Is Princess Peach: Showtime! Appropriate for Kids?

Princess Peach: Showtime! is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+, with a Content Descriptor for Fantasy Violence.

According to the ESRB Rating Summary, Peach uses specific fighting skills (such as swinging a magical ribbon, sword or lasso, and timing kung-fu kicks), to defeat puppet-like characters in combat. Some villains can shoot cartoony lasers or blasters at Peach. Combat is highlighted by stealth elements and brief slow-motion effects.

Where Can I Play Princess Peach: Showtime! and How Much Does it Cost?

It’s available for the Nintendo Switch, and costs $59.99.

What is Princess Peach: Showtime! About?

The adventure begins as Princess Peach sets out to attend a show at the Sparkle Theater. But before long, the evil Grape (joined by her henchmen, the Sour Bunch) suddenly hijacks the show. Peach must work with the theater’s guardian, Stella, to battle the Sour Bunch with stage play-themed powers.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+.

To do so, Stella gives Peach a magical hair ribbon that allows Peach to gain new costumes, each with their own unique abilities. Peach then ventures around the massive complex in an effort to master these powers, take down the Sour Bunch, and return the various theaters and shows to grateful patrons.

How Does Princess Peach: Showtime! Play?

This is a colorful action platformer – meaning lots of jumping across platforms, avoiding hazards, and battling (or avoiding) bad guys. Princess Peach has an array of abilities that change based on her costume. She cuts a dash as she transforms into a ninja, a sword fighter, a lasso-swinging cowgirl, a martial arts expert, and more to take down cartoon enemies.

But battling isn’t always the answer! Princess Peach: Showtime! will also see Peach become a wily detective, using her special magnifying glass to solve mysteries and puzzles. After the theft of cakes from a sugar festival, Peach also turns into a magical pastry chef, baking and decorating sumptuous treats.

Part of the fun is that Peach’s surroundings all match her outfits, in true stage play fashion. The stage for Cowgirl Peach features a western-themed aesthetic as she lassos her way to victory. Meanwhile, Swordfighter Peach fences her way through an environment that screams of The Three Musketeers. The same goes for every costume so you can expect more surprises and secrets along the way.

Like many games in the Mario universe, players will have plenty to collect and explore as they progress through the game. You and your kids may find that the straight path is relatively simple most of the time, but there are always hidden secrets and collectables (like coins and Sparkle Gems) to find for those interested in challenging themselves. Of course, these are optional, and younger players or those learning the ropes of an action platformer may be perfectly happy to act their way through the main objectives.

Set Your Kids Up To Be The Stars Of The Show!

There are plenty of tools and ways to help you set reasonable limits on your kids’ video game experiences as they prepare to help Princess Peach save the day.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to check the ESRB-assigned rating information to make sure it’s appropriate for your children. If possible, we also recommend that you try the game out before giving your kids permission to play, or learn more about the game via online streams and videos.

Additionally, Nintendo Switch has parental controls that allow you to manage what your kids play (based on the ESRB-assigned rating information), when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases. You can find step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org.

If you’re looking for more tips about video games and online safety, visit ESRB’s Family Gaming Guide.

Colin Campbell is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Economist, The Guardian, Polygon, IGN, Gamesindustry.biz and more.

The post What Parents Need to Know About Princess Peach: Showtime! appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

Is Princess Peach: Showtime! Appropriate for Kids?

Princess Peach: Showtime! is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+, with a Content Descriptor for Fantasy Violence.

According to the ESRB Rating Summary, Peach uses specific fighting skills (such as swinging a magical ribbon, sword or lasso, and timing kung-fu kicks), to defeat puppet-like characters in combat. Some villains can shoot cartoony lasers or blasters at Peach. Combat is highlighted by stealth elements and brief slow-motion effects.

Where Can I Play Princess Peach: Showtime! and How Much Does it Cost?

It’s available for the Nintendo Switch, and costs $59.99.

What is Princess Peach: Showtime! About?

The adventure begins as Princess Peach sets out to attend a show at the Sparkle Theater. But before long, the evil Grape (joined by her henchmen, the Sour Bunch) suddenly hijacks the show. Peach must work with the theater’s guardian, Stella, to battle the Sour Bunch with stage play-themed powers.

Princess Peach: Showtime! is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+.

To do so, Stella gives Peach a magical hair ribbon that allows Peach to gain new costumes, each with their own unique abilities. Peach then ventures around the massive complex in an effort to master these powers, take down the Sour Bunch, and return the various theaters and shows to grateful patrons.

How Does Princess Peach: Showtime! Play?

This is a colorful action platformer – meaning lots of jumping across platforms, avoiding hazards, and battling (or avoiding) bad guys. Princess Peach has an array of abilities that change based on her costume. She cuts a dash as she transforms into a ninja, a sword fighter, a lasso-swinging cowgirl, a martial arts expert, and more to take down cartoon enemies.

But battling isn’t always the answer! Princess Peach: Showtime! will also see Peach become a wily detective, using her special magnifying glass to solve mysteries and puzzles. After the theft of cakes from a sugar festival, Peach also turns into a magical pastry chef, baking and decorating sumptuous treats.

Part of the fun is that Peach’s surroundings all match her outfits, in true stage play fashion. The stage for Cowgirl Peach features a western-themed aesthetic as she lassos her way to victory. Meanwhile, Swordfighter Peach fences her way through an environment that screams of The Three Musketeers. The same goes for every costume so you can expect more surprises and secrets along the way.

Like many games in the Mario universe, players will have plenty to collect and explore as they progress through the game. You and your kids may find that the straight path is relatively simple most of the time, but there are always hidden secrets and collectables (like coins and Sparkle Gems) to find for those interested in challenging themselves. Of course, these are optional, and younger players or those learning the ropes of an action platformer may be perfectly happy to act their way through the main objectives.

Set Your Kids Up To Be The Stars Of The Show!

There are plenty of tools and ways to help you set reasonable limits on your kids’ video game experiences as they prepare to help Princess Peach save the day.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to check the ESRB-assigned rating information to make sure it’s appropriate for your children. If possible, we also recommend that you try the game out before giving your kids permission to play, or learn more about the game via online streams and videos.

Additionally, Nintendo Switch has parental controls that allow you to manage what your kids play (based on the ESRB-assigned rating information), when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases. You can find step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org.

If you’re looking for more tips about video games and online safety, visit ESRB’s Family Gaming Guide.

Colin Campbell is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Economist, The Guardian, Polygon, IGN, Gamesindustry.biz and more.

The post What Parents Need to Know About Princess Peach: Showtime! appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

Find out everything you need to know to decide if Tears of the Kingdom is appropriate for your family.

Is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Appropriate for Kids?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is rated E10+ (Everyone 10+), with Content Descriptors for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes. Tears of the Kingdom does not have any Interactive Elements assigned, meaning players do not have the ability to interact online or make in-game purchases.

According to the ESRB Rating Summary, “Players use swords, hammers, bows, and explosives to attack enemies that generally disappear amid smoke puffs and/or collectible items. Stylized battles are sometimes frenetic, accompanied by impact sounds, cries of pain, and brief explosions.”

The Rating Summary also cites that some characters “wear revealing outfits.”

Where Can I Play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on the Nintendo Switch.

How Much Does The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Cost?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom costs $69.99 for the standard edition. If you’re interested (and can find one) there is also a Collector’s Edition, which includes some additional goodies for $129.99.

What is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the newest installment in the long-running series from Nintendo. The first game – The Legend of Zelda (Everyone) – was released in 1986 and created a template for action-adventure games that continues to influence game design to this day. With approximately 20 mainline Zelda games (not including spinoffs), the overarching story of the Zelda series is complicated. Between alternate dimensions, reincarnation, resurrection, time travel, and at least three separate timelines, it’s hard to keep the chronological events of Hyrule straight. Not to mention the fact that Nintendo is notoriously tight-lipped about the official timeline! That said, most of the mainline games in the series follow some thematically consistent underpinnings:

• There’s always at least one Link, and there’s (almost) always a Zelda. Most of the time these are various reincarnations of Link and Zelda, but there are a few direct sequels.
• There’s always an insurmountable evil. This often takes the form of the Demon King Ganon and/or his human form Ganondorf. He’s mean and scary and powerful; we don’t like him. Sometimes there are other evil big bad guys that want to resurrect Ganon. Other times there are big bad guys that are independent evil contractors and have nothing to do with Ganon.
• Link needs to traverse the world to collect powerful weapons and/or artifacts to defeat Ganon/Ganondorf/big bad guy to save the world!
• I’ve always thought of Zelda games as puzzle boxes. Be it in one of the series’ dungeons (which are large, themed environments often designed around a specific ability or item) or out in the open world – players can gradually unfold more and more of the environment by solving spatial puzzles of increasing difficulty.

Tears of the Kingdom is one of the few direct sequels in the series and picks up with the same Link and Zelda we saw in 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (E10+). Breath of the Wild featured the first open-world environment in the Zelda series, allowing players to explore a seamless, open-ended Hyrule. Tears of the Kingdom looks to up the ante by changing up Hyrule’s environment, adding mysterious floating islands to explore, and introducing new abilities.

How Does The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Play?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a single-player, open-world, action/adventure game. Players will join Link in a combination of puzzle solving, monster fighting, and exploration, as he looks for Zelda and tries to defeat the resurrected Ganondorf. Tears of the Kingdom adds to the vast landscape of Hyrule with the addition of floating islands – aptly named Sky Islands – and new abilities to interact with the world.

One such ability is called Recall, which allows Link to essentially reverse the flow of time on a specific piece of the environment. For example, if a boulder falls from one of the world’s Sky Islands, Link can climb onto said boulder and use Recall on it to fly into the sky to more easily reach one of the mysterious floating masses. Link can also use this ability to gain the upper hand in combat. An enemy may launch a boulder at Link, but with Recall he can target said boulder and reverse its movement to instead bonk the enemy.

Tears of the Kingdom will allow the player to solve puzzles creatively using the Fuse ability. The player can fuse items found in the environment to create new and enhanced gear. Say you’re stuck fighting enemies with a frail branch… the thing is going to break after a couple of hits, leaving you high-and-dry. Using the fuse ability Link can combine that branch with a boulder to create a durable hammer to bonk enemies. This can be done with all manner of items and weapons, from swords and shields, to plants and monster parts.

Similarly, players can use the Ultrahand ability to create complex machines – like chariots, boats, flying machines, and more – that allow Link to traverse Hyrule with speed and pizzaz. Much of the traversal in the game is dependent upon a stamina meter. If Link is climbing a mountain and runs out of stamina he’ll fall to his doom. But using the Ultrahand ability Link can combine some logs, fans, and a balloon to reach the top of the mountain in safety.

Players will also battle various baddies using swords, axes, shields, fragile twigs, and more.

Link can also use the Ascend ability to… ascend! The catch is that Link can only Ascend through ceilings. Players can quickly navigate caves, buildings, and traps using this ability.

The extent of these mechanics is still unknown, but it’s clear that experimentation and imaginative problem solving will play a huge role in Tears of the Kingdom.

Players will also battle various baddies using swords, axes, shields, fragile twigs, and more. Players will help Link assess enemies, strategize, dodge, block, and attack to overcome a variety of classic (and new) Zelda enemies. Look forward to battling Bokoblins, to Moblins, to the fierce Lynel, and more! Seriously… watch out for those Lynels… save your game.

While much of the game is still a mystery, it’s clear that Link will need to find Zelda and join forces to save Hyrule again!

Be the Hero of Your Kids’ Video Game Play!

The best way to know what your kids are playing is to stay involved, whether they’re exploring Hyrule alone or jumping into another game with friends. As we all know, parents are the heroes of their homes, so it’s time to travel the Kingdom of Your Domicile on a quest to make sure your kids are having appropriate video game experiences.

A great first step is to visit ESRB Land to check the assigned rating information for a game before you decide to buy or download for your kids. There, you’ll find everything you need to know about the content in a game and (thanks to Rating Summaries) the context in which it’s presented to the player.

ESRB’s annual parent surveys reveal that many parents and caregivers also playing the game, watching gameplay online, and talking to other parents are very helpful in the decision making process. You may even want to pick up a controller yourself! Once you engage with video games, it will be that much easier to nurture an ongoing, judgement-free conversation with your kids about why they love them.

Tears of the Kingdom adds to the vast landscape of Hyrule with the addition of floating islands – aptly named Sky Islands – and new abilities to interact with the world.

Next on your quest is a trek along Household Rules Road. And by this, I mean it’s really helpful to set household rules for the whole family. Establishing rules around what your kids can play, when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases can help everyone stay on the task and avoid speed bumps on your journey. Remember, some of these rules may even apply to you, like appreciating the rhythm and timing of a quest or match!

But everyone makes mistakes, so it’s helpful to equip your family with the Legendary Parental Controls. Virtually all video game devices – including consoles, PCs, smartphones, and some games themselves – offer parental controls to back up your household rules. We even have step-by-step guides to help you navigate activating these settings at ParentalTools.org.

While you’re there, you can visit the Family Gaming Guide for ancient wisdom on topics from managing screen time to keeping multiplayer experiences appropriate.

The post What Parents Need to Know About The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

But what if you don’t know anything about Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment? Well, ESRB is here to outline what parents need to know so you can make sure it’s appropriate for your family.

What is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a single player, third person (meaning the camera is behind the character’s back) action platformer/shooter. For the uninitiated, this basically means that the gameplay involves a lot of running, jumping, exploring, and shooting!

Rift Apart’s visuals can best be described as a playable Pixar movie.

You and your kids will be dropped into the boots of Ratchet and series newcomer, Rivet, as they try to repair an inter-dimensional disaster set in motion by one of the series’ long-time villains, Dr. Nefarious. With the help of the eponymous Clank, some familiar faces, and new allies, Ratchet and Rivet will need to travel across multiple planets and dimensions to prevent the destruction of the known universe.

Saving the universe has never been so fun, colorful, and visually captivating. Insomniac has iterated on the tried-and-true gameplay of Ratchet & Clank while upping the ante to incorporate elements that solidify its status as a “next generation” video game. One aspect of this is Rift Apart’s visuals, which can best be described as a playable Pixar movie; accompanied by charming voice acting and relatable storytelling. The gameplay is also refined, expanding upon the tentpole mechanics of the Ratchet & Clank series with more varied movement (including a “rift tether” mechanic that allows players to traverse great distances in a blink), larger and more explorable areas, and frenetic combat (see below for what “combat” looks like in this game).

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is only available on the PlayStation 5, and while there is no multiplayer mode, the single player experience has multiple difficulties and dozens of collectibles that encourage replaying the game over and over. Even though only one person can play at a time, nothing is stopping you from sitting down with your kids and experiencing the game as a team!

Is Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Appropriate for Your Kids?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is rated E10+ (Everyone 10+) with Content Descriptors including Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, and Fantasy Violence. It also includes the Interactive Element for In-Game Purchases, which in this case refers to the ability to upgrade to the “Deluxe Edition” edition with an additional purchase.

Many of the weapons are highly stylized and rather than simply shoot, have cartoony and entertaining effects.

ESRB’s rating summary of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart goes into more detail, explaining that “players use over-sized blasters/ranged weapons, defeating enemies with fiery explosions, lightning, plasma blasts, and other effects (e.g., ice, fire). Players can also use a wrench for melee attacks at close range.”

Many of these weapons are highly stylized and rather than simply shoot, have cartoony and entertaining effects. While the Burst Pistol is a more straightforward laser gun, players can also use inventive weapons like the Topiary Sprinkler, which turns enemies into hedge-art (think Edward Scissorhands), and the Cold Snap, which freezes enemies in place as you continue to wreak havoc. Ratchet & Clank typically has a varied and innovative arsenal of silly weapons, and Rift Apart promises to continue the tradition.

How Much Does Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Cost?

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for the PlayStation 5 is available at various video game retailers for $69.99.

As mentioned, ESRB assigned the In-Game Purchases Interactive Element to highlight the players’ ability to purchase an upgrade to a “Deluxe Edition” which has additional content via the PlayStation Store for approximately $10.00. Beyond that, there are currently no additional offers to purchase digital goods for this game.

Don’t forget to visit ESRB’s step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org to help you  manage what your kids play, with whom, for how long, and how much money they can spend (if any!).

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