Review: MySims Agents Wii

I was unsure as a parent if I wanted to have the kids test MySims Agents because of the reputation MySims used to have online. I asked around, however, and found that many of my friends had this for their kids and it was one of their favorite games. It seemed even the parents adored it.

I have to say my initial reaction was DEAD WRONG. It is a cute game that takes the kids through an adventure of being a detective following the trail of a master thief Morcubus. It starts the kids off with simple missions and gets them used to the controls and their toolbox of gadgets. The characters in this story speak in a funny Sims language so there is a lot of reading involved. On the one hand, that is a plus for reading skills, on the other it could frustrate struggling readers so take the reading portion into consideration.I liked that in typical Wii fashion, the game gets the kids up and moving. The puzzles in the game are well done and gets the kids moving.

Great game to pick up as a last minute holiday gift or for the kids to keep their minds and bodies moving through the break!

Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition

Did you see this movie when it aired on Disney a few months ago? We did and loved it. That is why we were so excited to have it be released on DVD! This DVD edition comes with a color-changing wishing stone and a bonus DVD full of behind the scenes interviews explaining how they do some of the magical scenes special effects.

This is a great DVD to get during the holiday break. It will keep you entertained for hours

If you have not seen it, here is what the story is about!

The most magical event of the year is now even bigger, with more thrilling adventure! Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition features exclusive footage, behind-the-scenes bonus and awesome extras that take you deeper into the mysterious world of wizardry! Embark on a supernaturally exciting adventure as the Russos, your favorite family of wizards-in-training, join together on a quest full of heart-stopping action and hilarious magical mishaps! While on vacation, Alex (Selena Gomez) accidentally casts a spell that threatens her family’s existence! Max (Jake T. Austin) tries to keep his parents together while Alex and Justin (David Henrie) use every trick they know as they search for the “Stone of Dreams” to reverse the spell and save their family. You won’t want to miss one extraordinary moment of this extended, magic-filled and action-packed movie!

Disclosure: We were sent a free copy of this movie to review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by the review copy provided.

Review: Crocodile Tears: An Alex Rider Adventure

Crocodile Tears: An Alex Rider Adventure (#8)

by Anthony Horowitz

We loved this book! It was a great thriller. It kept the boys in our home turning page by page! Absolutely recommend! It was released last month so it is available in your local stores now. Great, fun read over the holiday break!

Alex Rider is a reluctant teenage spy who works for Britain’s MI6 and unlike James Bond, does not have a license to kill.  Instead, he uses his wits and cool gadgets to incapacitate the bad

guys.  Crocodile Tears: An Alex Rider Adventure (#8) feels ripped from the headlines, with a charity broker con artist raising millions of dollars in donations, only to invest them in a form of  genetically modified wheat that has the power to release an airborne strain of virus so powerful, it

can knock out an entire country in one windy day – a catastrophe so far-reaching that it would raise millions of dollars more in charitable donations, all of which would be embezzled by one man. The antidote? Alex Rider, of course, who survives gunfire, explosions, and hand-to-combat with mercenaries – just another day in the life of an average teen super-spy kid.

Disclosure: We were sent a free copy of this book to review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by the review copy provided.

Disney Haunted Holidays

Looking for something unusual to do during this holiday break? Head over to Disney’s Haunted Holidays page for some unique activities. There are some very cool things to do, especially the Pirates of the Caribbean page!

“Haunted Holidays” brings together scary attractions like the Haunted Mansion, notorious villains from classic films like “Snow White,” and then embraces the holiday “spirit” literally with special features on the upcoming “Christmas Carol” film from Walt Disney Studios.

From Pirates to Muppets, from London to New Orleans, “Haunted Holidays” on Disney.com brings together an array of exclusive and never before seen features from some of Disney’s most popular films and characters. Highlights include:

The Haunted Mansion

Often picked as a favorite attraction by Disney Parks guests around the world, the Haunted Mansion is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, and on Disney.com you can watch exclusive behind-the-scenes videos that look at the history and Imagineering that went into creating the spookiest place at Disneyland. The Haunted Mansion Chapter features:

• “Choose your Demise” game, in the “spirit” of the real Haunted Mansion elevator portraits the portraits featured in this game may not be as they appear.
• Exclusive flip book of Haunted Mansion images and artwork
• Exclusive, behind-the-scenes videos and fan videos at Disneyland Resort

The Muppets

The Muppets have “dug up” their favorite spooky jokes in honor of Halloween – check out all-new videos and shorts, you don’t have to be a werewolf to howl at these jokes, even our mummy likes them. Chapter features are:

• Hidden “pop-up” Halloween jokes
• Original Halloween-themed videos
• Fan-favorite Muppet sketches

Nightmare Before Christmas

What holiday is complete without a visit to Halloweentown with Jack Skellington?  Continuing a Disney Halloween tradition, the “Nightmare Before Christmas” Chapter features:

• Video of Rise Against’s music video “Making Christmas”
• Links to Disney.com Create portal photo mash-up featuring “Nightmare” characters

Disclosure: We were compensated for this review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by compensation provided.

Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6

So excited to tell you about SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6, Volume 1 available on DVD December 8^th! The DVD includes a 2-Disc set that features 24 Spongy Stories, the exclusive SpongeBob history song, and more!

Truth or Square was the favorite episode of this DVD for us. Here is a list of all the episodes:

SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 6 Volume 1

2 Discs – Total Runtime: 324 MIN.

Street date: 12/7/09

Episode Descriptions:

Disc 1:

• Spongicus
  • Plankton turns the Chum Bucket into a realistic replica of the Colosseum, complete with a man-eating lionfish!
• Suction Cup Symphony
  • Squidward’s inspiration for his musical entry in the Bikini Bottom Symphony Orchestra competition…SpongeBob and Patrick!
• House Fancy
  • Jealous that Squilliam’s on House Fancy, Squidward lures the show’s producers to his fancier house. Desperate to make his home presentable, Squidward lets SpongeBob help.
• Krabby Road
  • Plankton forms a band that includes SpongeBob, hoping SpongeBob will write a song revealing the Krabby Patty ingredients.
• Penny Foolish
  • Mr. Krabs thinks he sees SpongeBob pick up a penny from the ground – a penny that should be HIS!
• Nautical Novice
  • Before a class trip to the Nautical Museum, SpongeBob memorizes the entire history of boating. Isn’t that reason enough for Mrs. Puff to give him his license?
• Not Normal
  • SpongeBob becomes “normal.” And boy, is it boring!
• Gone
  • It’s the strangest thing. SpongeBob’s awakened to find everyone in Bikini Bottom is gone!
• SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One
  • Swept out to sea by a giant wave, SpongeBob and pals must learn to surf, or be stranded on a remote island forever!
• A Life in a Day
  • SpongeBob and Patrick add adventure to their dull lives by “livin’ like Larry.” And boy does it hurt!
• Sun Bleached
  • SpongeBob and Patrick can’t attend the biggest party on Goo Lagoon because they aren’t tan…yet!
• Giant Squidward
  • Squidward’s Kelp Grow garden spray makes everything it touches HUGE!
• No Nose Knows
  • Patrick returns from the surgeon with a nose and experiences the smell of stink.
• Patty Caper
  • SpongeBob and Patrick are on the case when the Krabby Patty secret ingredient goes missing!

Disc 2:

• Plankton’s Regular
• To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants
• Squid’s Visit
• The Splinter
• Slide Whistle Stooges
• Boating Buddies
• The Krabby Kronicle
• The Slumber Party
• Grooming Gary
• Truth or Square

• • Plankton has his first regular customer, but Mr. Krabs wants him at the Krusty Krab!

• • Can it be?! SpongeBob’s shrunk his last pair of square pants, only to find no store has any others! And without his square pants, will anyone recognize him?

• • Squidward says he wouldn’t leave the comfort of his home to visit SpongeBob. So SpongeBob redecorates the pineapple to look just like Squiddy’s place!

• • When SpongeBob gets a stubborn splinter, Squidward threatens him with being…sent home!

• • Patrick and SpongeBob use their new slide whistles to add sound effects to Squidward’s every move!

• • To regain his impeccable driving record, Squidward has to attend boating school…with SpongeBob!

• • Mr. Krabs creates a tabloid with SpongeBob as ace reporter. While SpongeBob wants to write the truth, Mr. Krabs wants “wild and juicy” – true or not!

• • Pearl asks Mr. Krabs to leave the house so he doesn’t ruin her party. To keep an eye on things, Mr. Krabs sends SpongeBob to crash the bash!

• • SpongeBob gives Gary a makeover to compete in a pet show, and Gary can’t stand the primping. As it turns out, neither can any of the competition.

• • On the Krusty Krabs’ Eleventy Seventh anniversary, the entire crew finds themselves locked in the restaurant’s freezer! It’s going to be a really cold trip down memory lane. Featuring hilarious never-before-seen flashbacks!

Special Features:

• The SpongeBob History Song
• 7 Shorts

Disclosure: We were sent a free copy of this movie to review. Our opinions are our own and were not influenced by the review copy provided.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince XBOX

I really enjoyed this game. It is much improved from the Order of the Phoenix game last released.

Some highlights:

Things unlock pretty quickly. You learn how to do certain spells right away. Missions and duals happen quicker than in previous games.

The Quidditch broom is easier to manuever. The way it is laid out on the controller makes better sense.

You can run really fast to places. This is a big improvement.

I recommend this game for all Harry Potter fans. If you have the other games in the series, you will really enjoy this one.

*disclosure: I was provided this game free of charge to play and give my honest opinions on.

BLASTER’S BOOT CAMP

Basic Training Course

Listen up boys and girls! Being part of G-FORCE isn’t all fun and games! It requires special skills and training. When you’re on an important, top secret mission you need to know that your team has what it takes. Do you have what it takes? Find out if you’re ready to become part of the special government task force known as G-FORCE!

Littlest Pet Shop Friends Game for DS

Members of the kid testing panel had a lot of fun playing with the review copy we received here at BeTweenTalk. Here is a comment from one mom:

This Game was very easy for my six year old to learn and to play. She has not put it down since she opened the box. She told me it was like her toys had come to life, but better. The arcade portion of the game contains many very cute and entertaining games that help you earn kibble to make your littlest pet into your perfect pet. The only downside of the game has been the excessive amount of reading that is involved. On one hand it is a good thing for a learning reader but on the other it can be frustrating for her. All in all I would recommend this game to any little girl and even most adults.

Seems like a no brainer for any Christmas list to us!

FEATURES:

It’s All about the PETS! Collect all-new pets packed full of personality! Meet the Great Dane, the Peacock, the Collie, the Ladybug, and many more of your favorite pets.

Best Friends! Now each pet has a best friend that helps them prepare for the party! Plus enhanced multiplayer features allow you and your real-life best friend to enjoy the fun together.

Mini-Games! An all-new story guides you along your journey as you play mini-games and accomplish tasks to get closer to the celebration.

Style out Your Pets! For the first time, you can design your own accessories and style out your pets in your own unique way.

Surprises! What’s a party without surprises? An all-new mystery pet is coming to town… and you’ll just have to play to see what else pops up!

Have it? Want it? Tell us about it below or on the kids forum!

Clash of the Dinosaurs

Discovery sent us a sneak peek of this and it is so cool! It starts tonight with 2 episodes and Discovery shows the last two episodes next Sunday, the 13th! It is on at 8 pm EST so check with your parents to see what time it is on in your area. If it is on too late for you to stay up on a Sunday, make sure you tape it.

This can be a little scary for some of you so keep that in mind but for those of you that love dinosaurs you will learn so much and the graphics are way cool!

Here is some more information on exactly what you can expect from the show starting tonight

For the first time in 65 million years, innovative imaging technology enables viewers to see deep inside the body of a dinosaur to reveal the secrets of these ultimate prehistoric survival machines.  Combining cinematic photo-real 3D graphics and leading-edge anatomy and paleontology, CLASH OF THE DINOSAURS peels back the skin, muscles and bones to show how they survived in such a violent world.  The four-part special premieres on Discovery Channel with double-stacked episodes Sunday, December 6 at 8PM E/P, and concludes Sunday, December 13 at 8PM E/P.

CLASH OF THE DINOSAURS reveals some surprising insights into how the world’s greatest animals really worked. Carnivores were animals engineered for the sole purpose of hunting and killing prey. A Tyrannosaurus Rex could grow to be 18 feet tall and over 40 feet long, with jaws designed to tear flesh to shreds. While it had a reputation for violence and terror, the T-Rex is actually thought to have had a large brain capable of complex behaviors, especially when it came to parental care. It is thought to have been one of the most nurturing of all dinosaur parents, spending months caring for its eggs and defending its nest to help ensure the survival of its offspring.

For plant-eaters, protecting themselves against the carnivores meant evolving into some of the most well-armored animals in history. Herbivores of the Cretaceous period were built to take on the biggest teeth and sharpest claws nature has ever produced. But one herbivore was specifically designed to kill. The Ankylosaurus, at 30 feet long and four tons, had a tanklike body with three layers of armor and a head so well protected by thick bone that not even an adult female T-Rex could inflict a deadly bite. Even its eyelids were made of bone. The Ankylosaurus also had a powerful offensive weapon – a tail that could snap more than 45 degrees in either direction with a bony mass at the end, like a built-in sledgehammer. It could pack a punch powerful enough to shatter the leg bones of almost any predator – no matter how big.

After you watch it make sure you come back here and leave us a message telling us if you thought it was as cool as we did!