Best games for Nintendo GameCube or GBA for my 7 year olds?

[triplefigs]

We are getting them a used GameCube system from a friend (with the Gameboy Attachment) for their birthday. I am looking for suggestions for 6 games total to start them off. I need suggestions for all the kids, but really need help for my DD.

• E rated games
• fun, exciting, and will keep them interested
• prefer ones that let at least 2 players participate
• maybe a music or dance game?

So far we are considering buying: Super Monkey Ball 2, Super Mario World, Sponge Bob The Movie/Battle for Bikini Bottom.

Thanks!

 

[gumbys7227]

My kids 6 DS and 8 DD like to play all the SpongeBob games (they easily take turns because you never really die you just keep playing forever.) They also like ATV Quad Racing, Super MonkeyBall, Donkey Konga 2, Bratz Rock Angelz, and my DD's favorite is Animal Crossing. I know I duplicated some of yours, but they are great choices.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

DD8 loves the Mario games - Super Mario Sunshine (an older game so it is usually only $20 new!), Mario Kart, Super Mario Brothers. She loves Super Princess Peach for DS - I don't know if they make a version for Gamecube or GBA, but they probably do. She also loves Nintendogs for DS - maybe the Gameboy version of that (called Dogz, I think).

 

[rkwells]

My son likes Lego Star Wars for both.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Super Mario World all the way. All three of my kids love that game and they never get tired of playing it! Gee, even the older ones when the came home from school started playing it again - they all agreed it was the best game they ever had.

 

[Gillian]

Animal crossing is very cute, but it's one player at a time. You can have up to 4 profiles of people living in the town.

6 gamecube games might be a lot to start.

 

[caseyem67]

My son's(7) favorites are Kirby Air Ride and the Sonic games. All can have up to 4 players and seem to be relatively easy to play. I have heard the Animal Crossing game is good as well.

 

[design_mom]

My DS6 (will be 7 in September) loves the GameCube.

Some of his favorites include the Mario games:
-- Super Mario Sunshine
-- Mario Party (multi-player mini-games, there are many editions of this. You can have up to 4 players and we all like to play this one together.)
-- Mario Kart (go-cart racing. We all play this one together sometimes, too.)
-- Super Mario Strikers (soccer)
-- Mario Power Tennis
-- Mario All-Star Baseball
(All of the Mario sports games are very "arcade-y", not very realistic, but fun.)

He also loves:
-- SSX (snowboard racing and tricks. He *loves* this one.)
-- Lego Star Wars

They have the SpongeBob Battle of Bikini Bottom game on PS2 at DS's after-school program and he enjoys playing it, but I don't really know much about it. (I'm not a Spongebob fan.)

Good luck.

 

[jenlynn0808]

DD9 loves any of the Mario games, she also loves animal crossing. Actually she talked me into making a person and now I think I am more hooked on it then she is !

 

[dandelion]

My kids are DD10 and DS just turned 8.

They got GBAs for Christmas 05, and in the long run their favorite games have been Mario and a newer fad ... Pokemon. Even DH agrees the Pokemon games are much more involved than other GBA games, and we have Herbie, Pirates, Nemo, Kingdom Hearts ... and several others that rarely get played.

DH found a deal to trade in your GBA for $40 off a Nintendo DS, and DD is all over that. DS doesn't want to give up his GBA.

 

[Zoesmama03]

I loved Mario Party, Monkey Ball 2. I had others like The Sims but it really depends on your preferences. I don't remember whas The Sims is rated though. Oh and Mario Kart too.

My nieces loved them too they were about 5, 7 and 11. then.

The 7 year old seemed to enjoy it the most and was really good at them.

 

[jenlynn0808]

My kids are DD10 and DS just turned 8.

They got GBAs for Christmas 05, and in the long run their favorite games have been Mario and a newer fad ... Pokemon. Even DH agrees the Pokemon games are much more involved than other GBA games, and we have Herbie, Pirates, Nemo, Kingdom Hearts ... and several others that rarely get played.

DH found a deal to trade in your GBA for $40 off a Nintendo DS, and DD is all over that. DS doesn't want to give up his GBA.

Just in case you didn't know: The DS Lites can play the GBA games. They have a special slot for them in the front of the DSLite. It was a deciding factor for us. I hate spending all that money on games and then the aren't played anymore beccasue they aren't compatible with 'the latest and greatest' version.

 

[dandelion]

Just in case you didn't know: The DS Lites can play the GBA games.

I did know, but thank you.

I know DS won't be giving up any of his GBA Pokemon games, he loves them. He has some fine motor skills issues, and I think that's why he's a little "afraid" of getting a DS Lite, probably not sure he can use it.

 

[jenlynn0808]

I know DS won't be giving up any of his GBA Pokemon games, he loves them. He has some fine motor skills issues, and I think that's why he's a little "afraid" of getting a DS Lite, probably not sure he can use it. [/QUOTE]

Have you thought about taking him to Toys R Us, Target, Walmart...someplace where they have a sample one out he can play with? That might help him see that it isn't to different. Personally, I like using the stylus better than the pad controller...I'm terrible with that thing!

 

[nuzmom]

GBA games do play in DS Lite, BUT if they are multi players games the multiplayer will NOT work. DS Lites "communicate" with each other in a different way than the GBAs. My DS11 and DS6 both like the DS more than the GBA.

Also, we really didn't get a whole lot of use out of the GBA player for GC. If they wanted to play the GB game, they just used the GBs.

My boys recommend the following games for your DS7:
Kirby Air ride (GC)
Tonka search and rescue (GC) - one player
Kirby Squeak Squad (DS)
Animal Crossing (DS) - must be able to read well, must have multi cards to "link up"
Mario Kart Double Dash (GC)
Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC)
Lego Star War (GC)
Mario Party (GC) - mini games are fun

That's what they can remember right off. They're all multi player unless I noted otherwise.

 

[triplefigs]

Thanks everyone for all the tips! We won't have a separate GB, it is an attachment on the bottom of the GC. I am torn whether to buy the GC games (can use them on Wii if we upgrade) or to buy GBA games (we could use them on DSL when the kids get them for Christmas). In general, are the GBA games that you use in a GC as good as the true GC games, or are they not as good?

 

[dandelion]

Have you thought about taking him to Toys R Us, Target, Walmart...someplace where they have a sample one out he can play with? That might help him see that it isn't to different. Personally, I like using the stylus better than the pad controller...I'm terrible with that thing!

He did use one at Target yesterday for quite a while and it was after that he said "I'm never giving up my GBA." but

 

[Order66]

I'll third the suggestion of Lego Star Wars as well as Lego Star Wars II. We have PS2 and GBA and they have it for both systems. My kids have had both since the release dates and well, they're in their room playing it right now. They are 7 as well. It's fun, cute and entertaining. Easy enough for children, yet challenging enough for the whole family to play. I don't game much, the whole hand/eye cooridnation thing is gone for me LOL, but even I'll play this one with them.

They also like Nicktoons which is multiplayer and some of the sports games though they really only play NASCAR frequently. One tip on the sports games. They are expensive when they first come out, but depreciate quickly. Wait til the game is 4-6 months old and you can find used copies from 5-10 bucks, rather than the 50 they cost new. The sports games update so frequently and unless your kids are total fanatics, they won't even know or care if the game is 2 or 3 years "out of date" with the players they can pick.

Another suggestion is to join gamefly or blockbuster (or rent in person) and try before you buy. My kids often bug for the latest movie/TV character game only to find out they hate it and it goes unplayed. Only took me 2 ignored games to figure that one out. I'd rather pay the 5 bucks and let them play it for 2 weeks and buy it if they like it now, unless it's a sequel to a game they already have and love to play.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

In general, are the GBA games that you use in a GC as good as the true GC games, or are they not as good?

We have found that the GC games are more in depth than the GBA games for the same title. Also DS games tend to be better than the GBA version, so if you are getting a DS for Christmas, I'd wait and get DS games.

DD8 has the DS version of Avatar and begged and begged for the GC version. She said the GC version is MUCH harder!

 

[nuzmom]

We have found that the GC games are more in depth than the GBA games for the same title. Also DS games tend to be better than the GBA version, so if you are getting a DS for Christmas, I'd wait and get DS games.

DD8 has the DS version of Avatar and begged and begged for the GC version. She said the GC version is MUCH harder!

As a whole, we agree.

Why buy the GBA player if you're getting DSs at Christmas? The GBA player for the GC will not play DS games. I'd save the money and put towards a game or DS.