The Sims 3

The Sims 3 Review

The Sims 3 Feature

• Unlock All-New Karma Powers to wield ultimate control over your Sims giving them wealth, beauty, and love, or take it all away with the click of a button
• Create and control multiple Sims within your household and enjoy life's special moments as you interact with their world
• Use your stylus to sculpt your Sims' facial features giving them signature hair styles and clothing as well as personality traits
• Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims' destinies by making their wishes come true, or letting their dreams die
• For the first time ever on DS, build your Sims home with tools to draw walls and floors, and customize with decor objects, textures, and more

The Sims 3 Overview

For the first time ever, enjoy a complete life simulation experience on handheld! Create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a living neighborhood. Unlock all-new Karma Powers and unleash them on your Sims: help your Sims get lucky with the power of “rapid romance”, bless them with “instant beauty” or curse them with the “instant enemy”. As you guide your Sims through life you can complete opportunities to unlock additional items and town upgrades. Experience the ultimate handheld life simulator!

The Sims 3 Specifications

The Sims 3 for DS is a life simulation game that brings authentic gameplay elements, long enjoyed in PC versions of the game, to the small screen of the Nintendo DS. Packed with depth rarely, if ever seen in a simulation game developed for a handheld, and utilizing the functionality of the DS' stylus and touchscreen, The Sims 3 allows players to actually craft the lives of their Sims, rather than simply follow predetermined paths. This combined with additional features such as a extreme customization and a new Karma game element that can impact the lives of Sims for good or ill, results in a gameplay experience equally suited to both new and longtime fans of the series.

The most advanced handheld sim game to date.
View larger.

A Breakthrough in Handheld Sim Gaming

The Sims 3 for Nintendo DS provides the first opportunity ever to enjoy a truly complete life simulation gaming experience on a handheld platform. True to the gameplay experience of the PC version, this DS release allows players create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a living neighborhood. The flexibility to do so, specifically as the player chooses, comes from the game's improved utilization of the DS stylus/touchscreen control combination. With this, players can more thoroughly take command of details of their Sims lives, including customizing physical features and personality traits, altering wardrobe and personalities, tweaking aspects of the physical game environment and interacting with others Sims.

In addition, players can unlock all-new Karma Powers and unleash them on your Sims. These can be used to help your Sims get lucky with the power of "rapid romance", bless them with "instant beauty" or at the opposite end of things, curse them with the "instant enemy." Use these powers wisely, because they may have unexpected results. Either way, as you guide your Sims through life The Sims 3 for Nintendo DS allows you to complete opportunities to unlock items and rewards like never before in this ultimate handheld life simulator.

Key Game Features

• First Complete Life Simulation on the Nintendo DS - Create any Sim you can imagine and control their lives. Control multiple Sims within your household and enjoy life's special moments as you interact with their world.
• Create Sims and Give Them Unique Personalities - Use your stylus to sculpt your Sims' facial features. Choose their hair styles and clothing and dictate their personalities. Make them evil, romantic, hot-headed, neurotic, or a mix of something completely different.
• Control your Sims' Destinies - Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims' destinies by making their wishes come true, or letting their dreams die. Will your Sims be emperors of evil, world leaders, or expert thieves? It's up to you.
• Customize Your Sims World - For the first time ever on DS, build your Sims home with tools to draw walls and floors, and customize with decor objects, textures, and more.
• Unlock All-New Karma Powers - Wield the ultimate control over your Sims giving them wealth, beauty, and love, or take it all away with the click of a button.

Additional Screenshots

Guide your sim's passions. View larger.

Stylus driven interactions. View larger.

Utilize the new Karma system. View larger.

Find happiness where you can. View larger.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 13, 2010 01:43:12

Art Academy

Art Academy Review

Art Academy Feature

• Features -
• Free Paint Mode allows you to create works of art when ever and where ever you are inspired
• There are different types of Pencil and Brush types for you to choose from when creating your art; this gives you more creative freedom when painting and drawing
• Paints are easily mixed on a painter's pallet to get the desired colors; they can also be diluted with water to adjust the color saturation; you can even choose how much paint is on the brush at a given time
• The Gallery is an area where the you can frame and save all of the artwork you create; Gallery Images can be displayed in a slide show or viewed one at a time

Art Academy Overview

Draw, Paint, Create Step-by-step lessons for everyone! Learn to create art on the DS. Art Academy is a fun, interactive training program that teaches real-world painting and drawing techniques, much as you would learn in an art class. Lessons take you from basic sketching techniques with pencils to painting with brushes, color mixing and water dilution—all with a realistic feel and producing realistic results that can be applied to real-life materials outside of the Nintendo DS environment. Simple, easy-to-understand instruction. An in-game tutor walks you through each lesson step-by-step, giving examples, providing demonstrations, and offering helpful tips. Each Lesson gradually builds off the previous one, and allowing players to advance at their own pace. Art on the Go! Inspiration can appear anywhere –in the park, at a bus stop, even on an airplane. With Art Academy software’s free paint mode, your personal art studio is no farther than your pocket, ready to assist in creating your latest masterpiece.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 12, 2010 01:35:33

Scripps Spelling Bee

Scripps Spelling Bee Review

Scripps Spelling Bee Feature

• Get an A+. Input your child?s school spelling words to practice for this week?s test.
• Bee the Champion! Practice and spell words to compete against family and friends to see who is the best speller!
• Practice Makes Perfect! Need help? Click the Merriam-Webster® help button for definitions and audio pronunciations of thousands of challenging words.
• Word Sleuth! Play 8 puzzling mini-games. Spelling has never been more fun!

Scripps Spelling Bee Overview

Be the Best You Can Bee! Increase your child’s vocabulary and improve your child’s grades with the Scripps Spelling Bee game!

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 11, 2010 00:21:28

The Sims 3

The Sims 3 Review

The Sims 3 Feature

• Unlock All-New Karma Powers to wield ultimate control over your Sims giving them wealth, beauty, and love, or take it all away with the click of a button
• Create and control multiple Sims within your household and enjoy life's special moments as you interact with their world
• Use your stylus to sculpt your Sims' facial features giving them signature hair styles and clothing as well as personality traits
• Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims' destinies by making their wishes come true, or letting their dreams die
• For the first time ever on DS, build your Sims home with tools to draw walls and floors, and customize with decor objects, textures, and more

The Sims 3 Overview

For the first time ever, enjoy a complete life simulation experience on handheld! Create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a living neighborhood. Unlock all-new Karma Powers and unleash them on your Sims: help your Sims get lucky with the power of “rapid romance”, bless them with “instant beauty” or curse them with the “instant enemy”. As you guide your Sims through life you can complete opportunities to unlock additional items and town upgrades. Experience the ultimate handheld life simulator!

The Sims 3 Specifications

The Sims 3 for DS is a life simulation game that brings authentic gameplay elements, long enjoyed in PC versions of the game, to the small screen of the Nintendo DS. Packed with depth rarely, if ever seen in a simulation game developed for a handheld, and utilizing the functionality of the DS' stylus and touchscreen, The Sims 3 allows players to actually craft the lives of their Sims, rather than simply follow predetermined paths. This combined with additional features such as a extreme customization and a new Karma game element that can impact the lives of Sims for good or ill, results in a gameplay experience equally suited to both new and longtime fans of the series.

The most advanced handheld sim game to date.
View larger.

A Breakthrough in Handheld Sim Gaming

The Sims 3 for Nintendo DS provides the first opportunity ever to enjoy a truly complete life simulation gaming experience on a handheld platform. True to the gameplay experience of the PC version, this DS release allows players create Sims with unique personalities, fulfill their desires, and control their lives within a living neighborhood. The flexibility to do so, specifically as the player chooses, comes from the game's improved utilization of the DS stylus/touchscreen control combination. With this, players can more thoroughly take command of details of their Sims lives, including customizing physical features and personality traits, altering wardrobe and personalities, tweaking aspects of the physical game environment and interacting with others Sims.

In addition, players can unlock all-new Karma Powers and unleash them on your Sims. These can be used to help your Sims get lucky with the power of "rapid romance", bless them with "instant beauty" or at the opposite end of things, curse them with the "instant enemy." Use these powers wisely, because they may have unexpected results. Either way, as you guide your Sims through life The Sims 3 for Nintendo DS allows you to complete opportunities to unlock items and rewards like never before in this ultimate handheld life simulator.

Key Game Features

• First Complete Life Simulation on the Nintendo DS - Create any Sim you can imagine and control their lives. Control multiple Sims within your household and enjoy life's special moments as you interact with their world.
• Create Sims and Give Them Unique Personalities - Use your stylus to sculpt your Sims' facial features. Choose their hair styles and clothing and dictate their personalities. Make them evil, romantic, hot-headed, neurotic, or a mix of something completely different.
• Control your Sims' Destinies - Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims' destinies by making their wishes come true, or letting their dreams die. Will your Sims be emperors of evil, world leaders, or expert thieves? It's up to you.
• Customize Your Sims World - For the first time ever on DS, build your Sims home with tools to draw walls and floors, and customize with decor objects, textures, and more.
• Unlock All-New Karma Powers - Wield the ultimate control over your Sims giving them wealth, beauty, and love, or take it all away with the click of a button.

Additional Screenshots

Guide your sim's passions. View larger.

Stylus driven interactions. View larger.

Utilize the new Karma system. View larger.

Find happiness where you can. View larger.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 10, 2010 12:00:07

MySims Kingdom

MySims Kingdom Review

My two (then) 2nd graders and a Pre-K kid all loved playing this game. The readers could read the instructions for the then preschooler (now K) and they were perfecting their skills at their early reading level. That is what I liked about it.

They liked exploring and building, "talking" (in game-speak gibberish) to others, pretending, solving, sailing, cooking, and earning materials and color schemes they could organize any way they liked using their wandolier (a bonafied magic wand!). I noticed they sometimes didn't follow the clues of the game at all because they could plant trees, rearrange existing houses, and go to the disco (after they'd found the materials to build it) or the pizza kitchen (or several other lands) as they pleased.

I think one appeal of this game for a younger kid is they fully control the game play and one game might be following directions and solving a building puzzle to unlock more clues or gain more items, but another time they might just do as they pleased by wandering or choosing to spend time solely as each pleased. I could see the appeal of making all your own decisions, going where you wanted, really having control of your own destiny and decisions -- which kids don't have in real life! That alone seemed addictive to the kids.

All three of my kids played some sessions where they accomplished little. But eventually they did build castles, fix waterways, dodge ghosts (not scary ones), sail the seas, and help King Roland fix up the kingdom. All tasks and clues are written so a reading person is necessary. I'd say about a 1st grade level is necessary, perhaps 2nd grade is easier though. But my pre_k kid didn't even care about the clues. He just liked wandering around, entering castles or climing fences and interacting with the enviroment as he desired.

Dad and the two older kids did eventually complete the game but it took several sessions (more than 20 each??) and added facinating hours of fun! We are shopping now for the next Sims game to continue on our journeys!

This is a game that can only be played one at a time. We were a little disappointed at first until we caught onto how fun the game was for one person and we often used the Wii-time-alone games as rewards for homework done, or kids dressed on time for school. We had to segement out time for these rewards each of our kids loved! It also was a little slow going getting used to the format and sequence of events. But with a little practice, it became infectious!

MySims Kingdom Feature

• King Roland needs your help to revitalize his Kingdom
• Meet new MySims like King Roland, Princess Butter, and TOBOR. Then say hello to old friends with the return of Ginny, Buddy the Page, and the super-friendly Chef Gino to name a few.
• Traverse the vast and varied lands of the kingdom, each with its own unique theme. Visit the Kingdom’s Capital, explore Rocket Reef, hole up in Cowboy Junction, and more!
• In addition to houses, you can now build bridges, fences, and new contraptions such as windmills, water pumps, and more!
• Help King Roland defeat the plans of evil in a far flung corner of the Kingdom. Play 9 new minigames and do your best to show your worth!

MySims Kingdom Overview

MySims Kingdom sets you on a story-telling journey of discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom. Throughout this epic quest to bring the MySims Kingdom back to its former glory, you will hear new stories from old and new friends alike, discover fascinating new lands and build to the limits of your imagination. Your MySims Kingdom experience for begins in The Capital, the land at the center of your story-telling. After you have met King Roland you can venture off into the vast lands beyond. Along the way new characters and new lands are revealed. Newly-added building options will help you accomplish your tasks. And in true MySims fashion, everything is customizable, allowing every creation within your world to have a signature look! MySims Kingdom...embark on your own journey of discovery & exploration!

MySims Kingdom Specifications

Prepare to embark on a journey of discovery to explore and customize the MySims Kingdom.

MySims Kingdom sets you on a storytelling journey of discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom. Throughout this epic quest you will hear new stories from old and new friends alike, discover fascinating new lands and build to the limit of your imagination. Your MySims Kingdom experience for the DS begins in The Capital, the land at the center of your storytelling After you have met King Roland you can venture off into the vast lands beyond. Newly-added building options will help you accomplish your tasks. And in true MySims fashion, everything is customizable, allowing every creation within your world to have a signature look. MySims Kingdom…embark on your own journey of discovery and exploration.

Key Game Features: Epic Storyline—King Roland needs your help to revitalize his kingdom. Can you join forces with the other MySims to bring it back to its former glory? New Faces and Familiar Friends—Meet new MySims like King Roland. Then say hello to old friends like Ginny and Buddy who have both made career changes that will delight you. Travel to New Lands—Traverse the vast and varied lands of the kingdom, each with its own unique theme. Discover all the unique things to do in each while you help its citizens. New Building Options—In addition to houses and furniture you can now build many more contraptions that will help you finish your epic quest for the King. A New Chapter to the MySims Kingdom Story– Help King Roland defeat the plans of evil in a far flung corner of the Kingdom. 9 new minigames to show your worth.

Screenshots:

Character customization. View larger.

Mini-game fun. View larger.

Travel to unique worlds. View larger.

Make discoveries. View larger.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 09, 2010 20:20:59

Ben 10 Protector of the Earth

Ben 10 Protector of the Earth Review

My three sons (11, 6 and 4) enjoy playing this game. I think that maybe the oldest one is maybe too old for this, and the one who enjoys it the most is the middle one - 6-years old. In any case, it can keep them concentrated for longer periods of time. Good for all boys (and girls maybe ) who are into Ben 10!

Ben 10 Protector of the Earth Feature

• Join 10-year-old Ben, the world's youngest action hero, in saving the world
• Transform into different alien beings, each with unique powers and abilities
• Engage in all new experiences with never-before-seen locations, enemies, and characters
• Explore 14 levels across 5 U.S. regions; use 80+ combat combination options
• Collect Sumo Slammer cards to unlock bonus content; 2-player Co-Op mode

Ben 10 Protector of the Earth Overview

An inter-dimensional crisis threatens Earth and Ben Tennyson has had his alien powers stolen. As Ben and his family set out to recapture the source of his abilities, they encounter otherworldly armies and uncover plans to suck Earth into the Null Void. Join the Tennyson's adventure across the United States to recover the lost pieces of the Omnitrix.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 08, 2010 15:08:02

Scripps Spelling Bee

Scripps Spelling Bee Review

Scripps Spelling Bee Feature

• Get an A+. Input your child?s school spelling words to practice for this week?s test.
• Bee the Champion! Practice and spell words to compete against family and friends to see who is the best speller!
• Practice Makes Perfect! Need help? Click the Merriam-Webster® help button for definitions and audio pronunciations of thousands of challenging words.
• Word Sleuth! Play 8 puzzling mini-games. Spelling has never been more fun!

Scripps Spelling Bee Overview

Be the Best You Can Bee! Increase your child’s vocabulary and improve your child’s grades with the Scripps Spelling Bee game!

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 07, 2010 14:27:04