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

Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about the problems of obesity–and childhood obesity–in the news. With obesity on the rise, more and more people are aware of the benefits of exercise. But what of video games designed to get kids moving? Is it just hype? Well, some are, no doubt. We tend to get all worked up when a video game gets children out of the typical stupor and onto their feet. But a lot of games inspire only a small amount of movement. Not so with the Nintendo Wii Fit, which completely focuses on working out, without turning the process into a tedious lesson.

Getting enough exercise can be easier said than done. If your children tend to be sedentary and love video games, or if you are not a “going to the gym” type, the Nintendo Wii Fit for the Nintendo Wii gaming system can certainly get you and your family started on the road to fitness, or at the very least, fitness and health awareness. The Wii Fit offers an interactive workout and is designed to make exercise a fun activity that anyone in the family can enjoy, no matter their level of fitness.  It’s also highly interactive and educational: it guides you through designing a workout program, tracking your progress and learning proper technique. Interestingly, the game made our testers aware of the importance of balance.

Using the Nintendo Wii Fit involves stepping  on its balance board, which reads body movements, measures weight and weight distribution, and the game offers feedback about these measures, as well as BMI and Wii “fitness age”. Players learn about their BMI, but do note that kids who are even slightly on the chubby side will find out that they are “at the risk of being obese” or worse. Players set fitness and weight goals, and the Wii Fit records progress as well as total hours and minutes of usage.

The Nintendo Wii Fit is designed to be a fitness and educational tool, but it’s also designed to be pleasurable. Families perform aerobics, strength training, learn yoga moves, play balance games, and more. Weight measurements can be password-protected if desired. Scores in various activities are recorded and lists of top scores are provided. Players jog, play goalie, walk a tightrope, play with hula hoops, go skiing, learn and perform yoga poses, and a whole lot more.

If you are ready to make fun and fitness a permanent part of your life, then getting a Nintendo Wii Fit is one easy way to get started. Work. School. Bills. Housework. With all of the things you have to do each day, it’s easy to forget that you need to make time for exercise in your life.

To find the Wii Fit or other Wii games: Top Selling Wii Games

Pajama Sam for the Wii

The original Freddi Fish title, Freddi Fish: Kelp Seed Mystery, released in the 1990’s for computers is now available for the Wii. Players follow a story line in which they lead Freddi (I remember being surprised that Freddi was a girl!) and her sidekick, Luther, in search of missing kelp seeds. Kids need to listen to clues, collect items along the way that they will use to solve problems later, and play mini-games.

If you’re expecting updated graphics and/or a new experience that takes advantage of the interactive features of the Nintendo Wii system, you’ll be disappointed. However, it’s a bit of a nostalgic blast from the past, and it’s good for children ages 4-7. Anyone older will “beat” the game far too quickly.

Also available at the time of this post are Pajama Sam: Don’t Fear the Dark and Spy Fox: Dry Cereal.

For more information, user reviews, or to buy: Freddi Fish: Kelp Seed Mystery, Pajama Sam in Don’t Fear the Dark, or Spy Fox in Dry Cereal.