Tech Archives - Page 2 of 42

Holiday Gaming Age Ten & Up: Call of Duty, Crash, Destiny 2

December 18, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received a download code to one ore more of these games.

We love gaming in our house. SO much so that we have quite a few different gaming consoles in our house and we even plan on getting a new console for Christmas. It just needs to be wrapped and put under the tree. Of course a console needs games and it’s a good thing that games are always coming out. So we have a list of three video games that are more appropriate for the older audience.

Call of Duty WW2

For Kids (E – 10+): Crash Bandicoot, the iconic platform game from the 90s, is back with Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy! In the remastered version of the first three titles – Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped – not only do you have the ability to play with Crash, who has been enhanced and is ready to dance, you can also play with his incredibly trendy little sister Coco in the fight to defeat Doctor Neo Cortex!
For Teens – Adults (T – Teen): Destiny 2, one of the year’s most anticipated video game titles, expands on the original award-winning first-person action game and continues to offer a wide-variety of gameplay for teens and adults alike!
For Adults (M – Mature, 17+): Call of Duty: WWII takes players back to the beginning for an interactive and cinematic first-person action experience like no other across many of World War II’s most iconic events and locations, such as the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day), Liberation of Paris and Battle of the Bulge!

Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII—a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for a new gaming generation. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history’s most monumental war. Experience classic Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie, and the unforgiving nature of war. The campaign features performances from Josh Duhamel and Jonathan Tucker. Call of Duty: WWII’s co-operative mode also unleashes a new and original story, featuring David Tennant, Katheryn Winnick, Elodie Yung and Udo Kier, providing player with a next-level standalone game experience full of unexpected, adrenaline-pumping moments.

Rated: M – Mature (17+)

Available: November 3, 2017

Platforms: PlayStation®4, Xbox One® and PC

MSRP: $39.99 (Standard Edition); $39.99 (Digital Standard Edition); $99.99 (Digital Deluxe); $99.99 (Pro Edition)

Assets: Available upon request

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Return to the world of everyone’s favorite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, like never before in fully-remastered HD graphical glory. Take on the epic challenges and adventures of the three games that started it all, Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot: Warped.

Rated: E10+ – Everyone 10+

Available: Now available

Platforms: PlayStation®4

MSRP: $39.99 (Standard Edition); $39.99 (Digital Standard Edition)

Destiny 2

Destiny 2 takes players on an epic journey across the universe to defend humanity from annihilation. The game welcomes new players to the universe, as well as those who have been devoted to the universe since the beginning, with an array of modes and activities to explore. In the story of Destiny 2, the last safe city on Earth has fallen and lay in ruins, occupied by a powerful new army. Players must master new abilities and weapons to reunite the city’s forces, stand together and fight back to reclaim their home.

In Destiny 2, every player creates their own character called a “Guardian,” humanity’s chosen protectors. Players can choose from playing the cinematic, story campaign, venturing into the expansive destinations to joining in cooperative modes including Strike missions. For competitive players, Destiny 2 offers intense 4v4 multiplayer matches in ‘The Crucible’. An all-new, community-oriented feature to be implemented in Destiny 2 started rolling out on Tuesday, and is called the ‘Guided Games’ system and helps players find groups to team up with to tackle Destiny 2’s most challenging activities.

Destiny 2 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and is available at a suggested retail price of $59.99. The product line-up also features the Destiny 2 – Game + Expansion Pass Bundle at $89.99 SRP, the Destiny 2 – Digital Deluxe Edition featuring premium digital content at $99.99 SRP, the Limited Edition at $99.99 SRP, and the Collector’s Edition, featuring a fully-wearable Destiny 2 – Frontier Bag, Expansion Pass, premium digital content and a Cabal-themed Collector’s Box for $249.99 SRP.

Also available are Sony PlayStation®4 timed exclusives* which include a competitive multiplayer map, a three-player cooperative Strike, a blue and white colored ship, specialized gear sets, and an exclusive exotic weapon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXZYMVqwvDQ.

For more game information, visit www.DestinyTheGame.com and follow the official Destiny social channels on Facebook and @DestinyTheGame on Instagram and Twitter. The community can interact directly with the developers at www.Bungie.net, Facebook, @Bungie on Twitter, Instagram and www.Twitch.tv/Bungie on Twitch.

Rated: T – Teen

Available: Now available (PlayStation / Xbox); October 24, 2017 (PC)

Platforms: PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC

MSPR: $59.99 (Standard Edition); $89.99 (Game + Expansion Pass Bundle); $99.99 (Digital Deluxe)

Build Fun This Christmas With FlyBlocks!

December 11, 2017 by Beeb 2 Comments

Sample provided.

Some of the best toys are the ones that not only engage children and create hours of entertainment, but also educate at the same time. That’s why I am so impressed with the 4 in 1 Build N’ Fly Drone Kit by FlyBlocks, a new, affordable product that allows the user to build their very own working drone.

The Build N’ Fly Drone Kit comes with everything you need to create your own working, flying drone out of plastic building blocks, including the motors and controller. Since the drone is made with plastic blocks, you can build it in a variety of different shapes and configurations – then crash it, and put it back together another way! That’s right, this is a drone that they actually encourage you to crash!

To get started, the kit’s instruction booklet walks you through the steps of building the drone. What I really loved about the instructions is that they tell you everything you need to know, but it relies mostly on diagrams to illustrate what you need to do, prompting the builder to really think about how everything fits together and figure out the steps for themselves. This is one of the very best ways to develop problem-solving skills and encourage curiosity! Don’t worry, it’s not intimidating – you don’t need any prior knowledge to put the drone together, and if you do get stuck, their website is a great resource and you can even reach out to them with questions or problems while building. (And, pssst – getting an answer through their website is still problem-solving, because your child is learning how to find information!)

Hands-on experimentation is how my husband and I both learned vital STEM skills, so it’s something I consider to be extremely crucial for young people to have an opportunity to do. I think back on when I was figuring out how to put together a PC as a teenager back in 1998, or how my husband used to take apart toasters as a curious child. Doing these things is how we learned the crucial skills that we use every day in both our professional and personal lives.

I put my FlyBlocks drone together during my lunch break one busy work day, and it was fun to build my own drone! There are so many different ways to put the drone together and so much to learn, it’s an awesome activity to keep kids occupied during winter break. Not to mention, once it’s built, you then get the whole other fun of flying it – with the added bonus that you can crash it without worry, then build it all over again! Which is good, because I’m way better at the “Building” part than the “Flying” part and crashed mine right away. 😉

There are so many things I love about this kit. At $59.95, not only is it an affordable way to gift someone a small drone, but you get so much more fun and enjoyment out of it by creating it yourself. The STEM skills that this builds are priceless and will provide value long after the youngster has grown up and the drone is a memory. I honestly think this is a great educational investment as well as being just a super awesome toy that any kid would love! The only suggestion I have for them is that it would be a great idea to sell extra parts: When I took my drone out for its maiden voyage in the back yard, I crashed it in 0.2 seconds and a couple of the blocks flew off into the wetlands, never to be seen again. This won’t stop me from being able to keep building new configurations and flying, but I can see how these tiny pieces would get lost very easily during usage and could potentially give the drone a shorter life span.

This FlyBlocks drone kit is suitable for ages 14+, and is a fantastic gift idea for teens! It’s also a super gift for the tech-loving grownup on your list – I’m giving one to my husband this year and I know he’ll have fun with it!

The 4 in 1 Build N’ Fly Drone Kit by FlyBlocks retails for $59.95 and is available at FlyBlocks.com; orders placed by December 15th will arrive in time for Christmas, so if you’re racking your brains on what to get your teen this year, then this is your perfect gift!

Nintendo Brings Families Together

November 22, 2017 by Momstart 1 Comment

This is a partnered post with Nintendo.

Before we even attended the Nintendo Event in Redmond this year, at the top of our Christmas wish list was a Nintendo Switch. My daughter has it at the top of her list, just under a cat and my son has it on his list three times, while I have it on my list just under a trip to Hawaii. Now, I have a feeling some of the things on our list aren’t going to happen and I’m about to go ahead and purchase The Switch because I have a lot of Best Buy Gift cards to use and we can’t wait to start playing the games we learned about when we recently visited Nintendo.

Just to remind you we’ve written about the Nintendo Switch and a few different games here recently….Like Should You Get A Nintendo Switch?? Of course the answer is yes. There are over 100 games for it now and publishers continue to make more. The interest for the Nintendo Switch is amazing and if you see one and want one get it. Nintendo is doing everything they can to keep up with demand but just in case, you don’t want to be without one, get it when you see it. Oh and here are reasons to get a few different games…

Reasons To Buy Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle for Nintendo Switch

Reasons To Buy Super Mario Odyssey for Nintendo Switch

Reasons to Buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild For Nintendo Switch

But the most important reason to consider getting the Nintendo Switch is because Nintendo brings families together. Nintendo is family friendly through and through. The games are things that my family wants to play together. We have a Wii U that we are using until we make that Switch. We’ve been playing Super Mario 3D World as part of our family time. I’ll do anything to keep the kids under our roof and that means they can also bring their friends over here. It’s our goal to be the fun house, so I can keep an eye on the kids without them feeling like I’m keeping an eye on them.

It’s a universal language. A language that children from all over the country know and love and become instant friends over. I saw this at the event we went to. The kids were all very well behaved and didn’t spend the entire time playing games. They actually got to know each other and my son even has a new pen-pal whom he writes to every day over e-mail.

And my daughter made a friend too. They spent most of their time dancing to the Just Dance game.

I know that’s going to have to be part of our holiday purchase too. I can’t wait to challenge her to a dance off.

Here are a few of the games that are expected to be most popular this holiday:

Super Mario Odyssey
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Splatoon 2
ARMS
Snipperclips Plus

Zelda Breath of the Wild

Which games are on your holiday wish list this year?

A Monthly Subscription To STEM

November 18, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received a sample

For the longest time my daughter was not interested in STEM at all. She hated math and science until this year. She now is really starting to get more and more excited about STEM. She took a small coding class at school and fell in love with it. On her Christmas list this year is a monthly subscription of something in the electronic field. I began searching for something for her at the same time this review came in. Thimble!

Choose a Subscription Length

Choose a 1, 3, 6, or 12-month subscription. Your first kit ships within 2 days

Delivered every month

Each box contains parts to build a fun device. Soldering and programming are involved.

Hands on Fun and Learning

Follow step-by-step tutorials that teach you how to build each project. No experience needed.

I guess it’s normal for kids to constantly shift their interests and to explore their curiosity. Which is why I’m going to take advantage of this current phase she is in. Thimble came to life so that children 13+ could learn how to build electronics through a monthly subscription box. Zoe is 10 and really looking forward to doing it with her dad. But we need to get a soldering gun/tool. We used to have one because my husband would put things together, but I didn’t realize he got rid of it. So once we have that we will be set, so yes this is for a little more experienced. Watch our quick thoughts on the box in this video:

In the past, Thimble has developed engaging kits for projects such as wifi-robots, LED cubes, alarm clocks, quadcopters, and more. Every single month your child can expect an exciting new project delivered to your door.
Once they have received their kit they can sign into Thimble’s Learning Platform to follow along with simple video instructions and code lessons. Kids can customize their projects to improve their skills and share their work with the rest of the private online community.

I think this is a great kit, it’s challenging and educational. Everything you need including a video tutorial is on-line, or comes in the box. Well except for a few tools that you might need. But the tools are very easy to find.

The Samsung Charge: Change The Way You Charge

October 29, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Charging your cell phone is all about where can I plug in my cable, did I bring my cable and sometimes in the middle of the night it’s dark and you can’t see where to put that silly little cord into your phone. Yep, this actually happens to me almost nightly. I get to my bedroom, my husband is already asleep and I’m struggling to plug in the charger. My husband just got something that solves this problem, it’s a lot like how Samsung does it!

You don’t have to just use the cable and charger that came in the box with your phone, there are so many new ways to charge your phone. The Samsung Charge, now allows you to charge your compatible device with ease. The Samsung fast chargers allow you to charge your phone much quicker than a traditional charger, up to 1.4 x faster, even while you’re using the phone. Samsung portable batteries allow you the freedom to charge anywhere you are – without being tethered to an outlet. There is a large assortment of charging accessories for every phone.

Save up to 20% on Samsung charging devices at Best Buy through Nov 4th

Here are specific details by SKU:

For sku: 5806010: Change how you charge – Samsung fast chargers rapidly charge your devices up to 1.4x faster for select models* The wireless charging system eliminates the cables and charges your compatible Galaxy device by simply placing it on the pad. Save up to 20% on Samsung charging devices at Best Buy through Nov 4th

For sku: 5806008: Change how you charge – Samsung portable battery pack lets you recharge your device quickly, so you can talk, text and surf longer when you’re out and about. Save up to 20% on Samsung charging devices at Best Buy through Nov 4th

* Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+ and later models – fast-speed charging; Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, Qi-enabled devices – standard-speed charging.

Prep For the Holidays with LG Appliances at Best Buy

October 22, 2017 by Momstart 14 Comments

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

The best way to get ready for the holidays is to have efficient appliances that help you prepare all that amazing food and LG and Best Buy have everything you need. From the refrigerator to the oven the features are everything you need. As you prep your home for entertaining during the holidays, you can count on the Best Buy expert service to find you the right LG appliances at an unbeatable price.

So about that fridge:

This refrigerator features a sleek glass panel that illuminates with two quick knocks on the right-hand refrigerator door, letting you see inside the easy-access compartment without ever opening the door. You and your holiday guests can decide what you want without even opening that door. Then once you know you can get it out easily.

About the Oven:

The oven circulates air evenly throughout the lower oven OR the ProBake Convection speeds cooking times for fast and flavorful meals. Both are excellent features while preparing that feast.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?

You can save up to $600 on LG Kitchen Appliance Package. Here is how. When you purchase a selected LG refrigerator, range OR wall oven, over-the-range microwave OR cooktop, and dishwasher you will save between $100 – $400. You can save an additional $100 when you choose a package in black stainless steel (excludes cooktops). And to get that final $100 when you select LG washer and dryer. See BestBuy for further details: LG and Best Buy

Set Smarter Limits On Family Devices with FamilyBase by Verizon

October 4, 2017 by Momstart 16 Comments

I’m partnering with Verizon to share how FamilyBase by Verizon can help you protect your family on their smartphones.

As the kids get older finding family time is getting harder and harder. It’s sometimes even hard for the parents to put down the devices. It’s often hard to force yourself to put those devices down. But the rewards are amazing! This girl of mine is constantly on her phone.

Now, a lot of the time they are doing school work or using apps for school because we do home school, but what about the rest of the time, what are they doing on there? For the phones that are on our Verizon plan we have a new tool to monitor and control these things for them, FamilyBase by Verizon. FamilyBase may be added to any multi-line account for $4.99 a month and allows you to limit the type of content they can see, the time of day or night they can use phone and just gives parents better control over their children’s smartphone use.

We’re pretty lucky so far. My daughter doesn’t use her phone very much, but she’s still really young. Also, as we’re considering getting my son a phone in the next few years we need something in place to set boundaries on him. He’s not as good at setting limits on himself or good at resisting. If he wants something he’ll just click yes, buy, or download and suffer the consequences later. I’m not about to let that happen. I’d rather a wall go up anytime he tries and that’s what the FamilyBase does, it lets parents set up those boundaries.

It’s a must-have tool for today’s kids. With just a few taps you can monitor all their activity and “pause the internet” when appropriate. I really like being able to establish time and data controls. Whether on Wi-Fi or using my data plan I can block apps and set content filters. Any phone on my plan with Verizon can be controlled with FamilyBase by Verizon.

FamilyBase KEY FEATURES:

SET SMARTER BOUNDARIES – Take back family time by limiting access to calls, texts and
data
CHILDPROOF YOUR INTERNET – Block access to inappropriate apps and websites
MONITOR USAGE & ACTIVITY – Block unwanted contacts and view your child’s text and
call history
IN-HOME & ON-THE-GO – Control your child’s online experience whether they’re using
Wi-Fi or your data

It helps us all find that balance between device time and family time.

Visit https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/family-base/ for further
information and to purchase FamilyBase by Verizon.

Reasons To Buy Mario Rabbids Kingdom Battle for Nintendo Switch #NintendoAmerica #Sponsored

September 29, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a partnered post with Nintendo.

The Nintendo Switch is an innovative gaming console that combines being a home console, a portable console, a multiplayer console, and a motion-sensitive console into one. Thanks to the unique design of the handset and data storage systems, It is a must-have for kids and adults who love games. The next questions after getting a Nintendo Switch is what games do you get?

So far, we have gone over, Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario Odyssey. Legend of Zelda, went back to their roots, taking advantage of the new system for a more immersive game, whereas others, like the Mario franchise, are exploring the range of new possibilities which have opened up. One of the best games released for the Switch so far is Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. This game is one of the craziest games to come out in ages, mashing together the Mario franchise and the Rabbids franchise to form an amazing universe full of challenges, and exploration.

Combining Mario and Rabbids is a bit of a wild card from Nintendo. I would not have expected them to work together. I always figured Mario was more for nostalgia and smaller kids, and Rabbids was more for teenagers and twenty somethings. The mash up of cute and traditional gaming with kind of strange and quirky gaming shouldn’t work. But it really does.

In this game a malfunctioning time washing machine brings the Rabbids into Mushroom Kingdom. Which, as you can probably guess, causes more than a little chaos. The Rabbids start merging with the creatures of Mushroom Kingdom, creating some bizarre and revolting monsters, and both Rabbids and monsters start tearing apart the Mushroom Kingdom, in the way they usually do.

In an unexpected turn of events, there happen to be a Mario Rabbid, as well as doppelgangers for pretty much everyone in his world. And these Rabbids and the usual cast of Mario agree that it is better to put the world to rights and split their universes again. This is where the player is involved. You can choose between single player story mode or a series of co-op challenges to take you through the steps until everything is fixed. The players solve all sorts of puzzles, explore the world, and track down necessary items as they march through four distinct Mario worlds to help the cast solve their Rabbid problem.

The game is a joy to play, not just an enjoyable story. There is plenty of strategy and opportunities to use your wit and gaming skills to get what you need. The role-playing element is linked in, but not too much of a driver for the story. And your choice of character really impacts your gameplay, as every character is unique in terms of special skills, equipment, and personality, meaning that especially in multiplayer mode you need to pay special attention to your strategy.

But don’t worry if your kids aren’t familiar with this level of tactical gaming yet. Like most new installments to the Mario franchise, this game includes a step by step tutorial where players can practice new codes, moves, and concepts, letting them explore and discover this new universe before being set free to follow the adventure. All in all, this game is great for most older kids and all teenagers, but also quite fun for younger kids if they get a little support.

The only bad news here is that there seems to be no intention of making this game into a series. However, Nintendo have announced they have plenty of plans for downloadable extras and packages, which will hopefully keep all players happy until they see the error of their ways and agree to release a sequel game.

Reasons To Buy Super Mario Odyssey for Nintendo Switch #NintendoAmerica #Sponsored

September 28, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a partnered post.

Holiday Season is on it´s way, but even if you are reading this and it´s not time to buy Christmas presents and you just want to know if you should by the Nintendo Switch and Super Mario Odyssey, we will break it down for you. Nintendo revolutionizes gaming pretty routinely. From their arcade game systems, to the portability of the GameBoy, to the motion-sensitive Wii, Nintendo has always had a focus on gaming as an experience. It’s not just about graphics or the story, after all, you can get amazing graphics and a good story from a movie, or even a comic book, or a different gaming system. What Nintendo does is they take something which is a fun activity and they give us more ways of engaging it, better things to do with it, a much wider array of fun. The Switch embodies this innovative spirit. It has taken the traditional Nintendo system and made it into something new and unique: a games console that is all in one like the Nintendo Switch. But the hard part is deciding on which games to get and a great option is the Mario franchise.

Most recently, Nintendo has announced the release of Super Mario Odyssey, October 27th, which makes the very most of all the new and amazing features on this innovative console. Nintendo has offered an impressive bundle, the contents of which have barely just been revealed. During a broadcast the company displayed what could be found in the soon to be available bundle: Amiibo figures of Mario, Princess Peach, and Bowser in wedding attire, photo mode, and red Joy-Cons along with the console and switch case. It really will be a complete package for players.

The photo mode is a new addition which makes use of Switch’s screenshot feature. The console will let you screenshot anything at all you like, of course, but playing this game your kids will be able to set up and take the perfect shots they want of their gameplay, to show and share with friends.

Some features of the gameplay were also revealed during this presentation. The story seems much more solid than in many of the recently released multiplayer Mario games, and is going back to Mario’s roots as a multilevel adventure and rescue game. There are many levels and settings to play in, with plenty of detail and fun games. Not to mention cool features like the power ups which come with the outfits. For those wedding costumes, a player as Mario is temporarily invincible, Princess Peach gains a life-up heart, and Bowser attains regional coin location information.

Mario’s journey seems exciting and immersive, despite the cartoon style of the adventure. The settings are incredibly varied and the universe is more open than before, in an ongoing trend from Nintendo that will only continue as access to more gigs becomes a common feature of their consoles. In effect, they have broken free of the restrictions of the Wii and are crafting the next generation of gaming.

And if Super Mario Odyssey is not quite right for your kids, there are still plenty of options on the Nintendo Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is another fantastic option, a new and creative way of playing this traditional Mario game. There is also Mario Kingdom Battle available, which kids are bound to love. There is even talk of a Nintendo Switch Mario Party, although unfortunately this will not be an option for this Christmas, as it is still in development. And besides the Mario titles there are plenty of amazing Nintendo Switch games out right now which your kids might love.

Reasons to Buy Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch #Sponsored #NintendoAmerica

September 26, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a partnered post with Nintendo.

The Nintendo Switch is undoubtedly one of the best new consoles on the market. If you’ve been following along you know that we’ve been covering different reasons to buy the Nintendo Switch this holiday season, including the newest Legend of Zelda. It also uses the most developed motion sensor and touchable technology, to transfer games between your TV and portable device, even to sync and play with up to eight other people at a time. But none of that matters without the games on it. If the games aren’t good enough, your kids won’t use the console no matter how advanced it is. So what games are available?

Today let’s explore Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This game is based on the same underlying system as the Wii Mario Kart games. Some hardcore gamers may see this as a downside, but for you and your kids it is a solid upside: if they liked Mario Kart on the Wii, they will probably have fun with and use this game, so you know you can get it for them. We loved Mario Kart on the Wii. Remember, this one they can take on the go with them.

That said, there are a few solid differences between this game and the Wii versions which make it all the more special. It is a much more upgraded than their last games. It runs at 1080p, as opposed to 720 on the Wii, meaning much smoother images and real time movements, kind of essential for a game you may be playing via motion sensors, and ending the constant “lag” arguments that happen when someone loses a race.

It comes with around 50 race tracks with great and challenging designs, making sure there are plenty of hours of fun to be had. What is more, on top of all our usual favorite Mario Kart characters they have added another five new characters. Inkling Girl, Inking Boy, Bowser Jr., Dry Bones, and King Boo are now playable characters, much to the delight of kids who love their designs and personalities. There are also some new kart designs which your kids are bound to love.

As far as playability is concerned, the game is very well adapted to the system. You can split the screen between up to four players, and if you link several systems together you can have twelve players racing against each other. What is more, you can clutch two items at the same time, and it has a smart steering option, making it much easier for younger kids in the family to play this edition of Mario Kart than previous editions. All in all, it is a pleasant experience for long time players and newcomers alike. It’s the perfect family game and one of my favorites to play.

Battle Mode has been changed the most of all, though. Not massively. You can still play the usual games which involve squaring off against the characters, or other players, in challenges that let you test your skills. And most of these games are still pretty much the same. But there are some cool and interesting upgrades to them. In Balloon Battle there is much better, smoother movement. And Shine Thief is much more detailed as well. But they have also added a new game: Renegade Roundup. In this mode you are split into teams and one will try to capture the other team and put them in jail, a bit like cops and robbers. You are under a time pressure to complete the challenge, but the escaping team has an ace up their sleeve: they can sneak up and release their teammates from prison.

In short, other than in graphics this game really isn’t much different from the latest Wii editions of Mario Kart. But that isn’t a bad thing. If you know your kids love Mario Kart, then this is a dead-cert present which will be used loads if you get in for Christmas. What is more, the new system provides an opportunity for more varied and more social play, which will ensure your kids make the most use of it.

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