MARSUPILAMI 2: SALSA PALOMBIA VIDEO GAME REVIEW

Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia is a colorful, energetic video game that old school gamers will appreciate for its infusion of Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario inspired elements while younger players can discover the fun of playing a classic style 2D side scroller game. Developed by Ocellus Studio and published by Microids, this vibrant title features a catchy Latin-infused soundtrack and a world bursting with cartoon energy. If you are looking for a video game that parents and kids can enjoy together without gameplay that causes anyone to throw a controller in frustration, this is a great selection to pick up.

The Setup: A Dance Party Gone Wrong

The story is simple enough for even the youngest of gamers to follow. A spooky Mummy Queen has awoken and cast a hypnotic spell over the jungle, forcing all the animals to dance non-stop. It is up to three adorable, long-tailed creatures—Hope, Twister, and Punch—to traverse through four beautiful, music-themed worlds and save their friends. It plays out like a living Saturday morning cartoon filled with bright colors and funny character animations.

Why It’s Perfect for Families 

The standout feature of Marsupilami 2 is how accessible it is for players of wildly different skill levels to enjoy together. It achieves this balance through brilliant character mechanics and thoughtful co-op design: 

• Tag-Team Character Swapping: The game features three heroes, each with an easy-to-understand superpower. Hope can double-jump to reach high places, Twister can glide safely over huge gaps, and Punch can roll into a ball to smash through walls. 

• True Couch Co-Op: Two players can play simultaneously on the same screen. The level design requires using two different characters' powers to get through a stage. In single-player, you swap between them with a button press. In co-op, it turns into a wonderful exercise in teamwork where a parent and child can coordinate their powers to solve puzzles. 

• No Punishing Penalty Fallen players respawn almost instantly, keeping the momentum going and preventing younger players from getting discouraged by encountering obstacles to their progress.

Something for Everyone 

While the main path is easy enough for casual play, the game keeps older kids or gaming parents engaged with clever secrets. Hidden musical notes are tucked away in every level, unlocking extra bonuses and fun "Battle Dojos." If your family loves a bit of friendly competition, the high-speed "Salsa Mode" lets you race against the clock to see who can finish a level the fastest.

The Verdict: Great Gameplay for a Night of Family Fun

With average video games for Nintendo Switch costing around $60 dollars, Marsupilami 2 is affordably priced at $40 while providing the value of higher priced games. The game is also available on PS5. 

Marsupilami 2: Salsa Palombia is a breath of fresh air for family gaming. It earns a Geek Daddy nod of approval for successfully bridges the gap between simple games that bore parents and complex games that frustrate children. It is a warm, rhythmic, and laugh-out-loud cooperative experience that deserves a spot in your video game library.

A Geek Daddy received a complimentary digital edition of this video game for Nintendo Switch to review. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

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THE SMURFS DREAMS VIDEO GAME

From French-based video game publisher Microids comes THE SMURFS: DREAMS which allows players to pretend they've stepped into the cartoon adventures of the tiny blue gnomes who live in mushroom homes hidden away within a magical forest. THE SMURFS: DREAMS is available now for the Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation gaming consoles as well as via Steam for PC. The game can be played in one or two player modes so you can go solo or team up with a friend to try and foil the evil wizard Gargamel's most recent plot to capture the Smurfs so he can use them as an ingredient for his magical potions.

In Gargamel's newest scheme to catch the Smurfs, he has cast a cunning curse on the sarsaparilla bushes they eat causing any of them that take a bite out of the delicious leaves to fall into a deep slumber. Discovering the wizard's plot, the lone Smurfs not to have fallen into his trap must magically enter the dreams of those who have been enchanted to attempt to wake them up. Each dream is a unique adventure in a setting tied to the personality of the cursed Smurf where players must overcome challenges and solve mind-boggling puzzles to break Gargamel's enchantment. Hurry there is no time to waste as you must wake up the sleeping Smurfs before Gargamel reaches their village.

Michael Duport and Thomas Freund who headed the video game development team for Microids shared an interview dubbed into English for American audiences with ageekdaddy.com. They share with us some insightful tips about THE SMURFS: DREAMS including how it was inspired by an earlier Nintendo Game Boy title and how they attempted to match the quality of the animated tv series and movies within their game's scenery and action sequences. It is really amazing how much attention they put into this game to ensure it was true to the vision of the Smurfs' creator, Belgian artist Peyo.

This video game takes fan favorite aspects of classic 2D scrolling video games like Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog and adapts them to a 3D platform with modernized graphics to provide a delightful gameplay experience. The game will have you singing la la la la la enjoying yourself while playing it instead of screaming ugh in disgust. It is not the most challenging game but it isn't meant to be. The Smurfs: Dreams is about enjoying an adventure and playing the game is meant to be a relaxing activity not something to get you stressed. Therefore, because it is a good old fashioned fun game to play that makes me nostalgic for '90s era side scrollers enhanced with outstanding eye-catching animation that makes you truly feel like as you've become part of a Smurfs' cartoon, THE SMURFS: DREAMS has earned a Geek Daddy nod of approval.

Highlights of THE SMURFS: DREAMS include:

Solo or with a friend? Prevent Gargamel's evil plans from suceeding, alone or with a friend for a smurfabulous 2-player experience 

Dive headfirst into other Smurfs' dreams. Visit unique and vibrant worlds as you hop from dream to dream, and discover all of the Smurf Village's secrets 

Delve into the Smurfs' imagination. Each dream hides a nightmare - help the Smurfs overcoming their fears through puzzles, boss fights and many other surprises.

A Smurf like you. Collect magic orbs and patterns to customize your Smurf 

Jump, hop and dash. Use your movements and tools to overcome the many challenges dreamed up by the Smurfs.

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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.

THE LEGO MOVIE 2 VIDEO GAME

Have you seen THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART yet? You can continue the adventure now with the video game inspired by this big-screen animated film. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO® Group have released THE LEGO MOVIE 2 Video Game available now for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices and PC.

Things may not be great for the residents of Bricksburg when it comes to the troubles they are facing in the movie, but everything is AWESOME when it comes to THE LEGO MOVIE 2 Video Game. My kids have been playing it non-stop since I downloaded it for our Xbox. They really think the game is AWESOME!

Obviously, based upon its title, the video game is based on events that take place in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.  The game begins in the desolated wasteland of Apocalypseburg where alien invaders have left Bricksburg in ruins! Emmet and Lucy must go beyond their world to save their friends from the strange inhabitants of the faraway Systar System.

This game is all about friends! The mission involves saving friends from Duplo aliens. You can play it in two-player cooperative mode. And my daughter loves playing as a LEGO Friends figures … especially Wonder Woman!

The game is full of the charm, charisma and comedy that LEGO television shows, movies and video games have become known for. Gags, parodies and wise-cracking humor are a big part of the enjoyment of this game.  My kids have also really enjoyed unlocking a vast array of characters. There are more than 100 playable characters from both The LEGO Movie 2 as well as the original film.

Choose super heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman, characters from both of the movies including Emmet, Lucy and Benny the Astronaut. Or mix and match LEGO mini-figure pieces and accessories to create your own unique characters like Wolf Dog Green Lantern, Robot Cowboy, Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker or Teenage Vampire.

One of my kids favorite aspects of the game is mixing up the pieces of the LEGO mini-figures they've unlocked. You do this  through completing achievements and gathering stud pieces. This allows you  to create all sorts of customized playable characters.
They  have been having a blast altering the appearances of different characters. Now the kids have got a good grasp on playing the game, the twins have been turning all the characters into vampires so they can have them hover over the landscapes instead of walk or run through the levels. Seems like a creative way to get around the open-world layout of the game. There are all sorts of twists and tricks that can be uncovered playing this game.

And there is a lot to explore with characters able to travel to new worlds from The LEGO Movie 2 as well as revisit locations from the first film. What is nice about the open-world style of the game is players aren't just re-enacting the scenes from the movie the game is based upon. Rather you explore different landscapes ranging from an asteroid belt to the Old West selecting quests and finding hidden treasures.

This makes creativity and imagination an important element of the game. In addition to self-directing exploring different places and altering characters' appearances and abilities, players can also build their own creations. Are you ready to become a LEGO Master Builder?

The LEGO Movie 2 Video Game provides players with tools and abilities to be a Master Builder. Use the new scanner tool to turn ideas into reality using LEGO bricks to build items from scratch that can help Emmet save the day in unique ways. Being able to manipulate LEGO bricks and pieces into custom content provides a fun personalized experience that is unique to each player.

In addition to the building and customization aspects of the game there is also a lot of arcade action too.  You are going to have to defeat the Systar System's Duplo aliens and some challenging level bosses to progress through the game's story. Utilizing character's combo moves and special abilities plus Master Builder creativity will allow Emmet to save his friends and you to win the game.

Full of action, building, creating, challenges and puzzles this is a family-friendly game that all ages will be entertained by. Based upon the hours of enjoyment that my family has gotten out of the game it has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval. For more information about this game go to legomovie2-videogame.wbgames.com

SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN

SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN is a whole lot of fun for a family game night.  This kid-friendly video game makes players flex their brain power as they have to utilize their creativity and vocabulary to outsmart opponents through fun, and often times funny, scenarios.  My kids have been having a blast competing against each other in SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN and with the ability for up to four people to play at once it is easy for the whole family to get in on the action.

Available for Microsoft's Xbox One, Sony's PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Switch, SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN is an amusing game that is sure to entertain both children and adults with its Showdown, Versus and Sandbox modes making it great for families to play together. It is full of goofy characters, whimsical situations and scenery; as well as energetic, fast-paced challenges that have players battle against one another in dance offs, eating contests, and tug-o-war brawls among other unique, fun competitions. Ready. Set. Party!



Showdown Mode is particularly great for families to play together with its board game style format. Players attempt to be the first to have their Scribblenaut race across a map  having to take part in over twenty-five mini-games to get ahead.  In these mini-games you must use your wits and imagination to conjure up items to assist in overcoming a challenge.  There are more than thirty-five thousand words in the SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN dictionary of objects and characters you can summon to help you beat your opponent in the various mini-games.

Within Showdown Mode, 'Wordy' games require players emphasize creativity to be successful in a variety of scenarios.  For example in one of these mini-games players must select something for an opponents to sit on for a 100 meter race.  Who do you think will win when one person is sitting on a chair and the other is hoisted up on the shoulders of a sloth?  Speaking of racing, there are also 'Speedy' mini-games in Showdown Mode where players are pitted against one another in a race to complete an assortment of humorous challenges. 

Each player in Showdown Mode is given a hand of cards which when drawn can trigger a mini-game where the winner gets the card's listed reward, cause an opponent to have to immediately move back on the game board a few spots, or allow your Scribblenaut to move ahead a number of spaces unchallenged.  The card aspect adds the need for players to strategize and really provides the feel of playing a turn-based board game.  What I liked about Showdown Mode as a parent is that it makes players use their brain in 'Wordy' challenges plus hand-eye coordination and dexterity in controlling characters in 'Speedy' competitions while also having a board game format that does a nice job of keeping everyone involved and interested while playing SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN together as a family.

SCRIBBLENAUTS SHOWDOWN also has a Versus Mode where one or two players can compete in special head-to-head challenges such as a medieval duel fought with conjured weapons, a magic carpet contest where players pick an item that piles up until one of the carpets is overloaded and sinks (I picked ghosts and that worked out very well!) or a tower battle where catapults fire items trying to tear down the opposing player's structure (tanks and whales make for great projectiles!).

There is also a Sandbox Mode where two players can just wander around a number of different environments interacting with things and harassing each other.  I flew over a jungle temple wearing a backpack helicopter shooting a flame thrower at my son who had transformed his Scribblenaut into a vampire wearing a super hero costume while playing around with this mode.  My daughter and wife raced a pegasus versus a unicorn when they took a turn.  Unleash your imagination with Sandbox Mode!

For more information about this video game, head over to SCRIBBLENAUTS.COM.  Available now in the United States and Canada wherever video games are sold.  Check it out!

Moto Racer 4

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

Moto Racer the popular motorcycle racing video game franchise from the late '90s is making a comeback with an updated version for a new generation of players on Sony Playstation and Microsoft XBOX home entertainment consoles.  MOTO RACER 4 is being released for the XBOX ONE and PLAYSTATION 4 video game consoles on January 24, 2017 but the video game's publisher MICROIDS provided it to my kids in advance to try out and they've really been enjoying themselves playing it.  Spectacular graphics make viewing the race courses within this video game just as much fun as the aspect of striving to have the fastest time steering your virtual motorcycle through challenges as you compete in the game.   These great visual elements combined with advanced computer processing that allows players to experience a 60 images per second frame rate enhance the simulated feeling of riding a motorcycle in this arcade style game.

While MOTO RACER 4 provides a great virtual motorcycle racing experience it isn't a complex, in-depth simulation full of difficult control features to learn and master making it a great video game that a family can play together.  A control knob steers your bike left and right, a button controls the gas, another the brake and another jumps and tricks....simple as that!  Within 5 minutes my 8 year old twins were racing each other like two kids who had already earned their drivers licenses.  Soon my wife and I joined in and everyone was having fun seeing who would win the bragging rights for being the best racer in the family playing the video game.  MOTO RACER 4 has a split screen feature that lets you race head to head against someone in the same room or an online feature where 2 - 10 players can join in to race against one another at the same time.  Players can also participate in solo matches where they are pitted again AI (artificial intelligence) opponents.

My kids really like that there are a variety of colorful characters to choose playing as in the game with each one having unique outfits and traits.  One character may be better at handling the bike making it easier to steer while racing but may be slower than the opponents on the track putting you at a disadvantage.  On the other hand, another character might be able to go really really fast but isn't as adept at handling corners on the track. and may be more likely to crash letting a slower racer pass you by.  Picking a character that best fits your own game playing style adds a bit of strategy to your races.  A nice touch is there are plenty of female characters available to select from so this isn't a completely guy focused game which my daughter really appreciated.

Another nice feature our family really enjoyed is the ability to either race on asphalt on a motorcycle or go off road to race dirt bikes.  With the dirt bikes there are lots of jumps and stunts you can do while with the motorcycles you'll be challenged weaving through cars and trucks as there can be traffic on the road.  Whether racing on asphalt or dirt there are several competition modes to choose from:

KING OF THE HILL -- each rider starts with the same time on the clock.  As time runs down for the leader the other racers get extra turbo speed.  The player in the lead when the clock reaches zero wins the race.

LAST MAN STANDING -- the last player to pass each checkpoint on the race course is eliminated.

SURVIVAL -- the race starts with a minimal amount of time on the clock.  Each time a player passes a checkpoint time is added to the clock.  In single player mode the goal is to survive for a specific length of time.  In multi-player mode it is to be the last racer with time left on his or her clock.

CATCH UP -- Your opponents start the race with a head start and you must finish the race in first place.

WOLF PACK -- You start the race with a head start and must maintain it without being passed by an opponent.

GOLDEN HELMET --   Competitors must earn the one golden helmet up for grabs during the race.  To do this, they must be first to go past the initial checkpoint.  Once a player is wearing the golden helmet if another player knocks against them while racing that opponent gets the helmet.  If a player wearing the helmet crashes or falls off their bike the golden helmet is transported to the next checkpoint where the first player to reach the spot gets it.  The player wearing the golden helmet crossing the finish line wins the race.

Of course in addition to these special modes, players can also just compete in a normal race where the fastest person to complete their laps and cross the finish line first wins.

MOTO RACER 4's non-violent game play and simple controls make it a great game for children and parents to play together.  The game's multitude of vibrant courses that are as fun to explore as to race through, its numerous competition modes that provide a variety of challenges to players, and the ability for each competitor to have its own unique sense of style and racing skills combine to provide  a family with hours of entertainment having fun together playing this video game. MOTO RACER 4 definitely gets  A Geek Daddy nod of approval for being a great kid-friendly video game to play!