Kid-Friendly Games

Konami and Nintendo team up to bring you this funky new game that'll get you off the couch and dancing. Packaged with the Action Pad, DDR Mario Mix is a fresh game where you must follow a silly storyline to restore order in the Mushroom Kingdom. Even including an in-game calorie counter, Dance Dance Revolution : Mario Mix will get you active this holiday season.

Super Mario Strikers
Rated E for Everyone

It's easy to get hooked on this Super Mario Strikers. It brings a lot of pure fun back to sports games. Pick your favorite character, get your team together and get ready to have a great time passing, tackling, and shooting with the extra powers naturally given to the characters of the Mario universe. It might look super cute, but if you get four competitive players in on the action, we guarantee you an intense game you're sure to enjoy. This is Mario Kart on drugs for all soccer fans.

We were starting to wonder when a game besides Nintendogs would really take advantage of the DS's dual screen, but our fears were laid to rest when Advance Wars came out. This game is surprisingly deep, has nice - if cartoony - graphics, a smart AI system, a million different ways to play, multiplayer, and a fantastic campaign. You cannot go wrong with Advance Wars.

Mario Kart DS
Rated E for Everyone
It's this season's "Killer App" for the Nintendo DS. It has the solid game play, easy to use controls, intense cartoon-combat racing action that Mario Kart veterans have been waiting for while still being very accessible to newcomers to the genre.

Don't think we've forgotten about you GameBoy Advance owners. If you have not picked up Gunstar Super Heroes, you are missing out on one of the finest action games ever made for any system, Period! Fast pacing, faster shooting and an even faster set of reflexes will be the only things bringing you to the end of this action packed game.

Mario Tennis: Power Tour
Rated E for Everyone

If you can't get out and actually play tennis, then picking up Mario Tennis: Power Tour is the next best thing. In this sequel to Mario Tennis for Game Boy Color, players have to train hard in the Royal Tennis Academy if they want to be champions. Players gain experience and improve skills through lessons and tournaments. But in the end, they have to beat Mario at his own game if they want to rise to the top of the ranks.

Ever think that you could run your town, city, or even country better than the people doing it now? Put your money where your mouse is in Civilization IV. Build your civilization from simple hunters and gatherers to modern and futuristic empires based around a new religion and leadership system. New 3-D modeling, cultures and multiplayer capabilities add to the incredible set of features this games holds for novice and advanced strategy players.

We've had the chance to play every launch title at least once, and if you don't have Project Gotham Racing 3 in your library already, you're missing the whole point of having a next-generation system. Of all the 360 launch titles, only a handful of them truly earn the moniker "next-generation game": Project Gotham Racing is one of them.

What can we say? It's football season and the Madden franchise never disappoints. All of the mini-games, franchise mode and detailed plays are back for more in this 2006 title. For those seeking a realistic football title for a loved one, Madden is as good as it gets. AI seems to improve every year with this franchise.

By William Vitka, Chad Chamberlain, Lyndsey Hahn, and Alejandro K. Brown