The older the children get, the more they are loving their Nintendo consoles. Thankfully we haven’t quite got to the stage of having to physically prise them from their fingers when they have been playing for too long but they love them enough that it’s a deterrent when we threaten to confiscate them if they don’t do as they have been asked.
Curly is most definitely the Nintendo king of the household, he knows all the latest games that are coming out, he knows every character and he needs very little instruction when it comes to a new game. He reminds me of my younger self before motherhood took over but every now and then I manage to grab a snippet of time either with the Beans or a spot of Professor Layton on my own and I am lost for a while. Curly loves all manner of games from the simple platform, role play and driving games to the shoot ’em ups but we don’t tend to buy him too many of them as they aren’t really games that we deem appropriate for his age. Curly is currently playing Skylanders, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Pokemon Omega Ruby. His bedroom is starting to look like a Skylanders world as he has so many characters adorning his windowsills and worktops.
Little Bean still loves all things ‘Princess’, animal and girly although her favourite game of the moment is Tomadachi Life. She was telling me the other day she has a boyfriend and they plan to get married, it was all news to me! Driving games are definitely NOT her thing though and will usually reduce her to tears after a couple of rounds against her brothers.
Beanie Boy is currently loving Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and his long standing favourite, Super Mario World. He really wants Super Smash Bros too as he loved playing it at the Nintendo Kids Event we attended last year but unfortunately I haven’t been able to download it yet. I need to get my head around our current storage issues.
New Nintendo 3DS
A couple of weeks ago a very lucky Beanie Boy was sent a NEW Nintendo 3DS console. It couldn’t have arrived at a better time since his 2DS had broken on his birthday in September so he has been sharing Curly’s 2DS ever since. When it arrived I wondered how I was going to transfer all of Beanie Boy’s games downloads from his 2DS but I needn’t have worried at all, it was unbelievably simple. Within the Settings Menu I selected Other Settings and scrolled across a couple of pages to System Transfer and then followed the onscreen instructions. On Beanie Boy’s 2DS console I did the same process and selected for one to transfer and one to receive, the rest was up to the consoles and it didn’t take very long at all. Within 10-15 minutes the new 3DS was set up exactly like his old console with all his games so he could get started straight away and hasn’t looked back since.
The new 3DS has better controls with the new C-stick near to the A, B, X and Y buttons and the addition of the ZL/ZR buttons on the rear of the console near the L/R buttons. These new buttons improve game play in certain games but are also brilliant for surfing the internet, scrolling between pages and zooming in and out. The L and R buttons also activate the camera which has been improved enabling better pictures under poor lighting conditions.
The NFC (near-field communication) allows you to enhance game play with new interactive Amiibo figures (which can also be used with the Wii U). Just tap an Amiibo figure against the NFC panel whilst using compatible software and see a new world of opportunities from new modes, character customisations, abilities and weapons.
Pokemon Ruby
Having never played the original Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire we can’t comment on the improvements of it being a 3D game but we can tell you that it’s a game that Curly has loved playing. Apparently the old game was quite sparse but not so of Pokemon Omega Ruby, there are plenty of Pokemons and non-playable characters to interact with and shops to spend your earnings.
As a parent I like that the Pokemon games encourage the Beans to use their brains a little to plan ahead and make careful moves, they also require some basic maths skills and reading which are currently out of Beanie Boy’s grasp but it doesn’t stop him playing the game, he just needs the help of others when he gets stuck.
Pokemon are creatures who rarely speak and come in all shapes and sizes, they are raised by their trainers and have the ability to evolve into something bigger and stronger. There are currently more than 700 Pokemon. The way the game works is that you take on the role of a Trainer travelling from place to place, collecting and training Pokemon then pitting them against your opponents for the title of Pokemon League Champion. One thing which I like as a parent is that the Pokemon never ‘die’ in the game, it’s not violent so I feel it is ok for the younger Beans to play. It encourages fair play, sportsmanship, sharing and respect for their opponents, all traits I hope they will learn in life.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Captain Toad is one of those games that if the Beans ask me for their help, they are soon begging me to hand the controls back because once I start playing I find it a little addictive and I want to carry on. The game features 70 courses which Captain Toad needs to navigate. When you can’t see a part of the course you just rotate the view using the joystick to see it from a different angle. When you see the Console symbol appear on the screen you need to tap the screen to open new pathways, you can dig tunnels and walk through water BUT Captain Toad can’t jump so you have to plan your course and moves well. The aim of each level is to collect the Stars but there are certain characters who will do all they can to stop you on your journey, look out for Flaptors who will dive-bomb you from above and stop those Shy Guys in their tracks by throwing turnips at them. This is definitely a game for the whole family to enjoy.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric
I was never a Sonic fan in my younger days and I’m afraid it really doesn’t do it for me now either but Curly and Beanie Boy both love it. There are currently two versions of Sonic Boom available; Rise of Lyric for the Wii U and Shattered Crystal for the 3DS and 2DS consoles.
Working as a team Sonic and his friends Tails, Knuckles and Amy must save the world from Lyric’s robotic army. Using each characters special abilities you will explore the ancient ruins, underwater regions and anything else you stumble across. You will fight as a team or change between characters to destroy your opponents shields making them defenceless. Sonic Boom is a fast paced game which is probably what I don’t like as my reactions aren’t what they once were. Solve puzzles, battle your enemies and explore your world, there is definitely lots to keep you entertained and also the possibility to unlock special upgrades as you progress through story mode.
DISCLAIMER: I received download codes for the above games and the games console as part of my role as a Nintendo blogger. All words and opinions are my own and may not be copied without my permission.