SCRATS NUTTY ADVENTURE

My kids have grown up watching the Ice Age movies which involve prehistoric creatures including woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, ground sloths, and a pesky acorn chasing squirrel overcoming adversaries and obstacles to avoid becoming extinct throughout a variety of adventures.  So they are excited to be able to delve a little further into the world that was brought to live in those animated movies by playing a brand new Ice Age video game. Ice Age: Scrat's Nutty Adventure by Outright Games is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch at Best Buy.

In the movies we've seen Scrat hunger for acorns lead him to discovering (and sinking) the legendary island of Atlantis as well as uncover an alien spaceship (which leads to an asteroid being hurled at the Earth) so it is no surprise that this new video game has the mischievous squirrel embarking on a nutty adventure searching for a mysterious treasure. When Scrat accidentally falls into an ancient forgotten Scratazon Temple, he must set off on a quest to find four Crystal Nuts that will unlock magical powers as well as his acorn which has become trapped within the place. Players must guide Scrat through four levels representing different landscapes from the Ice Age movies to obtain the four Crystal Nuts and return them to the Scratazon Temple.

Scrat's Nutty Adventure features a variety of landscapes from the movies including the glacial valleys from the original film, caverns filled with lava pools and underground jungle full of dinosaurs from Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and the temperate forests that were the setting for Continental Drift and Collision Course. Make your way through four levels each representing a different landscape to find a Crystal Nut hidden in each. The graphics are great in Scrat's Nutty Adventure making players feel as if they have been transported within an Ice Age movie.  That feeling of immersion makes playing the video game extra fun.

There are minor adversaries to defeat as you trek through the game such as crabs and horned beetles and level bosses like wholly rhinos. Scrat can kick and swat his tail to take out those things that block his path plus can toss stones and snowballs to knockout creatures from a distance.  This game really isn't about fighting though. The focus is to overcome obstacles and solve obstacles to get to the end of each level which is essentially a maze to complete. It is nice to see my son and daughter enthused about a video game that doesn't involve shoot outs and fist fights!

Scrat's Nutty Adventure is rated E for everyone with mild cartoon violence. The video game is visually enticing enough to captivate young players, especially those who are fans of the Ice Age movies, yet challenging enough to intrigue adults to want to play too. That is why it gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval!

Check out a sample of the game play in Scrat's Nutty Adventure:



As you make your way through this 3D action adventure special powers can be unlocked by gathering the glowing purple spheres that mark a trail to follow through a level's landscape which will help Scrat jump higher, pick up heavier objects and find treasure along his path. Be aware this is a one player game so if you have multiple kids at home somebody is going to have to wait his or her turn. We had a bit of bickering about that at our house because both my twins were enthralled with playing the game. That being said it was a good way to get them to work together as one pointed out tips to the other and they would switch the controller back and forth when somebody was having trouble getting around a challenge or solving a puzzle. Teamwork always wins in the end!

If you can complete a perilous journey across icy terrains, raging geysers, and burning lava, be prepared for an out of this world experience. Then in the end maybe you can help Scrat recover his cherished acorn! Remember this isn't a game about brute force beating down bad guys but rather mastering the dexterity to manipulate your controller to maneuver Scrat through a maze camouflaged as an Ice Age landscape and using problem solving to overcome puzzles that may block your progress. While the goal is to be rewarded by ultimately unlocking that nutty squirrel's acorn from the Scratazon Temple the best reward of the game is the fun of playing it.

For more information about Scrat's Nutty Adventure go to outrightgames.com.  If this is a game your family wants to play, please consider purchasing it from Best Buy through one of the affiliate links in this post. Game sales generated from this post provide ageekdaddy.com with a small commission at no additional charge to you which helps this dad blogger keep the web site up and running.

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE

** A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free **

We enjoyed a nice family movie night this weekend watching the newest animated movie in the ICE AGE franchise called COLLISION COURSE which became available on October 11, 2016 for Blu-ray and DVD viewing.  In this ICE AGE adventure, the unlucky, mischievous squirrel Scrat while trying to bury an acorn accidentally activates an abandoned alien vessel that launches him into outer space.  As he travels through the solar system he unwittingly sends several asteroids on a crash course with Earth.  Can Manny the woolly mammoth along with his friends and family that makeup The Herd do anything to avert their following the same path to extinction as the dinosaurs?  As they discover the danger of the pending asteroid collision, The Herd rediscovers an old ally from one of their past adventures who just may hold the key to saving the planet from a scrat-tastrophe!



Since we were watching an ICE AGE story, it was only fitting to stock up on acorns for our special movie watching treat.  We had a whole plate full of tasty snacks to share that would have truly made that acorn chasing squirrel Scrat envious.  They weren't real acorns of course because those wouldn't be very appetizing but rather a combination of Hershey's Kisses, mini Nilla wafers, and chocolate chips.

Our ICE AGE acorns are actually fairly easy to make and they really taste great as a family movie night treat.  Count out the number of acorns you'd like to create and place that number of mini Nilla wafers on a plate.  Measure out a 1/4 cup of chocolate chip cookies and place them in a microwave plate.  Heat up for a minute in the microwave and stir up to create a paste.  With a knife spread enough paste along the bottom of each Nilla wafer to secure a Hershey's Kiss to the bottom of the cookie. Then place a small dab of paste on the opposite side of the Nilla Wafer to glue a chocolate chip in its middle. Don't dwadle because you need to secure all the parts of the acorn together while the chocolate paste remains hot.  Let your acorns cool for a few minutes once you've attached all the pieces together and voila you have a snack that would drive Scrat wild!  Though unlike the real deal, these acorns are nut-free which is very important for this dad with kids who have peanut and tree nut allergies.  Always look at the labeling on packaging to make sure an item is contamination and ingredient free for the particular food allergies you may be concerned about.

To share our family's movie night fun with A Geek Daddy's blog readers and social media followers, in addition to sharing our diy recipe for a delicious snack, I also have a copy of the movie to giveaway.  To be eligible for this giveaway you must follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet embedded below before October 21, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.

Follow @GeekDad248 & RT before 10/22/16 for chance to win #ICEAGE: COLLISION COURSE #ScratinSpace #FamilyMovieNight #Giveaway #ad pic.twitter.com/kryceFDkXc

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) October 15, 2016

Must be a US  resident over the age of 18 to participate. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize.  One entry per person and winner will be selected from all eligible entries. Fox Home Entertainment will be responsible for the delivery of the prize to the selected winner. Each household is only eligible to win once via blog giveaways.  If you have won this movie on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again and the prize will be forfeited.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. A Geek Daddy is providing this giveaway contest as a benefit to our readers and social media followers and has not been financially compensated for this promotion.

Our ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE family movie night was made possible courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment, Smithsonian and National Geographic.  Fox Home Entertainment provided A Geek Daddy a #ScratinSpace fun pack that included the movie, a very nice #ICEAGE blanket, some Smithsonian products that included a launchable rocket, telescope and a planetarium projector.  We also received a very nice book from National Geographic "Backyard Guide To The Night Sky."

After watching ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE, we enjoyed a planetarium show on the ceiling.  The Smithsonian Planetarium Projector provides a rotating star pattern of the Northern Sky which can be combined with 24 high definition space images.  Choose from planets, nebulae, moons, asteroids, a space shuttle and an astronaut to display among the stars.

After flipping through National Geographic's "Backyard Guide To The Night Sky," my kids also spent some time gazing through the Smithsonian telescope we were provided to check out the moon, see if they could glimpse of the International Space Station, and look for any other celestial objects that may be within their view.

Rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America, ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE is now available on Blu-Ray, Digital HD, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD. For more information about the movie, please visit iceagemovies.com

ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE

Scrat, Manny, Sid, and Diego from the animated franchise "Ice Age" will be making an appearance on the FOX television network Sunday, March 20, 2016 in an all-new holiday adventure -- ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE.  The half-hour holiday television special will air from 7:30 - 8:00 pm ET/PT.  My kids adore the Ice Age movie characters so this is a must view television show for our household.

In ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE harried mom Ethel (Taraji P. Henson) entrusts her precious soon-to-hatch egg to Sid (John Leguizamo).  When she recommends him to her neighbors -- condor mom (Wendy Williams), Cholly Bear (Gabriel Iglesias) and Gladys Glypto (Lili Estefan) -- business booms at his new egg-sitting service.  However, dastardly pirate bunny Squint (Seth Green), who is seeking revenge on the ICE AGE gang, steals, camouflages and hides all the eggs.  Once again, with Squint's brother Clint (Blake Anderson) assisting, Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Denis Leary) and the rest of the gang come to the rescue and take off on a daring mission that turns into the world's first Easter egg hunt.



Watching this Easter special is sure to delight young viewers but don't fret if your family can't tune in on Sunday night because ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE arrives on Digital HD the day after the broadcast at iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon Video.  Plus because my own kids are such big fans of this franchise, A GEEK DADDY wants to share their enjoyment of this new ICE AGE television special with our blog readers and social media followers so we're giving away a digital download code to one lucky individual.

Congrats to Angie from Oregon who won our ICE AGE Giveaway

To be eligible for this giveaway just follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet which is embedded below before March 20, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.  Must be a US or Canadian resident to participate.  One entry per person and we'll randomly select someone from all eligible entries to receive a DigitalHD edition of ICE AGE: THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE.

Follow @Geekdad248 & RT for chance to win ICE AGE:THE GREAT EGG-SCAPADE via DigitalHD (Ends 3/20/16 - US Only) #ad pic.twitter.com/673kMnUhQI

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) March 17, 2016

 During the special, don't miss an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming all-new feature film ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE premiering in U.S. theaters Friday, July 22, 2016.

While waiting for the announcement of our giveaway winner, have some fun with these Ice Age themed activity sheets and coloring pages:

For more information about the television special and to play a free online video game, visit www.iceagemovies.com/greateggscapade

FTC DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner must be following the twitter account @Geekdad248 at the time winner is randomly drawn to be eligible and so he or she can be notified.  Must reply to DM within 48 hours of notification or a new winner will be selected. If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive the same gift package that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own. A Geek Daddy is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special information and perks as part of its participation. #InsidersEggscapade

A Fun Family Game Night Courtesy of Imagine Toys

We've been switching back and forth between having Family Movie Nights and Family Game Nights on Friday evenings.  Starting off the weekend with a focus on some fun quality time together is a nice way to depressurize from the stresses that work, school and the hustle of everyday life can throw at a family throughout the week.  We tried out two new games during our most recent family fun night that were provided courtesy of our friends at IMAGINE TOYS.

 

Imagine Toys is a specialty toy store with a focus on providing quality toys that encourage children to use their imaginations.  They offer unique toys that promote creativity, educational learning, and athletics which normally won't be found at a mass-market store.  They provided A GEEK DADDY Blog with the Ice Age DVD Game and Inching Along board game to enjoy for one of our Family Game Nights.

My kids really enjoy the Ice Age movies so this was a great pick for a game night selection.  You are provided with some really nice playing pieces that depict some of the popular characters from this animated movie series which must be moved across a game board depicting a frozen tundra in search of acorns hidden under the thawing ice...be careful though as your opponents can move around Rudy the T-Rex and if he catches your character it is back to Start for you.  The number of spaces you can move in your quest to grab up all the acorns that are colored the same as your starting spot is determined on how well a player completes on-screen games that are randomly generated by the DVD included with the game.  In addition to the games the DVD also features humorous segments featuring the cast of characters from the Ice Age movies.

The television sequences involve 8 interactive carnival arcades style games of skill and chance that are randomly generated and have various outcomes so that players can't predict how to beat the challenge. Incorporating the dvd aspects into the game provides an extra dimension to its play but doesn't overpower to board game elements and strategy.  So while you aren't turning off the television for the night when it comes to the Ice Age  DVD Game, players aren't focused on the television for the entire game as they also have to focus on things taking place on its tiled board like finding their acorns and avoiding Rudy.

The Ice Age DVD game is for children 5 years and older and is for 2 to 4 players.  This game amused and entertained my 5 year old twins for an hour.  Go nuts with this game during your next family game night!

The next game we played was called Inching Along.  This game was dreamed up by a teacher to help kids learn basic math and measuring skills.  It is aimed for kids in kindergarten through second grade.  My twins are about 2 months into kindergarten and the game was just a little too advanced for them as we started getting into the game play.  I have a feeling they'll be ready to play it closer to the end of the school year which was somewhat disappointing because they really were excited about the artwork for the game board and pieces and interested in using the ruler that comes along with the game...but alas their counting and math skills were just not up to par once we started playing the game. So we put it aside for later on but it is a game we will absolutely be bringing back out of the closet in the future.

Inching Along has a nighttime camping theme and I just have to say again has very impressive artwork and a great game layout.  To get from the start to finish players must pull a card with instructions on it then follow those directions to measure lines and translate those measurements into numbers to know how many spaced for their characters to move forward or backward on the hiking trail.  It is a very original concept that reinforces educational lessons in a fun manner for children.

Both Ice Age DVD Game and Inching Along get A Geek Daddy nod of approval for being fun opportunities to promote creative and educational play.  For more information about Imagine Toys visit www.imaginetoys.com

DISCLAIMER:  Imagine Toys provided A Geek Daddy Blog with a $50 credit to purchase products from its website to use for a family game night.  There was no obligation to write a positive review about Imagine Toys or the products sold from it.  The opinions in this post are my own.