Video games for a six year old

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Pokemon games are perfect they are great value for money and last practically forever (well tha's for the DS)

and the wii, well, i'm not a wii fa but i'd say a game that will last for a long time, maybe a party game but it my get boring :S

Nintendo DS:
- Mario & friends platform games (Super Mario 64 DS, New Super Mario Bros, Super Princess Peach, ...)
- Mario Kart DS
- WarioWare Touched!
- Animal Crossing: Wild World
- Cooking Mama

Nintendo Wii:
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Mario Kart Wii
- MySims
- MySims Kingdom
- Animal Crossing: City Folk
- WarioWare: Smooth Moves
- Mario Party 8 (sometimes I get bored of it, but all my little cousins love Mario Party games, they are 5-10 years old)


Also, I think Pokémon games are fun.
- Pokémon Diamond/Pearl for DS are great RPGs.
- Pokémon Mistery Dungeon games for GBA and NDS could be frustrating for some kids, so I don't recommend it for your niece.
- Pokémon Ranger seems ok, but I haven't played it.
- Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii is a good addition if you buy Pokémon Diamond/Pearl. . . PBR could be boring if you don't have Diamond/Pearl cartridge.

Consider buying a Pokémon game only if your niece likes Pokémon.

Ok, be careful because there are a lot of movie tie - in games out there. Watch out for those and avoid them.

Secondly, do not choose a game that looks like it was designed for the stereotypical six year old. I think this gives the reflection that the game was simply very well thought out in terms of its' marketing. Usually, these games are overly simplistic and shallow, despite the way they present themselves. A lot of developers market games for children that are not very deep, interesting or challenging; this means that it is usually better to choose a game that is not designed specifically for young children. If an Adult, as well as a child can enjoy a game, this shows that the game has something more to it.

Study the games that she already plays, if any, and which ones she enjoys. Also, you can take note of her general interests and hobbies and decide what genres best suit her.

On the whole, puzzle games, pet simulators and platformers tend to be the most accessible of all the genres. Evaluate the lifespan of games that you consider, too, and look on websites such as gamespot.com for useful reviews just to make sure.

what about drawn to life [the spongebob square pants edition] ? am getting that for sister for christmas as her boyfriends family are getting her another spongebob one,it's child and adult friendly and gets not perfect but good reviews.

new super mario bros and DS are perfect for her age

Ranger's quite good, but they don't last anywhere near as long as the other pokemon games. I think I completed the original ones in probably about 12hrs playing time. Aside from that, they're very good, and have some interesting bits and pieces in them.

When I was around 8 or so I was playing final fantasy 7 and beat it, FF7 got me hooked on rpgs.

Basically if the kid is like most NTs and doesn't think much about anything except playing around then get her a kiddy game, or if they are the quiet type that already shows a relatively high intellect then I suggest an rpg of some sort, or a puzzle game. I was fascinated by puzzles, mazes, riddles etc. when i was that age so I guess it just depends

If you want the parents to approve I suggest anything thats E-rated as well. Most things a kid will like, the parents will not. I loved FF7, my mom saw me play it for 10 minutes (was 9 and by that time I had played and beat it almost a dozen times) and threw it away cause it said "damn"

Just to be safe I'd stick with all E-rated games. Mario is always solid

I think Mario Carts is going to need more dexterity and skill than the average 6 yr old girl has. Also I think Animal Crossing: City Folk is geared towards teen and college age girls and will require some reading.

Go for something like Winnie the Pooh, Cars (my friend has daughters around her same age and they love this game though I think its pretty lame). If she's into Harry Potter the Order of the Phoenix game would be ideal. I have this game and its definitely geared to very young children as all you do is hunt for things in the castle and play mini games like dueling and Gobstones. Other games would be the Nintendo Dogs, Horses and Cats. Remember you can also use Game Boy Advance cartridges in the DS Lite.

I have to remark though I am amazed your parents got their niece two video consoles. I mean I've never gotten a gift from any of my aunts and uncles. Either you have a wealthy family or else she's the only little kid in the family to spoil.

I think it's both funny and awesome. The only reason our 3 year old has access to video games is that my husband and I are both gamers.

She's a lucky girl for sure!

I just saw a commercial for a new DS game Club Penguin. It looks like a winner with racing penguins on snow sleds and other wintery activities. I would imagine a youngster would like it and actually I kinda want it for myself too! I wished I'd known sooner because everyone is snatching them up for high prices on Ebay like $44+ which is more than I have ever paid for any new DS game. Apparently its the hot cartridge of the season at least for DS.

What's her reading level? Some of the Pokemon games may actually be beyond a six year old's reading level, depending. And the main bad guy in Diamond/Pearl is *really* hard to understand for someone that young (not that anyone actually *understands* him, but that's more the fact that he's a raving lunatic than any word choices).
They're awfully fun though.

And a game like Mario Kart may teach her the necessary dexterity, especially at that age.