Small Children vs. Attention Span: Simple games for the simple

[lostforever]

Some time ago, I avoided the advice my father gave me on my wedding night, and I bred. With my young apprentice now at the age of 3, he becomes increasingly irate that he cannot play the games he watches Dad play. I used to give him my PSP, lock the buttons, and let the intro of Monster Hunter Freedom 2 loop. That worked for a long time, but now, like a dueling anachronism, he demands satisfaction. I thought ordering a classic NES controller that plugs into my computer (which is hooked up to the TV) paired with an emulator might let him get used to game physics in the same manner I did: B to run, A to jump. I think this is an acceptable solution, but I was curious to know of similar experiences, and how they unfolded over time.

 

[dududf]

Well, you can do 2 things.

1) Give him the most simple stuff you can, and then realize that in 4 years he's going to be asking for a copy of F.E.A.R..

Or...

2) You give him the most complex, and difficult game you can find, and hope to god he gets bored, and frustrated and gives up on gaming for a little while (he will come back. The father son bond will ensure it.)

 

[Pokeylope]

while I haven't quite gotten around to breeding yet, for a child who (I'm assuming) cant read yet, I'd recommend World of Goo [http://2dboy.com/games.php] or maybe some Crayon Physics [http://www.crayonphysics.com/].

Both are child-friendly and only involve one or two buttons, but you should enjoy playing them as much as he will.

 

[Sebenko]

No, give him something really complicated.

If kids can remember all the rules to Yu-gi-oh, they can damn well play Supreme Commander.

Or Sonic on the mega drive. That game kept me entertained for days with it's pretty colours and ludicrous speed.

Or Abe's oddysee. Sure, you fall into a blender pretty often, but it's old and the low resolution obscures the worst of it. Plus Abe is a pretty entertaining character.

 

[AngloDoom]

He's three. You could give him a supercomputer and, with no other distractions, he'll re-programme it to his bidding.

Kids are scary-fast learners.

 

[lostforever]

Umm, complicated = frustration. Having a frustrated toddler is more painful than a burn victim being gnawed upon by a rabid goose. He would insist that what the avatar does should mimic what I can make it do. In any case:

Crayon physics: Yes, a great game, and he does enjoy it for a bit, but eventually insists I just draw him an octopus. We also do spelling exercises with Scribblenauts. I was thinking good ol` Super Mario Bros. I will have to see about World of Goo, as it sounds... well, gooey.

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

Go for the classic Super Mario Bros. Two buttons, three powerups, and a very small selection of enemies. That game is fun for people of all ages.