Five Holiday Semi-Learning Related Games

If you are doing some last minute shopping, here are some games that are semi-learning related and a lot of fun.

Number 5: Spanish for Everyone (Nintendo DS)


Nintendo DS has a number of educational games to teach a variety of subjects. This fun game challenges the player/learner with various Spanish words and phrases. As a player you take a journey to Mexico where different people you meet help you learn Spanish. (There is also a French and Japanese game for the Nintendo DS.)

Number 4: Brain Age (Nintendo DS)


Brain Age is actually a series of games. These games are a lot of fun and are a real challenge. You take an initial quiz and from that point forward engage in small quick little games that work your mind in new and complex ways. In one game you pick out letters from a moving stream of letters to correctly id a word. In another, you have to do quick math and you actually write your answer on your Nintendo DS. If you want a glimps into how engaging and interactive mobile learning can be then this game and the Nintendo game system is a great start.

Number 3: History Channel Civil War: Secret Missions
(PlayStation 2, 3, XBox360, PC)

Time for a little history. This game casts you in the role of a solider in the American Civil War and then you must fight behind enemy lines in the well known battles of the war. Your goal is to disrupt enemy by any means necessary, including conducting train raids, stealing ironclad ships, stopping enemy supply lines, destroying enemy artillery and the events are drawn from the real life actions of famous partisans, scouts and rangers. What a great way to "accidently" pick up some history. If you want to see how facts and concepts can be embedded into a strategy-type game, this is a good example.


Number 2: Wii Trauma Center Games (Wii)

The Trauma Center series has a bunch of different games. My favorite is still Trauma Center: Second Opinion. But New Blood has some neat new surgery as well. Learn about how doctors work and some medical terminology as you play the game. And, you can even get surgical accessories for the Wiimote which are interesting. If you want a glimpse into the future of interactive training for motorskills, this game is worth a look.

Number 1: Crazy Machines 2 (Windows 2000 / XP / Vista)


In this tools and machines-based game, you build imaginative machines in an environment that is creative and difficult but fun. As a player you turn cranks, rotate gears, pull levers, and other tools and machine related efforts to build unique contraptions. You have access to Physics engines with air-pressure, electricity, gravity, and particle effects. You can also experiment with gears, robots, and even explosives. All the mad science stuff you want to do in your garage but because of legal, health and compliance issues...you aren't able to do. Great simulations of experiments, and physics concepts.

If you know of any other games, please feel free to post in the comments. I'm always looking for neat semi-learning games, gizmos and gadgets.
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