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C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2672
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 9:35 pm: | 
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So, the kid thinks she'll meet her academic goals via tomorrow's report card and thus earn a Game Boy Advance. If so, this will be the first gamer handheld in the household. She'll be 10 this summer and we're fairly conservative about what she's allowed to watch/play. Violent/degrading games need not apply.
Need recs for games and other helpful info re GBAs. Thanks.
Cathy |
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1294
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 10:14 am: |
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Actually, if she wants to be up to date she should get the Game Boy DS. (DS stands for double screen). Most of the games are being made for that device now. I don't think it's any or much more expensive than the game boy advance. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2677
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 10:29 am: |
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I think I read that the DS (or perhaps it's the micro?) is not backwards compatible which I find very annoying and am not willing to fund. |
JLH
Citizen
Username: Goblinhands
Post Number: 3
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 11:34 am: |
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The DS is compatible with Game Boy Advance. GBA cartridges fit into the second slot at the bottom of the system. However, the DS can not play the slightly bigger cartridges of the Game Boy Color or the older Game Boy. Infact, you can access extra content on some DS games by having their matching Advanced game in the second slot. Also, the DS does not have a space for the GBA link cable, so you could not play the multi-player link up modes for Advanced games. If you feel at all confused, don't be afraid to ask which ever retailer you choose to buy from any questions. People at EB Games or GameStop are pretty reliable for being knowlegable about all of the game systems.
I'd also recommend going to EB or GameStop instead of say Best Buy, etc, because they can have better discounts. Odds are if you decide to go with Game Boy Advanced, you might find a used model at the store. (Be sure to get the SP model, because it has a better back light. The older models are very difficult to see in darker settings and require an annoying external light). People are always trading in their systems for credit to other systems, so they usually have used merchandise available. This is particularly handy when it comes to the games themselves, and the biggest advantage of the stores-- You can trade in old games for credit to new ones. Odds are, if it's not a brand new title that you want, they will have it used. I know, all this 'used' talk might turn you off, but I and my friends have been getting used games for years from EB/GameStop with no problems. Plus, I'm sure they would be happy to replace any game should it turn out to be defective.
I am a girl gamer, but I am 24 so not really much in tune with what 10 year olds might like now adays. What I liked to play when I was 10 isn't around any more! But I am kind of like your daughter, I never went in for any of the girly fashion stuff as you talked about in the other post ;) Is she into Pokemon? There are a TON of Pokemon games to pick from. As well as a ton of Mario-themed games, those are all kid friendly.
Two games that I have loved for the Game Cube that have been transfered over to GBA/DS are Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. They are kind of 'real life' games, in Harvest Moon you play a character living on a farm, and you have to do things like take care of the crops and animals, and raise a family. The GBA Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town lets you play as a girl character. I think the other ones are only a boy character, which might be odd for your daughter I don't know. Again, ask the store employees, they can probably give you good info. And you might even find other parents in the store too! Anyways, Animal Crossing kind of has the same theme as Harvest Moon, and might be more fun. (It is only for DS though) You can pick boy or girl. You play a character that has just moved to a fun new town, filled with all sorts of animal inhabitants. You are given a house with a mortgage, and you need to pay it off! To do this, you can run errands for the towns people, fish, catch bugs, among other things. You can write letters to the towns people, donate your finds to the museum, and participate in events celebrating holidays. It can kind of be compaired to The Sims, only more cartoonish. I'm probably making it out to sound boring, but it can become a very engaging game.
Wow I wrote a lot! I'm sorry... Anyways, I tried to find a good site reviewing games for parents, but didn't come across anything decent. The best thing I'd say is to browse around on Amazon.com, there are a lot of helpful user reviews posted on there. Good Luck! |
JLH
Citizen
Username: Goblinhands
Post Number: 4
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 12:04 pm: |
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Oh! More ideas already! I went back and looked at your other thread. If you are looking for good puzzle games, my absolute favorite by far is Supper Puzzle Fighter II. I'm sure you know of Tetris, it is kind of a little like that. You match up colored blocks to make bigger blocks, and break them with matching 'breaker gems,' thus sending random blocks down on your oponent. It is very, very fun. Puyo Pop is another similar game, also extremely fun. Both are Game Boy Advance.
I was just reading some good reviews on Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, your daughter might like that one too. Kirby is this big bubblegum-pink ball with feet, and he can 'swallow' enemies and turn into different things.
One last recommendation and then I'll stop. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, for Game Boy Advance. (Remember Nintendo DS can play GBA cartridges). This is an adventure type game, using characters from Disney and Final Fantasy games. If your daughter is interested in Adventure/ Role Playing type genre than this might be a good place to start, as it is kind of cartooney, with the main character's side kicks being Goofy and Donald Duck, but it also has more engaging play that won't be too simple for her, nor over her head. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2680
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 12:19 pm: |
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JLH, you're very helpful. Don't stop! Thanks. |
JLH
Citizen
Username: Goblinhands
Post Number: 6
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 1:56 pm: |
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That's dangerous to say, Bataille! I can talk talk talk your ears off and type type type your eyes out! ;p
One more game I was going to suggest but didn't but now I will, is for the DS, if you decide to go that way. Well they're actually two games but both kind of the same- Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, and Big Brain Academy. They both have thinking games, memory, math, etc that challenge for all different levels. Brain Age does what the title says, it gages what 'age' your brain is, and gives you games to do according to the tested age, with the goal of improving your brain and getting it to the 'peak' age. Big Brain Academy is basically similar brain games, but without the age scoring.
What is kind of neat about these games is that they are the English version of the DS game in Japan called Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?. Dr Kawashima is a real person, a graduate of the Tohuku University School of Medicine, and a researcher of brain imaging. His games have become popular in Japan, and are used in adult and senior activity groups to keep their minds active and help prevent Alzheimer's. (I read all of this the other week from the BBC news website). So this might be a good game for Mommy to play, too! =) |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2470
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 4:14 pm: |
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I can vouch for Harvest Moon. I bought it for my son to use on his gamecube and it quickly became his favorite game. There is no violence (unless you think fishing is violent) and teaches you about crops and seasons. All the while you'll have to manage your growing farm by selling what you grow, storing what you need to eat, raising cows/chickens and other farm animals. One of the goals of the game is to find a girl in town to marry. We haven't gotten that far but I think the game ends if you don't marry the right girl within a certain amount of time.
Its fun and addicting.
You may want to look into the movie tie-in games especially Harry Potter.
My son has been asking about the Big Brain Academy but I've resisted so far. He hounded us for a GBA and now rarely plays it. I found it to be less engaging than a gamecube/x-box/playstation. The most fun we have is playing games together - the GBA is useful for traveling but what I like about the other systems is that he and I can work together to figure out the puzzles and such.
I don't think you can go wrong with the Super Mario Brothers franchise or the puzzle type games that JLH mentioned.
Good luck.
BTW, I can't believe your daughter is 10 already, seems like such a short while ago you were talking about SB and kindergarten/first grade. |
musicme
Citizen
Username: Musicme
Post Number: 1704
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 4:32 pm: |
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C,
The Harvest Moon series is very good for 10 yr olds girls. Farming, Fishing. Lots of walking around and interacting with characters. Not at all like Grand Theft Auto. Very few hookers and no beatings.
Avail for playstation, DS and the Gamecube. |
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 1295
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 7:44 pm: |
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My daughter and her friends of the same age like Nintendogs. They get 'jobs' and 'earn' money somehow as part of the game, and they can purchase dogs. She's learned a lot about dogs. |
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2692
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 - 10:15 am: |
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Okay. We got GBA SP. Thanks for the heads-up on SP. And Harvest Moon (my purchase) and Madagascar (hers.) How is Ebay for used cartridges? Do they show up at garage sales? Other Mothers? Hmmm, I may have seen some at Good Will on 22. But they were probably for some other game. Are the cartridges hard to damage (she asks hopefully)? I mean apart from getting wet or something like that? We got the two games one week ago and she's champing at the bit to get another. (She's got a few different ones in mind.) She wouldn't mind used. And she knows she has to pay for most of them outside of birthday/Christmas presents, etc. (She's scheming to do more chores for money, so I guess that's a good thing, right? Hey, unintended positive consequences. Yay.) |
JLH
Citizen
Username: Goblinhands
Post Number: 9
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 - 8:31 pm: |
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I've only ever gotten my games from game shops, so I can't say for how Ebay, etc are for quality. Cartridges in my experience are fairly durable, as I don't necessairly treat them well. My collection has survived being shoved in the side pocket of an over stuffed giant suit case along for my many air-travels. Who knows how the airport baggage people handle the luggage! And I store them only in a zip-lock bag! So I'd imagine they would be fine no matter where you get them. That's an advantage to cartridges over CD's is no worry about scratches! But if you do get bad ones from Ebay there's always the satisfaction of leaving a poor feedback rating  |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 2478
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 9:25 am: |
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I've purchased numerous games from ebay and the only time I ever had a problem was a mix up on the platform. I thought I was buying an Xbox game and wound up getting a playstation one instead. In fact I bought my son's Game cube off of ebay. It came complete with memory cards, three games, a controller and set of bongos all for about a hundred bucks. Works like a champ and hey it's new to my son.
I'm not sure about GBA but I know that xbox, playstation and the game cube all have "classic hits" which are older games that were very popular in their hey day. Those games are reasonably priced at about $20. We have quite a few of them. I think xbox refers to them as "platinum" games.
My son's GBA and pixter and leappad have all survived numerous airplane trips as well - the cartridges seem to hold up to a beating so I think used ones should work just fine.
Happy gaming. |
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