+Karl G Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 My partner is hosting a friend and her daughter at her house, and wanted to throw some good games on a Harmony cart for the occasion. What would be some good selections for a precocious 8 year old, either original library or homebrew, that could appeal to kids of that generation? I can make some educated guesses, but I thought it would be useful to hear from AA members with kids around that age. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cvga Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 My kids really liked Kaboom around that age. Their friends would even come over and ask to play it. I think the furious pace and paddle controllers were part of the attraction since they're unique. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyK Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 (edited) Hard to say. If the kid has experience of modern games then its best to stick with games that look solid graphically. The better Activision games would be a good start. Pitfall, HERO, Barnstorming et al ....however Activision games aren't the greatest for multi-player. Freeway is a good one though - so is Fishing Derby. Tennis. Stereotypically speaking - girls might not like shooting games which is a challenge with a console from the shooting game era. (I have 2 daughters though they are in their 20s now and it's all about Mario Kart with them) Ms. Pacman and Jr. Pacman Dodge 'em Realsports Volleyball Solar Fox Surround If paddles are in the equation then Kaboom!, Super Breakout, Video Olympics and Warlords (or Medieval Mayhem) are another good shout. Edited February 22, 2020 by davyK 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Berzerk Frostbite Freeway and/or Frogger (the original Crossy Road) Joust Warlords Pitfall Kaboom Barnstorming Yars' Revenge (you will need to explain it) Space Invaders Stampede and for laughs, in a "look at the crap we had" kind of way: Pac-Man Donkey Kong It's hard to get them excited about ye olde classics when they've played other stuff, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Karl G Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 You guys were right about paddle controller games. Breakout and Kaboom were popular selections. She was also a fan of Cannonhead Clash. Thanks for the suggestions! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleman jack Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 The paddle games do seem to appeal to my kids. They love Night Driver, Circus Atari, Warlords, SWOOPS!, and the two Breakouts. They also love H.E.R.O., Bump N' Jump, and Bowling (the variation with the ability to steer the ball). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleman jack Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Jungle Hunt and Moon Patrol are two others that my kids tend to go back to again and again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonGrafx-16 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I was only 14 when I first got my 2600 off Ebay in 2005... my favorites were mostly paddle games and shooting games. I was really into Centipede and Demon Attack. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdanddiet Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Back when I did a couple of retro gaming parties for my boys, we always had the Atari 2600 out and the most popular games were always Ms Pac Man and Carnival 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr SQL Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Great thread! The 8 year olds in my test groups here had top two favorite games being Ms Pacman, and KC Monster Maze; they did not care for Junior Pacman because it was much too hard. On 2/22/2020 at 10:36 AM, davyK said: Stereotypically speaking - girls might not like shooting games which is a challenge I agree and don't think you are stereotyping; in Israel we teach specially gifted children to protect from an early age and it's important the shooting games and simulators should be carefully designed from a gender neutral perspective. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-type Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Warlords was a big hit with my kids They also liked: Dragonfire, Sneak'n'Peek, Beamrider 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cvga Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 12 hours ago, G-type said: Warlords was a big hit with my kids They also liked: Dragonfire, Sneak'n'Peek, Beamrider Beamrider - smart kids! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyK Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 On 2/24/2020 at 3:55 PM, Mr SQL said: Great thread! The 8 year olds in my test groups here had top two favorite games being Ms Pacman, and KC Monster Maze; they did not care for Junior Pacman because it was much too hard. Heh.....Jr Pacman is rock hard OK. I find it was an achievement just clearing the first level!! Ms. Pacman is a solid alternative. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyK Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 (edited) On 2/24/2020 at 3:55 PM, Mr SQL said: I agree and don't think you are stereotyping; in Israel we teach specially gifted children to protect from an early age and it's important the shooting games and simulators should be carefully designed from a gender neutral perspective. One of the reasons why I like Nintendo so much. They tend to stay away from shooting in their games. There are a few (Starfox, Super Mario and fireballs for example) but not many. Edited February 25, 2020 by davyK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr SQL Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 3 hours ago, davyK said: One of the reasons why I like Nintendo so much. They tend to stay away from shooting in their games. There are a few (Starfox, Super Mario and fireballs for example) but not many. Yes Nintendo is a great example with fantastic games for small children and toddlers The trouble we see is with the control design - below age 6 children are having difficulty reaching the buttons: https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-the-nintendo-switch-4148184 This issue was solved with Violins by making smaller Violins; this same approach could be used with the Nintendo but cost factors are prohibitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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