Little Player - Video Game Magazine for Kids - 01 Digital Edition

DIGITAL EDITION

Premiere 2016, Issue 1 $6.99 USA $7.99 CANADA

Star Fox and Star Fox Zero are Trademarks and Copyrights of Nintendo.

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Our Mission Statement

Little Player Magazine’s mission is to provide a safe, fun and advertising-free reading experience that parents can feel good about giving to their kids.

We also want to inspire and teach kids to make good gaming choices and play what is appropriate for their age group. We only cover and review games that are rated EC, E, and E10+ to ensure that young children are not exposed to content meant for teens or mature audiences.

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little player

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Video games are actually good for you!

Video games allow the young imagination to roam free and play. You get to explore a world made entirely of wool, or swim in a deep ocean just waiting to be explored. Where else can you do that? Only in video games. And if that wasn’t enough, children can now create their own worlds for others to share and explore, how cool is that? This type of gaming creates an entirely new social experience their parents never had. Which leads us to another benefit to playing video games... social skills.

The internet connects us globally in ways we could never imagine, and video games are great for creating that connection. Playing video games with friends, near and far, creates social skills which become valuable later in life.

Learning how to cooperate with others and share are valuable skills to use in school and later in the workplace, and those can be learned by playing video games.

Video games help children to develop problem-solving skills and cognitive abilities. Solving puzzles in games and learning how to deal with foes is a great learning tool and teaches children how to resolve conflict. And because some games use specific patterns or rhythms in the gameplay, memory is also enhanced as well.

There are many positive aspects to playing video games that can follow a child through their life. From memories of playing their favorite games to spending social time with friends, video games leave a lasting impression.

I started as a little player at the age of 7 and I’m still playing today!

Shelly Alessi

Video Game Magazine for Kids A Massive Impact, Inc. Periodical

Premiere 2016, Issue 1 1st Printing

Publishers Martin Alessi & Shelly Alessi Editor-in-Chief Martin Alessi Senior Editors Jason Kaplan Tim Wilkus Associate Editor Nathan Alessi Junior Editors Bridget Bonner Isabella Ocampo Brody Patterson Contributing Editors Jerry Bonner Michael Crisman Carl Williams Copy Editor Jennifer Gavigan Industry Correspondant Patrick Scott Patterson Art Director / 3D Artist Allen Forbes Illustration Artist Thor Thorvaldson Video Capture Technician Pete Hahn Creative Consultant David Ray Siller

Publisher

Legal Counsel Erich G. Monzon A very special thanks to Doc Mack of the Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield, IL.

© Copyright 2016, Massive Impact, Inc. All rights reserved.

Little Player is published bi-monthly by Massive Impact, Inc., P.O. Box 512, Wheeling IL 60090. Subscriptions are 6 issues for $24.99. Please allow 6-8 weeks before receiving your first issue as well as any subscription changes on an existing account. Little Player is a registered trademark of Massive Impact, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without express written permission of Massive Impact, Inc. Trademark and copyright for all other products and characters contained therein are owned by the respective trademark and copyright owners. For permisson to reuse material from our publication or to use our logo contact martin@littleplayermag.com.

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NEW SUBS: www.shoplittleplayer.com Subscription Inquiries: 312-574-0499 subs@littleplayermag.com Please send letters and artwork to: letters@littleplayermag.com or Little Player Magazine P.O. Box 512 Wheeling IL 60090 Little Player Magazine 3

TOP 5 GAMES of 2015

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Nintendo Wii U

Super Mario Maker Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: September 11, 2015

Super Mario Maker lets you design your own side-scrolling levels almost any way you want. Making levels is as easy as dragging and dropping items and enemies onto your board. This is something even your parents can handle!

When you’ve finished a design, you’re able to upload it to let anybody in the whole world play it. Be careful though, you can’t publish a level you’re unable to beat. This is a game that’s nearly impossible to be bored of because it has an almost unlimited amount of levels online to pick from in addition to the hundred levels on the disc.

Also, you can add in many of your amiibo to unlock some cool new costumes!

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Yoshi’s Woolly World Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Good-Feel Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: Octobr 16, 2015

Yoshi’s Woolly World is possibly the most adorable-looking game ever made. The gameplay is very smooth in action and everything is wonderfully animated. Between all the collectibles to grab on every stage and the ability to play it two-player, you’ll have a hard time finding a better game for younger players.

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Splatoon Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: May 29, 2015

Are you a kid or a squid? You can be both in Splatoon while you’re firing ink all over the place. There isn’t a shooter out there that’s quite like this. You get to battle either in single player or online with your friends with a ton of inky weapons.

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Minecraft: Wii U Edition Publisher: Mojang Developer: 4J Studios Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: December 17, 2015

Minecraft: Wii U Edition lets you do pretty much whatever you want to do. Build or destroy, online or offline, single player or multiplayer, the sky is the limit to what you can do. Just pick your favorite game mode and you’re off to unlimited adventure.

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Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Publisher: Nintendo Developer: HAL Labs Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: February 20, 2015

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse brings everybody’s favorite pink puff to a new bright and colorful world. Playing two-player can be a brand-new experience with one person controlling Kirby and the other drawing lines to guide him along. Or you can play it traditionally with Kirby and Waddle Dee. DIGITAL EDITION

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TOP 5 GAMES of 2015 Microsoft Xbox One

1 Ori and the Blind Forest Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: Moon Studios Players: Single-player Release Date: March 11, 2015

Ori and the Blind Forest is a platforming game with beautiful graphics, tight controls, a great story, and an amazing soundtrack throughout. You play as Ori, a guardian spirit of the Nibel Forest who must restore balance to his world from darkness. There are no cheap deaths in Ori and the Blind Forest. When you die, and you will often, it is almost always your fault. It can be a bit challenging at times, but it is well worth your time and never gets frustrating. The game is forgiving by allowing you to spend energy wherever you want to create your own save point as auto-checkpoints are few. It’s a game that will test your skills over an eight-hour span with various puzzles with a bit of RPG elements thrown in. Ori and the Blind Forest is a truly special game that should not be missed.

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Forza Motorsport 6 Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: Turn 10 Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: September 15, 2015

Every so often a racing game comes along and captures the essence of racing down the track at 100 mph trying to cut milliseconds off your last lap. This is Forza Motorsport 6. It is a racing simulation with gorgeous graphics, tight controls, and gameplay that can be tweaked to your liking.

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Shovel Knight Publisher: Yacht Club Games Developer: Yacht Club Games Players: Single-player Release Date: April 21, 2015

Shovel Knight is a retro 8-bit side-scrolling game that brings you back to when flashy graphics weren’t all the rage. It’s a game packed with high replay value as you set out on a quest to save your long lost-love armed with a variety of weapons at your disposal.

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Steamworld Dig Publisher: Image & Form Developer: Image & Form Players: Single-player Release Date: June 5, 2015

The game has you playing as a steam-powered robot named Rusty whose goal is to collect precious metals and gems for a town in need of them by digging your way through mines.

Steamworld Dig features beautiful hand-drawn art with gameplay that is easy to pick up and play.

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Megaman Legacy Collection Publisher: Capcom Developer: Digital Eclipse Players: Single-player Release Date: August 25, 2015

Megaman Legacy Collection is a remarkable collection of six platforming classics from the ‘80s and ‘90s when HD graphics weren’t all the craze. It was a time when tight controls and gaming challenges reigned supreme. It’s a game packed with so much greatness, it would be a shame to pass it up.

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TOP 5 GAMES of 2015 Sony PlayStation 4

1 Journey Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Developer: Thatgamecompany Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: July 21, 2015

Journey is a unique game. You’re in a desert completely alone. As you wander toward the great mountain in the distance, you’ll pass through ancient ruins, sand dunes, and fierce winds but maybe you won’t be alone. When you’re online you might come across another traveler, but you won’t be able to talk to them if you do. In fact, the entire game is wordless. That’s where a lot of the beauty of Journey comes from. It’s more like an interactive movie than a game. The wonderfully fitting soundtrack also does a great job adding to the feel of the world. There really isn’t anything like this at all. Different is definitely good in this case.

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Shovel Knight Publisher: Yacht Club Games Developer: Yacht Club Games Players: Single-player Release Date: April 21, 2015

Shovel Knight is what happens when you make an old Nintendo game these days. It looks like it’s from the ‘80s but it’s not a relic from the past. You can bash monsters and collect treasure by yourself or with a friend. There’s even a “New Game Plus” mode after you beat it for an added challenge.

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Tearaway Unfolded Publisher: SCEA Developer: Media Molecule Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: September 8, 2015

Tearaway Unfolded lets you use almost everything your PS4 can do. You can draw on the touchpad to make items and even use the motion sensor on the controller as a flashlight! There’s also an app you can download that lets you take pictures of real things to put in the game.

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Rocket League Publisher: Pysonix Developer: Pysonix Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: July 7, 2015

Rocket League is what you get when you combine soccer with rocket-powered vehicles and a giant soccer ball. All the vehicles have a ton of unlockable customization options for them. If you’re online, you can play eight-player matches, otherwise you’re limited to four-player split-screen offline.

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Mega Man Legacy Collection Publisher: Capcom Developer: Digital Eclipse Players: Single-player Release Date: August 25, 2015

Mega Man Legacy Collection is a sweet blast from the past.

You get the original six 8-bit Mega Man games with a bit of HD goodness and some cool extras thrown in. And you also have access to a Mega Man Museum with info and art from the games in this collection.

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TOP 5 GAMES of 2015 Nintendo 3DS

1 Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Greezo, NEAD Players: Single-player, Multiplayer Release Date: May 29, 2015

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The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D is a remake of a classic Nintendo 64 game from late 2000. While the story has not been changed, there have been a few tweaks made to the gameplay such as an improved save feature, more balanced dungeons, along with slightly better visuals and sound. You play the role of Link, who has three days to stop the moon from crashing down, resulting in the end of the world. Along the way, you will collect various masks that grant you different abilities to aid you in your journey. They will also change the way you are viewed by its residents. Your journey will take you on a path to a final encounter with the evil Skull Kid. Majora’s Mask is unlike any other game in the series, but its risks payoff for those who see it through to the end.

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3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Publisher: Sega Developer: M2 Players: Single-player Release Date: October 8, 2015

3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is one of the best 2D platformers from the 16-bit era. It was a time when platforming was king.

You play the role of Sonic, a blue hedgehog whose goal is to run, spin, and jump his way through various levels while collecting rings along the way.

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Steamworld Heist Publisher: Image & Form Developer: Image & Form Players: Single-player Release Date: December 10, 2015

Steamworld Heist sets you out on an intergalactic journey battling various robot foes. You will meet a host of new friends along the way with varying abilities to aid you in your quest.

Steamworld Heist’s combat is very addicting, the characters are charming, and the game is a blast.

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Yo-Kai Watch Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Level 5 Players: Single-player Release Date: November 6, 2015

Yo Kai-Watch is a RPG filled with many side quests, a simple battle system, and an interesting group of characters known as Yo-Kai. Yo-Kai are little spirits scattered around town causing mischief. You will befriend some and combat others while exploring a very interesting world.

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Pokemon: Super Mystery Dungeon Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Spike Chunsoft Co. Ltd. Players: Single-player Release Date: November 20, 2015

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon has you play the role of a Pokemon that must figure out why everyone is turning to stone.

It is a very simple story, but very well-written. The conversations with locals will have you smiling. While the random generated dungeons can be long, they are fun.

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TOP 5 GAMES of 2015 Mobile (iOS & Android)

1 Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Publisher: Activision Developer: Lucid Games Players: Single-player Release Date: May 28, 2015

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved is a dual-stick shooter available on IOS and Android that features 40 all-new levels and five new grids, including four new battle modes, an all new sweep mode, and a new hardcore mode all in beautiful HD. A variety of control options are available including auto-fire, which allows players to just concentrate on keeping their ship out of danger while the computer takes care of the closest enemies. While this isn’t always ideal, fear not. Players have the opportunity to override the computer at any time. While there may be a few features missing from the console version, anyone who has enjoyed previous installments of the series will absolutely love this mobile port.

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Zen Koi Publisher: LandShark Games Developer: LandShark Games Players: Single-player Release Date: April 22, 2015

Zen Koi is a game in which you raise young Koi into adulthood.

Along the way you’ll meet other fish and start a family.

The creation of offspring becomes the real draw. You’ll find yourself wanting to collect all the various colors and patterns while expanding your pond.

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Prune Publisher: Joel McDonald Developer: Joel McDonald Players: Single-player Release Date: July 23, 2015

Prune is a beautiful puzzle game in which players prune trees in order to get them to grow a certain way so flowers can grow and blossom. While not a long game, only five chapters, it does have beautiful silhouette graphics and a soothing soundtrack that will have you hooked from start to finish.

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Lara Croft: GO Publisher: Square-Enix Developer: Square-Enix Montreal Players: Single-player Release Date: August 27, 2015

Lara Croft: GO stars Lara Croft, most notable for her role in the Tomb Raider series, in a puzzle game that has you manipulating levers and constantly thinking of your next move like a game of chess. It offers lots of twists and turns with very logical solutions.

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Alphabear Publisher: Spry Fox Developer: Spry Fox Players: Single-player Release Date: March 20, 2015

Alphabear is a unique game where players must use the letters on the screen to form words and earn points. Doing so will enlarge your bear and spawn new ones. It’s a very simple and fun game to pick up and only ends when you run out of words to spell.

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BIG Editor’s Choice Tim

Jason

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1

Super Mario Maker - Wii U

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3

Super Mario Maker - Wii U

Ori and the Blind Forest Xbox One Splatoon Wii U

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Super Mario Maker - Wii U

2

Yoshi’s Woolly World - Wii U

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LOZ: Majora’s Mask 3D - 3DS

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1

2

Rocket League - PS4, Xbox One

Martin

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Forza Motorsport 6 - Xbox One

4 5

Journey - PS4

Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D - 3DS Ori and the Blind Forest Xbox One DIGITAL EDITION

Ori and the Blind Forest - Xbox One

4 5

Yoshi’s Woolly World Wii U Megaman Legacy Collection - PS4, XO, 3DS

little Editor’s Choice Isabella

Bridget

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1

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer - 3DS

2

Lego Jurassic World - PS4, XO

3

Super Mario Maker - Wii U

2

Lego Dimensions PS4, XO, Wii U

Super Mario Maker - Wii U

3 Mario Party 10 - Wii U

4 5

Splatoon - Wii U

2

Minecraft: Wii U Edition - Wii U

Yo-Kai Watch - 3DS

4 5

1

3

Toca Town Android

Brody

Pokemon: Super Mystery Dungeon - 3DS LOZ: Majora’s Mask 3D 3DS DIGITAL EDITION

Crossy Road - iOS, Android

4 5

Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes - iOS, Android Skylanders: Superchargers Xbox One Little Player Magazine 15

BLAST.FROM.THE.PAST! Publisher: Broderbund Developer: Hudson Soft Systems: NES Players: 1 or 2 player Release Date: September 1987 ESRB Rating: E Content Descriptors: N/A

Creating your own levels is nothing new under the sun!

By Michael Crisman

Being a game designer is so much fun, Nintendo lets everyone try it with Super Mario Maker on the Wii U! Thirty years ago in 1987, Lode Runner let us do it, too.

Gold plays hide-and-seek well, so miners dig deep underground to find it. This puzzle game stars you as one courageous miner searching for treasure. Blocking your way are robots programmed to catch intruders, but they’re not very smart. Dig a hole in front of them and they fall right in... then climb out a few seconds later and resume the hunt.

Run, climb, and collect—find all the gold and head to the next stage. Lode Runner had 50 challenging levels, but you could also design your own and baffle your friends! Could you go for the gold?

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FEATURE STORY

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Platinum Games, NEAD Systems: Wii U Players: 1 or 2 players Release Date: April 22, 2016 ESRB Rating: E10+ Content Descriptors: Fantasy Violence

Get ready to pilot the Arwing and save the Lylat system!

By Jerry Bonner

The time has come for all you armchair Arwing pilots out there to dust off your barrel roll skills as a new Star Fox game, Star Fox Zero, is just around the corner.

Star Fox Zero will be the first Star Fox game in quite some time—the first since the DS’s Star Fox Command almost 10 years ago. Star Fox Assault, the last console Star Fox title, dates all the way back to 2005 when it was released for the Gamecube.

The Star Fox series is one that Nintendo has pushed off to the backburner in the last decade for sure, but with Zero (and Star Fox Guard as well) now looming on the horizon, 2016 looks to be the “Year of the Fox” on the Wii U.

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Star Fox Zero has the most impressive graphics of the whole series. Wait until you see it in HD!

The Star Fox Team is back for a new adventure!

Fox McCloud

Falco Lombardi

Slippy Toad

Peppy Hare

On the surface, Star Fox Zero looks a lot like the classic Star Fox 64. And that’s because it’s supposed to: The game deliberately mimics the strongest game in the series. It has a similar structure, similar gameplay…even a similar look, but it is more a reimagining of Star Fox 64 rather than a prequel or sequel.

“Because the game is split between two screens, we feel the gameplay this time is going to feel very fresh,” legendary game designer and producer of Star Fox Zero Shigeru Miyamoto stated. “And thus we thought it would be a good opportunity to go back to the roots of Star Fox. The game itself is not a Star Fox 4 or 5, and it’s not a new spinoff.

It really is going back to the roots, and that’s where the ‘Zero’ comes from.”

Joining Fox McCloud on his adventure to once again save the Lylat system are fan-favorite characters Falco, Peppy and Slippy.

Players will use the Wii U GamePad and their TV screens together to create a oneof-a-kind play system that permits them to experience the game with two different viewpoints from inside the Arwing. As an example, players can aim and shoot enemies in one direction while flying the ship in another, much like what was seen in Star Wars episodes I (Luke and Han fending off Empire TIE Fighters) and VII (Finn shooting down First Order TIE Fighters). This frees up the TV for a more movie-like flying experience.

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Take on the enemy with five awesome vehicle modes!

Arwing The Arwing itself has a few new tricks to show off with its new Walker transformation (along with the new Gyrowing, Landmaster Tank, and Gravmaster forms) to combat the evil armies of Andross.

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Walker

Landmaster Tank

Gravmaster

Gyrowing

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Battles take you from the planet surface to the ends of the galaxy!

Co-op lets you and a friend play together... One of you flies the Arwing while the other shoots down the bad guys!

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You will face HUGE bosses that fill the screen!

Pigma Dengar is back... time to rid the galaxy of swine!

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Fox McCloud amiibo will unlock special Retro Arwing!

We have learned that if you use the Fox McCloud amiibo with Star Fox Zero, you will be able to revert the Arwing to the orginal look from the Super NES days. There may be other content if you have the Falco amiibo as well, but nothing official yet!

Younger players can enjoy too with the new Invincibility Mode!

One last thing of note (and it should be of great interest to all the “little players” out there with younger siblings who always want to know what they are doing) is the “Invincibility Mode” which will allow those not-so-skilled gamers to play the game without worrying about dying all the time.

It appears that Nintendo is doing their very best to get people excited about the return of Fox McCloud, and fans everywhere will get to decide for themselves if this new title is worthy when it hits store shelves on April 22.

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FEATURE STORY

Be on your guard with Slippy and Grippy!

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Platinum Games, NEPD Systems: Wii U Players: Single-Player, Multiplayer Release Date: April 22, 2016 ESRB Rating: E10+ Content Descriptors: To Be Announced

By Jerry Bonner

Originally titled Project Guard, Star Fox Guard revolves around Fox McCloud’s long-time wingman, Slippy Toad and his uncle Grippy. It seems that Ol’ Grippy owns a mine where he collects precious metals. Grippy’s mine is under constant assault from an assortment of robotic invaders, so ever-helpful Slippy develops a security system that players control. Using the Wii U Gamepad, players can change between 12 random camera turrets in an attempt to defend the mine by destroying the hostile metal men.

Good planning is a must! Set up your defenses wisely to defeat the enemy.

Setting up your cameras is a bit challenging at first. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be ready for anything that comes your way.

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Blast away robot invaders!

“This is a game that’s great to play as a whole family,” producer Shigeru Miyamoto said. “It’s very simple gameplay, sort of a very simple shooting game, but the whole family can join in and play.”

Before the opponents begin their charge, the player has the opportunity to position Slippy’s cameras in a “defensive net” of sorts, but they will have to adjust to the robots’ increasingly challenging and variable attack patterns.

There are roughly 100 missions included with the game, but Star Fox Guard also includes an editor that lets aspiring game designers craft their own enemy movements and attacks. They can then share their creations online, download other players’ patterns, or compare scores and times with others.

Star Fox Guard will also be released on April 22.

It can be purchased as a bundle with Star Fox Zero, or be downloaded separately from the Nintendo eShop.

Play through all 100 levels or create and share your own!

One of the coolest features about Star Fox Guard is the ability to create levels with your own enemy movements and attacks!

You can share your creations with other players online and download and play their levels as well.

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PREVIEW

Publisher: 505 Games Developer: Giant Squid Systems: PS4, Windows Players: Single-player Release Date: Summer 2016 ESRB Rating: Pending Content Descriptors: To Be Announced

Reach into the Depths

By Carl Williams of the Ocean!

Roughly translated from ancient Sumerian, ABZÛ means “The Ocean of Wisdom.” The surface of our planet is about 29 percent dry land, the rest is water. We know so little about what happens under the waves of our oceans.

Giant Squid, developers of ABZÛ, are giving gamers a chance to explore that world, at least their idea of what is down there.

Exploration is the intended element of ABZÛ, there is no air gauge to worry about. Just explore. Learn about the various aquatic life, how it lives, reacts to your presence, and even make friends with some of them. It is believed that at one time, what is under water was not. If Giant Squid are going with this myth, then there will be plenty of surprises around corners, inside of dark caves, or just laying out in the open waiting for you to rediscover them.

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You can swim to the deepest parts of the ocean or go to the surface and look around.

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There are lots of different environments in ABZÛ!

Ride along with friendly sea creatures!

One of the coolest features of ABZÛ is the ability to ride on sea creatures such as giant manta rays or friendly sea turtles. We don’t know all the details as to other friends you can make, but we sure hope there is a Whale Shark somewhere in the game.

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There are so many species of aquatic life to discover!

Fish

Jellyfish

Sharks

Sea Turtles

Another Jellyfish

Manta Ray

Enjoy the freedom to explore amazing worlds!

The various fish and mammals will react to your presence like the real aquatic life would. Sharks are inquisitive, dangerous, and if caught off guard may flee quickly. Giant whales probably won’t acknowledge your presence so stay out of their way. Smaller ocean life such as dolphins could be easier to befriend, get assistance from, and possibly guide you.

ABZÛ is not being developed to have weapons such as guns or knives. Exploration and entertainment are the key aspects that Giant Squid are focusing on. It is unclear at this moment what level of education will be delivered through this beautiful surreal world.

Developing a title like this is a fine line in today’s market—gamers are seemingly bombarded with violence.

ABZÛ is not that type of game. Players in this epic underwater adventure will have to use their minds to figure out where to go. What is going on and who is our friend or enemy, much like on dry land, isn’t easy to figure out based on just appearance.

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Your drone helps you explore the ocean’s mysteries.

You can get a drone to help you explore the vastness of the ocean. Be on the lookout though, that dangerous Great White Shark over there will make a meal out of it without hesitation. Better the drone than you, I guess!

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PREVIEW

Publisher: Playtonic Games, Team 17 Developer: Playtonic Games Systems: Wii U, PS4, XO Players: Single-Player, Multiplayer Release Date: October 2016 ESRB Rating: Pending Content Descriptors: To Be Announced

Take control of the coolest chameleon and bat around!

By Tim Wilkus

Playtonic games, the creators of Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie, are developing a new franchise entitled Yooka-Laylee. It’s a 3D platformer starring Yooka, a green chameleon and his sidekick Laylee, a bat. Together they will embark on a journey through five unique worlds in search of Pagies, gold scattered throughout each level that can be used to unlock new playgrounds filled with interesting characters who use burp and fart noises to communicate. The game will progress by collecting a set amount of Pagies. There will be other collectibles to to pick up which promise to expand the gameplay in a worthwhile way.

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Whoever thought that a Chameleon and a Bat could be the best of friends?

An example of this is the use of Play Tonics, which will enhance the gaming experience by allowing the player to modify the game to their liking.

Play Tonics will allow players to run faster, fly farther, or hit harder. The choice is up to you. An interesting feature of the gameplay will be the addition of arcade machines hidden throughout each world, which upon completion will reward players with additional Pagies.

Yooka and Laylee use lots of teamwork to defeat the bad guys and win each level.

Yooka will be voiced by Chris Sutherland, who has worked on big games such as Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Star Fox Adventures, Mario Golf: World Tour, and Diddy Kong Racing to name a few. He is sure to bring Yooka to life in the most unique of ways. The soundtrack is being composed by David Wise and Grant Kirkhope who have worked on Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie.

With this new cast of characters, Playtonic Games is hoping to capture the magic from the early ‘90s that made their previous endeavors so memorable.

Yooka-Laylee has an expected release date of October 2016.

As you can see, the worlds are colorful and filled with many fun and rewarding challenges.

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PREVIEW

Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Sega Systems: Wii U Players: 1 to 4 Players Release Date: June 24, 2016 ESRB Rating: E10+ Content Descriptors: Mild Cartoon Violence

Ready... Set... Go for the Gold!

By Tim Wilkus

Summer 2016 marks the return of your favorite franchise characters from Nintendo and Sega competing against one another to coincide with the Summer 2016 Olympics being held in Rio De Janeiro. It is exclusively being released on the Nintendo Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS and will feature 18 characters from Nintendo’s lineup including fan favorites Mario, Luigi, Peach, Donkey Kong, and Bowser.

A total of 17 memorable characters from Sega’s historic franchise such as Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Knuckles, and Dr. Eggman will be included as well.

Mario and Sonic are just 2 of the 18 characters you can choose from!

EVENTS: Soccer Rugby 100m Dash 110m Hurdles Long Jump Javelin Swimming Archery Boxing Table Tennis Beach Volleyball Equestrian BMX Gymnastics 32 Little Player Magazine

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A wide variety of events will be offered such as the 100m dash, table tennis, beach volleyball, BMX, boxing, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and archery to name a few. A golf event will be exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS. These events can be completed in a variety of ways using the traditional gamepad or the stylus on the screen.

Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games features two single-player modes: a story mode entitled Road to Rio, and the other allowing you quick play access to events. It also features a multiplayer mode with up to four players via local play, which requires each player to have his/her own system and game, or download play requiring each player to have their own system but able to share one game locally in a room. This will, however, reduce the selection of available characters.

Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is set to release June 24, 2016 on the Wii U.

Play your favorite sport with your favorite characters!

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Little Player Magazine 33

Collector’s Corner

By Jason Kaplan

Collecting “Toys-to-Life” figures is really fun! Here is a guide to some of the newest figures that are coming out this year.

You can use the check boxes to keep track of your collection.

There are going to be some brand-new amiibo’s coming out this year. In addition to that, Nintendo will be adding all-new functionality as well. For example, you can use your Mario or Sonic amiibo in the upcoming Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2106 Olympic Games to boost Mario or Sonic’s outfits with their power for the day.

Kirby

Series: Kirby Release date: 6/10/2016

King Dedede

Series: Kirby Release date: 6/10/2016

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Waddle Dee

Series: Kirby Release date: 6/10/2016

Meta Knight

Series: Kirby Release date: 6/10/2016

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By the time you’re reading this, Roy, Ryu, and R.O.B. the robot from the Smash Bros. series and Rover, Kapp’n, and Timmy & Tommy from the Animal Crossing series should be available for purchase. Roy is exclusive to Gamestop, Timmy & Tommy are rumored to be exclusive to Target, while the others are available at most stores.

Sometime later this year the rest of the Smash Bros. amiibo will be released. That means you’ll be getting Cloud and Corrin. When summer rolls around, there will be another wave of releases. Isabelle (summer outfit) from Animal Crossing and Kirby, King Dedede, Waddle Dee, and Meta Knight from the Kirby series. That’s a lot of new amiibo to collect!

For the first time since it was released, there will not be a new Disney Infinity playset this year.

Fortunately, the 3.0 playset will continue to have new things released for it. In fact, if you’re reading this, the all new Marvel Battlegrounds set is out! It’s the first playset that allows four players at the same time. Best of all, you only need one base to make it work. Scan in your characters one at a time and then select them in the game.

In addition to that, all of your Marvel characters from 2.0 and 3.0 will work with Marvel Battlegrounds. Black Panther, Vision, Black Suit Spiderman, and Ant Man are the new characters that join a brand-new Captain America, who comes with the set. Boba Fett from Star Wars and Baloo from the Jungle Book should also be available.

This summer will see the release of the Finding Dory playset. It should be out around the same time the movie is released. Alice, The Mad Hatter, and Time from Alice in Wonderland are also on their way. All you Star Wars fans can pick up a Light FX Kylo Ren figure in 2016 too! And don’t forget about Peter Pan, the winning character of the Toy Box Artists Choice who will be joining the lineup at some point.

Boba Fett

Series: Star Wars Release date: 2016

Peter Pan

Series: Peter Pan Release date: 2016

Baloo

Series: Jungle Book Release date: March 15, 2016

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Collector’s Tip! Count on Little Player Magazine to keep you informed on all the new “Toys-to-Life” figures coming out.

Use our guides in this and future issues to plan and keep track of your collection. If you do not want to write on your magazine, try photocopying these pages or if you have the digital version of the magazine, try printing these pages before you check anything off. Ask your parents first!

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Last year when Lego Dimensions launched, they promised you wouldn’t need to upgrade your starter pack and they’re keeping that promise. There are a lot of cool level and fun packs on the way and they’re all compatible with each other. And all these packs also work on every system the game has been released on.

Midway Arcade

Series: Level Pack Release date: March 15, 2016

Slimer

Series: Ghostbusters Release date: May 31, 2016

Superman

Series: Fun Pack Release date: March 15, 2016

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Stay Puft

Series: Ghostbusters Release date: March 15, 2016

Bane

Series: Fun Pack Release date: May 31, 2016

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Two DC Fun Packs came out.

One with Aquaman and his Aqua Watercraft and one with Superman and a hoverpod. Those are joined by another Ghostbusters Fun Pack with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Terror dog.

There is also a sweet Midway Retro Gamer Level Pack. That comes with a Gamer Kid, arcade machine, and the G-6155, which is a vehicle from Spy Hunter, a game your parents probably played.

In the spring, three more Fun Packs are set to come out. Ninjago fans will be getting Lloyd and his Golden Dragon, DC fans will be getting Bane with a Drill Driver vehicle, and Ghostbuster fans will have Slimer with a Slime Shooter weapon. Many more Level and Fun packs are in the works too.

When we know more, we’ll let you know about them!

Aquaman

Series: Fun Pack Release date: March 15, 2016

There unfortunately isn’t a lot going on with Skylanders at the moment. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything going on, though.

The latest line of figures and vehicles that were released features Power Blue Splat, Power Blue Trigger Happy, and Power Blue Gold Rusher.

They came out as part of the Superchargers line and have a special blue and white paint scheme. They’re called Power Blue because they’re part of a special promotion supporting the Autism Speaks “Light It Up Blue” campaign, which strives to raise awareness and understanding of autism, among other things.

Sometime between April and June there’s going to be a Skylanders TV show called Skylanders Academy based off of the game! So far all we know is that Spyro, Stealth Elf, Eruptor, and Glumshanks will appear in this computer-animated show.

By the end of the year, we should also be getting a new Skylanders game. It was confirmed last year, but as of this writing there aren’t any other details on it. We’ll keep you guys and gals posted!

Power Blue Trigger Happy Series: Power Blue Release date: March 2, 2016

Power Blue Splat

Series: Power Blue Release date: March 2, 2016

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Little Player Magazine 37

BIG & little Reviews Meet the Crew

BIG Players

little Players

MARTIN ALESSI

ISABELLA OCAMPO

Martin has been hard at work designing and editing this issue but still made time for his favorite games. He can’t get enough of Super Mario Maker these days. He is also really excited about Star Fox Zero and ABZÛ.

JASON KAPLAN

BRIDGET BONNER

This month Jason’s been kicking it oldschool by digging out his SNES and N64.

Star Fox Zero is on the way and he can’t wait! He’s also super excited about working on Little Player’s Premiere issue!

TIM WILKUS

Bridget Bonner is a young lady who loves theatre, video games, and special effects makeup. In her spare time, she likes to read, hoverboard, and play with her friends. She is very excited to write for Little Player.

BRODY PATTERSON

Platforming and sports games are Tim’s specialty and he’s also really excited about the upcoming games: Yooka-Laylee and Star Fox Zero. He’s really looking forward to plenty of great games in 2016.

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Isabella has been playing video games since she could walk and still loves them to this day! She enjoys getting lost in the vast worlds of games. Her favorite game genres are sandbox games and RPGs.

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Brody Patterson is the son of two lifelong gamers, so it was only a matter of time before he caught the bug. As of late, he has been enjoying games with his younger brother Colton.

BIG & little Reviews Nintendo Wii U Launch Date: November 18, 2012 Current Price: $249.99 - $299.99

The Wii U is the follow-up system to the Nintendo Wii that launched in 2006. It features HD graphics for the very first time and a unique controller with a second touch-sensitive screen. Hard drive space is extremely limited, so a portable drive will become an additional necessity and cost. It is currently the cheapest next-gen system available.

BIG REVIEW MARTIN

9.5

Wii U is by far my first choice for young players. The sheer number of titles that are kid-friendly, fun, and easy-to-play make this system a total win. Add to that it plays Wii discs and offers tons of classic games in the eShop. My only real concern is the tablet controller is very expensive to replace if dropped.

BIG REVIEW TIM

ISABELLA

8

The graphics are appealing, the games are satisfactory, and I love the fact you can play on either the Gamepad or the TV screen. However, the graphics on the Gamepad are a bit duller than the TV. It is a very kid-friendly device (like most Nintendo products) and I would recommend it for any family household.

8.5

When kid-friendly gaming comes to mind, Nintendo is one of the first companies mentioned with good reason. They simply produce some of the best first party games around for kids. A majority of their games are all E-rated and as a bonus, the controller can be used separately from the television if needed.

little REVIEW

little REVIEW BRODY

8

The Wii U is an exciting and fun console to use. The controls are easy to learn.

Most games are kid friendly and a lot of games are good for entire families.

The Wii U is fun to play with my family and you can also play with friends. The screen controller lets me play some games even when my parents watch TV. DIGITAL EDITION

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BIG & little Reviews Xbox One

Launch Date: November 22, 2013 Current Price: $299.99 - $499.99 The Xbox One is the successor to the Xbox 360. The controller has been redesigned for more precise controls and accuracy. Online gaming is its strongest feature. An Xbox Live Gold subscription is required for online play, but a Silver membership will grant you access to demos and other paid content. A Gold membership also gives you access to free games every month for as long as you maintain a subscription.

BIG REVIEW MARTIN

7.5

While the Xbox One is very powerful and has the best online gaming experience, there really are not many titles for little players. Another thing to consider is the heavy push for mature content that shows up on the dashboard each time you boot up. If a child is close to being a tween, XO is a good choice.

BIG REVIEW TIM

8

Xbox One is a great system if you’re into online gaming with friends. The infrastructure has been in place for nearly a decade and is the most comprehensive. It offers a very unique gaming experience. Like Sony though, they are not going to offer the most kid-friendly software.

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little REVIEW BRIDGET

7

I like this next-gen console the least, not to say that it is bad, I just haven’t had that much time to play with it.

I like the PS4’s controllers and main screens better, but Plants vs.

Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is a cool game for sure.

little REVIEW BRODY

7

Xbox One games are exciting and fun, and some of the games are for families. On the Xbox One, you have to go through a loading screen and your disk has to load to play your game. You have to go through a menu to get where you’re going and deal with constant updates. The controls are easy to learn.

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BIG & little Reviews PlayStation 4 Launch Date: November 15, 2013 Current Price: $349.99 - $399.99

Sony’s PlayStation 4 is the best-selling system this generation. It features a redesigned controller with a touchpad and more precise triggers for player feedback. PlayStation Plus is required for online play, but access to demos and other paid market content is free. PlayStation Plus also gives you access to free games every month for Vita, PS3, and PS4 as long as you maintain a subscription.

BIG REVIEW MARTIN

8

I really like the PS4 for me, but I don’t think it’s the strongest choice for younger gamers. Kid-friendly titles are extremely few and far between and PSN pushes mature content each time you log on.

The controller is my favorite of all current systems. As with XO, if you are a bit older, this system is best for the long term.

BIG REVIEW TIM

8

Sony is leading this generation of gaming for good reason. Their system is more powerful and renders nearly all their games in 1080p. The redesigned Dualshock 4 feels great in the hands and adds a few new functions to the gaming experience. It is not the most kid-friendly system, but it is the prettiest.

little REVIEW BRIDGET

9

PS4 is one of my favorite gaming systems. Many awesome games are available on this system such as Little Big Planet 3 and Lego Dimensions. I like how they made the controller to look like the original PlayStation controller. One thing I don’t like is how often the controllers need to be charged.

little REVIEW BRODY

6.5

The PS4 games are a lot of fun, but many of the games are for adults only.

I don’t like the controller as much as XO’s. Some of the games are too hard, but you can’t get some of them on any other system. The menu is fairly easy to navigate but overall, there just aren’t a lot of games for the family.

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BIG & little Reviews Nintendo 3DS Launch Date: March 27, 2011 Current Price: $99.99 - $239.99

The Nintendo 3DS is the leading hand-held gaming system on the market. It has one of the best portable game libraries available featuring the many Nintendo mascots we’ve all grown to love. It is available in three configurations: the 2DS, 3DS XL, and Standard 3DS. The ability to play games in 3D without 3D glasses is one of its biggest selling features.

BIG REVIEW JASON

9

The 3DS is my favorite Nintendo system! It has all the best games on it and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. The online support is unfortunately a little lacking. The battery life is mostly solid but drains pretty fast with 3D on. It’s super portable though, so you can game almost anywhere.

BIG REVIEW TIM

8

3DS offers a great hand-held gaming experience for kids. It offers an extensive library of quality games. It just went through a redesign a year ago that added a new knob to enhance the gaming experience and is priced competitively.

It also offers a 3D gaming experience, which really sets it apart.

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little REVIEW ISABELLA

9

The 3DS is in my opinion the best console Nintendo has produced. It has great graphics, excellent controls, and has a wide variety of games to select from. Its many free features are entertaining and time-killing. The 3D mode, however, was disappointing. The 3D mode lags, making games sore on the eyes.

little REVIEW BRIDGET

8

My best friend and I love playing Tomodachi Life together and making our friends into celebrities and other video game characters on the 3DS. I love making it 3D when I play different games like Yokai-Watch. The only problem I have found is that you have to connect to the Internet for a lot of games.

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BIG & little Reviews Apple iOS

Launch Date: June 29, 2007 Current Device Price: $429.99 - $1079.99 Apple’s iOS has been out for almost 10 years and has become one of the largest gaming platforms around.

Running on devices such as the iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV, this operating system has more games to choose from than you could ever play in a lifetime. Apple has a special section in their App Store for kids in different age groups such as: 5 and under, 6-8, and 9-11.

BIG REVIEW JASON

little REVIEW

9

BRIDGET

I use iOS at both school, and at home.

At my school we have iPads and my mom had an iPhone for a while. I actually started gaming on an iPod Touch! The Apple products are relatively easy to set up, but they are very expensive… and many apps are only available on iOS.

IOS is where you want to be for mobile gaming. You usually get everything before Android does plus there are far more exclusives. Games are far less buggy because everybody is on the same hardware. Even updates are faster. The only downside is there’s too many games to sort through... over 500,000!

BIG REVIEW TIM

7.5

While Apple takes a similar approach to mobile gaming by requiring an account, I feel their servers are more secure.

Unlike Android, Apple must approve all software that is available in their store.

You won’t find crude apps or games available for your child to download.

Ad-popup is still an issue at times.

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little REVIEW BRODY

9

iOS games are fun and easy to learn.

Each game has different controls yet you can easily learn how to play. Some games are kid friendly and some are not, but it is easy to check to see if they are. There are some updates but they are automatic. What I like most is that you can go to a game in seconds.

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Little Player Magazine 43

BIG & little Reviews Android

Launch Date: September 23, 2008 Current Device Price: $49 - $799.99 Google’s Android platform is fast becoming a leader in the gaming world. Over 3 billion devices run the operating system and hundreds of thousands of games are available on Google Play Store. To make finding appropriate apps easier on parents and kids, Google Play has a Family section with sub categories for ages 5 & under, 6-8, and 9 & up. A large majority of games are free to try on Android.

BIG REVIEW MARTIN

8

Android is my choice for mobile gaming.

The devices are much more reasonable and there is a lot of content that is free out there. Some of the better games you must pay for, like the Kingdom Rush series, but they’re worth every penny. Only negatives are the microtransactions and advertising on many of the “free” games.

BIG REVIEW TIM

7

Android offers cheap time-killing games for free or at a very low price. The problem I’ve encountered has been loads of ad pop-ups that can distract from the gaming experience. Another issue is the need to have an account with Google to even download software. Proactive parental control is advised.

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BIG REVIEW JASON

5

Gaming on Android is an exercise in frustration. Most of the games that are released are on IOS and they play just the same. The problem is that everything is on IOS first because there’s so many different devices and it takes time for everything to be tested. So all you can do is wait, but that isn’t much fun.

little REVIEW BRIDGET

9

Android is easy to set up and the apps are typically less expensive than Apple or totally free! They are great quality products (I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 and my dad has an Android phone). I love the Toca series of games on Android!

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WHICH ONE IS BEST?

It is very difficult to declare which video game system is the absolute best. There are so many variables and factors to it all. We can say that if you are a younger player and really want to have the most kid-friendly fun, Nintendo products may be the best choice for you.

If you are a little older and going to be a teen soon, investing in an Xbox One or PS4 would be wise as they will grow with you.

The Wii U and the 3DS got the highest reviews this year but surprisingly, iOS and Android devices weren’t very far behind. It seems our younger editors are choosing mobile gaming more often and this confirms a trend that mobile gaming will continue to surpass consoles and handhelds in the years to come.

At the end of the day, what matters most is having lots of fun playing video games and enjoying whichever system is your personal favorite. Maybe you’ll get to play all of them if you’re lucky enough!

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