Binary Fortress Software

On the weekend I decided my daughters were ready for an introduction to the wonderful world of 8 bit gaming, courtesy of my SNES. (I know that my SNES is 16 bit, but a long time ago I bought Super Mario All-Stars which includes Mario 1, 2, 3 and the Lost Levels) My girls enjoy playing puzzle games on the DS and a few Wii games like Wii Sports and Big Brain Academy, but I didn’t know if they would be able to handle a platformer like Mario yet. But they loved it! My oldest daughter was able to play it, but needs more practice. She took so long to line up each jump that she kept running out of time in level 1-1. My youngest daughter couldn’t really play it, but she loved watching and kept trying to play it.

This game brings back so many memories from my childhood, I love how video games can bring families together like this. Video games have always had a special place in my life. They were an introduction to a technology that eventually became my career and passion, and it’s exciting to see that same love for games in my children’s eyes. My girls play a ton of educational games on their computer, along with using the internet, and it’s amazing how quickly they pick it all up. I think video games fill a gap in a child’s learning process. Educational games on the computer allows them independence to learn at their own pace, gives immediate feedback and is completely interactive. Throw in a couple of their favourite TV or movie characters like Winnie the Pooh or Buzz Lightyear and you’ve got the perfect learning tool - one that they can’t wait to use. Even non-educational games like Mario help with hand eye coordination, memorization and timing. Obviously gaming isn’t a complete educational solution and my wife and I still do all the traditional stuff as well, like reading and writing. But gaming is a very important part of learning for our family, and I would invite more parents to give it a try. Your kids will love it and they’ll learn at the same time. Thanks Mario!