Gotta Catch Them All - Pokemon Go!

 We are a pop culture loving, video game playing, movie watching family.  That being said, we prefer games that allow us to play together.  We are drawn to trivia games like You Don't Know Jack and Scene it?, as well as group games like Mario Kart, Peggle, Mario Party and Super Smash Bros.  So when Pokemon Go! was announced we were both wary and intrigued. If you haven't yet begun you journey to be a Master Pokemon trainer, Pokemon Go! is an augmented reality gaming app that gets you outside to track down Pokemon.  

Now while only one of us is really into Pokemon, the game drew us all in fairly quickly.  By the second day of playing, we were planning a trip downtown to see if we could find rare Pokemon.

Hanging with his non-digital brethren. 

Our favorite part of the game (besides collecting them all) is that it gets us outside and moving while also keeping us engaged with each other.  On our walk downtown, our youngest worked as the spotter, letting us know each time the phone vibrated when a Pokemon was near and our oldest directed us towards better areas to track them down.  All said and done, we walked over 6 miles together tracking down elusive Pokemon.  Six miles of laughing and hanging out as a family... Just keep track of where you are so you don't stop traffic trying to catch a Pikachu.   

Pokemon Go is available on both iTunes and Android. 

Level Up - The Art of Video Games @ EMP

I love video games.  My wife loves video games. My kids love video games.  We are truly a button-pushing, controller mashing, flashing lights family unit.  We have a full spectrum of video game systems at our house and use them regularly.  So when we saw the new exhibit at the EMP we knew we had to go.  The Art of Video Games is an incredible journey through the history of video games from the C64 and Atari to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.   With interactive displays and hands-on demos, the exhibit was informational and awesome!  The best part is with admission to the exhibit you also can explore the history of science fiction and music throughout the rest of the museum.   Game On.  EMP - The Art of Video Games

Blast From The Past - SIMM

If you were a kid in the late 70's- 80's there was a mind-altering event that tore the barrier between fantasy and reality itself...the Video Game.  Most can tell you when they first experienced the hypnotic flashing lights for the first time.  Since then, there have been countless variations of systems, games and controllers , from wired to wireless and handheld to worn on the hands (Powerglove, I'm looking at you)  And now, everyone is carrying a stronger, more powerful video game system in their pocket, but there is something amazing about revisiting those earlier systems...  and now you can.  The Seattle Interactive Media Museum is a hands-on collection of the early pioneers in video gaming.  From the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision to all variations of Nintendo(NES, SNES, N64) and Playstation, the SIMM exhibit not only will give you a chance to play a variety of games on each system, but also supplies in depth information on their evolution through placards, a very well informed host and sticky notes with various facts left behind by visitors themselves.   The SIMM will be at the Seattle Center through early January 2013 with the goal of creating a permanent museum ASAP.  So go get your game on and revel in the nostalgia!  http://www.thesimm.org/ 

Create- 8-bit Sticky Note Art

I try to take every opportunity to introduce my boys to art in every form. Some experiments work better than others.  When my oldest saw 8-bit video game art created from sticky notes on some windows downtown he instantly wanted to create some at home.  After looking at several amazing creations online (see above picture) we decided on the aggressors from Space Invaders.  We started recreating the menacing 8-bit aliens by simply counting the number of squares in the first row and duplicating them. 

 After the initial row was finished, we matched each subsequent row to the previous and watched as our pesky Invader came to life. 

 After finishing the first Invader, other windows in the house were soon the subject of interplanetary interlopers. 

Through our self-imposed invasion, we talked about pixels and how they are the rudimentary building blocks of what we see on our computers. After the final Invader was created we looked at more intricate sticky note art including one Mona Lisa that had us thinking hard about where we could recreate The Scream…possibilities. 

Flip Out - NW Pinball and Arcade Show

 

If your family is as into Pinball and Video Games as ours, you have to check out the  NW Pinball and Arcade Show at the Seattle Center.  The Show brings together game designers, game related vendors, and other guest speakers along with over 300 Pinball and Video Games.  The best part is, the cost of admission includes free-play on all 300+ games!  My family can't wait and maybe we'll see you there!  The show is June 8-10 so you'll have plenty of time to try all the games. http://nwpinballshow.com/