Google Chromecast at Best Buy #ad @BestBuy @Chromecast

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Chromecast Audio is a fun little gadget, it lets you stream many forms of online audio to any speaker system.  All you need is a smart phone, tablet or computer, wi-fi and an audio in jack, which is available on almost all audio systems made.  The device is small and easy to use, and also doesn’t eat up your cell phone battery with Blue Tooth usage.  Chromcast Audio itself interfaces with your cell phone and supports many audio apps, including Pandora, Google Music and Spotify, for a full list check here: chromecast.com/apps.  Now you can easily fill every room in your home with synchronous music. Simply group Chromecast Audio devices together so you can listen to the same song on multiple speakers.  Making a full home audio experience possible.  This is great for cleaning days when zipping from room to room, cleaning up the kitchen, bathroom, dusting, etc.  No one wants to clean quietly.  Music is a great way to pass the time and actually enjoy yourself while working.

What we like best about the Chromecast is its ability to interface with all manner of speaker systems, where all that is needed is an open audio port and an outlet.  This brings the music with you wherever you go.  From parties to vacationing, you will find many reasons to plug in the Chromecast Audio.

Since this is a Google device, the interface is easy, the device itself is well built and works exactly as you wish it to.  The audio quality is sharp and on point with little to any drop outs.  Since this works off wi fi the connection is stronger and the bandwidth greater leading to better more reliable sound.

Head over to Best Buy and see for yourself, you will really enjoy this lightweight and super portable device.

Fun New Video Games for Families

Nicer weather is on the way, but what to do while you are still trapped indoors? Check out these new video games and devices you can play with the kids.

 

Skylanders Imaginators is the newest in the proud Skylanders line of games.  Each game further expands on the previous, and lets real life toy-like figures meet and battle on the portal (game) and inside the game itself. Each character is unique and can be brought into the game with the included portal by simply placing the toy on the portal.  This newest iteration brings in a character creation element which makes for great fun and increased interactivity in a unique way.  The story follows the Skylanders as they try to defeat Kaos in his newest plan to destroy Skyland.  Kaos has found a new power called the Mind Magic and is creating an army of Doomlanders.  The leader of the good guys is Eon, and he calls upon Portal Masters to battle Kaos and his army.  But this time there are Sensei’s as well.  These sensei’s give you new powers for your Imaginators to use and be built with.  The new Nintendo system Switch has received its own version of this fun game, and now includes further mobility. You can also save your Skylanders’ figure stats and abilities to the system so you can play Skylanders on the go with your characters but without a portal or figures in tow.  This is a great new addition (and kind of a big deal)  and makes Skylanders able to be an “on the go” game as well.

Skylanders Imaginators

If you haven’t yet, you can also create your own Skylander that will be mailed to you in real life. My son flipped his lid over this, and your Skylanders fan will as well. It’s easy to do, just download the Skylanders Creator app from the iOS or Android store, and using the app, create an Imaginator character or transfer one from the Skylanders Imaginators console game to the app. Follow the directions, it takes just a few minutes once downloaded from start to finish. Any Skylander you created can be yours in real life- one of the cooler things we’ve seen in a while.  Highly recommend.

Nintendo Switch

Speaking of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has finally given us what we have been frothing at the mouth for, a new system!  Their newest console is the Switch.  It is both a portable as well as a use at home console, which I think is very neat.  It is easy to switch between the two, even in the middle of your current game.  The first thing you will notice upon opening up the Switch is there is not much in the box, a tablet and a stand, controllers, a few various controller accessories and cables.  This is exactly the point of the system- portability.  The tablet portion of the Switch is quite a powerhouse, with a crisp, gorgeous display.  The controllers are very responsive and are solidly built as well.  They do feel a bit small in Dad’s monster size hands, but are definitely still playable for long periods of time (especially when used in conjunction with the joy con grip, which turns the two small controllers into one bigger one for a more classic gaming feel).  It’s actually kind of telling of current gaming, all the different ways the Switch is played in our house.  My son loves playing portable, anywhere, from the kitchen to the bedroom, while dad loves the classic gaming feel with controller in hand on the TV.  The Switch’ s joy con controller can also act as two separate controllers for two players, which make for fun for all with the accessibility of a small controller with fewer buttons.  Non gamers will be easily  drawn into multiplayer games with the small controller making for a more fun multi-player experience.  The Switch is available now in stores and online retailing for $299.99.

breath of the wild
The Legend of Zelda has always been a fun franchise, ever expanding and growing with each entry.  The newest, Breath of the Wild, takes the player places they have never been in a Zelda game.  As Link, you will explore the vast area of Hyrule full of shrines, villages, friends, and foes, with fights being less of a button mashing event and more of a strategic battle.  What will strike the player in some of your earliest encounters will be how difficult this game actually is.  Do not expect to run into a fight, slash some baddies and hop out.  Each encounter is a lesson in sneaking, dodging, attacking, magic, and of course the ever important strategic get away (which does not always succeed).  As you progress through the game, your armor, weapons, and shields get damaged and break, needing to be replaced. Link himself learns new powers, abilities, and and gains friends.  This game also supports amiibos which can be a huge help.  The Breath of Wind series amiibos are all compatible as well as Wolf Link, and the Zelda 30th Anniversary amiibo to name a few.  When you use Wolf Link, you get a companion who will assist in battle and travel along side you.   Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is avilable now for $59.99 in stores and online as well as from the Nintendo eShop retailing for $59.99

yoshi and poochy

Yarn Yoshi is back and this time he has brought his woolly buddy Poochy in Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World.  Kamek the magikoopa has changed everyone into wool, and Yoshi and Poochy are here to save the day.  This game is a retelling of Yoshi Woolly World on the Wii U, by including over 55 levels of fun while also adding some new Poochy levels.  Every level has a craft feel where enemies are yarn and each texture and item is also craft based. There is also an ability to enter Mellow Mode where Yoshi sporty his signature wings and can float about, and adds Poochy’s 3 little puppies to help find secrets and hidden passages.  This game is great for players of all ages, where experienced players will try to collect all the items available while beginners will be happy to beat each level.  Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World is available only on the Nintendo 3DS and is available for download from the eShop or at retail locations.  In addition to the regular edition there is also an amiibo bundle where the game includes a Poochy amiibo packaged with it.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome amiibo – Nintendo 3DS

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Animal Crossing has long been a favorite of the the Nintendo franchises, where players have open creative control over their character, building rooms, homes, clothing and with this newest iteration, a city.  The newest version being called Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome amiibo.  You take on the role of Mayor, where you are able to effect your city in a few interesting ways, Public Works Projects and Ordinances.  Both of which effect the citizens of your town.  Public Works Projects let you collect funds from citizens and visiting players which are then used to build fountains, light poles, bridges, police stations and cafes.  Ordinances are laws which govern how your town runs from opening and closing time for your shops and cafes to encouraging players to plant flowers, this is a gentle nudge for your citizens.  The main component of Animal Crossing is customization.  You start out in a tent and slowly work up to a house, where each room can be customized with lamps, furniture, and other household items.  The player yourself can also be customized from your clothing, shoes, hat and accessories.  The next most exciting component of New Leaf is the ability to share and explore.  Players can now explore other towns and visit others homes, getting ideas for their own homes and towns as well as getting tips and pointers on how to run their own town. The Dream Suite allows you to download dream versions of others towns and explore them.  The Happy Home Showcase lets others view your home via StreetPass and their furniture.  Play Coins also have a usage in game where they can be used to buy fortune cookies, which can be traded in for special prizes and rare items.  On November 2, 2016 Animal Crossing New Leaf released and update to support Amiibo’s including Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, and Splatoon as well as cards.  These Amiibo are then summoned as villagers and vendors to a new campsite.

LEGO Dimensions Packs – Dr. Who, Simpsons, and Adventure Time

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In what other game can you have Homer driving down the yellow brick road in the bat-mobile?

The answer is LEGO Dimensions.  The Lego brick themed multiverse spanning game is constantly expanding and with the most recent additions you can now explore the worlds of the children’s favorite Adventure Time, the generational favorite Dr Who,and the TV classic The Simpsons Springfield to name a few.

Sets are broken down into a few different categories, the predominant one being levels. With the download of an update to your game and the usage of figures from that particular universe, the level is unlocked.  Simpsons brings your characters into Springfield to solve various quests and requests by locals as well as the collection of various items to complete the level to 100%.  There are playable levels as well as free play modes where you can just go exploring to find all the nooks and crannies put in the game.  I guarantee as a fan you will find something that will put a huge smile on your face no matter which level pack you play.

Adventure Time has tons of characters and interactions with authentic voices.  When combining the level pack with the character pack, you can play as the duo Finn and Jake and cause mischief and save princesses with the help of BMO and Lumpy Space Princess.  To be honest, my son was least interested in Lumpy Space Princess to start off with, but her animations and interactions with characters are so spot on and genuinely funny, she is now one of his favorites in the entire game across every universe.

In addition to the sets mentioned, there are also fun packs like the Ninjago Cragger pack, which includes the evil Croc-tribe warrior Gragger and his Swamp Skimmer (which can be rebuilt into Cragger’s Fireship and Croc Command Sub).  This is one of the interesting parts of Lego Dimensions- vehicles aren’t only one vehicle but can be upgraded and rebuilt into other forms making them stronger or adding a new mode of transportation to the game, like a submarine going underwater or a jet which can fly around.

Each pack is jammed full of fun with levels, characters, and of course the LEGOs themselves, which come with digital instructions on how to build some characters in game.  Once put together, the characters can also be played with in real life just as other LEGO sets are, and fit in with the rest you have at home. Don’t lose the parts, though!

Dragon Quest Builders for the Playstation 4

What is an interesting way to get your whole family into the role playing game genre while still keeping the little ones excited about open world sand box style gaming, in the same vein as Minecraft?  The answer is the new Dragon Quest Builders game where you play a hero who must rebuild a destroyed kingdom, block by block castle by castle, city by city.  This may sound like a daunting task, but for those of us with a creative mind and a builder’s spirit, it is within reach.

The story is that there was a great battle generations ago, and after such, a hero was tricked into joining forces with a great evil.  The evil Dragon lord took away mankind’s ability to build and imagine, scattering the remains of humanity across the planet.  Your job to rekindle this builder’s spirit and imagination with the help of the Goddess at your side, as well as your own imagination.  The game itself is huge and wide open, able to be explored and built or broken down at will.  There are familiar characters from the Dragon Quest series including Slimes and Dragons, and a familiar art style similar to previous iterations of the Dragon Quest series, with an anime feel instead of the block-y computer graphics of Minecraft.

What is most fun about this game in my opinion is its ability to bring video game players of various genres together into one game.  Those who enjoy a more story and plot driven games will enjoy the ability to rebuild the world to its former glory, completing quests for other characters and defeating enemies.  While those who love open world sand box games will enjoy the building of places itself.  From humble beginnings of one bedroom homes, to kitchens and blacksmiths, to full size castles, the world is literally yours to play in.  The interface itself is easy and the controls are simple to master.  You have a set inventory of materials which can be used to build new places and materials.  Dragon Quest Builders is available now and retails for $59.99.

Mincraft at Best Buy @BestBuy @Minecraft #ad

Minecraft is one of the my son’s favorite games.  My husband, not as much, but he is learning (and also learning how much of an old man he is sometimes).  You can build and explore exciting new worlds with Best Buy’s assortment of Minecraft games and collectibles.

Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures.  Where players can use their imagination, they can bring anything their digital heart desires to life. This translates into a robust level of online shared works to explore.  Visit randomly generated worlds as well as build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles.  Minecraft is less of a game and more of a digital revolution.  Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources, or mine deep in Survival Mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off dangerous mobs. Do all this alone, or with friends.  Co-Op mode is a blast with a family member or a friend.  My husband honestly didn’t see the point in Minecraft until he sat down and played Co-Op with the kiddo. The games are very family-friendly, and great for kids and adults of any age.  The toys and collectibles make great gifts for anyone already into the game or just getting their feet wet.

Best Buy carries a large assortment the assortment of Minecraft products – this includes an Xbox One S console bundle, additional Minecraft games, and Minecraft toys and collectibles.  The coolest being (of course) the Xbox One S console bundle, which includes not only the Xbox One S 500GB console, but also Xbox Wireless Controller, Minecraft: Xbox One Edition Favorites Pack, Minecraft Builder’s Pack, Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta,  and also 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial.  The Xbox One S is the same as an Xbox One but is now powered up with 4K Blu-ray, 4k video streaming and HDR all this while being 40% smaller.

Moana: The Movie, the Games

moana app

Moana, the newest animated film from Walt Disney Pictures, is still filling theaters around the world. It’s one of the top-ranked movies of the year, beloved by critics and audience members of all ages. If you haven’t already taken your children to see it, I confidently recommend doing so. Older children, teens, and thrill-seeking adults can enjoy Moana in 3D, which offers an entirely next-level type of entertainment. However, the story and 2D visuals are captivating enough that the non-3D movie is very much worth seeing.

After watching Moana at the theater, a great way to stay connected is through video games. These days, sites like Poki offer countless web games for free. On Poki, each game is sorted into categories, which makes it easy to find exactly what you want. Today, I’d like to share what my child has been playing lately: Moana games from Poki!

The Moana games on Poki are a subsection of the movie games category, which includes hundreds of titles. Some of the most popular movie games are based on Frozen, Cars, or Spider-Man. But the hit film of today is Moana, and there are many exciting adventures to discuss.

Moana Waialiki is a Pacific Island princess. To be more specific, Moana is Polynesian, and she is beautiful. When the movie was first announced, there was much discussion surrounding this new type of Disney royalty. Feminists and open-minded citizens everywhere praised the choice to showcase diversity on the silver screen. As a result, we have a movie and now many games that center around the proud Motunui native. The Moana dress-up games on Poki highlight her unique culture and clothing. The fabrics, dress styles, and jewelry are all based on authentic island fashion. Players will learn about Oceania while playing, as these games take place 2000 years in the past, just like the movie.

There are also different types of Moana puzzle games, including hidden-object and jigsaw challenges. In Moana Hidden Letters, players will use a magnifying glass to find the alphabet on the beach. In Disney Moana Puzzle, gamers must unscramble memorable scenes from the movie. Every puzzle piece is a small part of the big picture. This type of gameplay lets us relive iconic movie moments with Moana and Maui.

Have I mentioned that the Moana soundtrack was co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda? That’s right—the award-winning composer and star of Hamilton helped pen the music for Moana. Best of all, some of Poki’s Moana games feature real music from the movie. When playing Kakamora Kaos, gamers are bound to be inspired by the movie’s original soundtrack. The orchestral symphony will charge the coconut-wearing pirates on their massive ship. Instead of playing a game on the computer, it will feel like you’re a part of the film!

After watching Moana, playing these games is the next best thing. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, the Moana titles on Poki are so much fun that they stand tall on their own. It’s time for your children to play with the Polynesian princess and her demigod companion Maui.

Pokemon Sun and Moon for the Nintendo 3DS

If you have been under a rock for the last few months, Pokemon is back and in a big way.  With the recent release of Pokemon Go and the most recent release of Pokemon Sun and Moon, all your gaming needs can be met trying to catch them all.

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In Pokemon Sun/Moon, you follow along a young trainer as he or she moves to a new region the Alola region, which looks like a tropical Pacific Island.  Upon moving here, you quickly start your adventure to become a Pokemon trainer, and one of the best ones there is at that.  You first pick out your starter Pokemon, choosing from Rowlet (Grass-Flying), Litten (Fire), and Popplio (Water). Each of these are cute little critters who pack a mean punch.  Whichever you pick, you are in for a good time, so no need to stress over this first choice.  As you progress through the game, you learn some new moves called “Z Moves”, which are a way for trainer and Pokemon to act in unison and perfect harmony to release devastating attacks on your opponents (which there are many of).  Your opponents range from the evil Team Skull, to wild Pokemon hidden in the tall grass and waters of the area, to other trainers- there are more then enough chances to try out your new moves.

This game is fun for gamers of all ages, although reading is needed in order to progress and make heads or tails of the story, so be aware those very young will not be able to get too far without some help from mom or dad.  Early readers should be ok with the game, however, the reading is not overly advanced.  Game play is also easy to pick up and understand, as the main mechanics are catch Pokemon, battle Pokemon, and continue on with your quest.

There are many side quests available along the main character’s journey, such as finding specific Pokemon in certain areas, to helping find special items or people in one place.  In regard to which game you should pick up (Sun or Moon) the real decision is which legendary do you like more- the sun based Solgaleo or moon based Lunala?  Other then that, the games are identical in story line and players from either version can trade with one another.

Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon retail for $39.99 each and certainly should not be missed.