Holiday Gift Guide: Great Games for Under the Tree!

My daughter is just starting to get into video games! I know these will be hot items on the wishlists of many boys and girls out there this holiday season. But with so many games... and new ones always coming out.... it's hard to know which ones to pick! We were lucky enough to try two out that I would recommend this year.

Mama’s 2-Pack brings the culinary action to the Wii™ system with Cooking Mama Cook Off and Cooking Mama World Kitchen. The Wii Remote™ transforms into a universal cooking tool as players chop, grate, slice, stir and roll in motion-based cooking activities. Players whip up kitchen fun in Cooking Mama Cook Off as they go head-to-head against other chefs in two-player competition. In the Wii™ sequel, Cooking Mama World Kitchen, fans will enjoy Mama’s 3D makeover, fresh recipes from around the world, hilarious kitchen mini-games and new gameplay modes that will transform even the most uncoordinated chef into a master culinary artist!

Hello Kitty Picnic with Sanrio Friends invites players to join Hello Kitty and Sanrio Friends as they prepare for the perfect picnic party. Play 10 mini-games including Hidden Object, Spot the Difference, and Picnic Blanket Checkers as you collect goodies for the picnic. Explore and decorate whimsical environments including Hello Kitty’s bedroom, kitchen, and more. Earn apples to receive special items to customize Hello Kitty’s outfits. Interact directly with Hello Kitty using the 3DS touch screen and listen as the game guides you along. Invite your friends to join the fun in a variety of multiplayer modes as you play with your favorite Sanrio characters including My Melody®, Keroppi®, Chococat®, Badtz-Maru®, Little Twin Stars®, and more!

My Thoughts:
I tried both these games out first and my favorite was Cooking Mama's 2-pack. I have Cooking Mama for the DS and I loved being able to play it on the Wii. I get really into the recipes and not making a mistake. And I loved that you could compete against other people.

My daughter really loved playing the Hello Kitty Picnic game. She's a little young for the intended audience so she needed me to sit with her and help her along. But she started to get the hang of things... and she loves Hello Kitty so it was super engaging for her. I would imagine this would be a HUGE hit with the 5 year old and up crowd. A definite kid pleaser!

Look for these great games this holiday season!