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Summer is in full swing, and what better way to spend the last few weeks than playing video games with your family? My husband and I both have Nintendo 3DS‘ and my daughters have Nintendo 2DS‘. I cannot even explain how much I enjoy a lazy Sunday with the 4 of us lounging around the house playing video games together. We like to race in Mario Kart – and of course Quick Link Battle in Pokemon Sun and Moon. We also help each other fill our Pokedexes by trading rare Pokemon to each other. Because I love these systems so much, I want to tell you about a couple fun and exciting new releases!

Nintendo 2DS

On Aug. 25, a sleek white-and-red Nintendo 2DS system with the New Super Mario Bros. 2 game pre-installed is hitting store shelves at a suggested retail price of only $79.99! This is a great gift for any kid (or adult) who loves gaming. My girls are 4 and 6 and LOVE their 2DS’! Just recently, the New Nintendo 2DS XL system launched in stores the same day as two awesome new games: Hey! PIKMIN, a new type of Pikmin game, and Miitopia, a charming, personalized adventure starring Mii characters. The Nintendo 3DS family of systems has thousands of games to choose from, including beloved franchises like Super Mario, Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda.

“Nintendo 2DS is the ideal system for parents that want to introduce their kids to the creative world of Nintendo that they grew up with,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Its budget-friendly price and huge library of games will provide hours of entertainment for the whole family – whether after school, on the weekends or even while traveling.”

New Games

This fall is packed with a variety of new games (in addition to the existing library of games), which can be played on any system in the extended Nintendo 3DS family, including in 2D on Nintendo 2DS. Monster Hunter Stories, the next game in the hit Monster Hunter series, launches on Sept. 8; Metroid: Samus Returns, the return of legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran, launches on Sept. 15; and the wackiest Yo-kai adventure yet, YO-KAI WATCH 2: Psychic Specters, launches on Sept. 29. That’s a month full of exciting adventures!

Monster Hunter Stories

Monster Hunter Stories serves as an introduction to the popular franchise, which finds you discovering and customizing the skills of a wide variety of fantastical beasts. A free demo for Monster Hunter Stories will be available in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS on Aug. 10.

Metroid: Samus Returns

Bounty hunter Samus Aran is back in the Metroid: Samus Returns game, a side-scrolling adventure full of hidden pathways and underground chambers that lead you into the depths of a hostile alien planet. The game features immersive 3D visuals, powerful weapons, and special moves and abilities.

Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters

Whether you or your family missed it the first time or want to fall in love again, the YO-KAI WATCH 2: Psychic Specters game delivers the full YO-KAI WATCH 2 experience and a variety of new features, including new Yo-kai to befriend, exclusive quests and the ability to hop on the Hexpress to a new resort area. Players who already own YO-KAI WATCH 2: Bony Spirits or YO-KAI WATCH 2: Fleshy Souls can also transfer their save data to pick up where they left off.

With these games – and many others to choose from – the Nintendo 3DS family of systems offers exciting adventures for all ages. Remember that the Nintendo 3DS family of systems features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

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We are a family of gamers. We have a Playstation 4, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, and 4 Nintendo DS Systems. There have been so many great games in 2017 so far, and it isn’t even half over! I sat my girls down and we talked about what our favorites are – so here is our list!

LEGO Worlds

LEGO Worlds is a game fueled by creativity and fun where players can explore, discover and build their own imaginative worlds made of bricks. From using the large-scale landscaping tools to create vast mountain ranges to exploring the worlds on helicopters, dragons, motorbikes or even gorillas, players won’t need to leave the house to unlock treasures and find adventure.

This game has been a blast for us! My daughters have spent hours playing this game, and I love watching them play it. Sometimes they even let me play it too (OK, I admit, it is not until they go to bed). LEGO Worlds is so much fun for LEGO fans of all ages!

Purchase here.

Cars 3: Driven to Win

Cars 3: Driven to Win picks up after the final race in Disney-Pixar’s Cars 3 film, bringing together players of all ages and skill levels to battle it out on the racetrack. The competition heats up with 20 customizable characters like Jackson Storm and Cruz Ramirez, along with the beloved Lightning McQueen, putting pedal to the metal on 20 tracks set in iconic locations from the film.

We love the Cars 3 movie and so this was a game that we were really excited about. My girls love playing as Cruz Ramirez, their new hero. Disney fans of all ages will have fun with Cars 3: Driven to Win.

Purchase here.

LEGO Dimensions

I know I have told you guys about LEGO Dimensions already, but I just had to include it in this article because it is one of my favorite games to play. We enjoy playing this game as a family. Even though it is only two player, my family of 4 can have a ton of fun playing by taking turns. I have just as much fun watching my girls play as I do playing myself. It is a great game for any LEGO fan!

LEGO Dimensions combines LEGO brick building with an interactive gaming experience, spanning characters from the most memorable movies, comics, games and TV series: The LEGO Batman Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Adventure Time and many, many more. The latest expansion packs include themed LEGO figures based on characters from the franchises The Goonies, LEGO City Undercover and Harry Potter.

Purchase here.

Puyo Puyo Tetris

Two puzzle game juggernauts collide as Tetris, one of the largest-selling and recognized brands in gaming history, and Puyo Puyo from SEGA have combined to create a fun-to-play, fast-paced, competitive party game like no other! Up to 4 players will get to choose whether to play the classic Tetris or Puyo modes to compete against each other, or they can try any of the game’s inventive fusion modes, including one where players have to master both Puyo AND Tetris together! And whether it’s trying to top the online leaderboards of worldwide competition or just being the best player on your couch, Puyo Tetris is chock full of puzzle action!

I grew up playing Tetris so for me, this game was a must have the second I heard about it. I had never played Puyo before, but was willing to check it out. Turns out, my 6 year old is AMAZING at Puyo! We battle each other all the time – I always choose Tetris and she chooses Puyo. She destroys me! I can never win against her. This game is so much fun to play when we have friends over as well.

Purchase here.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Explore the wilds of Hyrule any way you like – Climb up towers and mountain peaks in search of new destinations, then set your own path to get there and plunge into the wilderness. Along the way, you’ll battle towering enemies, hunt wild beasts and gather ingredients for the food and elixirs you’ll need to sustain you on your journey. More than 100 Shrines of Trials to discover and explore – Shrines dot the landscape, waiting to be discovered in any order you want. Search for them in various ways, and solve a variety of puzzles inside. Work your way through the traps and devices inside to earn special items and other rewards that will help you on your adventure. Be prepared and properly equipped – With an entire world waiting to be explored, you’ll need a variety of outfits and gear to reach every corner. You may need to bundle up with warmer clothes or change into something better suited to the desert heat.

This game is amazing for fans of the Zelda series – and even for those that are just discovering it. There is hours upon hours of game play. My husband and I enjoy playing together and taking turns actually controlling Link. I have just as much fun watching him play as I do playing myself.

Purchase here.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Mass Effect: Andromeda takes players to the Andromeda galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way. There, players will lead our fight for a new home in hostile territory as the Pathfinder-a leader of military-trained explorers. This is the story of humanity’s next chapter, and player choices throughout the game will ultimately determine our survival.

I have played all of the games in the Mass Effect series and this one did not disappoint. From what I have read, not everyone was happy with it – but it was exactly what I expected. I loved the game play as well as the story line and plot. This is a must play for any fan of the series!

Purchase here.

Injustice 2

Power up and build the ultimate version of your favorite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2. With a massive selection of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains, INJUSTICE 2 allows you to equip every iconic character with unique and powerful gear earned throughout the game. Experience an unprecedented level of control over how your favorite characters look, how they fight, and how they develop across a huge variety of game modes. This is your super Hero. Your Journey. Your Injustice.

My husband and I had a ton of fun playing the first Injustice together, so we were really excited to check out Injustice 2. We ended up pre-ordering it and are so glad we did. Nearly every night we battle each other for an hour or so after the girls go to bed. This game has pretty decent couch co-op. The only issue I have with it is that when we play under a certain account, the second player cannot use the add-ons and special costumes for their player.

Purchase here.

Splatoon 2

The squid kids called Inklings are back to splat more ink and claim more turf in this colorful and chaotic 4-on-4 action shooter. For the first time, take Turf War battles on-the-go with the Nintendo Switch system, and use any of the console’s portable play styles for intense local multiplayer1 action. Even team up for new 4-player co-op fun in Salmon Run!

We have the original Splatoon for Wii U and picked up Splatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch as soon as it came out. I am so thankful that we did! We have so much fun playing this with our daughters. It is a great family fun night game and is easy enough for young kids too (my girls are 4 and 6). I am not sure we could choose which version we like better – but I will say we have been playing Splatoon 2 a lot more often now that we have it!

Purchase here.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Hit the road with the definitive version of Mario Kart 8 and play anytime, any-where! Race your friends or battle them in a revised battle mode on new and returning battle courses. Play locally in up to 4-player multiplayer in 1080p while playing in TV Mode. Every track from the Wii U version, including DLC, makes a glorious return. Plus, the Inklings appear as all-new guest characters, along with returning favorites, such as King Boo, Dry Bones, and Bowser Jr.!

We are a family of gamers so we love a game our young kids can play with us! Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is just that. We have so much fun racing each other and battling. We recently had family visiting and we all had so much fun playing together. This game gets played basically every single day in our house! I highly recommend it!

Purchase here.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Set within a sinister plantation mansion in modern day Dulvey, Louisiana where the twisted Baker family resides, players experience the terror directly from the first person perspective for the first time in the Resident Evil series. Embodying the iconic gameplay elements of exploration, atmosphere, and tense combat that first coined “survival horror” some 20 years ago, Resident Evil 7 biohazard delivers a disturbingly realistic horror experience.

Don’t worry, my girls don’t play this game with me, but I just dad to include it! Resident Evil 7 has me on the edge of my seat whenever I play it. The story line is great and it is actually a really fun game. I have been a fan of the Resident Evil series since I was a young gamer, and this one did not disappoint. I recommend it for fans of the series as well as those new to it!

Purchase here.

What is your favorite game of 2017?

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One of our favorite things to do together as a family is play games. We try to have a family game night at least once a week, but sometimes more. In the summer, I spend a lot of days just playing games with the girls. Yes, like the whole day. It is so much fun and great family bonding time. My mother and niece were visiting this summer for a few weeks, and we spent a lot of time checking out some new games. These few really stood out as great family games. So if you are looking to add some to your collection, check these out!

Bouncing Bots (RoosterFin)

I could tell right away that Bouncing Bots was going to be a lot of fun. I will warn you now though, it can get loud and crazy. For us however, we love when loud and crazy happens during our family game time. Players will be bouncing their bots all over the place. Little ones do need to be careful as they can hurt when they hit you in the head. Over all though, this game is a ton of fun! You will find yourself celebrating when you hit the 3 pointers. My niece, who is 11, really enjoyed this game and said she wants to play it with all of her friends from school.

Bouncing Bots robots tumble, flip and jump in the junkyard! This game of wobbly widget warriors helps to:

• Increase Family Time – A leisurely game of Bouncing Bots increases emotional bonding
• Improve Sibling Rivalry – By playing together kids learn boundaries, rules, and sharing
• Build Self Confidence – Kids build confidence learning to speak with their parents
• Reduce Stress – Both kids and adults benefit from a break in their daily routine
• Boost Child Development – Encourages children to become lifelong learners
• Less Gadget Time – Parents and kids benefit from social interaction

Purchase Bouncing Bots here.

Utter Nonsense: Family Edition

This game was so much fun to play! My entire family was laughing so hard we could barely breath. I shed a few tears once or twice as well. My 11 year old niece just loved this game and said it would be a great party game for kids around her age. If you are looking for a game that will have the whole family laughing, this is it!

Utter Nonsense: Family Edition is a hilarious, family-friendly card game where players combine silly voices with even sillier phrases to create sayings that are just plain ridiculous. The game contains 50 Accent Cards and 450 Phrase Cards which players combine and act out. You don’t have to be good at accents and the combinations don’t need to make sense. Players are encouraged to improvise and make the phrases their own because the best performance wins the round. Age 8 is the suggested starting point so that kids can read the cards, but the humor is appropriate for all ages. Both kids and adults will have fun playing this game!

Buy Utter Nonsense: Family Edition here.

Break Free

You are locked up in handcuffs, how fast can you Break Free? Use your lock-picking tool to escape and collect most points if you Break Free the fastest. Break Free is a super secret spy mission with challenging action skills. The objective of this fast-action game is to find the exit of the maze to open the handcuff the fastest.

Break Free is a table-top game full of urgency, suspense and tons of fun for one to four players and it includes four handcuffs with twelve unique mazes with three difficulty levels. Each color represents a different level of difficulty, making each round unpredictable. Players must handcuff themselves together and insert an equal difficulty level into each handcuff. Using the lock pick, moving up and down, twist left and right and Break Free first to win!??? The fastest to break free from their handcuff receives a token that corresponds with the maze color. There are points on the back of each token, the player with the most points after playing all three rounds, wins the game.

Record the ultimate race to escape and upload it to social media using #BreakFreeChallenge like we did! Purchase Break Free here.

Safe Breaker

This game is a ton of fun! We all had a blast trying to be the first to collect 5 coins of 2 diamonds. My niece said that she would like to play it with her friends – and even asked my sister to buy it for her after playing! My 6 year old loved this game and asked if we could play it every day. It is great because it makes her think and use her brain to crack the code, while still being lots of fun.

Calling all top-secret spies! Safe Breaker from YULU Toys is a new electronic game that combines spy skill, memory and a little bit of luck, challenging players to crack the code and break into the safe. To start the mission, players pick a card and turn the safe combination to the corresponding number shown. Next, use the fingerprint scanner to test the number. If the light is green, the safe will release some coins. If the light is red, connect the spy listening gear to the safe to hear a top- secret clue to deduce the correct combination code. Clues include mathematical chances and luck elements, allowing for a new experience each round. BEWARE! Players who release police coins will alert the police and must return all their coins to the safe. The spy who collects the five golden coins or two diamond coins first, wins the game.

Purchase Safe Breaker here.