The National Parenting Publications Awards are in their twentieth year and they awarded top honors to several notable games and technologies. Definitely a timely announcement what with Black Friday only a couple days away.
Among the 2010 NAPPA Gold winners in the software category are:
Herotopia, Herotainment, LLC, 2010; free (or upgrade with membership, $5.95/ month); www.herotopia.com; ages 6 to 12
This highly engaging virtual world invites youngsters to select and customize their own Superhero to defeat the Bully Bunch in settings around the world. Games, such as “Confucius Challenge,” quiz students on international foods, flags, animals and landmarks. Herotopia is for parents looking for a safe, smart and entertaining learning experience for their kids.
Kinect for Xbox 360, Microsoft, $149.99; Xbox.com; ages 6 and up
In this video gaming experience, players don’t hold a controller! With a special motion capture sensor that sits in front of the television, Kinect for Xbox 360 puts all players at the center of gameplay. Kid testers LOVED it!
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Square Enix, Inc., 2010; $39.99; www.kingdomhearts.com; ages 10 and up
Kingdom Hearts has been a wildly successful game that takes players through a series of fantastical adventures with new characters, heroes and villains. Kids play alongside favorite Disney characters and experience the stories and worlds they know so well in exciting new ways. In this latest installment for PSP, players solve the mystery of a missing Keyblade Master.
Global Agenda, Hi-Rez Studios Inc., 2010; $39.99; ages 13 and up.
One of our edgier entries in recent years, Global Agenda is a highly engaging strategy and action massively-multiplayer online game for teens. Although the crude humor and fantasy violence (ESRB Rating T for Teen) may not be right for all young people, our boy game testers loved the experience, which took them to the year 2155 and into a world devastated by the Third Great War. Players must communicate and collaborate as teams on leveled missions to overtake an oppressive world government and protect humanity. Our testers really enjoyed the futuristic weaponry and gadgetry they earn and use in the game, as well as the richly rendered world of the game. Global Agenda: Sandstorm, the game’s first expansion, is also available now.
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