Kids and Family Video Games

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Duel Transer pits players in head-to-head battles based on the rules of the real-life trading card game, featuring characters and settings from the third-generation Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series. The game highlights the fast-paced motorcycle duels and incorporates over 4,500 Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, including the most recent additions available at the time of the game's release. The single-player storyline was written for the game. It is set during the second season of the anime series, and introduces 20 new duelist characters. The player adventures across the island of Ragnarok, defeating key opponents to progress. Between matches, characters move on a hex-grid world map, which allows them to explore and choose which encounter to attempt next. The game's two-player modes include the option to use the Wii's Wi-Fi connection, for head-to-head battles between Duel Transer players across the Internet. The initial retail release of the game comes packaged with three exclusive Yu-Gi-Oh! cards: "Closed Forest," "Fighter Ape" and "Roaring Earth." ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Konami's celebrated soccer series returns to Wii with an emphasis on improved control and strategy on the pitch. Revamped animations and physics are designed to offer more lifelike results, from acceleration and tackling to jostling and blocking. The presentation features over 1000 new animations in total, taken from more than 100 hours of motion-captured recordings of athletes. Other changes include improvements to defender artificial intelligence, so that they better hold their positions, and an enhanced passing system. A new shot and stamina meter lets you see each athlete's current level of fitness at a glance, which is important since sprinting now has a detrimental effect on player performance and abilities over time. Use the Nunchuk to move your athletes on the pitch, while pointing the Wii Remote to pass, send players on runs, and more. The Classic Controller is supported as well for a more traditional scheme. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The popular Brazilian aerobic exercise program that mixes Latin music and international dance steps comes to the world of games for the first time in Zumba Fitness. Players can tone their muscles and build strength and endurance as they practice nine different hip-swaying dance styles, including Reggaeton, Merengue, Salsa, and Flamenco. There are 30 different music tracks, each corresponding to a unique dance routine, and the lessons are led by popular instructors Tanya Beardsley, Gina Grant, and Zumba creator Beto. Zumba Fitness comes with a special belt that lets gamers holster their Wii Remote for hands-free dancing as they follow the onscreen instructor's routine. There are a number of different dance venues, including a gym, a night club, and the roof of a skyscraper, and as players hone their skills, the stage transforms into a more lively and dynamic party. Four different difficulty levels cater to dancers of all skills, and multiplayer fans can join up to three friends for co-op dancing or competitive action in the "Zumba Attack!" mode. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Sonic Colors is a return to Sonic's roots as a traditional platform game. Players control the blue hedgehog in predominantly side-scrolling levels filled with rings, robotic enemies, and various loops, rails, and boss battles. The setting is Dr. Eggman's interstellar amusement park, which consists of multiple themed planets with titles like "Sweet Mountain," Starlight Carnival," and "Asteroid Coaster." The park is not designed for fun and relaxation, however. Instead, Dr. Eggman is using the park as a front to secretly harvest the powers of aliens called wisps, and it's up to Sonic to stop him.

As Sonic traverses the 40+ levels in the game, he can collect one of the seven colorful creatures to imbue him with temporary powers. Yellow wisps allow Sonic to drill through the ground, for example, while pink wisps let Sonic roll up walls and across ceilings. In addition to the side-scrolling perspective, the game includes third-person sequences viewed from behind Sonic's back and a side goal of collecting five red tokens within each world's six acts. Collecting tokens unlocks levels in Eggman's "Sonic Simulator" mode, where two players can work together to retrieve one of seven Chaos Emeralds. Sonic Colors' supported controls include the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combo, the Classic Controller, and the GameCube controller. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Santa's most famous reindeer finally gets to join in on the reindeer games in this title that is part interactive book, and part life development sim. Gamers can experience the adventures of Rudolph, Hermey, Sam, and other characters from the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated film, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer also offers more than 130 mini-game activities, such as coloring, toy making, and cleaning, feeding, and petting Rudolph. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Ubisoft's dancing sim continues with more than 40 new dance schemes designed for the younger set in Just Dance Kids. As always, the game lets up to four players use their Wii Remote to mimic real life dance moves as they swing their arms and kick their legs. But this time, instead of copying the moves of silhouettes, gamers follow the actions of actual children as they dance and sing popular songs. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Nintendo's popular pink puffball with an unassuming grin and a voracious appetite returns in a new form in Kirby's Epic Yarn. After eating a strange tomato planted by the evil wizard Yin-Yarn, Kirby is transformed into yarn and sucked into a dimension where everything is made of colorful fabric. Kirby quickly befriends Prince Fluff, and the duo agree to head off after Yin-Yarn to foil his malevolent plans. The new dimension has removed Kirby's ability to ingest enemies and absorb their abilities, but the classically styled side-scrolling action still finds him bounding and floating through levels, and the pliable nature of the yarn lets Kirby lasso enemies, throw objects, and swing from grapple points.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is designed to offer two-player co-op action, with the second player taking on the role of Prince Fluff. Both characters can completely transform into a variety of different objects, including a surfing penguin, a destructive brick, and a submarine, and the duo can combine to transform into a massive robot that fires missiles and bats down enemies with a huge boxing glove. Each level contains three secret treasure chests, as well as a large number of colorful beads, and many secret areas can be accessed by unzipping two pieces of cloth, tunneling through fluffy cotton, or yanking a loose thread. Beads earn players higher scores and win medals at the end of the stage, while the treasure chests and medals open up new levels to explore. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

The seminal arcade basketball title of the early-'90s returns to gamers with more off-the-wall athleticism, explosive theatrics, and "on-fire" hot streaks as EA Sports takes the helm of NBA Jam. The "Classic Campaign" returns, once again letting players form a two-man team, complete with digitized faces of 2010 NBA stars, legends from the past, and even mascots, and then head around the country to conquer other two-man squads representing every NBA franchise. The "Remix Tour" mode also uses the concept of traveling around the country to conquer territory, only it tasks gamers with playing mini-games like Twenty One, Elimination, Domination, and Smash. Twenty One is the classic schoolyard game where multiple players compete to be the first to score 21 points, Elimination is a timed mode that periodically removes the lowest-scoring player, Domination finds gamers competing to hit shots from different sections of the court, and Smash resembles the Classic Campaign, except players compete to destroy their opponent's backboard, so dunks and alley oops become much more valuable than regular shots. There are more than 90 different challenges in the "Remix Tour" mode, including boss battles against NBA legends like Magic Johnson and Julius Erving. Turbo remains a key element to NBA Jam gameplay, but the developers at EA Canada have added a few new twists, such as spin moves, ankle-breaking crossovers, power-ups, and multiple facial expressions for each character. Multiplayer fans can join up to three friends for all the "Classic Campaign" and "Remix Tour" action they can handle. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Based on the internet game originally presented at the Miniclip online entertainment portal, Sushi Go-Round for Wii serves up quick-clicking gameplay, as in the hit Cooking Mama, in the casual-game style of Diner Dash. Players take the role of a short-order sushi chef. Customers sit at a counter and pictures of the food they'd like appears in thought bubbles over their heads. Players must assemble each customer order, by clicking on ingredients in the correct proportions, and then clicking the bamboo mat to roll up each item. Completed orders then automatically appear on a conveyor belt, which eventually delivers them to the hungry patrons. Customers who have to wait too long for the food they want may get angry and leave, wasting the time and ingredients the chef spent in creating their order. Speed is the main challenge of the game, and only players who can memorize the correct proportions for each entrée (instead of checking the recipe book each time) will be able to keep up with the busiest lunch rushes. The goal in each level is to serve a set number of customers, or earn a certain amount of money for the day. Profits earned from satisfied customers can be used to purchase new equipment to make the business more efficient. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Fashion-loving gamers get a chance to design stylish outfits, strut their stuff on the runway, and interact with celebrities in this video game treatment of the popular reality show Project Runway. As in the TV series, contestants are tasked with fulfilling a series of challenges to showcase their creativity and style, from designing themed outfits, to making dresses from nothing but newspaper. Players have a wide assortment of fabrics, materials, and accessories of all colors with which to work, and a model customization feature lets gamers create unique hairstyles, body features, and makeup schemes for their avatars. Project Runway supports the Wii Balance Board, so players can get the sensation of walking down the runway and facing critique from judges Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors, while gamers who want a less intensive experience can take part in single design challenges, runway photo shoots, and pose offs. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide