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Video Game Definition of the Week: Emotes

by Stephen Duetzmann October 8, 2020

Every week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you are confused by and we will try to include them in future editions!

Video games, especially online games, provide players with great opportunities for self-expression.

Players can create avatars that look like them (or not).
Players can obtain skins to give those avatars exactly the style they want.
They can also obtain Emotes.

Emoting, at least in the context of acting, is all about expressing emotions and Emotes in games serve that very purpose. They can help express the joy of victory, the agony of defeat, the bond of friendship and much, much more.

Some emotes, like the infamous dances in Fortnite are more complex, (Look, I’m not a psychologist) but they are certainly an espression of SOMETHING, even if it is just a party.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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October 8, 2020 0 comment

Video Games

Super Mario Bros: The Movie Voice Cast – Let’s Talk About It

by Stephen Duetzmann September 28, 2021

written by Stephen Duetzmann

Nintendo announced the voice cast for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated film during the September Nintendo Direct. It will release in theatres on December 21st, 2022 in partnership with Illumination (The company behind the Secret Life of Pets and the Minions).

The Announcement Video

Miyamoto was on hand to announce the voice cast. Video Source: IGN YouTube

The Cast

The full cast list that has been announced so far is below including links to their respective IMDB pages is below.

Anya Taylor-Joy Anya will be immediately recognizable as the lead from the Netflix show Queen’s Gambit. I’ll admit. I didn’t give this casting choice a second thought until I watched clips from her role as Gina Gray in Peaky Blinders. I felt like she talked more with her facial expressions and her hands in Queen’s Gambit (which you obviously can’t do while voice-acting). I’m not worried at all after watching her play Gina. It’s going to be fun to watch her play off of Bowser (or at least I assume it will be Bowser. We have no idea what the plot details are).	Princess Peach (voice)
Chris Pratt Chris Pratt needs no introduction, but it is worth remembering that he has done voice work before. He played Emmet in both LEGO movies.	Mario (voice)
Jack Black Jack Black’s voice is immediately recognizable and will do a wonderful job bringing Bowser to life. Remember that Bowser is often played off as a somewhat childish and incompetent villain while also being a giant dragon… turtle…. thing. This is perfect casting.	Bowser (voice)
Seth Rogen Seth Rogen doesn’t often play rules that are suitable for kids. But, He can play the lead role well. If Nintendo is hoping to spin off Donkey Kong movies (which they would be foolish not to), then Seth is a good call.	Donkey Kong (voice)
Keegan-Michael Key Obama’s Anger Translator is playing Toad. That’s all I need to say about this.	Toad (voice)
Charlie Day I didn’t know that I wanted to see Chris Pratt and Charlie Day play off of one another. But I do. I really really do.	Luigi (voice)
Fred Armisen Fred Armisen is one of my favorite character actor’s from SNL. He does a great job being a guy who is a little out of touch with things… and I can’t wait to see what they do with Cranky Kong.	Cranky Kong (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson Kamek is the wizard Koopa that is often seen as a parental figure for Bowser. I never imagined one to have such a deep voice. But, I would listen to Kevin Michael Richardson read the phone book. So this sounds great to me.	Kamek (voice)
Sebastian Maniscalco I guess they decided to make Spike Italian. Sure! Sounds great to me!	Spike (voice)
Charles Martinet Charles Martinet has been the voice of Mario for years. So he is being rightfully included in the voice cast as a cameo. I imagine that it will be somewhat like the cameos that Stan Lee did in Marvel movies before his, unfortunate, passing.	(voice)

The Internet Sure Did Have “Feelings” About Chris Pratt

The internet erupted with opinions the second the announcements were made. The biggest rift however was between commenters who had opinions about Chris Pratt and his casting as Super Mario.

The crowd speaking out against him is divided into two camps.

The first group is speaking out against him because of his social views. He is a member of a church that has taken some VERY strong Anti-LGBTQ stances. He hasn’t spoken out in support of these beliefs, but he hasn’t exactly spoken out against them either. I, personally, don’t know what’s going on inside his head. And I have a difficult time judging him for things he hasn’t said, but I can’t blame people who feel that way. Either way, it definitely explains some of the outcries.

The second major group is one that is angry that Nintendo didn’t choose Charles Martinet to be the voice of Mario in the movie since he has been the voice of the character for decades in the video games. I can’t agree with this at all. I love Charles’s work. He has provided the voice for Mario for my entire life. HOWEVER, Mario doesn’t talk in his games. He emotes. He expresses joy, frustration, fear, and excitement. I cannot IMAGINE listening to him actually speak in the Mario accent for 2 hours or more. I think it might actually hurt.

Why Cast Celebrities At All?

I’ve seen this argument pop up online as well and I just find it odd that Super Mario Bros is where we draw the line? This has been done for decades. Major Hollywood studios are far too risk-averse to cast voice actors who are, essentially, no names with the larger public.

Go and test it. Ask on Facebook if any of your friends know who Charles Martinet is. Then do the same with Chris Pratt. The studio’s decision will be pretty clear at this point.

What do you think? Sounds off in the comments.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

The EFG Essentials

Video Games for kids on Xbox One
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Video Games for kids on Nintendo Switch
Board Games for kids

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September 28, 2021 0 comment

Parent Resources Video Games

Video Game Definition of the Week: Microtransactions

by Michael Duetzmann January 29, 2021

written by Michael Duetzmann

The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to many mobile games and some video games: Microtransactions

Microtransaction: A piece of content, either cosmetic or gameplay related, set at a very low price point. Players typically purchased these pieces of content individually. Frequently there is the option to purchased similar content repeatedly or bundled together as a part of larger collections. You will find Microtransactions typically in games that are free-to-play. These Microtransactions offer an improved quality of game experience or entirely different types of play.

Microtransactions, primarily in PC and console games may also include Loot Boxes, Loot Crates, or in card based games Booster Packs. Gachas are another term used in mobile games for Loot Boxes.

Pokemon Go Logo

Examples of Microtransaction in Mobile Games:

Candy Crush Saga: Players can purchase more live, so they do not have to wait for them to refresh. Boosters, which make levels easier can also be purchased.
Pokémon Go: Players buy Pokecoins to buy in game items such as more Pokeballs or Lucky Eggs.

Examples in Console/On-line Games

Day 1 Ready: Fortnite Arrives Next Week on Xbox Series X|S and PS5

Fortnight: Players purchase V-Bucks to buy Skins, Skin packs, and other cosmetic items.
Overwatch: Loot boxes may be purchased or earned in game. They include four items which may include alternate skins, emotes, and lines of dialogue, or other items.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get

Your Family Game On!

The EFG Essentials

Video Games for kids on Xbox One
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Video Games for kids on Nintendo Switch
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January 29, 2021 0 comment

Video Games

A Parent’s Guide to Fortnite!

by Stephen Duetzmann May 2, 2018

written by Stephen Duetzmann

At this point just about every parent in North America (and beyond) has likely heard about the game Fortnite. It has been all the rage in recent months and shows no real sign of slowing down. Kids are even playing Fortnite while they are in classes at school! I’ve had a number of parents reach out to me with questions about the game, how it works, and what they should know about it.

Take a look below for our Parent’s Guide to Fortnite! We included all of the questions parents have asked us and more. Sound off in the comments if you have other questions!

What is Fortnite?

Fortnite is a third person shooter developed and published by Epic games that is taking the world by storm. Many people who think of Fortnite recognize it for its wildly popular Battle Royale mode, but that was actually a recent turn in the game’s development. It was originally developed by Epic games as a third person action game where players spent the day roaming the map gathering materials (and fighting zombies) and then returning to their home base, or fort, and building walls, defenses, etc.

It was originally revealed during the Spike TV Video game awards in 2011 and Epic has been slowly developing it ever since.

What is Fortnite: Battle Royale?

Fortnite: Battle Royale is a free-to-play game mode that uses airbus to drop one hundred players onto an island map that is surrounded by an encroaching storm. Players are tasked with gathering weapons, gear, and other equipment and forced to fight each other. The last player standing is the winner.

The game forces interaction between players in a few ways. First, the map is only so big and the resources aren’t infinite. This forces players into conflict immediately. As the match continues the storm will actually close in on the island and take out anyone caught in it. This constantly shrinks the battlefield and forces players to fight as opposed to playing the waiting game on the far corners of the map. Many players liken the game to the Hunger Games franchise.

It is far and away the most popular way to play Fortnite. It has been a smash hit almost from the minute the game mode launched. Its massive popularity has led to it being featured on shows like Good Morning America and the Today Show. Its also a huge hit with gamers who enjoy watching players stream games on services like YouTube and Twitch. It was only just recently that the Twitch Streamer Ninja set a new record for Twitch streams by having over a half million viewers when he was playing Fortnite: Battle Royale with the rapper Drake.

What is the Fortnite Save the World Mode about?

Fortnite’s Save the World mode is what remains from the originally announced version of the game.

Fortnite is set on modern-day Earth. The story is that a worldwide storm appeared suddenly and caused 98% of the world’s population to disappear. They were replaced by zombie-like creatures that constantly attack the remaining population.

Epic Games has said that they view the Save the World mode as a cross between the building game Minecraft and the cooperative shooter Left 4 Dead. Fortnite has groups of up to four players cooperate on varied missions on randomly generated maps. They collect resources, build fortifications, protect survivors, and build weapons and traps to fight waves of creatures.

Players earn rewards for each mission they complete. They can use their rewards to improve their character by giving them new weapons, traps, etc that they can build so they can take on more difficult missions.

How much does Fortnite cost?

Fortnite’s Save the World mode is part of a premium package that costs $39.99, although there is a deluxe version that includes additional content for $59.99. Epic Games has indicated that they will be releasing it as a free-to-play game sometime in 2018 though.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is a free-to-play game. As such, it does include in-game purchases. Players can buy a virtual currency in the game that they can spend on cosmetic skins, emotes, and dances that they can use to express themselves and their personality in the game. These purchases have no impact on the game itself though. There is no way to spend money in Fortnite to give yourself an advantage.

Can our kids play Fortnite with strangers?

Yes.

Both the Save the World and Battle Royale modes allow for random multiplayer games that include strangers.

The Save the World game mode lets players group up with up to four other players. They can choose to invite their friends to play with them or group up with random other players.

The Battle Royale game mode is built around a group of a hundred players competing to be the last player standing. Players can play solo or with a squad of two or four players. The squads don’t have to include friends, though. Instead, you can choose to randomly queue in squads with strangers.

This is going to end up being a big deal for parents who are concerned about the outside world having access to their children online. It is pretty hard to avoid without some very serious discussions about only grouping up with friends. I do recommend using the parental control settings on your console, PC, or Mac to disable the voice chat. This will go a long way to limiting the lines of communication.

Where can you play it?

Fortnite is currently available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The Battle Royale mode is also available on mobile devices (iOS and an Android version is on the way).

There is a growing movement calling for Fortnite to be brought to the Nintendo Switch, but there has been no confirmation as of the date that this guide was written.

How is Fortnite rated by the ESRB?

Fortnite is rated T for teen.

Content Descriptors: Violence

Other: Online Interactions Not Rated by the ESRB (Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)

Rating Summary: This is an action game in which players build forts, gather resources, craft weapons, and battle hordes of monsters in frenetic combat. From a third-person perspective, players use guns, swords, and grenades to fight skeleton-like monsters (husks) in ranged and melee-style combat. Players can also defeat enemies by using various traps (e.g., electric, spikes, poisonous gas). Battles are highlighted by frequent gunfire, explosions, and cries of pain.

A PSA for Parents about Fortnite and School

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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May 2, 2018 0 comment

Video Games

The Battle For Azeroth Begins This Summer!

by Stephen Duetzmann February 1, 2018

written by Stephen Duetzmann

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that Battle for Azeroth, the newest expansion for the hit MMO World of Warcraft, will launch this summer. Further, Blizzard went on to explain that the expansion to the hit MMO will be available for pre-purchase on the World of Warcraft website.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJr3dXZfcg[/embedyt]

Battle for Azeroth will bring an entirely new dimension to the battle between the Horde and the Alliance. The expansion will include a new continent to explore for each faction as well as brand-new game play features including allied races for each faction, new randomized island expansions, and large-scale encounters called Warfronts.

One of the key features among those listed above is the inclusion of Allied Races. These are factions that existed as part of the game previously, but were limited to NPC roles. You’ve been able to do battle with Dark Iron Dwarves in the past. In fact, they were the main enemies in some areas in the game. In the new expansion, however, they are able to join the Alliance and help them fight against their enemies. The same is true of the Zandalari trolls and their ability to join the Horde.

Players who choose to level up new characters and the expansion will be able to take advantage of newly revamped zones that will take them from level 1 to 100. Questing experience has been changed entirely. This new experience is built upon the popular feature that was introduced on the Broken Isles in the most recent expansion Legion. Zones across Azeroth, Outland, and Draenor will now scale to a wide range of character levels. This makes it so that players can enjoy the quests stories and other content that they find there at their own pace.

The days of having to leave a quest line half finished because it’s no longer providing you experience are now over. You will be able to continue to earn all the experience that you need while completing quests that you are interested in. This is an interesting and exciting new addition to people that are interested in playing World of Warcraft as a role-playing game instead of racing through the original parts of the game just to see their way to the end as quickly as possible.

Standard and Deluxe Digital Edition

World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth is available for pre-purchase digitally in a Standard Edition that costs $49.99 and a Digital Deluxe Edition the cost $69.99 in addition to the expansion the Digital Deluxe Edition also includes a cache of in-game bonuses that allow you to proudly proclaim it your allegiance to the Horde or the Alliance in a variety of Blizzard games. These digital goods include the following:

World of Warcraft – “Charge into battle astride the Seabraid Stallion (Alliance) and Gilded Ravasaur (Horde) mounts, and explore new frontiers with Tottle, the baby Tortollan pet, at your side.”
Hearthstone – “After a rough day on the front, rest up at the tavern and play a few hands of Hearthstone with your hot new Azeroth Is Burning card back.”
StarCraft II – “Make your mark on distant worlds with Horde- and Alliance-themed sprays.”
Heroes of the Storm – “Roar onto the Battlegrounds of the Nexus riding your Primal Flamesaber, a fiery new mount with three variants.”
Overwatch – “Champion your faction on the battlefields of tomorrow with Horde and Alliance voice lines for Torbjörn and emotes for Tracer; sprays featuring Anduin, Sylvanas, Jaina, and Varok Saurfang; and player icons representing Kul Tiras and Zandalar.”

Complete Feature List

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZ9xkVQ_Vs[/embedyt]

The full list of features in the expansion is as follows:

Explore Two Fabled Kingdoms – “As a champion of the Horde, travel to the empire of Zandalar to persuade the trolls to lend their naval might. As a defender of the Alliance, venture to the seafaring kingdom of Kul Tiras, home of Jaina Proudmoore, and rally its inhabitants to fight for your cause.”
Recruit Allied Races – “Take a new form for your adventures as several new playable Allied Races, each with unique racial abilities. Earn the favor of the Highmountain tauren, Void elves, Dark Iron dwarves, and others to create a new character of that race and add their strength to your faction.”
Plunder the Islands of the Great Sea – “Set out on Island Expeditions and conquer an ever-changing array of enemies, environments, and objectives. Battle in groups of three as you race against cunning rival intruders—or enemy players—to collect each island’s resources and fuel the war effort.”
Charge Into a Warfront – “Fight on the battlefields of a large-scale, 20-player cooperative Warfront to claim a key strategic location. Capture resources to build your faction’s forces, lead the charge as your troops lay siege to objectives, and fight the enemy commander to claim victory in this new PvE mode inspired by classic Warcraft real-time strategy-game battles.”
Infuse Your Armor With Titanic Might – “Seek out Azerite, an invaluable new resource that has emerged in the Burning Legion’s wake. Imbue the Heart of Azeroth—a legendary neck piece entrusted to each hero by Magni Bronzebeard—with Azerite to customize your armor with new powers and traits.”
Battle to Level 120 – “Trace the corruption of the Blood God to the Underrot, unearth the secrets of a lost titan vault, escape from the Drust Realm of the Dead, and more as you quest through 10 new levels—then continue to grow in power through new World Quests, raids, dungeons, and more.”

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get Your Family Game On!

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February 1, 2018 0 comment

Online Multiplayer Games Parent Resources PC games

A Warning to Parents about Roblox

by Stephen Duetzmann February 20, 2017

written by Stephen Duetzmann

Editor’s Note: This topic was also discussed on an NBC News New York Investigation that we were a part of!

Roblox is an immensely popular “game” on the web. The website boasts over 30 million unique views each month. Many sites compare it to Minecraft, but I don’t think those comparisons are valid. Roblox is less of a game in and of itself and more of a game creation system. Players are encouraged to create their own game experiences and share them with the public.

Sounds great right? Why in the world would parents need to be warned about it?

I was asked late last week to take a look a story that was circulating around the internet. An Australian Rugby player reported that he witnessed child predators hunting children and encouraging them to participate in (digital) sexual behaviors. He didn’t provide video or screenshots, so there was plenty of reason to question his claims. In fact, Snopes even declared that his accusations were “Unproven” after their own research.

In an effort to investigate his claims on my own I created my own account on the service and logged into the game. I logged into various games and sat watching other players behavior within the digital space. Everything started fairly innocently. I saw kids trying to organize small groups to role play as families. I saw other kids fishing or running around randomly. But, then I clicked into a game that was called “Shower Simulator” and saw a bunch of characters… well… showering in a large open shower room.

None of that compares to when I walked into a private party that was hosted in one of the city simulator games. The party included up to fifty people and were held in what could only be described as a private home. The parties took place in custom designed houses that included multiple dance floors and rooms FULL of beds. In several of the parties that I stumbled into there were always multiple people on each of them using various in game emotes to simulate something (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a game of UNO).

That wasn’t all I saw. I saw dozens of players with names designed to express sexual intent while ducking whatever filters the system has in place.

My Recommendation

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend Roblox as a game for children to play on their own. It is simply too easy for innocent children to see stuff that they shouldn’t. I don’t know that any of these players were actually child predators as opposed to just clueless kids, but the fact is that no one can ever really know about that until it is too late.

With that said, I recognize the value that the game has. The options for creation are there and there is a lot of learning to be had. I have to encourage that you play together if you decide to take advantage of those opportunities. This way you can help shield them from bad actors and encourage good behavior.

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February 20, 2017 3 comments

News Updates PC games Playstation 4 Xbox One

Friday Family Gaming News Update: 10/16/2015

by Stephen Duetzmann October 16, 2015

written by Stephen Duetzmann

Exciting things happen in the world of video games every single day. Everything happens so quickly that it can be tough for a parent to keep track of. Between work, carting the kids to everywhere under the sun, cooking, cleaning, and maybe (just maybe) getting a chance to sleep for a few hours parents just don’t have the time to keep up with everything happening in their child’s hobby.

If the above paragraph describes you, then we have an answer for you. Every Friday morning EFG will be publishing a digest of some of the biggest video game news that your family needs to know. So kick back with your morning coffee and enjoy!

Star Wars: Battlefront Was EA’s Biggest Beta Event Ever

9 million people played the Star Wars: Battlefront Beta over this past weekend (I was one of them!) making it their biggest beta event ever. The event featured two team based gameplay modes. One featured teams competing to capture escape pods full of supplies. The other took place on Hoth and involved the rebels trying to prevent Imperial AT-AT walkers from reaching their base.

EA “celebrated” this success in a very interesting way. They announced a Season Pass for Star Wars: Battlefront priced at $50 that includes 4 different DLC packs and a few other minor updates, but did not share any hard details. No one is required to purchase a Season Pass, but it is hard to swallow a company posting the highest priced season pass in history without more details.

Rocket League is getting some a “Timely” update on October 21, 2015

Rocket League is one of the surprise hits of 2015. It features multiplayer action where players play a game of large scale soccer using rocket powered cars. On October 21, 2015 it will be getting an addon in the form of the Delorean skin from Back to the Future.

HALO 5: Guardians Launch Trailer

Destiny Now has an online store Selling Emotes for Real Money

Activision has opened an in-game store inside Destiny for players to purchase vanity items like emotes and dance using real life money. The new update includes 18 such emotes that range from a “come at me bro” to “The Carlton.” No. Seriously. Watch the video. It’s the Carlton.

PvZ Theme Park Attraction

A Plants vs Zombies themed attraction will be arriving to the Carowinds theme park in North Carolina in the Spring of 2016. They are calling it an Intra-active attraction that pits two teams of 32 players in competition of sorts.

“An intra-active experience means the game allows players to interact with the opposing team’s screen. Guests will step inside the state-of-the-artPlants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare: 3Z Arena complex decked with 3-D technology, massive screens, surround sound and motion-based seats, to enjoy outrageous and imaginative encounters with their competition. Teams will compete in the Plants vs. Zombies universe during an almost five minute backyard battle, where they’ll shoot screens with blasters and track their scores as they go.”

Source: Carowinds Website

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October 16, 2015 0 comment

Home Consoles Reviews Wii U

The Wonderful 101 Review

by Guest Writer October 15, 2013

written by Guest Writer

By: Lara Murray, staff writer

Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB Rating: T (for Teens)

Available on the Wii U

Overall Review:

The Wonderful 101 is a colorful, action-packed romp that puts the player in control of a team of superheroes working together to fight against an invading swarm of aliens bent on taking over Earth. It’s a typical story with inspiration heavily derived from Japanese super sentai shows, but most families in the US will liken the game to the localized Power Ranger series, or the Pixar movie The Incredibles.

Family Assessment:

If children already watch action shows where combative violence is prevalent, The Wonderful 101 shouldn’t be an issue. Most of the content is suitable for children to watch, with fully voiced characters that makes the game feel more like an after school cartoon.

The T rating for the game is due to a few mature instances, such as to alcohol by way of a hero called Wonder-Beer. Very mild nudity (comparable to a nude Barbie doll) is displayed during a few transformation sequences, as well as when a player loses—their character is defamed of their costume and cast out into a spotlight in their underwear on the Game Over screen.

Playability Assessment:

There are three setting in single-player mode–Very Easy ,Easy, and Normal–that players can select from before each mission that affects how easy enemies are to defeat. Regardless of setting, the controls are the same: players use the touch screen on the game pad, or the analog stick on a controller or gamepad, to draw shapes that turn into attacks, such as a circle for a fist or a line for a sword.

The game can be unforgiving when moves aren’t input correctly by not executing the move, which halts progression with the missions that require proper execution of a move to continue. Young children with little to no basic grasp of shapes may not share the intended fun as compared to a child that possesses these cognitive skills, but may still find enjoyment watching the action unfold on the screen.

In multiplayer, a competitive co-operative mode, up to five players can play using one Game Pad and four Wii Remotes. Controls are the same as they are in single player mode, but it’s more difficult to draw commands with the Wii Remotes than it is to use the Game Pad’s touch screen. It’s also very difficult to follow what happens on the screen, as there is too much action happening at once to successfully keep track of your avatar.

Conclusion:

As long as the reasons responsible for the game’s T rating are approved in your home, the Wonderful 101 is a great addition for a family that owns the Wii U. It’s a fun romp that children and teens can enjoy, whether they’re playing the game or watching someone play through the story.

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October 15, 2013 0 comment

Reviews Wii U

Nintendo Land Review

by Guest Writer September 18, 2013

written by Guest Writer

By: Lara Murray, staff writer

Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB Rating: E

Released: November 2012

Available on the Wii U

Overall Review:

Nintendo Land masquerades as an amusement park filled where Nintendo-inspired mini-games, know as “attractions”, are available to the player. Each attraction is a spin on the capabilities of the Wii U’s gamepad, demonstrating how it changes the way we play games. Playing attractions earn coins, which in turn are used in a pachinko game (think Plinko from The Price Is Right) to win up to 300 decorations that adorn the park. If sharing data over the Internet is enabled, then you will find other Miis (Wii U avatars) from other players around the world walking around your park.

There are a total of twelve attractions, and they range from one player to multiplayer where up to five people can jump in on the action or participate in an attraction tour, which is a tournament style of play. Attractions also range in difficulty and skill level, each spinning their own interpretation on how to engage the gamepad to play the attraction.

Family Gaming Assessment:

Nintendo prides itself as family-oriented, so it should be no surprise that much of the game play is also family safe. Many attractions have cute aesthetics and are absent of graphic gore and violence. For examples, Takamaru’s Ninja Castle calls for players to aim paper ninja stars at origami ninjas hidden inside a diorama, while The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest brings players into a patchwork landscape to fight against ragdoll goblins.

Some attractions may need explanation for young players. One attraction, Luigi’s Ghost Mansion, may be spooky for younger children afraid of ghosts, despite how goofy the ghost looks. Another attraction, Metriod Blast, casts players as sci-fi bounty hunters defending their base by firing lasers at space insects. Younger or easily frightened children may be better suited to avoid these games until they can grasp the fantasy element like older children and teenagers will.

Playability Assessment:

Attractions are labeled as one of three categories: solo, team, and competition. As implied by their names, some of the attractions are more group-oriented than, say, the solo attractions which only one player can actively play at a time. Team attractions require full cooperation from all players to advance, while competition attractions pit one player against the others with winner-take-all stakes. As you progress in attractions, additional levels are added and the challenge rating increases gradually, but it’s always available to replay easier levels.

Each attraction involves manipulating the features of the Wii U’s gamepad, so in some attraction the gamepad’s screen is observed like a map or a first-person view unavailable from the third-party view displayed on the television, while other attractions require direct interaction by drawing a path or creating strokes on the gamepad’s screen to direct movement. Multiplayer attractions require at least standard Wii remotes for additional players, with some attractions needing the more expensive Motion+ Wii Remotes to play.

Multiplayer attractions are very easy to pick up for the players with Wii remotes. Usage of the gamepad can be more difficult in some attraction than in others, such as in Animal Crossing: Sweet Day where the two analog sticks control separate characters, or in Metroid Blast where the player has to control a vehicle. A nice feature, though, is that Nintendo Land recognizes when there is a new player based on the user’s Mii, and will go over a tutorial on how the attraction plays. Replaying the tutorials is just a button away if there’s ever a need for a refresher.

Conclusion:

Nintendo Land is one of the better exclusives available for the Wii U. Lots of replay value is hidden within the game, but the game is at its best when four to five players can monopolize the multi-player attractions, and in order to do that, each player needs their own Wii remote that retails for ~$30 apiece. Nintendo Land is best suited for larger families or an active house with frequent guests over that likely have or can bring over the extra remotes needed to fully enjoy the game, whereas small families may want to wait for a drop in price before picking Nintendo Land up.

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September 18, 2013 0 comment