Thanks, Namco Bandai, for this great combination of an educational and fun game for the Nintendo DS!

What could be more fun than raising your very own panda babies? Okay, fine. They’re virtual panda babies, but still. You get to pet and cuddle them, not to mention giving them awesome toys, fancy clothes, yummy bamboo treats, refreshing showers, and more. You can also build a panda house (mine is a log cabin with blue and white polka-dot carpet). Your little cutie even develops its own personality, depending on how you treat them.

When your panda grows up, new panda babies arrive, bringing double the trouble and triple the fun. Personally, I like having multiple pandas because it’s terribly cute to watch them all tumble around together.

For every day that I played, I unlocked new features that taught me about my pandas. There’s no real plot to advance; the simple goal is for you to help your panda friends grow up. Similar games include Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, SIMs, Tamagotchi, and Neopets.

My recommendation: kids who love animals will probably love this too.

What’s the point of this game? To Rock Your Heart Out!

Rock Band 2 works with all third-generation consoles, including Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3, and Xbox 360. One to 4 players can rock the guitar (bass or lead), drums, or the mic. Hitting the right rhythms and singing the right notes (on cue) are the keys to advancing in the game. It's not as hard as it sounds though. Luckily, you can play on Easy Mode until you're ready to move on to Medium, Hard, or Expert.

I like how our band has to play gigs in our home town until we’ve gained enough fans to play at bigger venues. Then, when we have enough money, we travel around the world in our private jet, earning more fans until we become superstars.

I also like the new No Fail Mode feature. Even if you don't hit the right buttons, you still get a pass. My 5-year-old cousin and I play in this mode; it lets everyone play and just have fun! (And hey, if you or the kiddies end up liking an instrument, maybe it’s time to learn how to play it for real. I already want to get myself a guitar and start strumming.)

Check out these rocks stars to see how it’s done!

Available for: Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation2, Playstation3, PC
Rated: E for Everyone (ESRB)
Recommended Age: 10 or older
Price: $19.99 - $39.99

Let me tell you the truth about how much I love the movie Wall-E. Not only did I pay to see it twice, but I also bawled my eyes out both times. So when I finally had my hands on Wall-E the Video Game, you can imagine the high expectations I had for it. Would it be a spectacular extended version of the movie? Or would it be just a terrible made-for-TV version?

Here are my findings: I. Love. It.

Disney Pixar has created an amazing cinematic experience here. Not only does it weave scenes from the film into your adventure, but it really feels like you're IN the movie. You'll play both Wall-E and Eve to help them solve puzzles, fly through obstacles, and tumble through space.

Pretty exciting, isn't it? And don't worry about the controls being too hard to understand for the kiddies (or yourself). This one is ideal for beginners because there are tutorials on the basic controls for moving around, jumping, and controlling the camera.

The game play is simple and kid-friendly, since you basically move from point A to B. But I'd argue that adults would also enjoy the more advanced moves,like unlocking secret passages and traveling the more difficult routes. And with the multiplayer mode, you and your kids can play together.

Buy Wall-E the Video Game on Amazon.com

• Ex-jailbirds Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart talk mizzashed potizzies; check out Snoop's five tips for fatherhood:

  Martha is so "gangsta", says one of her commenters. [The Martha Blog]

• PETA puts out a parody of popular Wii game Cooking Mama; their version is called "Mama Kills Animals". It didn't make us want a tofurkey, but it did remind us to get Cooking Papa to do a little more work this Thanksgiving. [PETA]

  Plus: Majesco, maker of the original Cooking Mama, responds! [Wired]

• Suri Cruise is more influential than the Jolie-Pitt children, according to Forbes. Suri put out the following statement through her publicist: "Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyaaaah!" (Just kidding about that last bit.) [Momlogic]
• Does genetically engineered corn (which may account for as much as 85% of the corn crop in this country) increase your chances of infertility? The Center for Food Safety worries that it might. [Gourmet.com]
• In South Korea, 93% of all students graduate from high school on time. Compare that with the U.S., which is one of only two countries where the percentage of high school graduates is lower among younger workers than among their parents. (The other is tiny little Estonia.) [USA Today]
• Banning fast food commercials would reduce the number of overweight children in the U.S. by 18% and decrease the number of overweight teens by 14%, says a new study. [NYTimes]