MAME Kids Games

[dgrace]

Does anyone have a list of recommended kids games (ages 3-10 maybe) for MAME (or other systems) or even better, a hyperspin database they'd be willing to share? Thanks

[paigeoliver]

Hi. I have a six year old daughter. She has previously been all ages below 6. Her friends and assorted neighbor kids who show up at my house range up to age 13.

I also happen to have a 15 game basement arcade, most of which play multiple games.

These age ranges come from my personal experiences. I have found that while their are a few prodigies, children who aren't on my schedule are actually more likely to be behind their age than in front of it. I blame modern consoles being impossibly complex for young kids and tablets having controls that don't transfer to real life.

Age 3-5. They basically can't actually play anything. Every once in a while you will get a prodigy, but the average kid in this age range can't clear a single screen or level, most of them will struggle to even make the connection between the controls and the actions onscreen.

Age 6-7. They can start to play some games. Driving games and single button games are good. My daughter prefers slow speed boy Pac-Man as her favorite game. Kids this age will finish the first level or so of many classics.

Age 8. Puzzle games become playable, they can handle beat em ups.

Age 9+. They can play anything.

[DrakeTungsten]

Around 6 and younger, the cabinet is more of a large toy than a game delivery system. The younger ones do enjoy button mashing on the one-on-one fighters which have cartoony graphics. They at least seem to get that a flurry of activity on the control panel equates to a flurry of activity on the screen. This gives them a sense of accomplishment doing the same thing they see the older kids doing, so they really dig it.

It's not mame, but Kirby's Epic Yarn was my daughter's first video game, and it was perfect as a first game. Very forgiving, and the second (adult) player can do all the heavy lifting in coop.