Looking for some new video games to play with the family as the weather cools down? Maybe something portable for upcoming holiday travel would be useful.  Here are some of our current favorites.

Tthe newest entry in the beloved Paper Mario series, Paper Mario Color Splash, takes Mario to the formerly colorful Prism Island where someone is draining the land of all its paint and color.  As the hero we all know and love, Paper Mario comes along to save the day with his paint hammer. When used, the hammer splashes color on formerly uncolored portions of land, flowers, characters, houses, and even water.  This game plays like other Paper Mario games in the series, where combat is turn based, but also includes cards which describe what moves can be used next.

This game is a blast to play for RPG fans or Mario fans in general and should not be missed.  It is a perfect jump on point for the Paper Mario series, giving players an interactive role playing experience which will keep you wanting more and itching to paint smash some dull areas of your own life.

Paper Mario Color Splash is available for the Wii U on October 7th for $59.99 only on the Nintendo Wii U.

Metroid has long been a favorite among Nintendo fans.  Amid quite a bit of controversy when first announced, Federation Force is an interesting spin on a familiar game setting and characters.  The controversy surrounded Nintendo’s decision to work on a release of this game instead of continuing the Samus saga in the Metroid Prime universe. This title is a spin off of the federation force, which picks up after the events in Metroid Prime 3 Corruption.  This game follows the federation force in their pursuit to clean up the galaxy by battling Metroids and Space Pirates as well as various other alien creatures, causing problems across 3 familiar planets.

This game also differs from other Metroid Prime installments in its emphasis on team work and group based shooting instead of exploration, as well as the removal of the touch screen based elements of Metroid Prim Hunters, and the scanning ability of Metroid Prime.  Players can be a few different specialties based on the choosing of their weapon load out before each mission, including a healer weapon and heavy fire missiles. Federation Force also includes and arena style combat soccer mode called Blast Ball.

Both game modes are available now with the purchase of Metroid Prime Federation Force which is available now in both retail stores and the eShop for 39.99.

Yo-Kai watch is the newest phenomena to hit our shores from Japan.  The newest games in the series are Yo-Kai Watch 2 Fleshy Souls and Bony Spirits.  The main story follows around our protagonist Nate as he solves mysteries involving the spirit world through the usage of his Yo Kai watch.  These newest games dig deeper into the origins of the Yo Kai watch, and brings players into the watch’s humble beginnings.

The story in Yo Kai Watch 2 is interesting and fun- it  ultimately brings to head a war between Yo-Kai of historic proportions while also helping out various townspeople with mini quests along the way. It also includes bug catching.  If you are looking for a fun, easy to pick up and play RPG with monster collecting,  Yo-Kai Watch 2 is perfect. If you are a fan of RPG’s in general and are looking for something with an odd flavor, this works as well.  Of course, any fan of the TV show will enjoy the game- Yo-Kai Watch 2 is not to be missed by fans of the series, my son  is having a blast trying to catch as many Yo-Kai as possible (and telling me all about the little creatures the entire time).

Yo Kai Watch 2 Fleshy Souls  and Bony Spirits is available now for the Nintendo 3DS and retails for $39.99 each.

And to play some of these fun games ON, don’t forget the hardware.  There are a wide variety of consoles and gaming devices available; one of the newest (and in my opinion, a very pretty option) is the New Nintendo 3DS XL system: New Galaxy Blue. Nintendo has recently released this new 3DS XL in honor of the new planet scientists discovered.  Lovers of science, astronomy, or really just cool artwork will love this design. This new space-themed, shimmery unit is a limited addition, and is only available for the next couple of weeks.  The Nintendo 3DS family is the best-selling video game system in the United States, offering tons of family friendly games in it’s line up. There are games everyone will enjoy. If you don’t have one yet, you might want to consider this one while it’s still out.  The suggested retail price is $199.99- grab it at http://www.nintendo.com/ or in a store near you.