So you've spent countless hours playing first-person shooters, participating in brutal platform games and hardcore raids. Now, though, you've got a kid, who has little gaming experience, but wants to play, too.
Enter Juju, the first cooperative game developed specifically to be played by an adult and a child. And even better: the game developers promise a family fun platform adventure that doesn't suck.
Flying Wild Hog, Juju's creators, made the game so that lesser-skilled children could play games with their parents, who are probably better at video games than they are. Juju allows experienced gamers to take the lead character, but also offers an easier character, Peyo, that is targeted for someone with less gaming skills, such as a child.
In other words, Peyo comes with a few extra attack skills and isn't targeted as much by bosses in-game.
"Journey with the shaman panda, Juju, and his lizard sidekick, Peyo, as they embark upon a dangerous and mystical journey to save Juju's father and the world from an ancient evil," states the Juju website. "Run, bounce, chant, and battle humongous bosses with a friend or family member in this beautifully animated, lighthearted adventure."
What better way can you encourage the next generation of gamers than getting them in at the ground level? We all have to start somewhere, right?
Flying Wild Hog's Klaudius Z Zych states that the game comes out of a frustration of parents trying to play games with their kids.
"We want to play games with our kids, but all too often, we find ourselves playing bad kiddie games - a disservice to everyone - or playing something harder and feeling bad as our kids struggle to keep up," writes Zych. "The desire to play together is why we need not just more cooperative games, but rather cooperative games that bridge the skill-gap more effectively; games that allow two people to play on equal footing without either sacrificing enjoyment."
Juju is now available as a digital download for PC (Steam), PS3 (PSN) and Xbox 360 (XBLA). The game has already received praise from critics with GambitMag saying that it has "enough charm to warm the heart of even the most hardcore gamer out there," PS Nation calling it "the most delightfully entertaining family friendly co-op game I have ever played" and Hardcore Gamer referring to Juju as "an enjoyable bit of gaming."
