KidConfidence met with the producers of “Speed Racer The Video Game” for a hands-on first look of the upcoming hyper-realistic arcade racing videogame tie-in for the WB / Wachowski brothers (Matrix) movie Speed Racer.

The game will be available in May 2008 on the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ systems as the Speed Racer film hits theaters. It will be released on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system with the DVD launch.

Players will be able to compete against up to 19 other racers across 20+ fictional and stylized rollercoaster like tracks. Independently turning wheels will allow players to engage in close combat -“car-fu”- and jump, flip or outmaneuver their opponents.

Especially considering the hardware limitation of the Wii Console, Speed Racer does well capturing the action, look and feel of arena racing. (more…)

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Microsoft announces partnership with Disney at E3 Media Event.

Microsoft’s Xbox360 is without a doubt the system of choice for the serious gamer. According to Microsoft’s Peter Moore and Jeff Bell it will also become the system of choice for family entertainment. (more…)

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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the movie-tie in game based on movie/book #5.

This latest installment of the successful Harry Potter video game franchise is without a doubt the best one yet. ElectronicArts UK used the movie set blue-prints to digitally recreate an absolutely amazing Hogwarts experience. Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and the rest of the movie cast provided the voice-over for their characters. The linear game play from earlier Harry Potter games has been replaced with an open- “choose what you want to do next” a.k.a. Sandbox, type game play.

The Motion Sensing Wii Mote makes for a natural Wand and while for the most part the controls work OK, we found that novice Wii players and kids may need some time getting used to the different motions and gestures required to cast the different spells. The game-play is compelling and easy, allowing players to control a variety of characters, aside from Harry Potter, throughout the game. The Wii’s lack of graphical horsepower is apparent, but Hogwarts still looks and feels great.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a fun adventure game that will keep your kids entertained for many hours while they explore the grounds in and around Hogwarts.

Visit our Harry Potter OOTP Review Page for Screenshots, Member Reviews and more.

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Surfing Penguins!

We couldn’t have thought of a better kids game to start the summer.

Surf’s Up - The Video Game, is the movie tie-in for – yes you guessed it – Surf’s Up. This children friendly surfing game let’s even the youngest of players perform cool (and highly unrealistic) aerial maneuvers and stunts. Teens and adults looking for a “real” surfing simulation should look elsewhere (try Transworld Surf for the Xbox). The game offers several different surf spots that are based on locations from the movie. 1-4 Players can play together using splitscreen mode and for those of you looking for a break from surfing, try Leaf Sliding on one of three different tracks. The game offers several unlock-able characters, surfboards and surf spots. Which thanks to the easy difficulty should be no problem to unlock. If you have kids or like Penguins or like Surfing or all of the above; you should give this ride a try.

Visit our Surf’s Up Review Page for Screenshots, Member Reviews and more.

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Yes, it is Blockbuster Season. For us parents this means it is time to spend lots of money on movie tickets and popcorn, only to be tortured by obnoxious kids in poorly air-conditioned theaters, while watching movies we really don’t care about. In the past the punishment was over after 2 hours, but thanks to Hollywood’s growing interest in Videogames which translates to more of your money and your kids allowances, you now have to play or at least listen to below average Videogames too. And if you thought $10 for a movie ticket is a lot, a videogame will set you back $49 to $59.

Why do we know this? Because KidConfidence is created by parents for parents.

KidConfidence Videogame Parent Tip 1: Check with us first. Kidconfidence will review every Movie related Videogame for you and your kids. Simply check our website a couple days after the movie has been released. We will show you and your kids actual gameplay footage of the Videogame. Many other websites only offer written reviews, but KidConfidence believes that a video can say more that 1000 words. If there is any questionable content or violence in the game you can be sure to see it in our Video Review.

KidConfidence Videogame Parent Tip 2: Rent don’t buy. Movie based Videogames are known to be short and shallow. Your child will complete the game in several days. Blockbuster and Gamefly offer relatively cheap Videogame rentals and programs that offer monthly memberships

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KidConfidence kicked off the 2007 season with TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and we are currently reviewing Disney’s Meet the Robinsons, which appears to be one of the better Movie tie-in’s we have seen in a long time. Stay tuned for the full review coming Tuesday April 3rd.

Here is our educated guess on what your kids will want to play and see in 2007:

March 23. TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
March 30. Meet the Robinsons
May 4. Spider-Man 3
May 18. Shrek the Third
May 25. Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End
June 8. Surf’s Up
June 15. Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer
June 29. Rataouille
July 4. Transformers
July 13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
July 27. The Simpsons Movie
August 3. Underdog
August 10. Bratz: The Movie

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