5 ms·

> If there is one thing the gaming world isn't short of, it's kid-appropriate driving games. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a current gen sandbox drivin

by Splines 16y ago

> If there is one thing the gaming world isn't short of, it's kid-appropriate driving games. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a current gen sandbox driving game that is suitable for children. I think the only one I can think of off-hand would be Test Drive: Unlimited (which is a great game, btw, and probably more suitable for the child in this article). There's probably more Need For Speed games or Mario Kart clones that I can think of, but very few driving games that are not focused on winning a race. Thinking back a few years, the Crazy Taxi-type games are also good for children, although a good representation from the genre hasn't really been seen.

frossie 16y ago
Yeah I agree there aren't many sandbox driving games per se, but many race games have open modes, or modes that can be played as open (eg. the Crash Team Racing time trial modes). The problem I have with GTA is not that the Kid! Is! Ruined! by playing it in the context described, but that once you give it to them you can't take it away - and in another year or so, that kid is going to figure out that there really is a way to properly play the game. But yes, there is the bigger problem of many gamers wanting to introduce their kids to games and there isn't a whole lot of really optimal material out there.
GFischer 16y ago
I remember the "Stunts!" game which let you customize your tracks... it was huge fun when I was a child. Here it is on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunts_%28video_game%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunts_%28video_game%29
- mattmichielsen 16y ago
  Awesome. It was actually called "4D" on my old 386, and I haven't thought about that game in years. I spent countless hours building tracks and driving on them when I was 11 or 12 years old.
- eru 16y ago
  Indeed. And your 4 year old won't care about the graphics.

by Splines 16y ago

frossie 16y ago

Yeah I agree there aren't many sandbox driving games per se, but many race games have open modes, or modes that can be played as open (eg. the Crash Team Racing time trial modes). The problem I have with GTA is not that the Kid! Is! Ruined! by playing it in the context described, but that once you give it to them you can't take it away - and in another year or so, that kid is going to figure out that there really is a way to properly play the game. But yes, there is the bigger problem of many gamers wanting to introduce their kids to games and there isn't a whole lot of really optimal material out there.

GFischer 16y ago

I remember the "Stunts!" game which let you customize your tracks... it was huge fun when I was a child. Here it is on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunts_%28video_game%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunts_%28video_game%29

mattmichielsen 16y ago
Awesome. It was actually called "4D" on my old 386, and I haven't thought about that game in years. I spent countless hours building tracks and driving on them when I was 11 or 12 years old.
eru 16y ago
Indeed. And your 4 year old won't care about the graphics.