End of the Year Holiday Video Game Treasures – Kids

This year’s treasure trove of games for the younger crowd feature endless entertainment options. Check out these gems while you’re out shopping.

Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)
This Nintendo Wii social extravaganza lets you explore and interact (talk, fish, plant, etc.) with a virtual world full of friendly animal neighbors and expanded urban elements. Developers expanded multiplayer mode with the addition of the WiiSpeak voice chat option.

Babysitting Mania (DS)
This time management game is a sequel to the highly successful Nanny Mania PC game. You can play through more than 100 levels of fast paced multitasks that frequently overlap – a fun and manageable feat thanks to the convenient touch screen controls. Take care of children in various stages of their lives and even give them time outs when they get unruly.

Ben 10: ALIEN FORCE (PS2, PSP, DS and Wii)
Based on Cartoon Network’s hit television series, this game features an unlimited combo system with puzzles and challenges. Enjoy a two player co-operative mode while playing in Swampfire, Big Chill, Humongousaur, Jet Ray, or Spidermonkey form.

Boogie SuperStar (Wii)
Perform modern hits with this duel music title exclusive to the Nintendo Wii. Sing and dance through levels while customizing your character to perform with a friend, compete against teams or work with them (up to four players).

Cake Mania in the Mix (Wii)
This confection cooking PC game expands to the Wii with nine brand new locations, an Endless Baking mode and four-player cooperative play. You can design custom cakes then send Digital Greeting Cards of your cake creations to friends online via WiiConnect24!

Celebrity Sports Showdown (Wii)
This solid party game allows up to four players to compete in 12 outdoor sports games (beach volleyball, canoeing, dodgeball, archery, etc.) with stars including Mia Hamm, Nelly Furtado, singer Fergie, Paul Pierce and Reggie Bush.

Chrysler Racing (DS and Wii)
This racing game features classic cars in multiple language gameplay. Customizable characters add role playing elements while car options include altering tires, suspension, steering, plus decals and chrome finishes.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant (PS2, DS, PSP, Xbox360 and Wii).
The controlling powers continue in single players mode as Crash battles bad guys Neo Cortex and N. Brio. You can also visit Wumpa Island in a two-player cooperative mode with Crash’s sister Coco.

Family Party: 30 Great Games (Wii)
This Wii exclusive title is affordable and fun. Up to four players can enjoy playground games, mental challenges and even sports related games like track and field. Succeed in battle mode to unlock more levels and characters to achieve high score and win medals.

Guinness World Records: The Videogame (Wii)
Want to make your own record? With over 35 different stunts, like crushing watermelons with your head, based on real Guinness World Records, this game features several fun challenges in single player, teams or competitive multi-player groups. If you get good enough in this Wii exclusive game you might just find your name in the official Guinness World Records book.

Kookeys
This plush toy line expands to a safe (all information is filtered), free roaming interactive game where you where your adorable animals (yes, you can have more than one) socialize and progress by finding “keys” to unlock different environments. You can even communicate directly with global players using the translator feature. Available at stores  including Hallmark, Hobbytown USA and Learning Express.

Left Brain Right Brain 2 (DS)
This mental challenge series continues with 20 new games that test your speed, memory, strategy and accuracy. The sideways orientation on the Nintendo DS and single and multi card multiplayer modes provide expanded play from the challenge single player modes featuring challenges like snowman toss, excavation, fire trap, hang glider and pachinko.

Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked! (Wii)
This series makes the jump to the Wii as you explore and survive on a tropical island after a cruise ship mishap. More than 30 mini-games (fishing, carpentry, fire-making, etc.) provide great variety while another character and a special pet also help you out.

Lovely Lisa (DS)
This fashion-simulation style game lets the girls have some fashion fun. Role playing elements involving different skills and techniques to get a high overall grade.

Monster Lab (PS2, DS, Wii)
Original graphic design make this fun creature creation actioner stand out from the pack. You can put your creatures in battle or explore Uncanny Valley for missions, find other characters to challenge or acquire several monster parts to add to your inventory. You can also compete against friends in multiplayer combat online and offline.

My Secret World (DS)
Girls get an entertaining interactive journal complete with personality quizzes, customizable avatars, mini-games and WiFi voice chat. Players can share and read each other’s chapters and select up to four friend codes for game sharing. An installment of Ubisoft's Imagine game series.

MySims Kingdom (Wii and DS)
This joyful series expansion adds even more creative, role playing opportunities and features multitasking, social adventures with enhanced mechanics (manipulating objects easily with a magic wand) and activities (boat sailing, etc.). The free flowing format, complete with quicker load times, lets you explore at your own pace while accomplishing building tasks to expand the land, plus personalized customization options enhance the game even further.

Penny Racers Party: Turbo Q (Wii)
This racing extravaganza has more than 50 customizable vehicles from automobile models like Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Easy to learn controls for one to four players plus mini-games like bowling or the classic wind-up dash.

Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2009 (PS3, PC, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360)
Great soccer play including enhance physics that further incorporate friction and resistance for more realistic gameplay, which features the UEFA Champions League. Enjoy “become a legend” and online “legends” modes on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. You can even import data to create your own player or team emblem using a supported USB camera.

Sam & Max Season One (Wii)
This Wii exclusive adapts the television series as this hilarious dog and rabbit crime-fighting team play like interactive sitcoms, with the player collecting clues, interrogating a bizarre supporting cast of characters, and ultimately unraveling the overarching hypnosis conspiracy that spans the six episodes.

Six Flags: Fun Park (Wii and DS)
Another great title, available on the Wii and Nintendo DS, featuring great stylus navigation and exploration features as you visits themed levels of the famous amusement park.

Sonic Unleashed (PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii)
This fast-paced platformer combines classic 2D formats with 3D environments as Sonic speeds through levels with his fast feet by day, then at night changes to Werehog, Sonic’s dark alter ego who flexes his arms at night.

Tracksters (PC)
This deep Massively Multiplayer Online (MMOG) racing game lets you race your real miniature vehicles (Ford, Dodge, etc.) online with other players in global competitions (featuring a proprietary language translator) constantly updated with new cars and part. Learn tip and knowledge at TrackCollege or buy and sell at TrackBucks or TrackMall.