Tanukitsune Posted June 17, 2014 I already have the LEGO games on other systems, it seems Mario Kart 8 is ever simpler to understand than the other games, so maybe he could play that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigJKO Posted June 17, 2014 I can tell you that my 2-year old refuses to press accelerate in Mario Kart 8, so he just drives backwards into a wall and then watches me play/interferes with me playing/makes me drive backwards. It's great fun! But I bet MK8 is great for a four-year old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted June 24, 2014 This last Sunday I hooked up the Super Nintendo and put in Super Mario All Stars to see if my 5 year old daughter would be interested in/capable of playing Super Mario Bros. Aside from some dumb Dora flash games and a few other random occasions where I let her mess around in a game I was playing, this was her very first experience picking up a controller and playing a game all on her own and it was absolutely amazing. She immediately fell in love with the game and I just sat there and watched her figure out things like how to jump higher, how to time her jumps to avoid getting hit by enemies, how to jump while moving, how the mushrooms and fire flowers work, etc. I tried to help a few times but she usually just insisted that she wanted to figure it all out on her own. Within 30 minutes, she managed to get through 1-1, and another hour or so after that, she was consistently making it to the middle of 1-2. Last night she asked to play some more and after about an hour she had managed to beat 1-2 a couple of times. This is seriously like the coolest shit ever and I love seeing her go through the same process learning this game that I did when I was around her age. And I'm not even really finding it that boring to watch because it is a rare opportunity to see a real-time example of how wonderfully perfect the design in this game is and how clearly the layouts of the levels teach you how to play without any instruction. Now I just need to try to teach her how she can hold down the run button and jump while running to get to harder to reach areas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dewar Posted June 24, 2014 One of my first memories is not understanding the run and jump in Mario, and then finally putting it all together. I also remember having a really hard time with the cape in Super Mario World, but since I was 8 when that came out (probably 10 when I played it) I must have just been a moron. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bjorn Posted June 24, 2014 This last Sunday I hooked up the Super Nintendo and put in Super Mario All Stars... That is all just fantastic! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigJKO Posted June 25, 2014 Man, that was just the best story, Zeus! I look forward to my son getting to the age where I can introduce him to something like that and just see him learn how a video game works. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Griddlelol Posted June 25, 2014 That's a really cool story. BigJKO, you got me thinking: why on earth is there an accelerate button in MK8? It's pointless. You never have a reason to let go. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigJKO Posted June 25, 2014 That's only true when you're up to a certain skill level. My buddies and my girlfriend all released the accelerate button before turns, until they got better at drifting. Also.. they drive into walls and have to back up. But I guess that'd just require the backwards button. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted June 25, 2014 Nintendo actually made a game that did away with the acceleration button: Kirby Air Ride. It was aimed at really young kids and it's not very good. You get into a whole host of issues and it takes away a lot of the control of a racing game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Griddlelol Posted June 25, 2014 That's only true when you're up to a certain skill level. My buddies and my girlfriend all released the accelerate button before turns, until they got better at drifting. Also.. they drive into walls and have to back up. But I guess that'd just require the backwards button. Both situations could be dealt with by the break/reverse button that's already included. I dunno, your little story made me think that it was just a bit pointless. I suppose it feels more like you're playing the game if you actually have to press the button to go, despite it being unnecessary. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigJKO Posted June 25, 2014 Both situations could be dealt with by the break/reverse button that's already included. I dunno, your little story made me think that it was just a bit pointless. I suppose it feels more like you're playing the game if you actually have to press the button to go, despite it being unnecessary. Yeah, you're probably right, but I think it'd remove some sense of agency in it. It'd definitely make it easier to play for my toddler, though! Until he hits a wall. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tanukitsune Posted June 26, 2014 My nephew is staying for a few days and I found out Super Mario 3D World has the bubble feature and surprising, we played up to final Flower World with the boss rush. Yeah, a lot of golden leafs were used, but with a 4 year old, it's not really optional anymore. We also beat 8-Bit Commando, that Contra clone... I'll confess that he was more of a meat shield that anything else, but we beat it! Woodle Tree Adventures is nice cute game to play with him, a bit short, but it's super cheap, so I can't complain. I think Double Dragon Neon is too complex for him, he doesn't understand how to use his special moves yet and I keep having to resurrect him... It's strange to see him pick up on things like possible secret areas, but he practically just jumps off the first cliff he sees by accident. :| Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
syntheticgerbil Posted June 26, 2014 Oh man, Mario All-stars is a great place to start! I never got a Super Nintendo as a child because my parents deemed it forever too expensive, but I got an NES free from an uncle with many games. He didn't want it anymore I guess. I had all three Mario games but hated that I could never save. For years I wanted All-stars so badly so that I could finally save and fully experience the games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tanukitsune Posted June 26, 2014 I wouldn't know about that, my nephew didn't want to play any of the older Mario game unless he could play with me and taking turns in Mario 3 didn't cut it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bjorn Posted August 26, 2014 Interesting read for parents from the Atlantic, about a dad and his conversation with his 9-year-old son after catching him watching porn. Sharing it here, in part, because those of you with little ones might as well start thinking about this conversation sooner rather than later. But also because of the rather funny juxtaposition of the author's reaction to porn vs Let's Play videos. He's clearly ethically uncomfortable with porn, but completely understanding of the inevitability of his son discovering it. But he loathes Let's Play vids. This is a thing, by the way, if you didn’t know. Teenagers and twentysomethings record themselves playing games like Minecraft or Call of Duty, providing voice-over commentary comprised mostly of irritating screams and laughter. I hated everything about these videos, from the pointlessness of watching them, to the submental chatter, to the fact that my seething lack of understanding of modern trends meant I was getting old and marching closer to irrelevance. There are also some delightful conversations in the comments bouncing around between people's introduction to LPs, parenting and porn. This piece is my delightfully surreal discovery on the Internet today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thorn Posted August 27, 2014 I thnk you might have buggered up the link slightly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bjorn Posted August 27, 2014 Ha, fixed and thanks! I had googled this thread (fastest way to find threads here), and apparently somehow copied and pasted it instead of the Atlantic link. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Griddlelol Posted August 27, 2014 Good read, thanks for sharing. The rare times I see my baby sister, I check her internet history/text messages to see what she's up to (she's 11). Fortunately she's not doing anything gross, mostly just idiotic messages that a child would send to another child, so I'm happy that she's still relatively innocent. I don't really know whether doing that is a breach of trust, or whether I'm doing the right thing by checking - she wouldn't think to hide things from me because I'm the fun older brother, not the mum/dad who discipline her - so I feel like I should be taking that opportunity just in case. My brother who is about 6 has recently learned the word "gay" as a derogatory term. I know when I was about 13, I called everything gay and everyone a fag, but 6? Really? His understanding is "gay is man and man" whereas my understanding of "gay" was based on a sex ed class our school took. I don't really know how I feel about it, because I find it quite offensive when he uses it on something he dislikes, but then again, I did it albeit at a different age, and I certainly grew out of it when I understood how hurtful it could be to people. Thankfully neither of them watch "let's plays" which I too loathe. They both play all the crappy free mobile games they can get their hands on, and blow money on micro-transactions. Really disappointing that they've succumbed to some of the worst examples of "games" out there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
osmosisch Posted August 27, 2014 Huh. A well-done Let's Play is a wonderful thing in my opinion. There's a tone of great ones running on the SA forums. I'm sure there's a ton of dross out there too, but that goes for any field. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bjorn Posted August 27, 2014 Good read, thanks for sharing. The rare times I see my baby sister, I check her internet history/text messages to see what she's up to (she's 11). Fortunately she's not doing anything gross, mostly just idiotic messages that a child would send to another child, so I'm happy that she's still relatively innocent. I don't really know whether doing that is a breach of trust, or whether I'm doing the right thing by checking - she wouldn't think to hide things from me because I'm the fun older brother, not the mum/dad who discipline her - so I feel like I should be taking that opportunity just in case. My opinion is that if she's 11, your folks should probably already be having a conversation with her if they haven't. If she hasn't seen it, it's likely that she has friends who have, who have talked about it, she's heard about it, something. As for whether it's a breech of trust, I'd say no, as long as you're not trying to act like the parent. Thankfully neither of them watch "let's plays" which I too loathe. They both play all the crappy free mobile games they can get their hands on, and blow money on micro-transactions. Really disappointing that they've succumbed to some of the worst examples of "games" out there. That's what you should be talking to her about! Introduce her to some good games, with ethical monetization, that are a good fit for her. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Griddlelol Posted August 27, 2014 I know for certain our dad hasn't spoken to her about sex etc. Her mother? No idea. She's quite immature for her age, so it still might not be the best time. The British school system normally teaches sex ed around 11 so she might have had exposure there. Although that was my first exposure, and I really wish it hadn't been. I was definitely not trying to act like her parent, if I spotted anything I was going to inform her mum/dad so they can have the conversation about it. I did try introducing her to good games. I gave her my Wii, along with SSB and Twilight Princess (which I never finished!) They didn't really get played though, I think either she was too young to be interested in them (must have been 8), or that mobile games grabbed her too hard. Dunno if this is the correct thread, but I tried talking to her about feminism. She said to me "women are meant to stay at home and cook and clean for their husband." Along with a bunch of examples of her friends' mums, and how it's supposed to be like that because (insert child logic here). She goes to a posh school, so I thought they'd try to instil stronger ambitions in her, but apparently it's the other way around. Not really sure about how to do this, I don't want anything heavy or deep, just put a few cracks into the idea that she's not allowed to have ambitions and is meant to stay at home and (essentially) serve a husband as a sort of bang maid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted September 3, 2014 Watching my daughter play Super Mario Bros has continued to be a treat. She played some this weekend after not having played for a couple weeks and she has gotten remarkably better. For a while, she was having a hard time understanding how to use the run button but as I watched her play the other day, I noticed that she had not only figured out how to use it, but she was even able to use it properly on that small area of real estate on the pillar/stair at the end of the level to consistently get 2000 points on the end level flag. Then, I left the room for a bit and a few minutes later, I heard the victory music from 1-4 indicating that she had just gotten past King Koopa. She had been struggling with that a lot and could never get past the spinning fire rod things so she was absolutely elated and I ran back into the room to celebrate with her on her first big video game accomplishment. After that, she proceeded to beat 2-1 and 2-2 (the first water level) without issue and ended up stopping after failing at 2-3 a few times. She's already gotten close to beating it a few times but at this point I think she's still learning how the flying fish work and how to avoid them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bjorn Posted September 30, 2014 How to punish your kid, gamer style. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted October 31, 2014 About a month and a half ago, I graduated my daughter to Super Mario World and we ended up playing through the whole game including all of the star road stuff and secret levels. Her skills have continued to improve and I was even able to teach her how to fly with the cape and do the little bouncy parachute maneuver to stay airborne. A lot of the levels are still too hard for her but she is at least able to consistently beat most of the levels through the Donut Plains and she seems to have a full grasp on all of the controls including running, spin jumping when appropriate, ducking to avoid things, and ejecting from Yoshi to save herself or get something that is out of reach. So I decided to throw in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (which I have owned forever and never played more than a few levels) next and she is freaking obsessed with it. She refuses to play it but every day for the last week or so she has begged me to play so she can just watch and deliver her little 5 year old commentary. Honestly, the game is probably the worst of any of the Mario games I've played but having my daughter watch and comment on everything I am doing has made it a much better experience than it otherwise would be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twig Posted October 31, 2014 Honestly, the game is probably the worst of any of the Mario games ...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
