Fun Wii Games for Young Kids (and Their Dads)

August 13, 2010, By Benjamin Sell 1 comment

Finding a great game that you can enjoy playing with your kids is easier than you might think. These four games are great kid-friendly fare but also entertaining enough to keep dads playing long after the kids are asleep.

Here are some of the most entertaining family games on the Nintendo Wii.

Boom Blox/Boom Blox Bash Party

Boom Blox is a game many lovingly refer to as "Jenga with explosions." It provides all the fun of repeatedly knocking down intricate structures made of cute blocks without setting them up yourself. Boom Blox and its sequel, Bash Party, ask the player to use various tools including bowling balls, baseballs, slingshots and various types of explosions to take down or defend various block-based structures.

It sounds simple, but Boom Blox is one of the most addictive Wii games you'll find.

Lego Star Wars/Batman/Indiana Jones/Harry Potter

Continuing the block-based theme, the Lego series of games provide entertainment for players of all ages. The gameplay is simple platforming with some light combat, and enemies simply explode into a stack of Lego bricks when defeated. Children love the opportunity to walk their favorite characters through familiar storylines, and parents can enjoy the multiple inside jokes and myriad of collectible items to find and assemble. Take as many tries as you need to complete a tricky jump or take down a difficult boss – there's no real penalty for dying and the lives are unlimited.

Mario Kart Wii

This game could be a trip down memory lane if you're familiar with the Mario Kart series from its roots in the Super Nintendo era. The series is still going strong, and the most recent edition on the Wii is one of the best iterations to date. The basic gameplay is the same: guide your driver around various creative track designs while avoiding shells and banana peels in your quest to finish in first place. Wii-specific additions include the ability to play as your Mii (a digital avatar of you) and integrated motion controls allow you to steer or perform aerial maneuvers to gain speed boosts.

The kids love the colorful characters and fun power ups, while the grown ups get to enjoy a little nostalgia while playing alongside their children.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

New Super Mario Bros Wii is like a love letter from Nintendo to all of us who remember how much fun two-dimensional games can be. The closest to a true sequel to Super Mario World we're ever likely to see, New Super Mario Bros Wii takes everything you ever loved about Mario back in the day and adds in new twists like simultaneous four-player action and motion controls to take the series to a whole new level. Multiplayer with the whole family is a blast and built-in features like the ability to carry players or place them safely within a bubble to get past difficult areas make up for differences in skill level.

And like all the games on this list, don't be surprised to find yourself playing this one even after the kids have gone to bed.

Benjamin Sell is a contributor to Six Apart Media.

Comments (1):

Benjamin S. Mark asks: "Benjamin, thanks for the article on Wii Games for Young Kids. I was wondering, just how young? I have a four year old, and I am wondering if the games you mentioned are games he might be ready for, or if they might be too difficult. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks!" Mark, Thanks for your question about my Wii games article. Honestly, the age at which kids develop the motor skills to play games that require multiple button inputs varies, so part of it comes down to just knowing your individual child. However, I can say that I have a friend who's four-year old spent ample time playing both the Wii and DS versions of New Super Mario Bros and that my three-year-old daughter and I are now beginning to play the Lego games together. I think all of the games on the list would probably hold some appeal for a four-year-old (though I am a little wary of Boom Blox, just because of the "throwing" motion controls and the risk of a controller flying off into the TV). One piece of advice for getting them started: give them a bit of time to practice on their own. I personally (as a veteran gamer) get a little frustrated when my daughter doesn't go charging right for the nearest objective, but I've learned to let her play around with the controls for awhile before we get into anything serious. Sometime she'll play around and get bored, but usually she wants to come back and try it again. Thanks again for your question, I hope that I cleared it up for you, at least a little. - 12/17/2010