retro-games for the little ones?

[timothee]

Hey!


It was inevitable: between seeing me play stuff on the pandora, and on the TV sometimes, my 4 years olds want a piece of the action.


Within strict timeslots and supervision, I'm actually happy to let them play some of the old arcade/console stuff. I guess I selfishly want to enjoy these moments where they think playing retro-games with their old man is cool, before they think I'm a hopeless old fart.


Clearly the pandora is off-limit (it'd go *kaboom* in 5mn), but the tankstick is big enough and strong enough for them to handle. Thing is: what can they play that they would actually enjoy? I'm looking for games which are pleasing to their young eyes, and are simple to understand and control.


One I thought of so far was super pang on mame. In panic mode, the controls can hardly be simpler: left, right, and fire. I also like it for its 2-player collaborative nature, rather than against each other. Tried it, but the game turns too fast and cahotic for them too quickly.


Pop-n-Twinbee on snes is collaborative and colorful, but it's too hard for them as well.


Do you guys have suggestions?


Cheers!


Tim.

 

[Bosbeetle]

all the humongous games on scummvm are great, freddy fish et al


(oh wait thats more for in a year or 3 when they reach 6 or 7)

 

[fuji99]

I don't know if you'd consider them retro, but early Kirby games are simple and fun.

 

[Asiyura]

I don't know if you'd consider them retro, but early Kirby games are simple and fun.

And cute! Kirby on NES is impressive, a really nice platform game with a finely tuned difficulty level, IMO.


Chip & Dale rescue ranger on NES is great too, it's a platform games (again ) aimed to be played in co-op.


I got this game long ago and played a lot with my friends. I liked the cartoon too

You pick up boxes and other items and launch them at enemies (robot dogs,…).

 

[Prometheus]

Let's see... Just a few off of the top of my head for the moment;


I'm not sure, for once, whether to recommend a Mega Man title or not. For one thing, I don't know your stance on cartoon "violence", obviously (in this case, human-like robots shooting other robots, and ultimately making them explode), and for another, one of the series' big hooks is its difficulty level, and the really young'uns may possibly find the games to be frustrating. If neither of those are an issue, then I would recommend Mega Man 2 for the NES, and/or Mega Man: The Power Battle (CPS1). (Both of these can have their difficulty changed if that aspect *is* an issue - Mega Man 2 allows for this at the title screen, and all the CPS1/arcade emulators I've come across will let you change the DIP-switch settings for Mega Man: The Power Battle, too.)


The obvious bit aside, I would have to say that, firstly, Super Mario Bros. (NES) is a must - every kid should get to experience that game.


Mappy (arcade) is brilliant fun, and very easy to pick up - you can move left or right, and push a button to open doors. You play as a police-mouse who has to retrieve stolen goods from a bunch of (literal) cat-burglars.


Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man (arcade, again) go without saying, I guess. The ghost behaviour in Pac-Man is more predictable, and Ms. Pac-Man has more varied mazes, so they're by no means the same game but with and without a bow being worn by the protagonist.


Donkey Kong Country (SNES) has pretty much the same controls as Super Mario Bros. (one button for jumping, one to hold down to run/grab barrels), and is pretty colourful.


Last of all, Sonic The Hedgehog (MD, MS, GG) is also nice and simple (perhaps excessively so, though...). I would recommend the Game Gear version personally, as it is a different game that is better-designed than the Mega Drive version (the Master System version is mostly the same as this, but some bosses were tweaked due to the higher resolution that the Master System displayed at by default, and some of the graphics are a little bit different).

 

[timothee]

Thanks for all the suggestions, much appreciated! I'll install these and let the kids have a go. My kids love Chip and Dale, hopefully they'll enjoy the game on nes.


That being said, after seeing them play a couple of times, I think most platformers will be too advanced for them, especially anything that has complex moves like bouncing on walls, double jumps and what not. Certainly, the kids will need some training before they have the dexterity to control a character that's jumping around. I'm pretty sure Sonic in particular will be too fast.


Btw for reference, here are my kids playing (cough, *trying* to play) Super Pang

PS: Hey Prometheus, I don't mean to start a megaman discussion, but I can't resist a poke : I was just trying again Megaman X on snes a few days ago: can you believe the little bugger can't even shoot upwards?!!?!?!

 

[DaMummy]

alex kidd

 

[Nintendo]

Your kids are half-Asian?


Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II

 

[timothee]

Your kids are half-Asian?

Indeed they are.

Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II

LOL! Is that your recommendation because they are half-asian? Or is that your recommendation for 4-year-olds in general?

 

[Nintendo]

It'd go well with those arcade joysticks.

 

[LuciferRising]

Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II

Sony, you crack me up! Mortal Kombat for 4 year olds?!!


Anyway, I've been trying to rack my brain and games for kids is definitely not my expertise. I was thinking Aero the Acro-Bat, but that might be a bit too fast paced? Are kids into Looney Tunes these days? There are plenty of Bugs Bunny and co. platformers on Genesis and SNES (as well as Donald Duck and other Disney stuff).


I didn't think I'd really be much help. I just wanted to chime in to say that your kids are FREAKING ADORABLE!! Please don't be weirded out that 'LuciferRising' thinks your kids are adorable. I am really just a nice guy. You said "my 4 year olds". I am assuming they are twins? That rocks! A close friend of mine will be having identical boys in a few months. I told them that as long as they figure out which one is the "evil" one early on, they will be ok.


edit: oops. Overlooked your comments on platformers. On a side note, I occasionally babysit my niece (she's a few years older than your kids). She thinks my retro games are crap. She would much rather play Wii.

 

[ibisum]

Mario Bros works, its two-player and fun, jump on turtles and stuff..


Dig-Dug? Pacman? Scrambler? Crazy-Climber!


There was once this maze-paint arcade game, during the Pacman craze, involving very cute penguins or something, but I can never remember the name of it.

 

[Kaepora Gaebora]

Chip & Dale rescue ranger on NES is great too, it's a platform games (again ) aimed to be played in co-op.


I got this game long ago and played a lot with my friends. I liked the cartoon too

You pick up boxes and other items and launch them at enemies (robot dogs,…).

Ha Chip & Dale was great! And very kid-friendly.

 

[Mr Rob]

And if they're young enough, there's always Sesame Street games for the NES (not the best link but it'll do):


http://www.gamesntrade.com/sesame-street-1-2-3-astrogrover-amp-ernie39s-magic-s12339.html


Match the shapes / basic math for the young'uns who can't handle a full platformer. We actually had this as a kid.

 

[Sugar_Kane]

Quackshot, Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion on the Megadrive are pretty simple but enjoyable platformers. I would have thought they were perfect for kids.

 

[Prometheus]

There was once this maze-paint arcade game, during the Pacman craze, involving very cute penguins or something, but I can never remember the name of it.

Is it Crush Roller, by any chance?

 

[Wootson]

Quackshot, Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion on the Megadrive are pretty simple but enjoyable platformers. I would have thought they were perfect for kids.

I was about to say the same. Especially World of Illusion is very good, where the kids can even team up as Mickey and Donald instead of going at it alone as either one of them. The game features some light co-op things like pulling each other through tiny spaces and such things, and the visuals are very bright and colorful with lots of fantasy themed stuff like riding clouds and an unforgettable trip to candy land.

 

[SOLGarion]

and an unforgettable trip to candy land.

What made it unforgettable? My mind reels at the possibilities, some not 4 year old friendly.