This video game is well suited for the Wii. As you bounce, de Blob bounces. As you swing the Wii-mote, splats of color are hurled across the screen. Racing through the city, splashing, splattering, and painting everything in sight, is fun. Squashing Inkies is even more fun. Inkies act as color police, trying to stop de Blob from coloring the city through the use of ink turrets, ink spills, tanks, and other devices.

De Blob is part of the color revolutionary movement. His fellow color revolutionaries have special powers such as painting, combating, racing, and supersizing. Together, de Blob and his helpers paint the town and free the citizens from a dull and uncolorful world.

With its “Long Live Color” story line, de Blob is entertaining and fun. It also has an educational element in that young players learn about mixing colors. When paint is mixed in de Blob, the mixtures are accurately portrayed. For example, if de Blob is currently blue and smashes a yellow paintbot, he turns green. As he continues smashing into paintbots, his colors change accordingly, eventually turning him brown. Landing in water washes de Blob clean.

De Blob, by THQ Inc., is rated E (for everyone). Mild cartoon violence involves squishing Inkies. This game is fun for players of all ages and doesn’t take too much time to get involved. Younger children enjoy bouncing around and making a mess on screen while parents can relax knowing that the mess is a virtual one. Long live color!

Why do we recommend this game? Impressive audio and visual, and gameplay to match. It’s challenging enough for older kids and adults, while still very appealing and “playable” for the younger crowd. A family pleaser. This is why de Blob is on our Best Nintendo Wii Games for Kids list.

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: DeBlob

Nintendo pioneered hand-held entertainment in the 1980’s with the Game Boy video game system. There have been very successful incarnations (or iterations) over the years, and now Nintendo is releasing the Nintendo DSi handheld system. Priced at a manufacturers’ suggested retail price of $169.99, this new handheld features a sleek and slim design, the largest screen Nintendo handhelds have seen yet, a set of two cameras (external and internal, pointed at the user), an interactive voice recorder, and music player. Both the new sights and sounds features can be manipulated–photos can be taken using interactive lenses, and music or voice can be altered. The system will be released in black and matte blue versions.

Similar to the Nintendo Wii’s Wiiware, the DSi platform will allow downloadable games and applications using Nintendo DSi Points. Of course, there will be the usual retail games designed specially for the system.

Is it backwards compatible? In other words, will kids be able to play their current Nintendo DS games on the new DSi? The answer is “for the most part”. It will be able to play most DS games, according to Nintendo.

The system will be launched along with the game, Rhythm Heaven, a unique musical game that has been quite popular in Japan since its release.

For more information and/or to preorder: Nintendo DSi

With the PSP, it’s easy to connect to the Web for any number of activities. You can access RSS feeds, obtain your instant messages, make phone calls with Skype™ and more. The Playstation website also provides easy access to free demos, movie trailers, and screenshots.

The PSP also offers access to a variety of free items downloadable from the Playstation website. This includes wallpaper, backgrounds, custom themes, and much more. All of these features allow you to personalize your PSP to portray your own personality.

You can preset the background color to change automatically on a monthly basis or you can change it manually whenever you want. If you have a special photograph of digital image that you like, you can easily use it for your wallpaper. Plus, changing the look of you icons is simple with the PSP.

Plus, the PSP can be used to connect to the Playstation website in order to download exclusive games. PSP game downloads provide everything avid gamers want- the information needed for game play, game trailers, game demos, and game audio. It is also possible to access your personal PS3™ System using your PSP device.

Parents will discover that the PSP offers exceptional parental control through a variety of features so they never have to worry about what the kids are doing. This system comes with rating features for games and for movies. Plus, it provides hardware settings for that parents can preset what their children can access on the Web. It is also possible to implement a password in order to initiate Internet browsing, limiting what the children can do on the PSP without a parent’s permission.

The Playstation website offers excellent support features that make it easy to use the PSP. Whether you are looking to download Skype or find out how to download games or access Internet radio, the website provides all you need to know. Certain additional equipment might be necessary such as headphones or remote controls. Why not take advantage of the wonders of today’s technology and get a PSP for yourself today?

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: PSP 3000

See games for the Playstation Portable: Playstation Portable System & Games

By Susan M Keenan ©2009

Drifting:

When playing in Automatic mode, drifting is disabled. This means that your kart is more flexible to turn around corners, but you cannot do anything to gain that beloved mini boost.

In Manual mode, turning around sharp corners is restricted, but the game gives you the choice to drift. Press and hold the correct drifting button while accelerating (depending on your choice of controls; see above). Your kart will turn around tight spots very easily. If you hold this combination long enough, you will perform a mini boost. The longer you hold, the longer this boost will be.

Obtain Race Start Boost:

During the counting, at the beginning of each race, you can rocket your way ahead of the competition with an intensive, initial boost. When the “Flying Cloud” has its hand at the top to make the third count, press and hold the gas.

General Tips:

Always place Fake Item Boxes next to legitimate ones; this will trick players and make them run into one. This is especially useful during online play.

As you may already know, drag your items behind you to protect yourself against incoming shells (or other.) Please note that Fake Item Boxes do not protect you against shells.

Because you have 12 players against you, the chances of being hit with random items have increased, often making the game frustrating. Try not to let go of your current item until you have obtained a new one. In other words, hold one behind you until you reach the next set of item boxes. If you let go of your ONLY item prematurely, you will have nothing to defend yourself before the next item box is reached.

If you fall off a track, when the little cloudy guy lifts you back on, press the gas button just as you touch the ground, and this will give you a much-needed boost. With practice, it can be done!

If left behind on a race, get right behind another racer to gain a major speed boost, as the racer ahead will absorb all the air and leave a “tunnel” free of any pressure.

Controls:

Controlling your character with the Wii Wheel:

+ Button: Pause
Turn: Steer left or right
Flick Up: Trick or Wheelie (Bike Only)
2 Button: Accelerate
1 Button: Brake or Reverse
B Button: Drift (Manual mode)
A Button: Reverse look
D-Pad Up: Throw Item
D-Pad Down – Drop item

Controlling your character with the Wii remote & Nunchuk:

+ Button: Pause
Analog Stick: Steer or Throw Items Back or Forward
A Button: Accelerate
B Button: Drift (Manual mode)
Z Button: Use Item
C Button: Reverse Look
Flick Wii remote Up: Trick or Wheelie (using bike Only)

Controlling your character with the classic controller:

START/PAUSE Button: Pause
Analog Stick: Steer or Throw Items Back or Forward
A Button: Accelerate
B Button: Brake / Reverse
X /ZR Button: Reverse Look
L Button : Use an Item
R Button: Drift (Manual mode)
D-Pad Up: Trick / Wheelie (using bike Only)

Controlling your character with the GameCube controller:

START/PAUSE Button: Pause
Analog Stick: Steer or Throw Items Backward or Forward
A Button: Accelerate
B Button: Brake or Reverse
X /Z Button: Reverse Look
L Button: Use Item
R Button: Drift (Manual mode)
D-Pad Up: Trick / Wheelie (using bike Only)

This pretty much covers all you need to know about Nintendo’s latest entry to the age-old series.  Please note that these tricks are especially useful when playing online, which will always help you stay in the lead regardless of how intense your competition can be!

Kids are rookie chefs in a fun and engaging new game for the Wii, Order Up!. Rookie chefs need to start at the bottom, and in Order Up!, they begin their cooking adventure at a greasy spoon, Burger Face. As kids progress, their goal is to eventually become world-class chefs.

What’s special about this game is that it not only allows kids to work with ingredients and recipes, it is also a restaurant management game. Children prepare and present food, and the focus is not only on mixing the right ingredients, but also adding the special finishing touches that make a meal a masterpiece. New recipes and equipment are unlocked along the way.

In comparison to Cooking Mama for the Wii, Order Up is richer in gameplay, offering definite goals and a management angle that older kids will enjoy more. Its controls are a little trickier, however.

This game is missing a multi-player mode, which would have boosted our ratings of the game considerably.

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Order Up!

The Vtech V Motion Active Learning System incorporates motion into a through-the-TV games console. Wireless motion-activated play through the included joystick and educational-style games are featured in this system that plugs into the TV. The system comes bundled with Action Mania software game. Additional games for the system (and if you need to buy an additional controller) are sold separately.

Testers felt the system was very similar to the Vtech VSmile, but with a different controller. Unfortunately, they ended up opting out of the motion feature and instead simply used the controller, as it wasn’t always as responsive as we would have liked.

I suppose it’s not exactly fair to compare the unit to the Nintendo Wii, which is very responsive, but it seems natural to do so, since we expect many families will look to the VMotion as a less-expensive alternative to the Wii. In this sense, there is no comparison–the Wii is much more user-friendly. There are not a lot of educational titles available for the Wii, but the game packaged with the VMotion doesn’t teach much to young kids at any rate. So, if you’re looking for a Wii-like console with an educational slant, the VMotion won’t completely satisfy.

To buy the VMotion system: Vtech – V.Motion Active Learning System

Want to know more about how to get the best out of Mario Kart, you will have to think beyond the basics. We are are going to take a closer look at some of the ways you can make your gaming experience more enjoyable and lots more fun with some cool strategy and tips on how to get the best out of Mario Kart. The strategy and skills that you will learn about Mario kart shown here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Mario kart or it will teach you something fresh. Either way the outcome will be good.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Mario game for the Nintendo Wii? It’s Mario kart . For some, this game is the bees knees of Nintendo, and others get a little bit confused by it.

Get a head with some cool tips Fast Start
When the countdown starts wait until the 2 fades away and then press and hold the 2 button. Remember the 2 must still be visible but fading, giving you a boost at the start of the race.

Boost when recovering from a fall
If and when you fall into something, such as water or falling from rainbow road, when you land, if you hit 2 at the moment you hit the ground, you get a temporary boost.

How about a POW Block Immunity
When you see the POW block on your screen and its about to hit you, just do the function you would normally use for a trick to create a shockwave for yourself to become immune to the spin out the POW block creates (Control panel on GCN controller, Shaking Wii wheel, etc.). This can be done on both bikes and carts. All though you don’t loose speed or spin out, you will still loose the items you were carrying.

Time to Change Mii Racer weight class
Go into the Mii Channel and change your Mii drivers weight, which will cause an in game impact causing you to change weight class and have different cars, great stuff!.

Tip: Getting knocked off the course is never a good thing. It’s an agonizing wait as hoisted back into the race. As soon as you’re dropped onto the course floor the accelerator. If timed correctly (slam it as soon as you land), your kart or bike will receive a speed boost similar to the rocket start. This will reduce the wait time and helps get you back in the race as quick as possible. And…try not to drive off the course!

Don’t hit the accelerator before the countdown finishes and make sure you don’t miss the rocket start, otherwise your kart or bike suffers a burnout and will start much slower than the other racers. With practice you should be able to perform the rocket start on every single race. You can also use the countdown “beep” as timing; press the accelerator after the “2″ beeps and perform the rocket start.

It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Mario kart. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Mario kart.

About the Author

Robert Lawrence has dedicated his time and efforts into sourcing and providing game reviews, tips and cheats on the latest and top games for your gaming pleasure Get more tips like these for Mario Kart Wii and other ninetendo wii.