With SkyHeroes, you are able to customize your character from the ground up starting with gender to facial features to the voice.  There are a lot of options in each category so you will definitely spend a lot of time with character customization, at least in the beginning.  You can go back and edit your sim as you progress through the game.

You can also upgrade your aircraft.  As you progress through the game, you will unlock pieces that you can use to upgrade your existing aircraft or build new ones.  You can have a plane that you use for racing and one that you use for dogfighting and you can fine tune each aircraft by switching out parts and even painting your plane to help camouflage it.  You are armed with a machine gun and a missile launcher on your plane as well as several pick ups found in most of the levels.

The game features a Story Mode as well as Quickplay and Multiplayer Modes.  In Story Mode, the game takes you through each challenge and through the underlying story.  You take on several little challenges like dogfights or races, all of which will lead up to more grand battles that will feature a little of both.

In Quickplay, you can choose to Race or Dogfight.  Within each, you can choose Free-For-All or Team Battles.  Once you have determined the kind of game, you can choose all the options like how many laps or AI you want in the game as well as the time limit and whether you want to turn on/off pick ups, missiles, and/or your machine guns.  You can choose to play the game locally in splitscreen co-op or you can go online for 10-player action.

The game controls rather well and offers a variety of controller configurations. Even though I don’t like the inverted Y axis, I found it to be the best configuration for me.  Some of the challenges felt way more difficult than they should’ve been, some missions taking several tries to pass.  I admit, flight games are not my forte but I doubt a 10 year old could’ve done that much better which may make the game a little frustrating to some.  You can crash into buildings and such without dying but there are other things that will harm you so there is a little trial and error on your part to see what you can get away with.  The game moves rather fast and you will find enemies flying past you while you are trying to find them.  There is a radar system with your plane’s reticle in the middle of the screen and a series of green or red arrows that are more confusing than helpful until you get used to it.

The graphics fit the MySims style and made a nice backdrop for the story.  The levels were pretty small as I hit the out of bounds territory rather often.  The game would warn you that you were out of bounds but the opponents could be found further out of bounds so I’m not sure where that balances out.

My biggest issue with the game was the annoying gibberish that the Sims use to speak.  Honestly, I had no idea what the story entailed as they use the most annoying gibberish to replace talking.  It was so obnoxious and annoying, I tried to cycle as quickly through the dialogs as possible.  Sadly, I couldn’t find anything in the options menu that would mute the horrible voices so I was stuck with quickly going through the dialog portions.  I’m also pretty new to the franchise – not only have I never played a MySims game, but I have never played a Sims game.  The gibberish voices is enough to keep me away.

Overall, MySims SkyHeroes is a decent flight game and fans of the MySims franchise or the Sims franchise may thoroughly enjoy the game.  This game is obviously aimed at kids but parents may be more interested in Kid Adventures Sky Captain for the Nintendo Wii which was a lot easier to control and had more dynamic challenges.  Kid Adventures lacks the character customization of SkyHeroes as well as a brand name like MySims but may be more age appropriate especially for the younger crowd and for parents looking for something a little less aggressive than SkyHeroes.

MySims SkyHeroes is rated E 10 + for Everyone 10 years and older and is available for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360.

A review copy was provided and did not affect the outcome of this review.  This review is based on the PS3 version.

We went out to dinner and afterwards went over to their house to play the game.  As soon as we had the game going, Zoë’s eyes lit up and she kept smiling and saying “Dance?”.  We started the game in the game’s Versus Mode so that we could show her how to play.  I danced while Zoë’s mom, Tanya, helped her with the moves.  One thing that was apparent was that she was really digging the music and the visuals of the game.  When the song was over, we all cheered and clapped and Zoë walked up to me, handed over the Wii Remote and said “Another?”.  When I took it, she then replied “Thank you”.  Over two hours went by and after every song, she would hand me the Wii remote and ask for another song.

The game has five different game play modes including: Free Play, Challenge, Versus, KIDZ BOP Shop, and Dress Up.  All dance modes earn KIDZ BOP Points which can then be used in the Shop to purchase new items like accessories, outfits, and even new hair styles and colors.  Challenge Mode will unlock various stages and outfits that can be purchased in the shop.  There is also an Easy and Normal version of each song making it a little easier on the younger kids while still offering up a little challenge to the older ones.

In Dress Up, you can customize your character’s look from the skin tone to the outfits allowing players to customize the look of their in game dancing character.  While you cannot use your Wii Mii in the game, Mii’s are part of the audience, so you may see yours from time to time.

The game play is quite simple.  The player holds the Wii Remote in one hand and follows the directional arrows when they appear on the screen.  The Wii picks up the moves quite easily, even if you aren’t really trying.  This is great for the little ones as you can never fail a song and they can dance around to the music and are still able to earn some points.  All modes can be played with two players – Versus mode is competitive and Free Play and Challenge are more cooperative.  There are some issues where the game won’t recognize moves that you feel that you have made and other times will recognize moves that are clearly not being hit.  This may be frustrating for some but since it is aimed at younger kids, keeps the frustration level at a minimum.

We left the game with the family and the next day, Zoë got up, pet the family cat, Symon, and asked her mom “Dance?”.  I went over to the house later in the week to play the game some more with Zoë.  Since she is a bit younger than the game is intended for, she doesn’t quite understand the arrows but she swings her arms around and watches the characters dance.  Earlier in the week, Zoë and her dad, Lawrence, played the game and when he switched the girl character out for a boy character, Zoë got angry and he had to switch it back.  Since Tanya is almost ready to have her second baby, Zoë and her dad play the game together more often and Zoë asks for the game almost every day.  Recently, when Zoë was watching her favorite cartoon, Tom & Jerry, a commercial for the game came on and she recognized it and wanted to play the game instead of watch her cartoon.

When we asked if they would purchase the game for Zoë, they said that since she was a little young, they may not buy it until she was a little older but Lawrence quickly added that after seeing how much fun both Zoë and Tanya had playing together, that he would definitely buy it.  They both seem very pleased with the affect the game has.  Zoë gives the game a lot of attention and seems to really love playing the game with Lawrence.  I have to admit that while the game is aimed for children, it is a lot of fun to play.  We all have the same favorite song in the game which is “Ice Cream and Guacamole”.  Not only is it catchy, but dancing to it is a lot of fun!

As Zoë watched and played the game, she began to pick up some of the moves and even started to sing along with some of the songs.

The game features 24 contemporary dance hits including KIDZ BOP versions of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi”, Katy Perry’s “Hot and Cold”, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.  The lyrics of some of the songs have been altered to make them more kid friendly so parents can rest assured that the music is appropriate for the age group that the game is intended for.

From the looks of it, if your child enjoys music and dancing, KIDZ BOP Dance Party! The Video Game may be a sound investment providing hours of fun for the whole family as well as promoting a more active lifestyle for both kids and parents.

KIDZ BOP Dance Party! The Video Game is rated E for Everyone and is available now for $39.95 exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.

A review copy was provided and did not affect the outcome of this review.

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The game is not bad. In fact, I enjoyed my time with the game, and found some of the challenges fun and tricky. There is a story embedded in the game that helps you get to know the characters without having to see the movie, however it doesn’t really explore them too deeply. The game play, while not wholly original, has some unique qualities to it that really tie in the characters from the movie.

Basically, DM:MM is a puzzle game that requires you to control objects in each level to maneuver your main minion to an exit. Objects include bridges, walls, springs, elevators and more. You start each level by tapping on a henchman to start them marching. They move independently in a straight line unless they bump into an obstacle or enemy. By timing the start of each minion and properly adjusting your surroundings, you must get your minion to the exit. For example, you may have to extend a bridge to get a minion to an elevator, the spring board him up to a platform where the exit is.

There are a few different types of minions that are used for the various levels. For example, there is the fire minion that has a flamethrower and is immune to fire. There is also a large, sumo-wresting minion that can dispatch enemies in its path. There are a few more, but the concept is the same: you will have to use each minions abilities to trigger events that allow your main minion to escape. You get bonus points for saving your other minions and collecting certain items along the way.

At first, it’s not too difficult to figure out the puzzle.  However, after a couple of worlds, which consist of eight levels, the difficulty starts to ramp up considerably. Most of your time will be spent looking through the level and playing through the movements of your characters in your head. Then, once you get them started, you realize that you timed everything wrong. It makes for a great brain teaser, but kids will probably lose patience and move on to easier games.

The controls work fine and the graphics are serviceable. I never felt held back by missed taps or hard to see characters. It may take a couple times through a level to figure out certain triggers or how a minion might navigate a certain platform, but they were not a cause for frustration.

While there isn’t much in the game that explores the movie too much, it’s nice that they came up with such a unique concept using the minions. Kids might enjoy the idea of the adventure, but they will probably become frustrated and bored after a couple of worlds. Then again, that might be a great opportunity for parents to jump in and help their kids get through each level.

Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem is rated E for Everyone and is available now for $29.99.  You can get slightly different versions of the game for the Nintendo Wii and Ds as well as the PSP and the PlayStation 2.

A review copy was provided and did not affect the outcome of this review.

The game is based on the cartoon called Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, which is about Ben Tennyson, a ten-year old who finds an alien pod on a camping trip and discovers a device called an Omnitrix. The Omnitrix allows Ben to shift into the form of various alien entities, giving him their powers. Ultimate Alien is the continuation of the original series that catches up with Ben five years after the events of the first series, so he is growing up.

Ben 10 is a third-person action-adventure game. While there is some backtracking and exploration, the game is pretty straight forward with no hub level or large overworld to traverse. You progress through the game by solving puzzles and fighting enemies, including mini-boss and boss battles. The puzzle elements are not overly difficult yet there are plenty to solve. You are required to use the abilities of the different aliens to solve the puzzles and advance. The puzzles were relatively easy from what we saw, but there were a couple of challenges.

You can take the form of up 17 aliens throughout the course of the game, although you will only have access to only four of them in each level. Some levels require a certain alien’s powers to progress so the game automatically chooses those for you. Any of the other four slots may be filled with aliens of your choice. This allows players to play their favorite alien forms or experiment with others to enhance the experience of the game. Also, you can switch between your alien forms without having to shift back into Ben. This is a first for the series, and streamlines the gameplay quite a bit. The different forms were different as they each have their strengths and weaknesses, and it was fun exploring the various aspects of each.

Ben and his alien forms will travel mourned the world to find an ancient alien artifact that will stop a mysterious cosmic storm that is threatening all of humanity. You will get to see Paris, Tokyo, China, Rome and more, solving puzzles and battling enemies using Ben’s upgraded Omnitrix, called the Ultimatrix. While the environments are great for puzzle elements and gameplay, I didn’t get a feel for the locales we were in, but it didn’t really matter.

The new Ultimatrix allows you to play as aliens such as AmpFibian, Armodrillo, and Terraspin, which are featured in Ben 10 Ultimate Alien. It also allows players to activate “ultimate” versions of certain aliens during combat. These forms are incredibly powerful and are helpful during some of the more chaotic battles in the game. In fact, these parts of the game were probably the most fun. You don’t have to worry about getting hit by the throngs of enemies coming at you, you just bash away at them as they come at you wave after wave. You feel like Godzilla in Tokyo.

When fighting you have melee and ranged attacks. By using your basic attacks, you fill up a meter that allows you to use special attacks. Combat also features a counter-attack system that is like the one featured in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. When an icon appears above your enemy and you hit a certain button, you perform a scripted counter-attack. Overall, the combat was decent. I ended up evading most of my attackers by running around and waiting for an opportune time to strike.

Throughout each level, if you destroy certain objects, you will collect “experience” orbs that allow you to upgrade your alien forms by enhancing their strength, speed, defense and special attacks. My limited time with the game made it difficult for me to tell how much difference upgrading your alien makes, but its a nice feature to include.

It looks like the developer worked hard on improving the game from previous versions. As an action adventure game, the time we spent with the game was a lot of fun and had a little bit of a challenge to it. I thing fans of the series will enjoy this game a lot as you get to play with many of the aliens featured in the series. Combat is fast and frenetic, and getting to play the “ultimate” aliens is a blast.

Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction will be released on October 5th, 2010, and will be available on the XBOX 360, Playstation 3 and the Wii. The XBOX and PS3 version will include exclusive aliens: Rath for the XBOX 360 and Four Arms for the PS3. There are also versions coming out for the PS2, PSP, and the Nintendo DS, but we didn’t get to see or play these versions.

The game is an interactive experience that will get kids active and off the couch – dancing away to their favorite Kidz Bop tunes.  The game play is simple, you follow an avatar’s dance moves which is represented by arrows on the screen.  You can get as involved as you want or you can just simply move the Wii remote as instructed.  You can play by yourself in the single player mode or with a friend in the 2-Player Challenge mode.  You can play together co-operatively and rack up points together or you can play head-to-head for the top score.

Norm tried out the game at E3 with Mika Ortiz of D3 Publisher and today, they went for a rematch.  I wish I had my camera with me as they both put on the shiny sequined white glove, grabbed a Wii Remote, and started their dance challenge.  The game responded well to both players and looked like a lot of fun.  It was my turn next and Norm and I danced it out to “Paparazzi”.  Again, the moves were simple, yet effective and I could see that the more you play the game, the more familiar you would get with the dance moves.  The game also features a No Arrow mode – the arrows are turned off and you just follow the avatar’s moves – and Mirror Mode – where the dancing is mirrored – both modes making the game more challenging to players who have mastered the dance moves and want to take the game to the next level.

For our last dance, we chose “Thriller” because it’s Thriller!  All three sets were pretty close but Norm took first place all three times!

Kidz Bop Dance Party: The Video Game looks like it will be a fun game for the entire family and especially for younger kids.  It’s simple, fun, and offers a nice little workout.  We both broke a sweat while playing!  Along with the dancing, you can collect points to purchase new outfits, accessories, and shoes for your avatar.  You can change the look of your avatar at anytime.  All 24 songs are unlocked at the start of the game but as you progress, you will unlock new stages and outfits to enhance your Dance Party experience.

Kidz Bop Dance Party: The Video Game is currently rated RP (Rating Pending) and is is under development exclusively for the Wii.  The game is scheduled for release on September 21, 2010.

That being said, this is an excellent flight game for kids, with only a few little nagging issues. I enjoy all kinds of games, including the Mario titles, and I had a lot of fun playing through this game. It’s a low stress game with simple and effective controls. The game really encourages you to explore each area of the game, and you can do that by either leisurely flying around each island, or taking on missions. My favorite part of the game is just flying around earning little achievements and exploring every nook and cranny.

Each world has a lot of tunnels and caverns to explore. From Gloster Island, your initial destination, to Nimbus Island, an island in the sky.  You fly through barnyards, windmills, train tunnels, volcanoes, and more. It is kind of like going for a scenic walk. To give you incentive to try different things, the game includes achievements that will give you experience points.

As you perform tricks, fly under bridges, skim the water, and other fun things, you gain a certain amount of points that level up your pilot and unlocks paint jobs, or skins, for you plane. Eventually you can also unlock new planes and islands. To do that, though, you will need to take on some missions.

Mission range from delivering items and taking photos, to putting out fires and competing in races. None of them are too difficult to complete, however, you are rewarded with different medals depending on your performance. This makes it great for families where the son or daughter can try it out and get a silver, and then hand it over to dad for the gold medal. Quite honestly, some of the gold star medals are tricky to get. To get them, you definitely have to level up and get some new planes.

Some of the planes you get include a bi-plane, tri-plane, sea plane, helicopter and jet, just to name a few. There is even a UFO you can unlock, and to get it, the whole family will have to pitch in. Each plane features a different kind of flight style. They boost and brake different and have unique acceleration, cornering and top speeds. It would have been nice to see a stat sheet for each plane so you could get an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. Overall, though, each plane you unlock is a little bit better than the last so not having the stats didn’t ruin the experience.

The graphics are simple yet effective. There isn’t a whole lot of island detail, but there is just enough to make it enjoyable to explore. The game features a cartoony style that makes the landscapes look like The Storybook ride at Disneyland. There are some nice touches, like the sunken pirate ship, and the monorail transpiration system on Nimbus, and your flying machine has a real shine on it that you notice when the sun hits it straight on.

Another great part of the game is the music. It features nicely orchestrated pieces that capture the essence of exploring the skies. Play the game as long as I have, and you might find yourself humming some of the tunes. Other sounds like the bleat of sheep, the whistle of the train, and the echo when you pass through tunnels are all nicely done.

The controls are pretty good. you hold the Wii controller on its side and you can change the pitch and roll by tilting it back-and-forward and side-to-side. When you have to make a sharp turn, you might over compensate, which confuses the game a little bit causing the plane to react a little weird. It is also hard to judge your breaking speed, especially if you use them right after boosting. Still, they are pretty consistent after you get a hang of them. You will find yourself flying through long mine shafts and skimming along the surface of a river with ease.

You can choose to play as a boy or girl, and there is a brief tutorial that opens the game to help you get a feel for how the game works. There are some cool options in this game like being able to star or restart a mission at any time without any penalty. Also, if you crash, you are back in the air in seconds with barely any load time. This makes it fun and easy to complete some of the achievements and missions because if you fail, you are just seconds away from another try. You can change aircraft at any time, and it’s a very simple to use interface to change skins for a look you like.

With decent controls and graphics, and great music and scenery, Kid Adventures: Sky Captain proves to by a great deal at 19.95. It is pretty addicting considering its style, which kind of reminds my of the last Pilot Wings by Nintendo. I recommend this game mainly to families where the parents might want to get involved in playing the game.

Kid Adventures: Sky Captain is rated E for Everyone and is available now exclusively for the Wii.

A review copy of the game was provided but did not affect the outcome of this review.

I love the character’s design – totally a sucker for the little gothy girl styles.  You can unlock outfits and mini games as well.  What I did get to play was not super thrilling however the game is aimed more towards kids of a younger age.  There are tons of cute characters and creepy but cute characters to meet in the game as well.

You can get your groove on when Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove comes out in Q4 2010 for the Nintendo DS.

Another rhythm game aimed for a slightly older crowd is Cheer We Go.  This is a game similar to Gabriella’s Ghostly groove but aimed for an older crowd and is only available on the iPhone and the iPad.  You tap in time to the music and try to wow the judges with your cheer routines.

Cheer We Go will be available in Q3 2010 for the iPhone and iPad.

If you would like to be featured in the 2 Player Spotlight, please email us at
2player@marriedwithvideogames.com.

Names: Joshua and Kay Burnham
Status: Married

Which one of you games?
Both

How often do you game?
Weekly

You have 2 kids…how old are they and do they game?
They are 9 and 11 and both are gamers. Both game more than we do.

If yes, what system(s) do they like to play?
WII, DS, Xbox 360

What is their favorite game?
Any Pokemon game

What steps do you take as (gaming) parents regarding mature content in games?
We make sure that we play any game that is rated mature before allowing them to either play or watch us play it. Some we deem OK, others they won’t get to play/watch until they are older.

What are they currently playing?
Spore Hero

Do you prefer to play online multiplayer or locally?
Locally

Do you prefer competitive or cooperative multiplayer?
Both, depends on the game and our mood.

Fave game to play with others?
Halo and Star Wars Battlefront

Fave game to play with each other?
Fairytale Fights

Currently playing?
Bioshock, Gears of War, Thrillville Off the Rails, Wii Fit

Do you consider yourself to be a hardcore or a casual gamer?
Casual

What do you like about gaming with Kay?
That we can play together or at least she doesn’t make me turn off my games when she gets home from work.

What do you like about gaming with Josh?
He helps me with the more difficult puzzles or tasks in a game so that I don’t get as frustrated.

What DON’T you like about gaming with Kay?
I switch games a lot during a gaming session and if I’m playing with her I generally have to stick to one game the entire time.

What DON’T you like about gaming with Josh?
He tends to go barreling through the games while I like to explore more.

What has been your most memorable gaming experience?
The day that our son finally could beat us at the games on his own.

What has been your most frustrating gaming experience?
Playing Guitar Hero for the first time and failing miserably, only to have our son pick up the Guitar and play a perfect round. (Of, course he had been playing the game for a number of years with his mother)

Who is the better gamer and why?
Josh, he has better hand eye coordination

What is your system of choice and why?
Xbox 360 cost and the Halo and ViVa Pinata games series.

Fave game of all time?
Oddworld Abe’s Odyssey

What do your gamertags mean?
Josh just uses his name (well most of the time he actually uses my gamertag), mine is my nickname, Kat, combined with my favorite state of being, laughing. ☺

In the game you can complete missions or you can just fly around and explore the different areas to discover new and hidden things.  There are seven different flying machines from a biplane to a UFO.  You will have to complete missions in order to unlock new planes as well as new skins (colors) for them.

We had a chance to play a few missions and the game controls very nicely and intuitively.  It may take some getting used to if you aren’t familiar with flight games, but it is intuitive enough that you can pick it up and start playing right away.  Because the game is aimed more towards children, any of the shooting modes use things like water balloons as ammunition, keeping the game safe and fun for a younger audience.  The game will appeal to gamers of all levels since it is an open game where you can choose to just fly around and explore the areas, or you can try to accomplish all the missions.  Even while you are exploring, the game will notify you if you are close to completing a mission even if you hadn’t accepted one in the first place.  You will want to unlock all of the planes, especially the UFO because you can abduct cows with it and that is just wicked funny.  Additional planes can be unlocked by completing missions and increasing your flying skills…you will need them too since the UFO is the most difficult flying machine in the game.

The game also features co-op missions and head-to-head multiplayer modes.

Kid Adventures: Sky Captain looks like it will be a fun and entertaining title for kids and adults of all ages.   The game is rated E for Everyone and is due for release on June 15, 2010.  The game will also retail for $19.95.

Taylor was 14 years old and almost 300 pounds when he devised a weight loss plan that used strategies from his favorite past time, playing video games.  So many of us out there have tried to find that secret that will magically shed unwanted pounds.  While there have been fitness games in the past, there have been a mountain of them released when Nintendo released the Wii in 2006 and its fitness focused peripheral, WiiFit, later in 2007.  Since then, just about every game developer has tried to release the next best fitness game.  Taylor’s program isn’t actually a game at all, well, not for any particular game system.  His game, which he calls The Ultimate Fitness Game (UFG), can be played by anyone regardless of age or their love of gaming.

Taylor used the skills he learned playing video games to help devise a simple and extremely effective weight loss plan that allowed him to lose more than half his body weight over the course of 18 months.  He’s even been able to keep the weight off and even struggles sometimes with being a little underweight.

As a gamer, he realized that the same skills he used to build up a character or to successfully defeat a boss could be used to help him lose weight.  He named junk food as his enemies and fruits, vegetables, and exercise as his allies.  He researched every food he put in his mouth and learned about their nutritional values.  Foods that were good for him, he ate and foods that were not good for him, he ate in moderation or cut out from his diet completely.  Every morning he would convert his daily calories into money and he was only allowed to spend, or eat, what was in his budget.

This diet may not be for everyone but it’s probably one of the best ones out there.  It really focuses on the math and the common sense of caloric intake and output.  While it can be time consuming, it’s really no different to the countless hours we as gamers may spend on carefully leveling up a character.  If we were to take that same time and effort and put it into ourselves, results are guaranteed.

The book is broken up into two parts, the first half chronicles Taylor’s struggles with his weight and how he fought back.  The second half is focused on how you, the reader, can incorporate the UFG into your life.  He is quite open and honest about the things that he went through as an overweight kid and preteen and it’s inspirational how positive he remained throughout the entire process.  The book is very repetitive but it does so to drive the point home.  The book is a very easy read and can be read in a day or so.  Understandably, it is aimed at kids and teenagers however, adults can follow this plan with ease as well.

Taylor’s story is more than just a positive mark toward video games it is also a powerful story that shows that a little knowledge and will power can go a long way.  The true secret to weight loss isn’t in a pill or a fad diet, it lies within yourself to eat less and exercise more and Taylor is living proof of that.

You can check out Taylor’s website http://cuttingmyselfinhalf.com for recipes and more inspiration.  You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.  Since the book’s release in January 2010, Taylor was featured on several TV talk shows including Good Morning America and recently was chosen as one of ten teens who would represent Coca-Cola in the 2010 Winter Olympics and carry the Olympic torch.  The nominees were judged on their involvement in community service, concern for the environment, and physical fitness.  Taylor is an inspiration to no only kids and teens but adults who struggle with weight issues.  As he says, “everybody is amazingly amazing in their own way”.

A review copy of the book was provided by the publisher and did not affect the outcome of this review.