Teaching my daughter how to play starting with Pacman

[Dastari Creel]

I figured its about time that my 3-year-old new what a video game was so I brought out one of those 5-games-in-one Namco controllers that came out years ago and includes 5 Arcade games. We've been playing Pacman because I figured it was probably the easiest game on the list to figure out and she loves it. She's not to good but I wouldn't expect that at 3. She understands about getting all the "dots" but doesn't understand to well about avoiding the ghosts yet. :-)

 

Anyhow, I absolutely love coming home from work and having her say "daddy, play video game?"

 

Anyone else start their kids on video games with old school consoles or computer games?

[+atari2600land]

A few years ago, I taught my niece how to play the 2600 (specifically Grand Prix). Now she's almost ten and all she plays is her pink DS and girly games like Hannah Montana. So I suggest Grand Prix if you have a 2600 and copy of it. I was playing my Commodore 64 and Kindercomp when I was your kid's age. Ahh, memories.

Edited April 25, 2010 by atari2600land

[roberto]

That's really a great idea: I'm sure games like pacman can help quite a bit in improving kids' hand-eye coordination at an early age. I guess it won't be easy to grasp the "run away from the ghosts but chase them once u get the power pellet, and then run away again a few seconds afterwards when its effect disappears" for a 3 year old but still she will have a great fun!

Which game do you think would be a good match after she masters Pacman?

[Kripto]

Robotron and Sinistar are two great games which would help your child learn basic hand-eye coordination in a relaxed, playful environment.

 

Speeding up her response time will probably be a concern if you're expecting her to delIver top-notch arcade scores at this age, but luckily there are now many sweet-tasting flavored coffees on the market which kids may find somewhat bearable if mixed with juice.

[roberto]

Robotron and Sinistar are two great games which would help your child learn basic hand-eye coordination in a relaxed, playful environment.

 

Gosh! Robotron!? I'd be very surprised if a 5 y.o. kid can play that well: I still find it hard to go through the second or third wave!!

[Herbarius]

The most important thing is, be patient with her.

 

My first (very foggy) memory of playing Pac-Man - and I definitely was older than 3, more like 5 - was my father gave me the joystick, I looked at the screen, was overwhelmed by the experience, didn't know how to do it, my father was like "hey, you have to avoid the ghosts!" but I hadn't even really figured out the relations of the joystick movements to on-screen movement when my father decided to try something else.

 

I sure would have liked to continue trying it and propably would have figured it out if I had a little more time, but under the "pressure" of the situation I couldn't do it.

 

 

So, don't assume "she doesn't get it" too quickly. Also it definitely could help if you first play it yourself and let her watch for a while before letting her try it. (I'm not just talking about Pac-Man, but any type of game).

If possible always start with slower game modes.

 

 

As recommendations for other games I would post Pong (good 2 player-experience) and Centipede.

 

Of course, don't forget at her age you propably should limit the daily exposure to video games rather rigidly. But I guess her mother already takes care of that

[Chickybaby]

If you can get a copy of PacManPlus's Space Invaders, it's Bean's fav. You can play 2 person "against" each other and have a setting so that the Invaders don't fire at you. Otherwise she's addicted to the CC2 since her attention span is still fairly short. If you can find someone to make a Dumbo cart for you that would probably be good too. She also likes PMP's Pacman Collection for 7800.

 

At 3 she's already learned the trick of having 2 controllers hooked up but using a one person setting, but if yours might be fooled then that works quite well and gives both of you some good game time together. She's been playing games since about 1 1/2 and by about 2 or so knew who Pac-Man was and woudl say she wanted "video games". Addict, lol.

 

She also loves switching the carts and being a "big helper".

 

Now, if only someone could make a toddler version of a lot of games so that you can't die or have unlimited lives it'd be great!

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi guys,

 

I used to recall that when my brother was growing up, I help his skills playing Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System over 20 years ago. Sure wish I can do that again.

 

 

Anthony....

[shadow460]

IIRC, I started with Amidar when I was all of six or seven. It was cool making enemies jump over the character, and then I wondered what the heck a paint roller was doing the next level. I can't play that game worth anything today, though.

[davepesc]

Congrats, man. i was here talking about the same thing about 5 years ago. probably still pics floating around somewhere. Anyway, I suggest games where she can't "die."

Frogs & Flies was an early favorite.

[madhatter667]

Awesome. I started at about 4 years old on the 2600....

Gotta start them out right man!

[DimensionX]

I figured its about time that my 3-year-old new what a video game was so I brought out one of those 5-games-in-one Namco controllers that came out years ago and includes 5 Arcade games. We've been playing Pacman because I figured it was probably the easiest game on the list to figure out and she loves it. She's not to good but I wouldn't expect that at 3. She understands about getting all the "dots" but doesn't understand to well about avoiding the ghosts yet. :-)

 

Anyhow, I absolutely love coming home from work and having her say "daddy, play video game?"

 

Anyone else start their kids on video games with old school consoles or computer games?

 

For retrobuffs like us, who was there, a game is so much more then just at game. We have all the memories and associate a certain game with lots of happenings around us. Todays youngsters doesn't have that. For them, it's just a game, no more, no less. To be able to get the most out of a game like Pac Man, you must have been there and been a part of the magic. Not to say that Pac Man isn't a good game that todays children can play. But don't expect them to like it as much as you did.

 

I'm a hardcore retrogamer but i'm also well aware of that these games never will present them same magic for todays kids as they did for me. (sad enough)

Edited April 26, 2010 by DimensionX

[NightDriver2600]

I don't have kids, but I remember Pac Man on the 2600 being one of the first video games I ever played.

[Herbarius]

I figured its about time that my 3-year-old new what a video game was so I brought out one of those 5-games-in-one Namco controllers that came out years ago and includes 5 Arcade games. We've been playing Pacman because I figured it was probably the easiest game on the list to figure out and she loves it. She's not to good but I wouldn't expect that at 3. She understands about getting all the "dots" but doesn't understand to well about avoiding the ghosts yet. :-)

 

Anyhow, I absolutely love coming home from work and having her say "daddy, play video game?"

 

Anyone else start their kids on video games with old school consoles or computer games?

 

For retrobuffs like us, who was there, a game is so much more then just at game. We have all the memories and associate a certain game with lots of happenings around us. Todays youngsters doesn't have that. For them, it's just a game, no more, no less. To be able to get the most out of a game like Pac Man, you must have been there and been a part of the magic. Not to say that Pac Man isn't a good game that todays children can play. But don't expect them to like it as much as you did.

 

I'm a hardcore retrogamer but i'm also well aware of that these games never will present them same magic for todays kids as they did for me. (sad enough)

 

I tend to disagree. I grew up with PC games, and my machine was always some years behind the current generation. A good friend of mine which I often visit had a PC which was even older. There was lots of "magic" associated with the games we played nonetheless.

[davepesc]

 

 

For retrobuffs like us, who was there, a game is so much more then just at game. We have all the memories and associate a certain game with lots of happenings around us. Todays youngsters doesn't have that. For them, it's just a game, no more, no less. To be able to get the most out of a game like Pac Man, you must have been there and been a part of the magic. Not to say that Pac Man isn't a good game that todays children can play. But don't expect them to like it as much as you did.

 

I'm a hardcore retrogamer but i'm also well aware of that these games never will present them same magic for todays kids as they did for me. (sad enough)

 

 

This is true to an extent, but the hallmark of a great game is that it will always be a great game. I have all the retro stuff in my basement, but there's a Wii and 360 in the living room. Of all those games, what does my now almost 8-year-old daughter want to play... Pac-Man on Xbox Live!

[DimensionX]

 

 

For retrobuffs like us, who was there, a game is so much more then just at game. We have all the memories and associate a certain game with lots of happenings around us. Todays youngsters doesn't have that. For them, it's just a game, no more, no less. To be able to get the most out of a game like Pac Man, you must have been there and been a part of the magic. Not to say that Pac Man isn't a good game that todays children can play. But don't expect them to like it as much as you did.

 

I'm a hardcore retrogamer but i'm also well aware of that these games never will present them same magic for todays kids as they did for me. (sad enough)

 

 

This is true to an extent, but the hallmark of a great game is that it will always be a great game. I have all the retro stuff in my basement, but there's a Wii and 360 in the living room. Of all those games, what does my now almost 8-year-old daughter want to play... Pac-Man on Xbox Live!

 

Sounds great that todays kids like the old games too. Good games never grows old.

 

My point was simply

 

Game + Memories

 

Is always a bit greater then

 

Game + Nothing

 

In that day Pac Man was something really big and fantastic. Today when kids can choose between Pac Man or the latest version of Counterstrike, Pac Man isn't quite as fantastic as it was for us in the early 80's when every new videogame was something really big. I remember myself early 1983, WOW, the latest game on tape for Vic 20, WOW the graphics are amazing.

[Dastari Creel]

Robotron and Sinistar are two great games which would help your child learn basic hand-eye coordination in a relaxed, playful environment.

 

Speeding up her response time will probably be a concern if you're expecting her to delIver top-notch arcade scores at this age, but luckily there are now many sweet-tasting flavored coffees on the market which kids may find somewhat bearable if mixed with juice.

 

Well I'm not doing this to make her a "gaming god" or anything. If anything I want to help her try to use her hands more. She's mildly autistic and she has sensory issues and always grasps things really delicately. I'm hoping that this will help her to develop more confidence in using her hands with grasping the joystick. I also think that a puzzle crawl like pacman is exactly the right thing to stimulate her mind. She likes figuring out how to do things and I think this is a game that intrigues her enough that she'll work at it to get it right.

 

Plus I like that its an activity that we can both enjoy.

 

The most important thing is, be patient with her.

 

No worries there. I just let her watch me and then I give her the controller and just suggest that she should "try to get more dots" or "avoid the ghosts". I go "awww" when the ghost gets her to let her know that its a negative thing to have happen but I don't get frustrated if she isn't doing really well. I know how bad that can be no matter what your age from having my dad teach me how to drive.

 

Of course, don't forget at her age you propably should limit the daily exposure to video games rather rigidly. But I guess her mother already takes care of that

 

That's not a problem either. She loses an interest after 10 minutes or so.

 

If you can get a copy of PacManPlus's Space Invaders, it's Bean's fav. You can play 2 person "against" each other and have a setting so that the Invaders don't fire at you. Otherwise she's addicted to the CC2 since her attention span is still fairly short. If you can find someone to make a Dumbo cart for you that would probably be good too. She also likes PMP's Pacman Collection for 7800.

 

She absolutely LOVES the movie Dumbo. So is Dumbo a homebrew game that isn't sold through Atariage? Why would someone need to "make it" for me?

 

Sounds great that todays kids like the old games too. Good games never grows old.

 

My point was simply

 

Game + Memories

 

Is always a bit greater then

 

Game + Nothing

 

In that day Pac Man was something really big and fantastic. Today when kids can choose between Pac Man or the latest version of Counterstrike, Pac Man isn't quite as fantastic as it was for us in the early 80's when every new videogame was something really big. I remember myself early 1983, WOW, the latest game on tape for Vic 20, WOW the graphics are amazing.

 

See I disagree with this. It has to do with context really. I was born in 1980 but many of my favorites movies and TV shows predate that. The reason was that I was raised in a household where my father actively tried to get me to watch older shows and movies. The problem that you're listing is that once someone becomes "used" to the modern generation of games, movies, or whatever, it becomes almost impossible to get them to move backwards. Part of the reason why I'm starting my daughter with Pacman is to give her the proper cultural context so that she appreciates earlier games by having started with them. Then when she gets older and I start moving her up on the video game generations she'll have the proper context with which to make informed decisions on what she wants to play.

[Eltigro]

My daughter and I play games a lot. Here's a pic of us very engaged in a game of Mario Kart Double Dash. I usually picked a Kart game to play with her when she was younger. Didn't deal too much with the weapons, and usually did the arena combat levels. This way, there wasn't a track to fall off. I would just tell her, "The green one makes it go, and the stick here turns it." And from that, we had fun.

 

[STICH666]

I started off at 3 years old with an Arkanoid machine at my camp in 1994. Yes guys. I'm only 18. But yeah Arkanoid is a very difficult game to start off playing. I would recommend something like Crusin' USA. Also just a word of advice. If you ever want to get a gamer into cars, get Gran Tuismo 2.

Edited May 1, 2010 by STICH666

[RJ]

I think you need to start them w/ simple, easy games, & probably games that only need a few words to explain them- "eat the dots", "stay on the track", "dont touch the bad guy(s)" etc. Although the Wii (they play Wii Sports bowling & baseball & watch me play Build & Race) & Ps2 are out in the open where my 2 yr olds can see/play them, I plan to start them off at age 4 w/ my 2600. In fact I just re-bought Pac-Man, Enduro & Grand Prix (one kid REALLY likes cars) & I got the Sesame Street games they made w/ CTW.

 

From there, I'll give them a system every Xmas::

 

age 5- 7800

6 Colecovision (w/ Atari adapter)

7 Yobo (NES clone)

8 SNES & Genesis (one to each, they can share)

9 Jaguar

10 PS2

11 Wii

 

I've been considering selling the Genesis but the controllers are Atari compatible & it'd be nice to keep them. I have 2 SNES Mario Paint carts (one for each kid, it only saves 1 picture), I think they'll have lots of fun w/ that & it'll get em used to a computer mouse.

Edited May 2, 2010 by RJ

[mightymage]

my little cousin the little boy on my shoulders in my picture

LOVE wizard of war he is 4 and can get to the pit or arena (level 5) on 1 man

he calls it the wolf game cause the blue guys look like wolves

[4Ks]

I started becoming a gamer with Nicktoons Racing. My littlest brother used to really like Sonic Adventure, and my younger siblings love Exite Truck.

[chrisbid]

Robotron and Sinistar are two great games which would help your child learn basic hand-eye coordination in a relaxed, playful environment.

 

Speeding up her response time will probably be a concern if you're expecting her to delIver top-notch arcade scores at this age, but luckily there are now many sweet-tasting flavored coffees on the market which kids may find somewhat bearable if mixed with juice.

 

 

HA! somebody may be getting a knock on the door from childrens services

[BigO]

My daughter and I play games a lot. Here's a pic of us very engaged in a game of Mario Kart Double Dash. I usually picked a Kart game to play with her when she was younger. Didn't deal too much with the weapons, and usually did the arena combat levels. This way, there wasn't a track to fall off. I would just tell her, "The green one makes it go, and the stick here turns it." And from that, we had fun.

 

 

I love her intense expression.

[Kripto]

Yeah, I was just joking about Sinistar and giving the kid coffee... Perhaps the /s was in order.