Super League Gaming City Champs in Boston

Minecraft is all the rage in my house with my son.  He loves it.  Not only does he play it but he watches others play it.  Taking this game to the next level is Super League Gaming with the ability to play Minecraft in a movie theater at the Showcase Cinema de Lux in Revere, MA.

This event is an awesome way to be part of a team of other Minecraft players and play in the Minecraft City Championship!  Go here to buy tickets.

October 14th from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Team Formation and Practice

October 21st and three following Saturdays 10:30 am - 12:00 pm there will be Divisional Play
November 11th from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm The Grand Finals for the Top 4 Cities

The Grand Prize is for one skilled player to win a trip for four to go to Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards in LA including round trip airfare, 2 nights hotel and a $500 spending allowance.  There will also be other giveaways for all players, including an official Boston Revolt team jersey! 
The event is at the Showcase Cinema de Lux, Revere 56 Squire Road, Revere, MA

More about the event:
Starting this Saturday morning, instead of just playing Minecraft at home, kids can enjoy the game while meeting new friends as part of a local team representing Boston, thanks to Super League Gaming and their Minecraft City Champs tournament, run in partnership with Nickelodeon.  It’s like little league for Minecraft players!  Fun, positive and a great opportunity to get out and play with other kids their age. Past players clearly have had a GREAT time! 

 While you may find it challenging to pull your little ones away from their iPad or Xbox, the truth is that playing Minecraft (and video games in general) can be beneficial for your kids on many levels, including problem solving, building self-confidence, enhancing creativity, understanding teamwork and improving academic performance.

Super League’s Minecraft City Champs tournament is in its 3rd season, so the company knows how to provide a well-organized experience for your Minecrafter.  It’s ideal for kids 6-14, who will play alongside their peers and have the chance to compete against teams in cities across the country.  The tournament takes place in a movie theater, which means they also get to see their favorite game on the big screen! Day One is this Saturday, Oct 14th, when players will meet their teammates and get a chance to practice the custom game modes designed by Super League.  The tournament then begins on Sat. the 21st and continues on the following three Saturdays.  To learn more and get tickets visit Super League’s Minecraft City Champs Boston Event Details Page. Parents attend for free, although Super League provides full coverage if you need to drop off.  Of course if you’re there, you can cheer on your Minecrafter to victory! 

Here is some more information on what is Minecraft City Champs?

  
And here is more on what to expect on Day 1 of the competition. 
I am sure your kids will have a blast!

Disclosure: I was provided with compensation for this post for promotional purposes. All opinions are always my own. 

8/20/16: Nintendo 3DS Be a Kid For a Day Event

My kids have loved playing on their 3DS gaming systems for many years now so when I got an invite for an exclusive Nintendo 3DS Be a Kid For a Day VIP event I knew they would love it.  Share what it’s like to “Be a Kid For a Day” using the hashtag #3DSKidForADay #Contest and tagging @NintendoAmerica across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and you can win cool prizes.

We started out with at California Pizza Kitchen where the kids got to try out some cool games on a 3DS system.  The kids are very comfortable with the system as they have been playing on them for years.  We learned about the new 3DS XL system that has face-tracking to adjust images based on your viewing angle to provide a clearer picture.

It also has new controls.  Games leap to life with super-stable 3D.  Plus all the 3DS games can still be played and also games from previous systems like Nintendo DS and DSi.  There will be some new titles that will only be available on the new 3DS XL System.  There is also an improved camera and browsing ability.  You can also transfer photos, music and other files between a PC via a wireless network!

Mario and Luigi even stopped by!  The kids were having fun being silly.

Mario even played some games.  They also told us about the 2DS system that is only $79.99.

Mario dabbing.

We had some fun on Snapchat with the Play Nintendo filter.

We then headed over to a fun play area that is setup in the South Shore Plaza in Braintree.  It is there until Sunday.  There were different stations set up where kids would play different games including Donkey Kong Country, Pokemon, Kirby, Mario Kart, Super Mario Brothers 2, Yoshi's Island, and Yoki Watch.

There were some fun picture opportunities.  Here are the kids in a Mario Kart.

Mario actually driving Mario Kart and Mario jumping to his flag.

The kids had so much fun playing all of these games.

After kids played all the games in the stations they got to go to a claw game and try and win a prize.  There were also competitions of game play.

The kids playing Donkey Kong Country.

Lots of areas with all of your favorite characters.

The ever popular Pokemon!

What a fun time!  Nintendo continues to have cool new games and a great gaming system.

Check out all their cool games and the new 3DS XL gaming system!

Disclosure:  I was provided with dinner and a VIP Event with Nintendo including a gift bag for promotional purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

12/16/15: Guitar Hero Live Review

Did you ever dream of having your own band and rocking out?  I never had any musical ability however I can rock it with Guitar Hero Live and feel like I am center stage at my own concert.  When we received it for review the kids were really excited to play.

It was very easy to setup with a small USB connector that is plugged in to the PS3.  We brought our microphone in too so Lauren could sing while Evan rocked out on guitar.

There are so many artists including classics such as Queen, Amy Winehouse and Bob Dylan along with mainstream artists including Rihanna, Paramore, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Calvin Harris, 30 Seconds to Mars and more.  Check out the library of more than 230 songs here.  With the new guitar controller there are 6 buttons split in to two rows.  This is great for beginners like Evan as you can play at a beginner level using only one row of buttons.

Guitar Hero Live introduces two powerful ways to play, including a first-person point of view where you are up on stage as the star of a live concert. The game also includes GHTV, a 24-hour playable music video network that will let fans play along to a continually-updated collection of official music videos and let players compete with their friends as well as players from across the globe to battle for the highest score on any given song.  The graphics in the game are really well done.  It really makes you feel like you are in the middle of the action.

The crowd loves us!

Evan took a turn on the microphone too.

Here it is as packaged.  Manufacturer's suggested retail price is $99.00 and it works on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Xbox One®, Xbox 360®, WiiU® and select Apple devices.

For more information visit http://www.guitarhero.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GuitarHero

Twitter:  @guitarhero 

Disclosure:  I received Guitar Hero Live for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

12/3/15: Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack Review

Evan loves to play video games and has been playing Skylanders since the Skylanders Swap Force Starter Set came out.  When we received Skylanders SuperChargers he couldn't wait to play it.  He loves racing around in games and was excited with this addition to game play.

Evan and my husband played it and enjoyed driving around.  They could switch off where one would drive and the other would shoot.  It was easy for them to swap back and forth.  It took Evan a little bit to get used to driving but once he did he was racing along.

There are many different vehicles including helicopters, motorcycles, jet planes and submarines that can race through Skylands and compete against other players for the first time. 

The game also gives you hints too so you know what to do.

I love that there is story telling as you go through the game and puzzles to solve.  It offers hours and hours of game play and keeps kids interested.

There are mini games to figure out.

A positive is that any characters can be used from previous versions but the game features a brand-new class of heroes that is distinct with fresh moves, powerful attacks and all-new weapons. They have special in-game abilities that help Portal Masters fight Kaos.  There are twenty new SuperChargers character toys and 20 new vehicle toys. 

Skylanders SuperChargers has also been named to on the company’s Toys“R”Us 2015 Holiday Hot Toy List.  The Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack includes two new Skylanders characters, a first-of-its-kind Skylanders vehicle, a newly designed Portal of Power® and the full AAA game.

It is available for the PlayStation® 3 and PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360™ and Xbox One™ video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, and Nintendo’s Wii U™ system for $74.99 MSRP.  The Nintendo platforms also include two of Nintendo’s iconic characters reimagined as Skylanders.  Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser are available exclusively in Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs for the Wii U system, and in Skylanders® SuperChargers Racing Starter Packs for the Wii system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.  Plus it has also launched on Apple devices including iPad, and for the first time on iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV.

For more information please visit https://www.skylanders.com/ 

Instagram @SkylanderstheGame

Twitter @SkylandersGame 

Facebook:  Facebook.com/SkylandersGame

Disclosure:  I received Skylanders SuperChargers for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

8/7/15: Super League Gaming Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS JEFF FOR WINNING!
My kids are so in to Minecraft.  In fact Evan recently went to a Minecraft summer camp.  I just learned about Super League Gaming.  It is the world's first video game league that is done in a movie theatre!  Plus it is coming to Boston and I am giving away two tickets!

I love this idea.  A way for kids to socialize while playing their favorite Minecraft game.

What is Super League?

It is a weekly event that is happening in over 80 theatres including Regal, AMC, Cinemark, and iPic.  It is simple, players pick up tickets, bring their laptop and settle in for a tournament.  Tickets cost $20 for the summer sessions.  Parents get to observe for free.  There is no age limit, you just need to know how to play Minecraft.  I guess that counts me out.  More FAQ's here.

Super League President and COO Brett Morris is a dad. “It’s incredible how many kids are spending hours playing or watching YouTube videos of others playing this game [Minecraft] and we thought there just had to be a way to bring these kids, who were all playing alone in their rooms, together somehow,” he says. “As a parent, you want your kids to explore their passions, but when they’re by themselves, consumed in this other world, you can’t help but want them to be out with other kids their age, connecting over shared passions. That’s what Super League is meant to do, bring gamers together for some good old fashioned competitive fun in a safe environment.”

Super League’s proprietary technology allows players to merge on one screen (a big screen).  They can play normally on their own laptops, but everyone shares a third-person aerial view on the theatre’s screen.  Super League Minecraft is the first game being offered.

Super League’s Co-Founder and Chief Visionary, John Miller, says: “There are all kinds of leagues out there, but there’s still a vast group of gamers who don’t have any way of organizing themselves into recreational teams. We were just a group of dads who saw that void and thought this would be a great way to bring gaming to life.

Super League Gaming will be at the AMC Theaters of Boston Common, Braintree and Liberty Tree in August 2015.

Aug 17 Boston AMC Boston Common 19

Aug 18 Boston AMC Braintree 10

Aug 19 Boston AMC Liberty Tree 20

Sessions run 4:00 pm to 5:35 pm

You can buy tickets here.  Here is a little trailer to show more.

 

Enter below to win 2 tickets to any session in Boston.

Disclosure: I was provided with tickets for my family to attend and for giveaway. I was also provided with compensation for this post for promotional purposes. All opinions are always my own. 

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