Is Call Of Duty A Suitable First Person Shooter (FPS) For Kids?

If you haven't played Call of Duty, it's a game where you kill people/computer animations and get points and xp towards ranking up and unlocking new guns, camos and perks. You get three perks and these allow you to do cool things, like sprint faster, survive explosions, and drop a grenade on death.

So what aspects of CoD are unsuitable for young people? Well, World at War features a mode called Zombies in which you blow waves of zombies to bits and see bucket loads of blood flying everywhere. Also, they drop f-bombs quite frequently. Therefore, keep your children away from everything made by Treyarch because they do not have young people in mind when they are making their entertainment. Infinity Ward is a bit better, but I would still recommend staying away from Modern Warfare 2 because it isn't a Kids first person shooter as the final kill cam shows spurts of blood in slow-motion. Children playing first person shooters is something you see commonly nowadays and it's good to see because as long as they aren't playing for the killing aspect, Call of Duty is an amazingly awesome, fun shooter for young people, and it can in fact help educate them on the brutality of war and teach them about different types of guns.

With parenthood comes the responsibility to look after your kid, but being over protective can be just as harmful as being careless with your children. Shooting people sounds like something your little ones shouldn't be doing, but if parents take a look the website above, they will find it somewhat suitable. Call of Duty 4 is the most age appropriate one from the series and it comes with an option to turn blood and language off. You really don't want your babies seeing excess blood and guts!

When you think about it, CoD is very tame as far as first person shooters go, for Gears of War, Halo, Crysis and Battlefield are all one hundred times worse. In fact, no one in their right mind should play games like Gears of War because it will scar their minds for a long time - you actually cut people in half with chainsaws! Anyway, I think that Gears of War isn't even fun anyway, whereas Call of Duty is fun and relatively tame, making it the perfect FPS for children. Enjoy playing titles from this series before they are replaced by more gruesome games.

Outwitters Review - Hit It or Wit It

Outwitters, released by OIL on iOS, is one of a kind. The exciting game that initially looks cute, thanks to the presence of anthropomorphic mice and teddy bears, is not cute at all. It's a strategy game that makes you wear your thinking cap. It's not really aimed for kids, don't be fooled by the teddy bears, it's for subversives who love fighting sharks, elephants and disembodied brains.

Does it create a horrible picture? The game isn't really horrible. It actually delivers in all aspects and comes out as a winner in the already impressive lineup of strategy games on the iOS. It's a turn-based squad tactical game, which is played on a hex grid. There are 1 vs. 1 and 2 vs. 2 mayhem modes, which means you can challenge your mates and see who can nail it. It's a deeply gratifying multiplayer game, which has the power to keep you hooked.

The game comes free with one army, and allows you to buy more, if required. You move on in the game by defending your base and destroying that of your opponent's. For every right move you earn points, called wits. The game has maps to guide you so that you don't feel lost and keep on track. The maps, fortunately, are designed specifically for Apple devices and are not too big or too small. They serve their purpose pretty well and guide you, whenever needed.

It's one of the most polished games on the iOS. Everything gleams and is in perfect sync. The game is very fast and loads at lightening speed. If you face trouble with it, believe us, it probably has to do with the device than the game. We played it on an iPad and it worked like a dream. The developers have put in their best effort to make this the number one game in the market, and they've succeeded in it to a great extent.

With its menu, interface, and animations, Outwitters sets the bar high. It has outdone all its predecessor. The makers, OML, have carved a niche with this one. We cannot wait to see what more they have in store for us, as they have always outdone themselves and come out on top by producing games that always reach an unprecedented success level.

The controls are fine, but one might face problems initially, especially when you are required to pass the device, since the game is turn based. Nevertheless, once you've played it twice or thrice, you get in the mood and handle it like a pro. This isn't much of a problem.

One of the best things about Outwitters is that it allows you to play against real opponents. You can go against Game Center mates or random opponents to see your skills. The icing on the cake is the ranking meter, which gives you points based on your performance. The ranking meter is automatically updated and is used to set you against opponents that fall in the same category as you do. This sophistication is hardly witnessed on mobile games. It's the first of its kind, and we're sure more will follow.

However, for some it might be a drawback as the game can only be played when there is a player. Since the game is new and hot in the market, it's always easy to find a player. We don't know what the future holds for it though, giving the constant change in the games market. But, one thing is for sure, Outwitters isn't disappearing anytime soon. It's too powerful to neglect!

Overall, Outwitters is one of the best games in the market today. The fact that it is available for free download makes it irresistible. It's so good, you won't regret spending a few dollars to buy the extra armies and enjoy it fully. It's a perfect game that has it all. Asking for more would render you greedy!

Shank 2 Reviewed

Published By: Electronic Arts, Developer: Klei Entertainment, Genre: Action, Release Date: Feb 8, 2012, Rating: M, Systems: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360.

Shank 2 is a 2D beat 'em up arcade downloadable game. It pays homage of sorts to movies I grew up watching during the 80's like Commando, Rambo and Missing in Action. Shank 2 is a bro-man game starring the duel wielding shank man, Shank! I was able to play through Shank 2 for free (its free for PlayStation Plus members at the moment). When analyzing Shank 2's presentation there is more bad than good clearly. I'll discus everything during this review so keep reading. I'll start with the menus on the title screen which includes: Campaign Mode, Survival Mode, Rebel Intel, Leaderboard, Player Stats and Help & Options. No problem navigating in Shank 2, everything is laid out in a nice ergonomic fashion.

Robert "Shank" Torres is the protagonist and ex mob hitman. Shank 2 is a story about redemption regarding Shank. He takes down a corrupted President Magnus while rescuing Elena (his mother figure). Working along side with Resistance leader Corina Shank takes down the corrupt Cartel. As far as the overall story goes it was cheesy and cliche. It was never interesting because it seems like every villain and bad guy in the game was copied from either a movie I saw or a video game I have played. It was suppose to be funny however the bad gameplay and controls kept me from laughing during my entire playthrough.

Visually Shank 2 gets a high score. The art style and animations just exude a visceral and compelling atmosphere. Shank rampages through South American villiges, resorts, ruined temples and swamps. The textures and colors pop out of the screen and every setting was rendered wonderfully. The animations makes Shank appear like a real badass reminding me of heroes like Rambo.

Shank 2 is a 2D beat 'em up that features gunplay, grenade lobbing, pouncing and grabbing enemies. There are different types of weapons that work differently in effectiveness regarding certain enemies. You have Heavy Weapons like the Chainsaw, Machete and Sledgehammer. Ranged Weapons include Throwing Knives, Pistols and a Shotgun. Munitions include Grenades, Molotovs and Mines. The latter is part of the problem. The game's controls and structure makes it near too impossible to use all weapons and items on the different enemies effectively at any given moment. The gameplay became cluttered up and by the time I tried to throw my grenade or use my heavy weapon to break a grunt's shield I was dead.

The single player campaign was ridiculously short to say the least. But lucky for me was the fact that this game has multiplayer (online and off). Its called Survival Mode and is clearly the best thing Shank 2 has going for it. The menu screen for Survival Mode featured: Local Match, Online Match, Invite A Friend, View Invitations and How to Survive. The last option shows a voiced video tutorial for Survival Mode. Survival Mode is a wave type game ala Horde mode via Gears of war 3. Shank 2 is 2D so things are different obviously. Your goal along with another player is to defend supply stations around the map. Bombers are grunts that target your supply stations and blows them up.

I rarely tell gamers to buy a game based on multiplayer. For Shank 2 I have no choice since the single player campaign was ridiculously short and problematic from a gameplay and control perspective.

American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled Review

If you have watched the show before, you might also love the game. American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled is a hidden object game that is based upon the hit reality television series American Pickers. From the TV show's Wikipedia entry, it seems to have become the highest rated History Channel debut since 2007 when it debuted last 2010. This makes the show in the level of amazing. But can the hidden object game follow suit? Well, let us review the game and find out.

The game follows the adventures of Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, the same guys who ran the TV series. You help them pick antiques and memorabilia from seemingly worthless junk. Well, if you do not know yet on what these guys do for a living, you must be confused on what picking means. The context clues says it all, they try to find antiques and collectibles all over America, and sell them too at a nice profit back in their headquarters named Antique Archaeology.

As you can see, the whole idea of the TV series makes the perfect setting for a hidden object game. And in the case of American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled, that is exactly what it is. In terms of graphics, I say that the hidden object scenes are made pretty well and while there are some pixel finding involved on highly cluttered areas, it is bearable enough and understandable too considering that you play the role of a picker now, and you must have an eye for rare finds, right?

Another thing that makes this game true to the TV series is the amount of dialogue involved. There is just too many for my taste, so I find coursing through the game a little boring that most of the time, I click through the dialogues just to get to some hidden object action. I understand too that fans of the series should find all of these talk amusing, more informative and fun, so this game may be made especially for them too.

American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled is definitely a good game to start on for beginner hidden object players that like a mix of story time and game time when playing their games. The game is absolutely one that is made for fans of the series, but I do still suggest that players try it out for themselves to see if it is enjoyable enough. You never know, the game might make you an American Pickers fan too.

Best Flight Simulation Games For Wannabe Pilots

Many people around the world have dreams of flying and would like to be airplane pilots. For most of them those wishes remain only dreams and fantasies as real flying courses can be very expensive and lot of us don't have enough time, money or other requirements for becoming professional airplane pilots.

Good alternative for many flying fans and enthusiast have been various flight simulation games and software applications. This way they get a chance to experience realistic flying without even leaving their own home. There are many different flight simulator games around. They where developed by different teams and companies so their features and price tags are very much different.

I've tried few different models and currently I'm using Pro Flight Simulator, which has decent features and relatively inexpensive price. What I like the most about it are realistic controls and the possibility to fly anywhere in the world with large number of different airplanes and helicopters. I also like the graphic details and the way this game has progressed and have had many major improvements when compared to similar games from the past decade.

Just imagine being in a cockpit of a Boeing 777 ready for takeoff. Air control gives you the signal to go. You start the engines and can feel all that amazing power. Your speed increases; you are running through the runway and can feel the adrenaline rush inside you. This truly sounds like a dream job to me! But it doesn't have to be a dream any more. Now everyone can experience this and be in the middle of the action with the help of Pro Flight Simulator game.

There are many different features that a good flying simulation software must have. We will look into few most important characteristics, essential for realistic experience and for good playability.

Adjustable surroundings, weather conditions and climate. Changing landscapes and day and night settings.Possibility to program different missions and routes allowing you to patrol in military airplane or go to a helicopter rescue mission for example.Multiplayer options and the ability to play and chat online with your friends and other gamers around the world.The choice of different airplane and helicopter models. Good flight simulation games have a fleet of 100 or more aircraft models to choose from.

Flight simulation games of today have the ability to provide their users with a realistic flying experience much better than ever before. I would advise you to do some research before you decide which one to buy. They are all very much different and are made for different purpose and for different profile of people. It all depends on what your motives and real intensions are. The game, which might be perfect for a casual player, won't meet the standards and expectations for a trainee pilot who needs professional software of much better quality.

Review - Treasures of Montezuma 3

The Apple App Store is crowded with all manner of variations of the match 3 game. Most of them are kind of boring, the best ones bring some new twist to the game that makes you want to keep playing. Treasures of Montezuma 3 is one of the latter types of the match 3 game that will keep you coming back for more.

At its core Treasures of Montezuma 3, as I mentioned before, is a match 3 game. You have a playing field with a variety of different colored and shaped objects on it. You match the objects in groups of three or more in a line, then the objects disappear. More fall down from the top of the field and so on.

Standard match 3 game so far, right? The first twist that Treasures of Montezuma 3 has in store is that you are trying to free crystals that are embedded in the play field objects by matching them with like objects. There is a time limit to the level as well, with the amount of gold increasing based on how fast you clear the level.

Also what Treasures of Montezuma 3 brings to the table is a set of power ups that change how the game acts and is played. As you play, you earn coins. The coins can be spent to improve the powers of various totems that are the same color as the objects on the playing field. When you have two consecutive matches of the same color, the totem associated with it activates. The power ups range from freeing all the crystals on the play field to blowing up objects.

The graphics of Treasures of Montezuma 3 are decent, but nothing that will blow your mind. They look good, both on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. The game interface is clean and not cluttered which is nice on the iPhone since there isn't a whole lot of space to play with.

The audio in Treasures of Montezuma 3 is pretty good with some nice sound effects and music. It does get a bit much though when you get into a groove and are triggering bonus after bonus. I've gotten more than one look when playing the game at the office from the noises coming from my iPhone.

Treasures of Montezuma 3 has some In-App Purchase (IAP) but it isn't too much or even required. You have the ability to purchase some of the coins used to purchase power ups, but if you do a bit of grinding in the lower levels you won't need them.

The only issue I have with the game is the final level in each stage. For some reason the game changes from a match 3 to a hidden object game. The change is rather annoying, but that may be due to my dislike of hidden object games.

If you are looking for a different take on the match 3 type of game then consider giving Treasures of Montezuma 3 a shot. I think that it brings enough new twists and flavor to the table that will make it worth the purchase price.

Parents: Do Your Kids Love Playing Computer and Console Games? Then They Could Test Them!

As parents we usually worry that our kids spend too long playing games on their consoles and computers, but actually they are developing specific knowledge and expertise that might surprise us. I don't mean just their amazingly nimble thumbs and brains, they are also learning what works and what doesn't in gaming - the right degree of challenge, and reward, that makes the art of gamification function, that keeps players of different levels striving for the next achievement. This is at the cutting edge of behavioural science, with application in fields ranging from education to health policy.

And kids are very discerning consumers - they know exactly what they like and what they don't like, what they want to spend their time playing. Despite the recession, the UK games market alone was worth over ￡3bn in 2011. Understanding exactly what gamers need and want from their next releases is big business, and when the gamers are kids, understanding their unique needs and motivations is an important art. Developers work with brands and technology to design the games they hope will be talked about, enjoyed and create a buzz, but at some point in the development they have to get their prototypes directly tested, by real users who are in the target market for the end product itself - the kids who love playing games.

Taking part in games testing is invariably huge fun for those involved. The researchers are trained in the very specialist field of child related research and games testing, and tend to be very communicative and personable characters, experienced at making children and parents feel welcome and right at home quickly. Sessions could last anything from 45 minutes to two hours, and mainly involve hands-on games testing. This will be playing an unreleased game, likely to be in a genre selected to be of special interest to the child involved, and they'll be asked for comments and feedback during the session. Appropriate breaks and refreshments are provided, to the gaming children and their parental chaperones, who accompany them at all times. There will also be members of the research team present, and sometimes others from the development company may view from behind a mirror or videolink - so as not to create additional crowds and pressure that might distract or stress the young participants.

The children taking part are typically aged 6-17 years, and will need some level of gaming experience - they'll usually be recruited because they own a current generation games console or handheld, and like certain types of games, but for different projects different degrees of expertise and enthusiasm are required - indeed, often casual or inexperienced gamers are what's needed, typical average kids, who make up a wider share of the target market than the obsessive experts.

For ethical and child protection reasons, the research recruitment company involved will recruit via the parent/guardian, who's consent and input is required at all times. Sometimes there are event joint research sessions where the parents will be specifically interviewed about their child's gaming behaviour, but most often they will just be present as an observer and chaperone - and to sign for the research incentive fee of course, which is typically in the region of ￡50 for a one-off short session in the UK (of this ￡20 is normally regarded as the chaperone fee, the rest is for the young research participant!)

To find out about research opportunities in the UK for you and your family (where applicable) you need to be over 16 and enrol with Saros Research Ltd - if you have children in the target age range, they will then contact you directly as the parent, with any games testing in your area for which you may be able to apply.