Rise of the Guardians Game Review

Let your imagination soar in Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game as you play as one of the classic childhood legends, including: North (aka Santa Claus), Tooth (aka the Tooth Fairy), Bunnymund (aka the Easter Bunny), Sandman, and Jack Frost. In this action-packed adventure game, each Guardian has their own set of extraordinary abilities that will help you take on the evil spirit “Pitch” and his infectious nightmares. Along the way, you’ll unlock new powers and spellbinding special moves that will increase your character’s strength and skills throughout the game, plus you can unleash cool team attacks with your fellow heroes. With drop-in-and-out multiplayer action supporting up to four players on consoles, you and your team of Guardians will work together to protect the hopes, beliefs and imaginations of children all over the world!

FEATURES

• Join Forces with Your Favorite Characters From the Film – Play as one of the classic childhood legends from DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature film, Rise of the Guardians, including: North, Tooth, Bunnymund, Sandman, and Jack Frost.
• Battle Pitch in an Epic Adventure – Take on Pitch and his evil nightmares in a deep and intuitive adventure combat game that includes new original enemies designed specifically for each Guardian’s realm.
• Unique Abilities and Upgrades – Unlock power-ups such as weapon upgrades for your character. Plus, earn unique new abilities including special combat moves like a snowball attack, summoning a swarm of miniature tooth fairies, and more!
• Explore Legendary Guardian Realms – Experience the imaginative worlds from Rise of the Guardians, including; Tooth’s Palace, North’s Workshop, Bunnymund’s Warren, and many more.
• Team up in Multiplayer – Swap between any of the characters in drop-in-and-out four-player squad based multiplayer action on consoles.

We were sent a copy of the game that is out today, to try out.  The whole premise of the Rise of the Guardians really appeals to my eldest children.  The idea that these childhood figures are not quite as cute and fluffy as we would believe is a stroke of genius.  They are in fact a kickass crew prepared to battle to protect children throughout the world as long as they still believe.

The game, which is a tie-in of the Dreamworks film, features an elaborate environment to explore where you take on the enemy using special powers.  Swarms of nightmare creatures attack in waves. The fights are quite fast and furious as the legends unleash their powers to keep the nightmares away.  It is visually stunning and the characters are very much like their film counterparts.  The video cut-ins progress the story line and add to the enjoyment of the game.  The ability to switch between characters and the drop in multiplayer option adds variety for some fun sessions and adds to the replay value.

The game play is often seen from above and Kizzy, 10, sometimes lost her character in the melee that was going on, but other than that she managed the controls well.  The attack moves are easy to administer It's a good looking game that has made me really want to watch the film!  I love the edgy characters and the dark interpretation of the childhood legends.  Younger players will be able to handle this game and have fun with the familar cast. More accomplished players, who enjoy a good action/adventure game, will like it too.

Rise of the Guardians is available to purchase now from good stockists for the DS, 3DS, Wii, PS3, XBox 360 and Wii-U.  The XBox 360 game is £29.87 at Amazon.  It is a PEGI 12.

Mario Kart 7 Review

Mario Kart 7 is the glorious 3D racing game for the Nintendo 3DS.  It's fast, furious, fun, addictive and fantastic to play!

New tracks allow you to glide in the sky or race underwater on the sea bed for the first time in Mario Kart history, adding a whole new dimension to the racing game.  You can choose from your favourite characters or even use your own Mii to drive.  New characters include Metal Mario and Lakitu.

There are 32 courses to race on including 16 retro courses from previous games.  This gives fans of the original games a real blast from the past!  The 16 brand new courses for Mario Kart 7 offer all the excitement and high octane fun with some extra twists and turns along the way!

The game plays beautifully.  The top screen shows all the racing action in eye-popping 3D as you collect power-ups and coins, while racing across land, sea and air.  The bottom screen shows a map and your position and race data.  The controls are easy using the circle pad to steer.  Even 3 year old Freddy was able to have a go at racing and thought it was brilliant!   The vibrant, colourful graphics and upbeat music make it a joy to play.  You can easily switch between the 3D and 2D graphics.

You can customize your kart however you like. The tyres, chassis and gliders can be customized to suit your racing style.  Some options are built for speed, others are cute and cuddly and pure fun!   There is an option to use motion control to steer, putting yourself in the driving seat using the console as a wheel. 

The power-ups offer an element of real fun to the races.  Fire Flower allows you to throw fire balls at opponents.  On more than one occasion we were unexpectedly blasted with a Blooper that impaired our visibility by shooting ink all over our screen.  It looked fabulous in 3D and never failed to make me jump!  The Blue Spiny Shells can make you lose a race in an instant.  You cannot be sure of a win until you have crossed the finish line!


Mario Kart 7 can be played in single player mode or you can use the multi-player function via broadband to play with other racers worldwide!  You can play up to eight players locally using wi-fi.  It also uses Streetpass to exchange data with other Mario Kart 7 racers in your vicinity.  These features add to the excitement of Mario Kart 7 and pushes the gaming experience to its peak. My children are however most content with getting to grips with the game before competing against other racers.  They are happy to try and improve their ranking while playing solo, but it's good to know that the option to take on other racers is available when they are confident enough!


Mario Kart 7 is cram packed with action as you glide over ravines, propel your kart underwater and steer around the landscapes.  The courses are great with some retro moments to evoke memories of the Nintendo 64.  There are cups to be won in Grand Prix mode, keeping the challenges fresh.  Other modes and difficulty levels and the multi-player options will keep Mario Kart 7 a game that you will want to play for a long time.  Whether you are a hard core competitive gamer or just someone who enjoys indulging in a spot of gaming just for fun and relaxation, Mario Kart 7 is a perfect choice!


Check out details of Nintendo's Mario Kart 7 "Britain's Fastest Family" Tournament for your chance to win a Honda Jazz Si and other great prizes!!  Do you think you're fast enough??

Britain's Fastest Family Competition

Nintendo Launches Search for Britain's Fastest Family

Things are really heating up this summer (sadly I don't mean the weather!) as Mario Kart 7 on the Nintendo 3DS sweeps the nation.  Nintendo is on a mission to find Britain's Fastest Family in the biggest family gaming tournament with this fun, family racing game!

Whoever is crowned Britain's Fastest Family will become the proud owners of a stunning new Honda Jazz Si -as well as a limited edition Mario Kart 7 trophy and a host of other incredible prizes.  With all this to race for it is time to get practicing!

The Mario Kart 7 Britain's Fastest Family Tournament will run across England, Scotland and Wales offering all Mario Kart 7 fans the chance to compete to get the fastest race times.  Regional heats will take place throughout August at thirty chosen HMV stores, but only the fastest will gain  a seat at the grand finale in October to be in with a chance of winning the amazing prizes.

Family ties will be tested to the max as the competition is made up exclusively of family teams.  Old and young players will join forces to see off intense competition via a mix of blistering speed and ruthless strategy.  Expect no-holds barred racing as Mario Kart 7 offers the ability to glide in the sky, speed over land and race  on the sea floor in glorious 3D.

So get practicing and find your fastest family team members whether it is dad and daughter,  mum and son or  even gran and grandchild!  (Each team of two must include at least one adult over the age of 18 along with a second family member with an age gap of at least 10 years and be multi-generational.)

For more information and to register visit www.nintendo.co.uk/mario

Super Mario 3D Land Game Review

Nintendo's iconic character Mario is back in Super Mario 3D Land, a visually stunning and addictive game for the Nintendo 3DS!

The graphics are incredibly well done with attention to every bit of detail, made more impressive by the sharp 3D effect.  The colours are vibrant and the whole vibe of the game is fun from the first moment you turn it on.  There are lots of levels to explore, mini games to play  and bosses to beat.  The Mario music is so familiar and adds an uplifting quality to the gameplay.

Using the circle pad to control Mario, you guide him through the environment.  There are special moves to master to help him through the challenges.  Some moves are brand new to this title, keeping the evolution of the Mario franchise going forward.

I was glad that the gameplay started relatively easily to ease Kizzy in slowly and allowing her to get to grips with the 3D action in a gentle learning curve.  She quickly mastered the controls and was jumping, running and collecting on her quest to save Peach.

The 3D element of this platform game made judging distances and making jumps more precise.  It improves the flow of the game to not be dropping off edges continually!   There are lots of secrets and surprises along the way adding to the fun.  There is even a Tanooki suit meaning that Mario can take to the air!  Mario can also throw boomerangs to take out enemies along the way!

I'm sure the game will get progressively harder as the levels progress, but I like that Kizzy has been able to make good headway independently without too much frustration.  It is a fun and colourful world that provides pure unadulterated escapism!  As Kizzy gets further into the game she'll be able to unlock extra worlds which add to the games longevity.

This game seems to be another triumph from Nintendo.  It brings us another game with old school character  Mario in the starring role, whilst further exploring the potential of the amazing 3D technology of the 3DS.  It is an eye popping sensation that will please Mario fans young and old. With so much to explore and discover, you can take your time over the levels rather than rush to complete the game, so it's perfect for Kizzy who enjoys a relaxed approach to gaming.

It costs around £29.19 and is definitely a must have for 3DS gamers who enjoy classic Super Mario fun and games!

For the more hardcore gamers we have reviewed Kid Icarus Uprising for the 3DS too!