend, don’t worry, because the game can be played with two players just as easily as it can with one. When you play with someone else, two of the modes are competitive while the third is collaborative. In the dancing and swimming tasks you and your pal compete against each other, while in the belly-sledding mode, you work together. While a main part of the Happy Feet movie was the little guy’s ability to dance so well, but not sing, there are very few of the same songs in the game. You will be treated to hearing KC and the Sunshine Band’s ‘Shake Your Booty’ and Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ throughout the dancing levels.

Metro3D’s Action Girlz Racing is an action game that is suitable for just about anyone. Young people, old people, boys and girls will all find a little fun with this game, which is what it’s all about. Whether you are new to the entire video game experience or an old pro, Action Girlz Racing is sure to bring a smile to your face. Action Girlz Racing is a great game to get more girls interested in the basic action race video game and is one of the first games to let you choose your favourite Action Girl for the driving seat. The different racetracks range from fairytale castles and palaces, to school corridors, (behind the teachers’ backs of course) and holiday resorts. The Action Girls themselves are a great selling point for this game. There are seven of them in total and they really are a ton of fun. Their names are Kat, Latisha, Bianca, Amber, Akiko, Blossom and Courtney. All the girls are totally cool and lots of fun; so cool that you might not be able to pick which one you love the best. Kat is a girl without fear. She will boldly take anything on and is ready to go. Latisha is cool as a cucumber and stays calm no matter what. Bianca is a smarty-pants that loves to have fun. Amber is pretty but loves to win. Blossom is passionate but relaxed. Courtney is cool, too, but with her own style that cannot be compared.

It is not very often that we get totally excited about a game that hasn’t even been previewed or demo’d yet, but we have heard about the possibility of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novella, Coraline, becoming an action adventure game for the Nintendo Wii as well as PS2, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS. Anyone who has ever read one of Neil Gaiman’s books or graphic novels knows just how big a deal this will be. It looks like the game may be coming out sometime in 2009, to accompany the release of the feature film. The book, the film and the game all revolve around a little girl name Coraline, who one day discovers a secret door in her family’s apartment, which leads to a dark, alternate world, where Other Mother, Other Father, and other versions of people, animals and things exist. As with any Neil Gaiman work, the story of Coraline is moody, engaging and colourful. Coraline is a story meant for both young and old and certainly isn’t only for girls. D3Publisher will probably do the best job that anyone could in producing this type of video game. The video game version of Coraline will no doubt be visually exciting and have awesome music. We expect it to be a little bit surreal, a little bit scary and a whole lot of fun. It will be curious to see how the plot and objective of the video game will unfold and if it will be like the book or the movie.

If you donít already have your hot little hands on The Sims: Hot Date you should definitely think about doing so right away. Hot Date offers a totally and completely new adventure for all Sims lovers, dating, and you get to play the role of matchmaker. This is the point where we have to remind you that before you go out and get your own copy of Hot Date, you must already have a copy of The Sims, as this is an add-on for the main game software. The expansion pack offers more than forty new social situations and interactions for Sims fans to try out. There are also four new types of hugs, which will help your Sim do well on dates, or not do well, depending on his or her date. Just remember, your main goal is to keep up the conversation about mutual interests, over an extended period of time. If things go well, you can even ask your date to marry you later on. This game is chock full of great date places, like the movie theatre, nightclubs, parks, restaurants and more. Always make sure that your relationship meter stays built, otherwise the relationship will fail. Part of the fun is setting the right mood all the time, so your date wonít run away from you. Girls, just remember that playing The Sims: Hot Date is not a substitute for a real-life boyfriend.

You may already know this, but Majesco’s Bust-A-Move Bash! was once known as Bust-A-Move Revolution. This is a very popular video game, made for the Nintendo Wii gaming console. Until it came out, no one really knew what to expect, except that it would combine the popular Bust-A-Move basic premise, the puzzle game, but with the motion-sensitive Wii controllers. Bust-A-Move Bash! got unfavourable reviews when it came out on Wii and it isn’t going to get a good one here. This is not the worst game you could play, but it doesn’t provide as much fun as we had hoped. For Bust-A-Move Bash! you will need Wii controls for up to four players and the attachments for 5 to 8 players. The attachments include the nunchucks and the classic controller. Which controller you choose depends on what you actually like better. There are several modes to Bust-A-Move Bash! including the puzzle, shooting, endless and versus mode. In puzzle mode, you will need to clear the screen of all coloured balls. As long as you clump three or more coloured balls together, they will disappear. There are several types of balls in the game, including rainbow, flame, star and support balls. Shooting mode and endless mode are very similar to puzzle mode. In shooting mode, there is a little more action, since balls come shooting in from all directions. Endless mode never ends, which isn’t necessarily good. Versus mode may be the best out of the four, since you will actually have some competition.

For girls who are fans of the American Girl Doll, American Girl: Mia Goes for Great, is a wonderful way to spend some time. This is a Windows PC game that has great graphics, with wonderfully animated indoor and outdoor scenes. This game is fairly easy to play and is rated E for everyone. American Girl sets a great example for all young girls, as the title character, Mia St. Clair, is a girl who is willing to work hard in order to reach a goal. She helps her family with the finances and is always nice to people, even if they are not very nice to her. The game is a puzzle adventure that helps Mia on her long journey to becoming a professional figure skater. While American Girl: Mia Goes for Great may not be the ideal game for a tween or teen girl, it is absolutely perfect for slightly younger ones. So if you are looking for a fun way to spend some extra time with your little sister or while you baby-sit the little girl that lives down the road, this game is excellent. Little girls, as young as six, will probably like this game a lot. Just keep in mind that you must be able to read to select certain game modes, so if your little sister can’t read very well, she won’t be able to play without your help.

Microsoft’s Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action for the Xbox 360 is rated T for teens. Scene It? is part of the popular DVD trivia game series and has finally made its video game console debut with the Xbox 360. Not too shabby, right? Of course the same old theme is there, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action, is all about movies. At first, it was worrying thinking about the new version, primarily because the transition from popular DVD trivia game to an Xbox 360 game might not be all that easy. But boy how wrong can you be? When you pick up your package of Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action you will also get four buzzer controls, which are very much like the ones in Sony’s ‘Buzz’ trivia series of games. But in Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action you get one large buzzer button and four smaller, colourful buttons. What is absolutely perfect about these controllers is that they are wireless, so you don’t have to worry about tripping over leads and cables, while you and your friends play the game. If you are worried about the type of trivia contained within the game, worry no more. There is so much trivia that even the biggest movie buff might get stumped a time or two. This game is definitely one that presents a challenge to just about anyone and that’s not always the case with this genre of game. Depending on what you feel like, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action has two different game play modes. There is the play now mode and party play mode. In play now mode you get to choose either long or short game sessions and either play alone or with friends. Party play is a little different, as the game will randomly pick different puzzles for you to play. But be careful when you choose party play, as the game will stay in this mode until you get back to the main menu. In most cases, the long game will take you about one hour to complete, with the short one clocking in at about 30 minutes. It’s the perfect length of time, either way. No matter what game you choose, each mode of Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action has three rounds with three types of puzzles in each. After the third round there is always the last level, known as the Final Cut. Of course, as with any good trivia game, this one also offers plenty of opportunity for bonus points. What really rocks about the game is that it will remember if you have already seen a certain question or puzzle and it will not be repeated. Repeated questions on trivia video games can really be a bummer, especially when you have the game flowing and you are winning. The game is so much fun that it will be a sure fire hit at your next party and hey, your parents might even want to join in the fun.

Kirby Canvas Curse is a cute little video game designed for the Nintendo DS. This is the first version of the game, as it has never been made for any other video game console. In this 2D action game, an evil witch has turned Dream Land into a picture world, but she forgot that her magic paintbrush can actually help Kirby draw rainbow paths. In Kirby Canvas Curse it is your goal to help Kirby get his shape back and save Dream Land from what the evil witch has done to it. Your Nintendo DS stylus controls Kirby’s magic wand, which is a very important feature throughout the game play. As you play the game, you have to draw different paths that will guide Kirby through seven incredibly large and detailed worlds. You will also be able to use the magic wand to stun your enemies. Controlling Kirby’s magic wand is not the only function of your Nintendo DS stylus, as you also control Kirby’s speed and help him avoid danger with it. You draw loops that increase Kirby’s speed, ramps to jump danger and walls to block cannon blasts and laser beams. In Kirby Canvas Curse you will also need to do a little bit of battling to protect Kirby throughout his adventures. Your Nintendo DS stylus is used to stun enemies, when you touch them and then make Kirby dash his enemies. He can also take on many of his enemies’ abilities and turn into different versions of himself, which include Stone Kirby, Fire Kirby and even Wheel Kirby. Kirby Canvas Curse is filled with plenty of action and adventure throughout all seven worlds of the game. There are plenty of battles to fight and mini-games to win. Because Kirby was one of the first Nintendo DS characters to make a big impression on the world, he will always be close to any gamers’ heart and will provide hours of entertainment and fun. Playing Kirby Canvas Curse you will enjoy a brightly coloured world, with Kirby a bright pink ball, as the evil witch has taken away his normal shape. The rest of the colours are pastel with a lush appearance to the landscape. The colourful worlds are complemented by the quirky and fun music that is used throughout the game. While some adults may think the music is too chirpy or the colours too bright, young people all over will be attracted to this video game eye candy. The best part of Kirby Canvas Curse may not be the action filled levels or the fact that you paint rainbows for him to ride around on. The very best part of Kirby Canvas Curse might just be the happy little dance all of Kirby’s friends do when you beat a level. While many people may not agree, most hardcore Nintendo DS gamers might argue that Kirby Canvas Curse is one of the best video games for that console. Kirby is cute, loveable and lots of fun.

The Xbox 360 game Rock Band, produced by EA/Harmonix, might give you a run for your money when it comes to music and rhythm games. Even if you are hesitant at first, you definitely need to give this game a try. If you don’t want to buy it, go to your local video store and rent it, but whatever you do, just make sure you play this game and play it soon. If you are a fan of ‘Guitar Hero’ you will have no trouble figuring out how the game controls work. Rock Band comes equipped with a Fender Stratocaster guitar controller, as well as a microphone and drum set. This means that you can totally start your own rock band with your friends or sisters, right there at home and what’s even cooler is that you don’t have to start your band in the garage. The only problem with the controls is that you definitely need quite a bit of hand-eye coordination and if you lack that, you are out of luck. But then if you lack that, you might not really be into video games, right? Playing Rock Band with or without any coordination can be a ton of fun. In fact, it gets even sillier when you or one of your friends has absolutely no singing talent. As you play Rock Band you need to remember that it is not just about singing and playing virtual guitar, drum and bass with your pals, it is also all about scoring and crowd pleasing. You will need to raise your energy and please your fans, as the better you perform, the better you will score. In every song there will be a solo and that is where you really have to kick some butt. You also have to do really well at the end of the song especially if there is an “ending”. How well you perform in both of these sections will determine how many points you get. Don’t fret if you don’t actually know the songs you have to play. Like most karaoke video games, the lyrics of the songs will scroll along the bottom of your television screen. There will also be an indicator for the length of the notes and your pitch meter. In Rock Band your performance is measured, as you play the game, by a meter on the left side of the screen. No matter what you like best, there is something for everyone as far as game modes go. You can play alone or in multiplayer mode, where you and your friends are in a band together or you are “battling” each other. You can also play the multiplayer mode online and it is even possible for multiple players to choose their own individual levels of difficulty. There is a wide range of music, some of it doesn’t really seem like rock and roll, but it works. No matter what kind of music you are into, you will definitely find something you like. You can perform songs by Bon Jovi, The Police, The Who, Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Kiss, Metallica, Hole, David Bowie, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more.

If you are a secret fan of the BBC’s, (it is also on ABC in the United States), hit series Dancing with the Stars you are not alone. Many girls watch this show religiously, but don’t want any of their “cool” friends to know. But the truth is out there, you see and you are not alone. Believe it or not, plenty of girls and even some boys actually sit down and plan their evenings and homework, around the next episode. Well, much to the delight of its fans, Activision has partnered with Nintendo Wii to put out a video game version of this mega-hit show. The game is rated E10 for everyone over the age of 10, but it can easily be played by anyone just a little younger. The basic idea behind the television show, Dancing with the Stars, actually isn’t that bad. In fact, it is pretty cool; teaming up a celebrity or famous person with a professional dancer and making them dance in a competition. The best part about watching the show is seeing the celebrities struggle their way through all the dance steps. Well, with the video game version of Dancing with the Stars get ready to replace the celebrity, since you are probably not a professional dancer and struggle your way through the steps yourself. Having this game on the Wii is a great way to get everyone up on their feet and moving around. Your mum may really like it, especially if she thinks she needs to lose a little of that extra weight, but don’t ask her if that is why she is playing with you. Before you decide to actually play Dancing with the Stars on your Nintendo Wii, you may want to practice a little. There is a great practice mode that lets you try the dance steps and figure out how to control the game. While it may seem easy to some, those of you who are not used to dancing with your Wii controllers may find that things can seem a little complicated and scary. What you basically do is flick your controller in different directions, to move your avatar on the screen. Once you have had a good practice session, which can be a workout in itself, you can pick your pair of celebrities and get the game going. But, don’t feel bad if you can’t get the steps right away, there are so many different dances, as well as descriptions, that it can be easy to become confused. Just give it a couple of whirls around the dance floor and you will soon get the idea. Just like the television show, your judges will be Carrie Ann, Len and Bruno, so get ready for some challenges. Unfortunately, the animation is not as good as it could be, so their faces don’t really resemble them in real life. However, the way that the dancers and their outfits move is pretty breathtaking, even for simple graphics.

If you are into puzzle games and video games, Boomzap?s PC game, Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles, is just for you. This computer game is chock full of different puzzle and card games, which is great, since you are getting more for your money. It?s always a bonus when you purchase new software and it has several good games on it rather than just one, isn?t it? When you play Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles you take on the role of a young magician?s apprentice, searching for the Mistress of the Skye. The Mistress of the Skye is the greatest magic teacher ever, but you need to successfully complete a series of challenges in order to even meet her. As you play the game you will be tested in various ways and come into contact with a ton of strange creatures. Unlike most puzzle computer games this one has a twist, since it is set up as an adventure puzzle. Your adventure is actually separated into a series of stages or levels that you will have to successfully complete. Each level is a new game, which is your test to get closer to meeting the Mistress of the Skye. Every new game has several levels within it, which provide plenty of ever more difficult challenges for you. As you play Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles you are rewarded with different tokens, called mind, nature, and craft. You will eventually use these tokens to buy new games on the world map, within the game and to unlock additional levels of the games you have already seen. There are a wide variety of games on Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles, which means you will rarely get bored throughout your adventure to find the Mistress of the Skye. You play games like Pixie Blocks, In the Dark Lane, Fairy Races, Mystic Tripeaks, Alchemy, Pyromancy, Celestial Spheres, Rune Jong and Gnome Mines. While many of these great little games will remind you of others you have seen before, like Collapse Clone, Tripeaks, Bejeweled, Zuma, and Mahjong, Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles offers a fun and exciting new twist on each one. What is really great about this product is that it looks totally cool for a simply designed puzzle computer game. In fact, the overall presentation of the game is clean, clear and whimsical. Additionally, the music that accompanies each game seems like something right out of the world of Harry Potter or similar fantasy, which makes you feel right at home. It is also great to see a wide range of fantasy creatures like fairies, pixies, and gnomes. Hoyle Enchanted Puzzles is a casual game that offers lots of variety and fun, something that is not so common in many such games. What?s great about the variety in this particular game is that it also allows you the opportunity to earn bonus points and extra game play, which is always a delight. Lastly, the game isn?t as easy to overcome, as you would think. Plan to spend quite a bit of time on the many different tests, in order to make your way to the Mistress of the Skye.

Buku Sudoku is produced by Merscom/Microsoft for the Xbox 360 and is rated E for everyone. While this game may be fun for parents, it is also appealing to us girls. Many girls, at least more than boys it appears, are totally into Sudoku. The game itself really seems to confuse a lot of people, so maybe this video game will help clear the air and the confusion. After all, the game just looks like numbers on a grid or a crossword puzzle without any letters. Originally, Buku Sudoku was made for the PC, so it has actually been around for quite a while. You might be wondering why you should even think about playing a Sudoku game, especially Buku Sudoku, on your Xbox, right? Like how exciting could this possibly be? Two main reasons why you should try the game on the Xbox 360 are, firstly, to test the game out using a controller rather than a stylus, mouse or pencil and secondly, to set some more personal goals. Many people shy away from puzzle games on the computer or video game console. These people are actually missing out, because video game versions of old classics always bring out a new twist and something new and interesting always makes a refreshing change. The classic Sudoku board is a 9x9 grid, but in Buku Sudoku you have a wide variety of grid sizes, ranging from 6x6, 8x8, 9x9 and 12x12. There are also several difficulty levels to choose from, including easy, normal and hard. While you might breeze through the 6x6 at the easy level, you might give yourself a nosebleed if you try your hand at the 12x12 hard level. If you thought you were a Sudoku master, Buku Sudoku might set you straight and declare you the novice you really are. In addition to the difficulty levels, you can also choose from a handful of themes. Customising the look and feel of your game is a great way to get the fun started. You can choose a traditional Japanese theme or one that features a ton of cute kids’ toys. The choice is yours; just go with whatever you feel will make your Sudoku experience even better. It is even possible to switch the music you hear as you play the game. If you don’t already know how to play Sudoku, have no fear, because Buku Sudoku provides a tutorial or two that will teach you how. So, even if you have never completed or even seen, a Sudoku puzzle before, after the tutorial you will be ready to play, probably just at the easy level of course. You can play Buku Sudoku in single player or multiplayer mode, which is great. If you and your friends love a challenge, this game is for you. What is really interesting is that the game clearly shows that all kinds of people really do love video games, like maths nerds, computer geeks, boys, girls, even grandmas.

A fairly new puzzle video game out there, 1 vs. 100, was developed by Destination Software and put out for the Nintendo DS and Xbox 360. It is designed with all the makings of a simple trivia game and while it may not be one of the best organised or laid out products, it is worth some of your time. 1 vs. 100 is based on the television game show of the same name. In order to understand the basic idea of 1 vs. 100 you need to know that it is a contestant versus audience game. The audience is called the mob and can be either your friend or your enemy. You need to place your trust in the audience to help you make important decisions throughout the game play. Every round of 1 vs. 100 begins in the same way. At the start of the round a single question is asked and three possible answers are provided. It is up to you to choose which answer is the correct one. If you choose the right answer, you win the first pot of money. This first pot of money contains an amount that can be either put aside for a chance of winning even more, later on, or taken at that time. It is up to the player to decide and everyone always chooses differently. The first question is always a simple one and usually even a two-year-old could answer it. A perfect example is "Which private did Tom Hanks save?" You would be given three choices, one of which would naturally be “Ryan”. The other two would be similar enough to confuse you, but the right answer would be clear. The mob comes into play when you are simply not 100% sure of your answer. You have several options when it comes to answering questions in the game. You can trust the mob, poll the mob or ask the mob. When you choose to trust the mob, you allow the game to automatically choose any one of the three answers for you. It could be the right one or not. Members of the audience choose the answer in a vote. If you poll the mob, you will see how many people pick a particular answer, before you choose. When you ask the mob you will get a 50/50 response. Remember, if you answer a question incorrectly, you are out of the game. It is not always a good idea to listen to the mob, so try to use your best instincts. In order to win at 1 vs. 100 you have to answer 10 questions correctly. You could win up to $1 million if you do give the right answers to all the questions its just too bad it isn’t real money. You can play 1 vs. 100 in either single player or multiplayer modes, but usually, playing alone isn’t as much fun. The game allows you to put on your poker face and do a little gambling, even if it isn’t with cards and chips.