Whilst Uncharted 2 and Brutal Legend steal the headlines this week there's still a number of excellent family gaming titles out to entertain everyone of all ages.
Hitting it off with the Wii we've got Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games replicating its success from the 2008 Summer Olympic videogame. Using the same formula as before, with a variety of sporting minigames and different characters, this looks to be a perfect game for big family events where you can get everyone involved.
A Boy and His Blob is a different story. A retelling of the original NES game, this upgraded version for the Wii uses some awesome visual art to convey its story and comes with its own unique charm. A side-scrolling platformer, A Boy and his Blob is packed full of puzzles and has some interesting play mechanics to keep the experience fresh through its 80 levels.
Over on the DS it's time for another Pokemon game with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky doing the honours for all us 'collect 'em all' addicts. This game is a little different to the usual Pokemon games as you play as a Pokemon. Teaming up with others you get to explore and discovery more about the world around you, and being charged with the small task of saving the world from destruction. But fear not Pokemon fans as there's 490 Pokemon to interact with and lots of items to collect and trade with your friends.
In the UK, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter for the Wii and DS gets its release and completely changes the game from the first Drawn to Life, improving the look and feel of the game tenfold. It's essentially a platforming game but comes with the twist of shaping and changing the world to suit your tastes. IF you need to get to higher ground for example, you can draw a cloud and ride it all the way to the top. From the creators of Scribblenauts, this is a game that really rewards creativity - if you're looking for something to engage yourself and the kids a bit more than the usual game then give Drawn to Life a try.
US Game of the week – A Boy and His Blob (E) - Wii
UK Game of the week – Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (3+) - DS & Wii
For more Family Game news and reviews head over to Family Gamer and Gamepeople.
US Release List
Wii
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (E)
A Boy and His Blob (E)
Cars Race O Rama (E)
Medieval Games (E10)
Where the Wild Things are: The Videogame (E10)
DS
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (E)
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (E)
Cake Mania 3 (E) Hero's Saga: Laevatein Tactics (T)
Chicken Blaster (E)
Cars Race O Rama (E)
PS3
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (M)
Brutal Legend (M)
Where the Wild Things are: The Videogame (E10)
Cars Race O Rama (E)
Xbox360
Magna Carta 2(T)
Brutal Legend (M)
Where the Wild Things are: The Videogame (E10)
Cars Race O Rama (E)
PSP
Half-Minute Hero (E)
Cars Race O Rama (E)
UK Release List
Wii
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (3+)
Goosebumps: Horrorland (7+)
Ultimate I Spy (3+)
DS
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (3+)
Tracy Beaker: The Game (7+)
101 Dino Pets (3+)
Harvest Fishing (3+)
Goosebumps: Horrorland (7+)
Ninja Captains (3+)
Angel Cat Sugar (3+)
Xbox360
Magna Carta 2 (16+)
Brutal Legend (16+)
PS3
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (16+)
Brutal Legend (16+)
