reviews

imagine: gymnast

Just a few weeks ago, my daughter took her first gymnastics class. And she fell in love! So I was thrilled when she got the change to try the newest addition to  Ubisoft's games for girls: Imagine Gymnast .

What they say:

• Learn gymnastics under the instruction of Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller
  
• Join a team of gymnasts at a premiere academy
• Compete in Vault, Balance Beam, Uneven Bars, Floor, and Rhythmic Gymnastics events
• Customize your look, routine and team
• Unlock new outfits and accessories for you and your teammates by completing competitions and events.

What we say:

My daughter just loved this game. Its her new favorite!  She's five and a half and it was just a little challenging for her, but my 7-year-old had not problem. (And even the non-gymnastics-crazy daughter loved this one!) Their favorite parts were all of the customizing options - they love designing leotards and choreographing routines.

And  I am still a huge fan of Ubisoft kids games. They have great themes, are always age-appropriate and manage to be educational and fun. My girls are young and just scratching the surface of what Ubisoft games offer. So I know they'll be still playing them in a few years, so I don't mind buying them!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine gymnast to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

rainbow brite is back and she's adorable!

Okay, how fun is it that all of our favorite childhood characters are now being experienced by our kids all over again? Cabbage Patch Kids, Transformers... They're all back! And now we have a new favorite to add to the list - Rainbow Brite!

When I opened the package, my two daughters both high-pitched-girlie-squealed in delight. They have no idea who Rainbow Brite is, of course, but she looks like something right up their alley. They eagerly ran upstairs to the computer and popped it in.

They loved it. Its so bright and girly and fun! (And she has horses!! My girls are nuts about horses... especially pink ones :-) The games are great, they  loved the puzzles and the little video and I love the positive messages Rainbow Brite reinforcing to my girls. My girls are huge fans of coloring pages, so they've been constantly begging to print more!

You can go to Rainbow Brite.com and meet her new friends and watch 4 new Rainbow Brite animated mini episodes.  You can visit Rainbow Brite, her two loyal friends Moonglow and Tickled Pink, and their horse friends:  Starlite, Shimmer, and Sunriser on their adventures in Rainbow Land.  Raindow Brite's fans will love the  new Rainbow Brite fashion doll collection, which is now available at Target stores and soon available at Toys R’ Us. 

Disclosure: I was provided with the Rainbow Brite CD pack free of charge from Mom Select. I was not compensated financially for this review.

shaun white snowboarding: world stage and academy of champions: soccer

My husband is a huge fan of sport video games, so we were really excited to try out these two new games from Ubisoft: Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage and Academy of Champions Soccer

What they say:
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage

• Become the world’s best snowboarding crew: You and Shaun White will guide the World’s best riders to the very top of the world rankings.
• Tons of new powder to ride: From a half pipe in the middle of New York’s Times Square to the most prestigious competitions in France, Canada, and Japan. Explore eight huge mountains for 75 unique challenges.
• Seamless co-op multiplayer: Invite up to three friends to be a part of your crew at any point in the game.
• Everyone can hit the Slopes with the Wii: The Wii makes it easy to free ride or compete. The Balance Board lets you control your jumps and tricks with the intuitiveness and fun of having a snowboard in your own living room. A hilarious and inventive integration of the new Wii MotionPlus lets you create, name and play your own tricks.

Academy of Champions Soccer

• Action-Packed 5-on-5 Party Soccer Learn incredible moves that you never thought were possible on the field.Pick-up-and-play controls makes A of C playable by kids of all ages.
• Over 12 Mini-Games in a World Full of Excitement Take part in easy to play mini-games involving goalkeeping, shooting, passing and tackles.
• Pelé is Your Headmaster Discover the true value of fair play and respect. The legendary Pelé will teach you the skills necessary to compete at the highest level.
• Immersive Story-Driven Experience Develop your super skills in the imaginative world of Brightfield Academy. Battle your way to the top to defeat the evil Scythemore Academy!
• Multiplayer Battle your friends in head-to-head gameplay
• Unlock some famous video game characters: Take control of the Raving Rabbids, Sam Fisher, Altair, Rayman who appear… as kids!
• Wii Motion Plus™ Brand new peripheral is supported in core gameplay.

What I say:

Now first off, let me say this: I married a soccer hooligan and neither of us have ever been skiing in our lives.  So you can imagine which one we liked better :-)

My husband is a HUGE soccer fan and loves to play soccer games on his PS 3. But that game is super complicated (in my opinion) and is not something that the whole family can participate in. So Academy of Champions: Soccer was a hit with our kids. They were so excited to be able to play soccer with Daddy! They loved the cartoon-y graphics and liked the drills, where you practice shooting and goalkeeping and such. The simple dribble, pass, and shoot action made it easy even for younger players to play. This is great for families with younger children who aren't quite ready for the complicated, more 'realistic' sports games.

Now I did try snowboarding in real life once. And it did NOT go well. But even I was able to stay upright in Shaun White Snowboarding! The best part is that you don't need a balance board - obviously, since it has multi-player mode! - and it actually was easier without. (At least for the kids)
The only thing I can think of to add is that I've played a snowboarding/X-Games game on the PS2 before, but  this was 1000 times better.  Players don't just ride down a hill around doing tricks - the game is so much more. The levels/locations are amazing. This takes the genre to the next level - especially with the addition of the balance board! Any snowboarding fan would love this - I'm  passing this on to my sister, who is an actual snowboarder, to see how she thinks! (Update: she thinks its AWESOME!)

 disclaimer: i received a copy of academy of champions soccer and shaun white snowboarding: world stage to review  from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

just dance for wii

Dance to the rhythm of your favorite beat with Ubisoft’s Just Dance , a music & rhythm video game that allows you to dance the night away with your friends and family without ever leaving the house. 

What they say:
Just Dance

• Real music, real dance moves: step to the beat of over 30 dance songs and learn real-life moves from music spanning the 80’s, 90’s, Disco, Rock and more.
• Start the party right: play Just Dance with anyone and everyone you know via fun 4 player party modes.
• The dance game for everyone: no large or complex accessories required, anyone can easily pick-up and play using the intuitive wii-mote & nun-chuck control scheme.
• Feel good, stay fit: burn calories, stay fit, and enjoy a fun workout all while having a blast with your favorite songs
• Killer Soundtrack: iconic hits including “Womanzier”, “I like to move it” by real to real, “DARE” by Gorillaz, and much, much more.

What I say:

OHMYGOSH, THIS GAME IS SO FUN!!!!!

Okay - I love to dance and actually minored in dance in college (which comes in handy all the time), so I'm biased. And my kids and I have dance parties in our living room at least once a week. So we're all biased because this game is PERFECT for us!!

First, the music is amazing. What a playlist!!! And if you are shy - this game is not for you. You can not care who's watching - if it says to do the Running Man, you better do it with all you've got or you won't score points! (Its a great workout too, by the way! Jeez, I needed a nap after we were done!)

My girls - ages 5 and 6 - were absolutely hysterical with this game. Watching them try and do the moves was a riot, but they were literally rolling on the floor watching Daddy try and get down! They immediately decided to bring this game to my mom's at Christmas and making all their uncles play. (I'd post a video of that for you, but that would probably get me thrown in the pool. In December.)

This game is super fun for anyone on your list! Give it a try!

disclaimer: i received a copy of just dance to review from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

imagine: detective

Look out Nancy Drew! (Did I just age myself?)  Here comes Kirsten Spark!! And she's the star in one of  Ubisoft's games for girls: Imagine: Detective.

What they say:
Imagine: Detective

• Play as an independent adventurous feminine heroine, Kirsten Spark, ready to clear her school from bullies and her town from bandits
• Use your wit, your feminine 6th sense, your photographic memory and your karate skills. Analyze clues sent by your friends and blog readers.
• Publish your findings in your personal blog and make your traffic grow. Get money from sponsors and fatten up your toy art collection.
• Dive into a captivating trilogy, it’s only the first episode!

What I say:

Here's another example of why I love Ubisoft's games for girls! So fun!

I loved that girls can play as a strong, smart heroine to solve mysteries and take an active role in protecting the people in her community! Now that's a heroine I want my daughters to play - I just love it. I'm a huge proponent of finding strong female characters to show my daughters - like Mulan as opposed to Ariel - so that totally sold me on this game. (And how fun is it that you run a BLOG in the game? Hee hee hee!!) And it was just  fun to play - I really enjoyed the mini-games and trying to figure things out - I felt like I was really having to use my brain to put everything together. Not typical for a video game!

This is a little too advanced for my 6-year-old, but I'm defiantly passing this on to my 14-year-old cousin. The whole time I was playing, all I could think of was how much she would love this. And how much I would love for her to play a game with such a strong female character!  I highly recommend this game for any tween girl on your list!!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine: detective to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

imagine salon stylist and imagine teacher class trip

When I was growing up (in the prehistoric world before there were video games for girls), I spent hours playing hair salon and school. I had two little sisters and they were constantly being roped into being my students or sitting still while I did their hair over and over.  So I was super excited to recapture my childhood and try out two new  Ubisoft games: Imagine: Salon Stylist and Imagine Teacher: Class Trip.

What they say:
Imagine: Salon Stylist

• Run Your Own Beauty Salon – Develop your clientele and reputation as you make your customers beautiful in your own salon.
• Creative Styling Tools – Unleash your creativity in over a dozen beauty workshops, including hairstyling, hair color and accessories, and makeup application.
• Design Your Salon – Customize your salon so that it matches your style. • Unlock new furniture and color palettes or purchase them with the money you’ve earned.

Imagine Teacher: Class Trip

• Select and teach morning lessons in a variety of subjects, including Math, Science and Nature, and Geography
• Grade your students’ work and keep them attentive during class.
• Guide your class to clues and souvenirs on an exciting outdoor treasure hunt that will test their knowledge.
  -Select your star students to ace pop quizzes
  - Encourage teamwork and bonding to boost your scores
  -Discover and foil traps set up by other competitors
  
• Enjoy a variety of fun mini-games set outside from the forest to the lake shore.

What I say:

These games are a perfect example of why I love Ubisoft's Imagine line of games. They've really researched what girls love and turned it into a game that is both educational and fun.  Even though I'm a grown up now, I had so much fun playing these! I wish they had been invented 20 years ago when I was a tween! Imagine Teacher is so cute - I loved making the lesson plans and the games were so fun. I loved watching the class's reactions and taking them on the afternoon adventures.  Salon Stylist was terrific - but I didn't get to play it very long because my girls' stole it from me and wouldn't give it back. They just loved doing the beauty workshops!

And once again, I'm thrilled that Ubisoft takes the game to the next level by adding the business side of the Salon to the game - girls won't just be doing people's hair, but learning how to please customers and run a business!

I'm passing these on to my 10-year-old niece. The whole time I was playing, all I could think of was how much she would love these games.  I highly recommend both of these for any tween girl on your list!!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine salon stylist and imagine teacher: class trip to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

When I was growing up (in the prehistoric world before there were video games for girls), I spent hours playing hair salon and school. I had two little sisters and they were constantly being roped into being my students or sitting still while I did their hair over and over.  So I was super excited to recapture my childhood and try out two new  Ubisoft games: Imagine: Salon Stylist and Imagine Teacher: Class Trip.

What they say:
Imagine: Salon Stylist

• Run Your Own Beauty Salon – Develop your clientele and reputation as you make your customers beautiful in your own salon.
• Creative Styling Tools – Unleash your creativity in over a dozen beauty workshops, including hairstyling, hair color and accessories, and makeup application.
• Design Your Salon – Customize your salon so that it matches your style. • Unlock new furniture and color palettes or purchase them with the money you’ve earned.

Imagine Teacher: Class Trip

• Select and teach morning lessons in a variety of subjects, including Math, Science and Nature, and Geography
• Grade your students’ work and keep them attentive during class.
• Guide your class to clues and souvenirs on an exciting outdoor treasure hunt that will test their knowledge.
  -Select your star students to ace pop quizzes
  - Encourage teamwork and bonding to boost your scores
  -Discover and foil traps set up by other competitors
  
• Enjoy a variety of fun mini-games set outside from the forest to the lake shore.

What I say:

These games are a perfect example of why I love Ubisoft's Imagine line of games. They've really researched what girls love and turned it into a game that is both educational and fun.  Even though I'm a grown up now, I had so much fun playing these! I wish they had been invented 20 years ago when I was a tween! Imagine Teacher is so cute - I loved making the lesson plans and the games were so fun. I loved watching the class's reactions and taking them on the afternoon adventures.  Salon Stylist was terrific - but I didn't get to play it very long because my girls' stole it from me and wouldn't give it back. They just loved doing the beauty workshops!

And once again, I'm thrilled that Ubisoft takes the game to the next level by adding the business side of the Salon to the game - girls won't just be doing people's hair, but learning how to please customers and run a business!

I'm passing these on to my 10-year-old niece. The whole time I was playing, all I could think of was how much she would love these games.  I highly recommend both of these for any tween girl on your list!!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine salon stylist and imagine teacher: class trip to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

wii party - rabbids go home and cloudy with a chance of meatballs

We got to try out two new family games for our beloved Wii - Rabbids Go Home and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs .

What they say:
Rabbids Go Home

• The Rabbids’ First Comedy-Adventure: Control two Raving Rabbids pushing a shopping cart and cause mayhem in a world full of uptight humans with shopping on the brain. Collect varying sizes of stuff needed to reach the moon.
• Make a huge mess and provoke hilarious situations in over 15 striking game environments: Scour through supermarkets, race across rooftops, jet past airports and boost through the Bayou, visiting the game’s unique take on everyday places.
• Play over 40 missions: Race, chase, boost and generally run amok, while scaring the humans right down to their undies - literally!
• Unique Art Direction: Encounter a cast of colorful, oddball characters and explore a remarkable parody of the modern world as if you were living inside an interactive cartoon!
• Variety of Gameplay: Soup-up your shopping cart with a Jet Ski, an airplane reactor, or a hospital Bubble Bed, to wreak MORE havoc everywhere you turn! Learn to pilot your cart while boosting, jumping, gliding, floating and flying.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

• Play Flint, hero of the movie, and save the town from the rain of food! Use wacky and fun gadgets Flint invented to move, transform, and destroy giant pieces of food!
• Explore 20 levels and environments from the movie and beyond, from Jello-Land to Ice Cream Falls!
• Have fun with friends in two-player co-op mode starring Steve, Flint’s sidekick monkey

What we say:
My girls did not have a clue what was going on during Rabbids Go Home, being 5 & 6 and its rated 10+. The use of the Wii remote and the nunchuck is a little advanced for them. But that did not stop them from giggling hysterically at every scene. (I found the humor little crude, but isn't that what kids find the most hilarious? Clearly, whoever designed this game knows what kids find funny! I'm so sending this to my 14-year-old cousin. This game is exactly his sense of humor - he would totally love it!!) The open world structure is really cool - and will keep the game from getting old.  (The DS version was the same basic storyline, but is actually a different game. The rabbids have to solve puzzles in each level, complete with brain teasers and challenges, to gain the garbage they need to reach the moon. The Wii version was more fun for the kids, but I liked the DS version better!)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was okay. I confess that I didn't see the movie its based on (under protest of them changing such a Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs from my childhood) and it seems like this game is geared towards for fans of the movie. I liked how the levels are short enough to do a bit at a time (a plus, from a parents point of view) and gameplay was straightforward and logical. (I don't read directions. So I hate complicated games. Ahem.) My girls were not really interested in this one - but your average elementary age boy will enjoy this fun food fight!!

disclaimer: i received copies of rabbids go home and cloudy with a chance of meatballs to review  from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

imagine fashion designer: world tour and imagine boutique owner

By now you know how we love Ubisoft's imagine games in our house. This week we got to try two new imagine games: Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour and Imagine: Boutique Owner .

What they say:
Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour

• Travel the World – Promote your fashion brand all over the world as you set up runway shows, photo shoots and celebrity endorsements.
  
• Design Your Brand – Create a fashion collection under your own label.
  -Choose your brand name and customize your own logo from a variety of fonts, backgrounds, and colors.
  -Design amazing collections of different themes.
  -Go shopping to accessorize your designs, from shoes and jewelry to hats and purses.
• Become a Fashion Expert – Become a world-famous fashion trends expert as you travel the world looking for the hottest fashions.

Imagine: Boutique Owner

• Run a Gift Boutique – Welcome customers to your shop and assist them in choosing the perfect gift for every occasion, from chocolates and jewelry to posters and games.
• Create Gifts in a Variety of Workshops - Personalize customers’ gifts by customizing them in fun mini-games! Create cakes, bouquets, necklaces, and more!
• Decorate Your Boutique - Put the spirit of celebration in your shop for all the major holidays! Celebrate occasions like Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, and more!
• Encourage Return Customers - Please as many customers as you can with your unique products, offer complimentary gift wrapping with the most unique papers and ribbons; you can even create a loyalty program and reward your favorite customers!

What I say:
If you have a budding fashionista in your life, these are PERFECT! My girls were a bit young (at 5 & 6) to really appreciate all the games had to offer, but even they enjoyed designing outfits and decorating their little boutiques.

Personally, I thought these games were super fun - seeing as I'm totally into fashion myself :-) I preferred the Boutique Owner game - I had fun designing and running my little shop. ("Mom, can I have the DS back now?" may or may not have been heard. Ahem.)  If you are shopping for a girl around age 10 or above who just loves reading fashion magazines and shopping, either of these games would be a perfect fit!!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine fashion designer and imagine boutique owner to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

ubisoft petz games

This week we tried out a bunch of Petz games from Ubisoft. The Petz games are a Nintendo DS staple, so we were so excited to give them a try. (I'm not going to put the full write up on each game like usual, because that would result in the longest post ever.)

Petz Nursery

Petz Dogz Talent Show

Petz Dolphinz Encounter

Petz Dogz Pack

What we say:
As I've mentioned before, my girls are crazy about animals. They seriously ask daily ask when we are going to get a puppy. So games about animals... and puppies??? Perfect!
They were thrilled with all four games. My 6-year-old loved the Petz Dogz Pack best. She was positively enthralled with creating her own dog. She loves learning about different types of dogs, so this game just fascinated her. She thought the Petz Dogz Talent Show game was "so funny" - it had her laughing outloud at the dogs antics! (It really was super cute.) She really enjoyed Petz Dolphinz Encounter - especially taking care of the hurt dolphins.
My 5-year-old preferred the Petz Nursery game. I wasn't surprised, since she has a nurturing personality and loves babies. Her favorite part was giving the baby pets a bottle... she thought that was just "so cool." This game was the easiest for her to use - she had trouble with Petz Dog Talent Show and Petz Dolphinz Encounter and needed extra help. So if you have a younger player, I'd recommend starting with Petz Dogz Pack or Petz Nursery.
The only problem? My 18-month-old son kept trying to grab the DS to look at the "woof-woofs." (He was laughing hysterically at Petz Dogz Talent Show! I must remember that next time we're stuck in a waiting room and i need to entertain him!
And, once again, I love how Ubisoft kids games are for all ages. My girls are young and just scratching the surface of what these games offer. So I know they'll be still playing them in a few years. Those are the games I don't mind buying!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine artist and imagine babysitters to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

imagine artist and imagine babysitters

We love Ubisoft's imagine games in our house. Every one that we've tried, my girls have loved. This week we got to try two new imagine games: Imagine Artist and Imagine Babysitters.

What they say:
imagine artist

• Draw, Paint, Create – Learn a variety of techniques for drawing, painting and collage through fun mini-games in color-mixing, shading and composition.
• Live the Life of an Aspiring Artist – Create beautiful works of art, maintain your studio and fulfill clients’ wishes as you build your reputation and your portfolio.
• Share Your Creations – Upload your creations to your own virtual gallery on the Imagine Town website for your friends to see.

 imagine babysitters

• Develop a loving relationship with the babies – feed them, nurse them, rock them to sleep.
• Help the babies learn and grow through 15 interactive mini-games, including memory games, puzzle games, coloring activities and more!
• Organize play dates with other babies in multiplayer mode.
• Give the babies their own looks with a variety of cute outfits.

what we say:

Imagine Artist was a huge hit. Its probably my favorite Imagine game so far. My girls could spend hours on this game drawing picture after picture. They loved drawing on pictures they took of themselves with their DSi (a very cool feature). I highly recommend this game for younger DS players. If I had to pick just one game to keep my girls entertained on a trip - it would be this one.

They both enjoyed Imagine Babysitter but not nearly as much as Imagine Artist. My 5-year-old loves any game where she can pick out clothes for someone, so she spent most of her time picking out outfits for her baby. And I loved how the "helping the babies learn" section is actually learning activities for the kids. Way to sneak in some education!! This one is also great for younger players - my girls are 5 and 6 were able to figure out the basics of this game quickly.

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine artist and imagine babysitters to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.