At FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com, we recognize that there are many different types of games that are fun for families to play together, so we’ve narrowed down our holiday favorites into the five different gameplay categories we feature on our site. Today, we’re focused on games in the Easy-to-play category.
EASY TO PLAY - Families with younger gamers or parents who aren’t comfortable with using a lot of different buttons will like these types of games that are simple to control.
START THE PARTY – Sony PlayStation 3
Start the Party is one of the PlayStation Move titles that we’re most excited about, because we think that family members of all skill levels will enjoy not only seeing themselves on-screen performing the wacky mini-challenges, but will also enjoy watching everyone else in their family having fun with the PlayStation Move. The main gameplay in Start the Party sees the Move technology "place" objects in your hand or on you as you move around the screen. It’s a really cool, and often hilarious, effect, that kids of all ages should enjoy.
KIDZ BOP DANCE PARTY – Nintendo Wii
Kiz Bop Dance Party should definitely appeal to younger kids, and families can play together easily with a two-player mode. Since all the songs are Kidz Bop songs, families can be assured that there won’t be any questionable lyrics. If you have toddlers and kids who love to dance, Kidz Bop Dance Party is a great way for families to get up and moving this holiday season, because the emphasis is on moving around and having fun, not necessarily precise dancing moves.
TONY HAWK SHRED – Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Tony Hawk Shred is a very fun game that uses a skateboard shaped controller, which you set on the ground, and is perfect for allowing non-skaters and even toddlers the chance to feel like they can pull off some cool moves. We can’t speak to the authenticity of any moves because we’re not skaters and we didn’t test it with real, skilled skaters, but we can tell you that our family had a blast with it. Tony Hawk Shred makes it really easy for any gamer that can step onto the skateboard controller to feel like they are skating like a pro.
JUST DANCE KIDS – Nintendo Wii
Just Dance Kids is a ton of simple dancing fun that will have kids of all ages up ready to play along. It’s easy to play - players simply need to mimic an onscreen dancer while holding the Wii-mote in their right hand. With songs ranging from artists like the Wiggles to Madonna to The Jackson 5, Just Dance Kids contains a fun mix of songs that will appeal to toddlers as well as older kids and some tweens, along with a feature that lets you filter the songs that are targeted for each age group.
FLINGSMASH – Nintendo Wii
FlingSmash is a 2-player cooperative game from Nintendo that sort of reminds people of pinball. The object of the game is to help a ball through a slowly moving level, breaking down barriers, or navigating around objects. What’s great about FlingSmash is that it is really simple to control. Basically all you need to do is be able to flick the Wii-mote, without even pushing any buttons. The makes the game very family friendly because it is highly accessible for kids and adults of all ages and skill levels.