7 hottest new video games for kids

The hotly anticipated Lego Dimensions is a toys-to-life game that adds a fresh aspect to the popular Lego series. Dimensions includes creative real-life brick building using the provided pieces, though you can add in some of your own as well. Characters in the starter pack include Wyldstyle, Gandalf, Batman and the Batmobile from The Lego Movie. Other friends, like The Doctor from Doctor Who, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters and Bart Simpson, can also join in the fun (additional packs cost between $15 and $30). Even grown-ups will be laughing at the quirky mash-ups of pop culture faves in this fun game. PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Wii U.
Rated E 10+, $110 (for starter pack), toysrus.ca

The latest Skylanders game adds vehicles for the characters to race, fly and dive with on their quests to defeat the evil Kaos. There’s even a head-to-head racing mode for playing with a friend. Skylander figures from previous years are compatible with the supercharger vehicles and can be part of the action. You will need land, air and water vehicles, along with their matching characters, to unlock most of the content (the starter pack comes with a car and two Skylander characters). An abundance of fart jokes and typical kid humour will have your family laughing along with the characters. PS3, PS4, PC, Xbox 360 and Wii U. Rated E 10+, From $85 (for starter pack), bestbuy.ca

This popular dance game used to be available only for Xbox Kinect, but now it can be played on a wider range of consoles—all you have to do is buy the game, download the app onto your smartphone and dance the night away to this year’s hottest tunes. So if your kids (or you!) want to finally learn the moves to “Uptown Funk” or rock out to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” this is the game to try. Just Dance Disney Party 2 is another version of the game that features songs from the Disney Channel’s most popular tween shows, like Austin & Ally and Teen Beach 2. PS4, Xbox One and Wii U. Rated E 10+, $50, ebgames.ca

Super Mario’s adorable green dinosaur pal Yoshi may be even cuter as a woolly creature negotiating his fabric world. Your kid can team up with a friend in story mode, or play on her own to make sure Yoshi’s universe doesn’t turn into a tangled ball of yarn. This game doesn’t have any scary elements, and the challenges increase in difficulty the further you go. Wii U. Rated E, $65, Nintendo.ca

This Playstation exclusive game from the same company that created the whimsical LittleBigPlanet will give you a whole new appreciation for the term “paper trail.” Accompany Atoi the messenger through a charming paper universe as he tries to deliver a top-secret message. Along the way, you have to solve puzzles and save the world. PS4. Rated E, From $40, bestbuy.ca

Fans of the little mustachioed plumber get the controls in this creative game. Players design their own levels for Mario to jump, run and toss his fireballs through on his way to save the princess. Players can share their creations with friends and download other people’s designs as well. Amiibos (Nintendo’s toy-to-life figures) can increase gameplay but aren’t required… Wii U. Rated E, $70, bestbuy.ca