WHAT PLAY YOU!? Version 3.0

[RedTwoster]

49 minutes ago, Cousin Jim Bob said:

 

It's getting mixed reviews and feedback but a lot of comments saying that it is like Smash Bros. That if it clicks for you, then you are really going to love it and get a ton out of it.

Seems a proper marmite game.

I think the reviews have generally been very positive (8s and 9s), with one or two outliers like The Metro (which gave it 4/10), but I think you have to take a game on its own merit; even if it’s not your kind of game. Elden Ring (for example) could be viewed similarly - it just won’t click with some people, but you can accept it’s very well made.

I think for the outliers, from reading the reviews, it’s just not their kinda game. It’s a slightly weird racing game where you automatically move forward. It’s a little different to your standard kart racer but I can see why the original ended up being a cult classic. It’s just plain fun. Time will tell as to whether or not it has staying power for me, but on day one at least, I’m having an absolute blast with it. 

[westlondonmist]

My son is turning 7 and my partner is caving and letting him play video games. Unfortunately my games mostly involve fighting (Inc the games from Turtles and Power Rangers which he loves). Is there any kids IP games that aren't shit and also piss easy.

[waters44]

57 minutes ago, westlondonmist said:

My son is turning 7 and my partner is caving and letting him play video games. Unfortunately my games mostly involve fighting (Inc the games from Turtles and Power Rangers which he loves). Is there any kids IP games that aren't shit and also piss easy.

He may be a little young still but try him on Plants vs Zombies Battle For Neighbourville. There are a few PvE maps that he can run around in shooting plants or zombies. It’s very colourful and quite fun to watch which is a bonus! It’s easy and will teach him the basics he will need to rely on when he’s playing COD at 10

[RedTwoster]

10 hours ago, westlondonmist said:

My son is turning 7 and my partner is caving and letting him play video games. Unfortunately my games mostly involve fighting (Inc the games from Turtles and Power Rangers which he loves). Is there any kids IP games that aren't shit and also piss easy.

What console do you have? The 2D Kirby games on Switch are pretty straightforward, and you can’t go wrong with a Lego game. Disney’s Illusion Island doesn’t even have any combat, so that’s a very good introduction to platforming. 

New Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Wonder have modes in which you can’t die unless you fall down a pit, and Scribblenauts is a really fun game that encourages creativity and is probably helpful when it comes to spelling too (you enter a word to make objects appear so you can solve simple puzzles - you can create pretty much anything, although there are safeguards so it’s definitely kid-friendly)

Mario Kart World’s open map is a very good one for kids, there are low stakes and you can’t just drive around and explore. The 50CC races are also pretty hard to lose.

Untitled Goose Game is one that I’ve never seen a kid hate. You’re a goose, and you go around creating havoc. You can’t die, it’s single player or co-op and it’s also funny in a family-friendly way. 

[Merzbow]

Sonic The Hedgehog.

The 2D games are on everything, aren't they? I still think they hold up plus there is Mania and genuinely good 3D titles like Generations, Colours and I'd argue Adventure 1 and 2.

Edit: Hm, I thought the Adventures were ported to new consoles like Switch but it's just up to the 360 era.

Edited November 22, 2025 by Merzbow

[FLips]

51 minutes ago, Merzbow said:

Sonic The Hedgehog.

The 2D games are on everything, aren't they? I still think they hold up plus there is Mania and genuinely good 3D titles like Generations, Colours and I'd argue Adventure 1 and 2.

Edit: Hm, I thought the Adventures were ported to new consoles like Switch but it's just up to the 360 era.

 

You can get them on Xbox Series consoles as the 360 stuff is back compatible and they're on the digital stores, but I don't think PS or Switch have them.

My advice @westlondonmist is you're narrowing yourself in limiting it to "kids IPs" as sadly the majority of games based on kids shows (Bluey, Ryan's World, etc) are all dog shit. I also wouldn't say you need something that's piss easy. It was a different time but I grew up on the NES playing games like Mega Man 2, Ninja Gaiden and Bart vs The Space Mutants and I still to this day can't complete the latter two. The fun can be in the challenge, even for a 7 year old. I'm not saying get them Dark Souls or anything but I wouldn't limit yourself to finding easy kids IP games because you may as well not bother.

Twoster is on the right tracks with Mario and Mario Kart, they're easy to pick up, play and understand but also can provide a challenge to improve and explore. Maybe explore less obvious genres too, maybe your kid ends up loving puzzle games or something like Animal Crossing or Pokemon. I loved stuff like Tetris and Columns when I was growing up.

It all depends on the console you have. For Switch stick with the Mario stuff and you can't go wrong, and personally I'd recommend the Switch Online subscription. Not for the actual online, you can parental protect all of that, but for the Virtual Console library which is packed with all old Mega Drive, NES, SNES, N64 stuff. There's a lot of kid friendly classics on there and it would help your kid try a load of new genres to see what kind of thing they're into for relatively cheap (£35 for the year I think it is? which is cheaper than one modern game).

If you have Xbox you can get the Lego Games from the 360 to now for really cheap so if your kid likes Star Wars, Batman, Marvel, Lego Movie, etc, there's a good group of kid friendly games there, which have good co-op too for them to play with you or their friends. Minecraft is on there too, but that's on everything. The Sonic games are on there too, and there's Spongebob games and whatnot that are meant to be pretty good.

Honestly, the Switch is probably your best shout. Xbox and Playstation, off the top of my head don't have any really great kids exclusives, and the games they do have can be found on the Switch.

[Jesse]

Patrick Klepek over at Crossplay does a monthly round up of 'family friendly' games. It ranges up to the teen, since I think his oldest is roughly Fortnite age now, but has a pretty good spread each month.

https://www.crossplay.news/p/video-games-for-kids-november-2025

[RedTwoster]

5 hours ago, FLips said:

Twoster is on the right tracks with Mario and Mario Kart, they're easy to pick up, play and understand but also can provide a challenge to improve and explore. Maybe explore less obvious genres too, maybe your kid ends up loving puzzle games or something like Animal Crossing or Pokemon. I loved stuff like Tetris and Columns when I was growing up.

Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee are great starter Pokemon games, and actually pretty decent too, so that’s a great shout. The only downside really is that it’s dependent on reading ability to an extent, since there’s no voice acting.

I also loved Tetris at that age, and it’s the kinda game anyone can play really - Puyo Puyo Tetris 1&2 are both great ways to experience that genre, I reckon. 

If you want something you can play together, Moving Out and Overcooked are both great for that. The Mario Party games are good choices there too. Same goes for Warioware, which also has decent value as a single player experience.

Link’s Awakening is also a great choice - I loved the original when I was younger and this is essentially an enhanced version of that.

[The Gaffer]

I thought this would never come out. So happy to be wrong. It looks like so much saturated fun and I really want a PC to play it:

 

[FLips]

No 2 or Future Perfect is a bummer. All due respect to Timesplitters 1 but it’s the worst of the 3. Not to sound entitled but a game that old and it sharing so many assets it can’t have been much more work to just combine them.

Edited November 24, 2025 by FLips

[RedTwoster]

On 11/20/2025 at 8:40 AM, RedTwoster said:

A very hot take here given that it’s only just out but Kirby Air Riders might be my favourite Nintendo kart racer ever. There’s so much to do, and it’s so much fun. Plus every vehicle feels different, which I hadn’t expected or noticed in the free demo. 

I’ve decided I stand by this. You need to play it on the hardest difficulty to get full enjoyment out of it - it feels a bit like a Super Meat Boy-style game if you do (some of the races are incredibly short) but fuck me it becomes addictive, with a ‘just one more go’ quality to it, in the knowledge you absolutely have the ability to win, but you’re not necessarily going to. 

[RedTwoster]

So I bought myself a Playdate, if anyone has ever been intrigued by it.

Basically, it’s a unique, portable console with a crank and a black-and-white display. All games are downloadable, and it also operates a ‘season’ model in which you get two new games per week for a set period of time.

The games are generally very simple, but I’m really enjoying it so far. Here’s a rundown of what I’ve played. I should say - I’ve not played or received all season 1 or 2 games yet, so I’ve much more to enjoy here.

Casual Birder (comes with season 1)

One of the meatier experiences - it’s a cross between regular Pokemon and Pokemon Snap - basically, you go around taking photos of birds and there’s an off-the-wall story to go along with it. I’d also compare it to something like Toem, both in tone and execution. I completed this one and very much enjoyed it.

Whitewater Wipeout (comes with season 1)

You use the crank to control the surfboard and perform tricks etc, and this is one of the few games for the system I thought was utter dog dirt. Perhaps I’m just bad at it, but I kept crashing out.

Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure (season 1)

By the guy behind Katamari, and every bit as addictive. You use the crank to forward and rewind time to help Crankin get to his date (which he’s always late for no matter what you do), pausing time to help him avoid obstacles. You hit an obstacle, you start the level again. It’s very simple but very difficult, with a ‘just one more go’ quality to it. An absolute gem of a game, and very unlike anything I’ve ever played before.

Boogie Loops (season 1)

More a music development kit than a game. I didn’t really understand it, so this one is a miss from me.

Pick Pack Pup (season 1)

A very, very addictive puzzler. You match objects in order to pack them and send them off, with set challenges and goals each level. I completed this one, took a break and played it all over again, it’s great.

Flipper Lifter (season 1)

You use the crank to operate a lift, transporting penguins from one floor to another as a building gets larger and larger. It’s frantic and fun, like a one player Overcooked with simpler mechanics. I played this for ages, it’s really enjoyable.

Omaze (season 1)

A puzzle game in which you rotate circles with the crank, to get a smaller circle (the sort of eyeball-like thing in the far left of this image) to the goal (the bullseye at the right of the picture). Simple but challenging, this is another game that you can’t stop playing.

Fulcrum Defender (season 2)

By the people behind FTL and Into the Breach, yet nothing like their other games. It’s like a cross between Asteroids and Vampire Survivors. You rotate the crank to destroy little blocks coming towards your circle, powering up as you go. Like many of the other Playdate games it’s a very simple concept that becomes challenging quickly, and very unputdownable.

CatchaDiablos (season 2)

I’ve seen this described as a weaker season 2 game, but I really like it. You use the crank to draw circles and capture enemies, levelling up and avoiding death as best as you can. It’s challenging and the control system is unusual, but I like it a lot.

Jolly Chimp Champ 

I paid about £3 for this, and it was worth every penny. You use the cramp to operate the conveyer belts, as you try to get the chimpanzee toy to the goal. There are over 100 levels of increasing complexity, and it’s an absolutely blast. I’m around 70 levels in, so clearly I loved it.

I have a few other games that I’m yet to play, but that’s mainly because I’ve been hooked by the games I have got round to. The Playdate doesn’t come cheap, but the games do and if you like the look of the above, I’d highly recommend getting one.

[The Gaffer]

On 11/24/2025 at 4:29 PM, FLips said:

No 2 or Future Perfect is a bummer. All due respect to Timesplitters 1 but it’s the worst of the 3. Not to sound entitled but a game that old and it sharing so many assets it can’t have been much more work to just combine them.

It has 2 and Future Perfect's assets. Most of the levels, characters, maps, game modes etc look to be there. It's just TimeSplitters 1 in terms of story campaign, which I imagine is bottom of the list for anyone interested in this anyway and makes sense given 2 + Future Perfect's campaigns have a lot of additional scripting, cinematics etc which are probably the hardest thing to pull off for a fan remake. 

[westlondonmist]

On 11/26/2025 at 9:13 AM, RedTwoster said:

So I bought myself a Playdate, if anyone has ever been intrigued by it.

Basically, it’s a unique, portable console with a crank and a black-and-white display. All games are downloadable, and it also operates a ‘season’ model in which you get two new games per week for a set period of time.

The games are generally very simple, but I’m really enjoying it so far. Here’s a rundown of what I’ve played. I should say - I’ve not played or received all season 1 or 2 games yet, so I’ve much more to enjoy here.

Casual Birder (comes with season 1)

One of the meatier experiences - it’s a cross between regular Pokemon and Pokemon Snap - basically, you go around taking photos of birds and there’s an off-the-wall story to go along with it. I’d also compare it to something like Toem, both in tone and execution. I completed this one and very much enjoyed it.

Whitewater Wipeout (comes with season 1)

You use the crank to control the surfboard and perform tricks etc, and this is one of the few games for the system I thought was utter dog dirt. Perhaps I’m just bad at it, but I kept crashing out.

Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure (season 1)

By the guy behind Katamari, and every bit as addictive. You use the crank to forward and rewind time to help Crankin get to his date (which he’s always late for no matter what you do), pausing time to help him avoid obstacles. You hit an obstacle, you start the level again. It’s very simple but very difficult, with a ‘just one more go’ quality to it. An absolute gem of a game, and very unlike anything I’ve ever played before.

Boogie Loops (season 1)

More a music development kit than a game. I didn’t really understand it, so this one is a miss from me.

Pick Pack Pup (season 1)

A very, very addictive puzzler. You match objects in order to pack them and send them off, with set challenges and goals each level. I completed this one, took a break and played it all over again, it’s great.

Flipper Lifter (season 1)

You use the crank to operate a lift, transporting penguins from one floor to another as a building gets larger and larger. It’s frantic and fun, like a one player Overcooked with simpler mechanics. I played this for ages, it’s really enjoyable.

Omaze (season 1)

A puzzle game in which you rotate circles with the crank, to get a smaller circle (the sort of eyeball-like thing in the far left of this image) to the goal (the bullseye at the right of the picture). Simple but challenging, this is another game that you can’t stop playing.

Fulcrum Defender (season 2)

By the people behind FTL and Into the Breach, yet nothing like their other games. It’s like a cross between Asteroids and Vampire Survivors. You rotate the crank to destroy little blocks coming towards your circle, powering up as you go. Like many of the other Playdate games it’s a very simple concept that becomes challenging quickly, and very unputdownable.

CatchaDiablos (season 2)

I’ve seen this described as a weaker season 2 game, but I really like it. You use the crank to draw circles and capture enemies, levelling up and avoiding death as best as you can. It’s challenging and the control system is unusual, but I like it a lot.

Jolly Chimp Champ 

I paid about £3 for this, and it was worth every penny. You use the cramp to operate the conveyer belts, as you try to get the chimpanzee toy to the goal. There are over 100 levels of increasing complexity, and it’s an absolutely blast. I’m around 70 levels in, so clearly I loved it.

I have a few other games that I’m yet to play, but that’s mainly because I’ve been hooked by the games I have got round to. The Playdate doesn’t come cheap, but the games do and if you like the look of the above, I’d highly recommend getting one.

That looks really good fun, I think the cost puts me off though. Sort of thing I probably would have bought before I had a family. Might take the punt in the New Year though. 

[RedTwoster]

13 hours ago, westlondonmist said:

That looks really good fun, I think the cost puts me off though. Sort of thing I probably would have bought before I had a family. Might take the punt in the New Year though. 

I bought it at CEX after swapping in my rarely-used Series S and I don’t regret it all. It’s a really fun device, with a surprisingly strong library of games. The system of giving you two new games a week is a good one too, and pretty much guarantees you’ll at least try them, even if you’re so addicted to Pick Pack Pup you keep going back to play that one instead.