Ubisoft at BlogHer 2010

I'm so excited to have been chosen by gaming software maker Ubisoft and the Clever Girls as one of their Ubisoft Champions! I've been working with Ubisoft since last November, trying out their latest and greatest games for the Nintendo DS and sharing my opinions with my readers, and as a Ubisoft Chamption, I'll be doing pretty much the same thing -- reviewing some games and hosting some giveaways -- so I'm delighted to be continuing the relationship.

Today some of the Ubisoft Champion bloggers met up with the Clever Girls and Ubisoft people at the Ubisoft booth at BlogHer 2010 in New York. Ubisoft is a Platinum Sponsor of the event, so they had a massive booth right at the very entrance of the BlogHer Expo.

Even though the first thing I saw at the booth was a demented looking giant bunny dressed as an Egyptian Pharaoh, I felt right at home. Not because I'm demented or Egyptian, but because he's a character from one of the kids' favorite DS games, Rabbids Go Home. I just had to pose for a photo with him, and I have to say, I think I look pretty demented myself (being so close to a celebrity can do that to you).

The Ubisoft booth was full of fun things to see and do. I got a sneak peek at some of Ubisoft's newest games for the Nintendo DS, including Petz Fantasy, where players care for mythical animals that hatch out of eggs and the latest Style Lab game, where players create their own tshirt designs. I got all excited because my kids love Style Lab and Petz, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get to review these titles sometime soon.

The booth also had several Wii and Xbox stations set up with Ubisoft games for conference attendees to try out. They even had a dance stage where bloggers could strut their stuff and try out the Just Dance game for the Wii. They offered a free Just Dance shirt to anyone who would get up on stage and dance, so I let myself be persuaded to join Cat, Stefania and Sheila from Clever Girls Collective and dance to Madonna's Holiday. I figured I couldn't make too much of a fool of myself dancing to 80's music, and I'd get a free shirt out of it. Heck, who am I kidding, I just wanted to get up and dance! It was good exercise and great fun. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back up on that stage and try my hand at "Walk Like An Egyptian". Heck, maybe I can even get the bunny to dance with me.

Disclosure: I was selected by Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective to be part of the Ubisoft Champions social media program. I am compensated for my participation in this program, but my reviews are solely my own and represent my honest opinions. Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective promote Blog With Integrity.

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Ubisoft Petz Dogz game Giveaway

Yesterday I posted a list of our family's most wanted games for the Sony PSP. It's no surprise that Petz Dogz Family came at the top of my kids' list -- this game by Ubisoft is from their popular Petz series (the #1 pet simulation series on the market!), and my kids have been playing with their Petz Nursery, Petz Dogz Talent Show and Petz Hamsterz Superstarz (all on the Nintendo DS platform) for some time now. They really love adopting and caring for all their cute virtual puppies, and I love it because these dogs don't shed or need to be walked every day!

Here's some information about the game from Ubisoft:
In Petz® Dogz Family, players can raise and care for a family of dogs, for the first time on the PSP system! Adopt a pet dog from a variety of breeds, and watch them grow and develop their own unique personalities.

Key Features
Adopt your favorite dog from a wide variety —Choose your pet from popular, well-known breeds.

Raise your own Petz Dogz Family —Breed and cross-breed your own unique pets, nurture your dogz from baby to adult as you watch them grow, and influence personalities by the way you raise your petz.

Watch your dog play with other dogz —Let your dogz play together and watch them interact, or set up play dates with your friends wirelessly and exchange dogz!

Get rewarded as you play through the game —Unlock new toys so your petz can play with you, and fun outfits and accessories for you to customize your dogs' looks


Petz Dogz Family for the Sony PSP is pretty much like the Petz Dogz Pack for the Nintendo DS, so I know the kids would love it. The only problem is that we can't find it! It's like some kind of lost breed of videogame! So pleeez, Ubisoft, if you've stopped making Petz Dogz Family for PSP, re-release it, or come up with some new Petz games for the PSP, because there are a lot of PSP families waiting to adopt and cuddle these cute pets!


Win a Petz Dogz Talent Show game for the Nintendo DS
Unfortunately I don't have a copy of Petz Dogz Family for the PSP (and I if did, I'm really sorry but I'd have to keep it for my kids!) but I do have a copy of Petz Dogz Talent Show for the Nintendo DS, and I'm giving it away to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader!


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which of the Ubisoft Petz line of games is your favorite, and really ought to be available on the PSP platform!


Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

2) Follow @ubimoms on Twitter (1 entry).

3) Follow @ubisoft on Twitter (1 entry).

4) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook wall (1 entry):

I entered the Ubisoft Petz Dogz Talent Show giveaway! http://bonggafinds.blogspot.com/2010/06/ubisoft-petz-dogz-game-giveaway.html

5) Write this on Ubisoft's Facebook Page wall (1 entry):

I entered the Petz Dogz Talent Show giveaway on Bonggamom Finds! You can enter too at http://bonggafinds.blogspot.com/2010/06/ubisoft-petz-dogz-game-giveaway.html

6) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this daily (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Enter to win a Petz Dogz DS game from @ubisoft @ubimoms and @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/2efm5fr #giveaway

7) Join my $50 PlayStation Network gift card giveaway (1 entry)






The Rules
This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 20, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on July 21. I will post the winner's names in the comments section after he/she confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. I received a product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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You're Invited to a Style Lab Twitter Party

Great news: Bonggamom Finds is partnering with Ubisoft to bring you a Twitter Party that's stylish and girly and oh-so-fun. We're talking fashion, makeovers, and games girls play. We're talking moms, daughters, sleepovers and manicures. And we're talking prizes!


What: a Style Lab Twitter party
When: Tuesday, December 15th, 5:00 - 6:00 pm PST
Where: Chat with us on Twitter using the hashtag #games4girls (you can use services like Tweetchat or Tweetgrid to follow the conversation)


So come and join the party, and be sure to follow @bonggafinds and @Ubimoms on Twitter throughout the party for contest details, updates, prize information. We'll have 3 prize packs to pass out during the party, each containing two great Style Lab video games for the Nintendo DS:

Style Lab Jewelry Design: Create beautiful designer jewelry with your own unique designs. Make jewelry that fits your style, then order, own, and wear your own creations






Style Lab Makeover: Discover and experiment with makeup, hairstyles and other makeover activities using your own face! Take on beauty challenges to earn points and rewards, learn tips and tricks, and discover your own unique style with personality quizzes and in-game expert recommendations!




RSVP here: (Note: You do not need to RSVP to join the party, but you must participate in the Twitter party on Dec. 15 in order to be eligible to win the prize packs above. One of the prize packs will be drawn from the RSVP list below and announced during the Twitter party.)

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More Twitter Parties
Ubisoft is sponsoring a "Week of Style" -- December 9 thu 15 -- so lookout for additional Twitter parties hosted by other awesome bloggers like Momma Findings and Girly Mama. Just head to Twitter and look for the hashtag #games4girls!


Win more Games for Girls
You'll get the chance to win some fun Style Lab games at next week's Twitter party.... but the fun is starting right here and now! Two lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will each win one game from Ubisoft's Imagine line for girls:

One reader will win an Imagine Detective game for the Nintendo DS. In this game, girls can live the thrill and adventure of being a teenaged private investigator fighting for truth and justice in Imagine® Detective! Discover clues, take photographs, question witnesses; it’s up to THEM to solve the mystery!




One reader will win the Imagine Boutique Owner game for Nintendo DS. In this game, girls can unleash their creativity and design all types of gifts, including flower arrangements, plush toys, and jewelry. Please customers by helping them choose the perfect gift, then offer complimentary gift wrapping to make it extra special for them!




Required entry:
Put your name down on the RSVP list above (scroll to the top of this page!) AND leave a comment on this post saying you RSVP'd.

Extra entries:
(you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (leave a comment with your FB id).

2) Tweet out the details of this party, including the #games4girls hashtag and @bonggafinds in your tweet, anytime between now until 5:00PM PST on December 15. Then come back and leave a comment here with a link to your tweet. Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Join @bonggafinds @Ubisoft 4 a Style Lab Twitter party Dec 15, 5-6PM PST RSVP http://tinyurl.com/gamesforgirls win great prizes! #games4girls

3) Tweet out the details of this giveaway, then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your tweet. Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win Imagine games for Nintendo DS from @Ubisoft and @bonggafinds -- 2 winners! http://tinyurl.com/imaginegamez #games4girls

Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at 5PM PST on December 15. I will draw 2 winners via Random.org and announce their names at the #games4girls Twitter event. You do not have to be present at the Twitter party to win the Imagine games, however you do have to be present to win the Style Lab games . Good luck, and see you at the Twitter party!

I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Party prizes and giveaway prizes were provided by Ubisoft. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Imagine: Fashion Designer -- Review and Giveaway

Win an Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game for Nintendo DS by Ubisoft! To enter, keep reading....

I loved designing clothes when I was a little girl, and The Pea is just like me. Whether it's drawing designs on paper or cutting up bits of paper to drape on paper dolls or pinning scraps of cloth to make a cape for Barbie and American Girl, she can spend hours dreaming up all kinds of outfits. Recently Ubisoft sent us three Nintendo DS games from their popular Imagine girls' series to help The Pea satisfy her clothing design cravings. Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour, Imagine: Fashion Designer New York and Imagine: Babyz Fashion differ in storyline and characters, but they all allow girls to pretend they are fashion designers and let them design all kinds of clothes. I'm happy to let her play these games because they a fun addition to her clothes design play, and she gets to exercise her creativity and imagination.


Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour follows the adventures of a young Hollywood fashion designer -- the game player -- who wants to create her own label and take it global. To do that, players have to create seasonal collections and promote them via runway shows and fashion shoots. At the end of the season, players must meet a minimum sales target (which serves as a "score") in order to move onto the next season. It's all a bit complicated to me, and involves quite a lot of dedicated play (which is kind of difficult for The Pea when she gets limited screen time and has to choose between so many games to play!), but there are also some mini-games that players can complete in a short timeframe. Anyway, The Pea is too preoccupied with creating clothes and dolling up the models with hair and nails and makeup and accessories to pay too much attention to the overarching storyline at this point.

I really like how this game incorporates the features of the Nintendo DSi. For example, you have to blow into the game console's microphone to dry your model's nails! Another really cool feature is the ability to use the DSi's camera to take photos of things and use them in the clothes you design. Do you adore that shade of pink in your grandmother's rose garden? Use it to tint the bolt of cloth! Or take a photo of your own lovely lips and use it as a pattern for the next miniskirt you create! You can also use the DSi's wireless feature to share the garments you've created with your friends (they need to have their own DSi and Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game plugged in).



Imagine: Fashion Designer New York is a lot like the World Tour version (it was actually released before World Tour) in that the player creates their own fashions for fashion shows and photo shoots. The story is slightly different: in this game, the player is a novice fashion designer who joins a fashion house in New York, and the goal of the game is to become a great fashion designer. Players get there by completing tasks and challenges such as selecting models, dressing models and putting on a fashion show. Completing the tasks increases the player's experience level and unlocks more style options and fashion advice, which in turn help the player complete more challenging tasks. Throughout the introductory section and tasks, girls get the fun of choosing clothes, designing clothes, and deciding on hair, makeup and accessories. It's a bit more basic than the World Tour version, but there's' still more than enough to entertain girls.


In Imagine: Babyz Fashion, the stars of the runway are cartoon-y toddlers. You can design outfits for them and dress them up and choreograph their catwalk performances. I really like the part where you can choose the baby's dance moves and choose the music they walk down the runway to (anyone remember the Ally McBeal dancing baby?), but I have to admit, the concept of babies toddling down runways and entering fashion contests kind of creeps me out. I know it's all a simulation, but it smacks too much of that icky JonBenet Ramsey, Toddlers and Tiaras, infant beauty pageant world. I much prefer the part of the game where you have to feed and play with the baby, which is something that all girls like to do, even the older ones. They just won't admit it -- so caring for virtual babies lets them play mommy-baby and still maintain their cool girl facade.



Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win their own Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game for Nintendo DS. To enter, go to the Ubisoft Parent's Corner and take their Perfect Gift Quiz. Then leave a comment on this post and tell me which Ubisoft game(s) the quiz recommended for your child. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment with your blog URL).

2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

3) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

4) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a copy of Imagine: Fashion Designer World Tour game for Nintendo DS from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/y8s9uvh

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 16, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on December 17 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Style Lab Jewelry Design for Nintendo DS

All 3 of my kids love making necklaces and bracelets. There's just something so calming and therapeutic about stringing beads and charms onto a string, and when you're done you end up with something pretty and unique and personal to wear. They started out when they were very young, sliding huge plastic beads onto pipe cleaners with their chubby 18-month old fingers, then graduated to plastic pony beads.

The beads have gotten smaller and smaller as they grow up (now they can work with seed beads, elastic cord, wire and crimping tools). And now they're delighted to find that one of their favorite craft activites has gone virtual with the introduction of Ubisoft's Style Lab Jewelry Design game for Nintendo DS! It was just released a couple of days ago and we were lucky to receive an advance copy to play with and review.


The Basics
Style Lab: Jewelry Design lets players create their very own pieces of jewelry, try the jewelry on photos of themselves, and upload the jewelry to the web, and order an actual copy of the jewelry for them to wear. Players can choose from game mode (where they pretend to be the owner of a jewelry shop; the goal of the game is to design the perfect piece of jewelry for the customers who come to their shop and earn money so they can buy more beads and charms to use in future jewelry creations), or they can enter a free play mode and design whatever jewelry they want.


The Bongga
The Pea, of course, loves this game; it's her third favorite Nintendo DS game (next to Imagine Salon Stylist and Style Lab Makeover). Even my two boys, 3Po and Jammy, love playing it! They like stringing real beads so it's not a surprise they like this as well. I'm impressed with how Ubisoft really got it right and created so many games that really appeals to girls' interests! It's so much fun to create jewelry, and so much easier to plan it out virtually than to struggle with the real needlenose pliers and crimp beads and such. And since you can actually order your finished creations, you get all the satisfaction of a finished product.

I really love how this game utilizes the best of the DSi's features. You can use the Nintendo DSi camera to take a photo of yourself, then "try on" the jewelry you made in the game. You can use the wireless feature to share designs with friends who also have the DSi and their own Style Lab: Makeover. Best of all, you can even upload your design to the web and order the actual bracelet that you design! Unfortunately we haven't gotten a chance to upload any of our creations to the Style Lab or order them, but you can bet this is one feature that we'll be trying in the future -- and when The Pea's jewelry creations arrive, you can bet I'll be posting photos on this blog!

The Blah
I have to admit I'm a bit daunted at the thought of getting everything set up to be able to order the kids' jewelry creations off the web. I took the first step -- creating an account at www.stylelabgame.com , but it seemed like just another online site for kids, and I couldn't figure out where I could actually order and pay for the jewelry. I wish Ubisoft would include clearer uploading and ordering instructions!

The Bottom Line
Style Lab: Jewelry Design is the perfect combination of virtual gaming and actual shopping. I would definitely recommend this game as a present for an 8-10 year old girl -- along with a gift certificate to the Style Lab shop, so the girl who receives this game can also get a real copy of the jewelry she designs!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Makeover fun with Nintendo DS games from Ubisoft

The Pea is at that age when makeup is just beginning to interest her. And I don't just mean trying it on -- she's been painting her nails and smearing on eyeshadow and lipstick since she was two. Recently she's asked me whether she can wear makeup to school and ballet class! Imagine what the teachers would say if a third grader came to class looking like Ivana Trump. It goes without saying that I nipped that idea in the bud.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally fine with The Pea experimenting with hair and makeup. In fact, she's got her own little kit with lip gloss and nail polish and eyeshadow and a hairbrush and mirror. I just don't want her going out like that! Fortunately Ubisoft recently sent us two games that let The Pea indulge in her current makeover obsession on the Nintendo DS: Imagine: Salon Stylist and Style Lab: Makeover.

The Basics
Imagine: Salon Stylist is a Nintendo DS game that lets players run their own beauty salon. In the game's background story, you are a salon owner; the goal is to get clients to keep coming back and attract new, celebrity clients -- all of whom give you "money". You please clients by giving them the hairstyles and makeovers and treatments they want, greeting and treating them nicely. Successful makeovers earn you money that you can spend on salon decor and use to unlock new hairstyles and accessories that will make you even more successful.

Style Lab: Makeover lets players create avatars of themselves and their friends, and experiment with different makeup and hair styles. You use the Nintendo DS's camera to snap a photo of yourself so that you can match it as closely as possible to the available face shapes, skin tones, hairstyles, and facial features. You can complete makeover challenges to earn points that can be used to unlock more makeup colors, tools and styles. Unlike the Imagine series, Style Lab: Makeover does not have a story game component (there's another game for that: Imagine: Makeup Artist).

The Bongga
These two games are The Pea's current favorite! The story component of Imagine: Salon Stylist is secondary to the enjoyment she gets out of playing with the hair and makeup tools. She loves putting makeup on her virtual face and her friend's virtual face, and she loves experimenting with all the different hairstyles. And she loves styling The funny thing is that 3Po and Jammy also like playing with these games! I think they like using the stylus to do things like cut and straighten hair, or trace the outline of a virtual model's lip in order to apply lip liner.

The Blah
Both games are harmless fun, so I really don't see anything wrong with either of them. If I had a complaint, it would be that Style Lab: Makeover doesn't let girls take a photo of themselves and make over their actual face. They just use the photos to help create an avatar that resembles them.

The Bottom Line
Imagine: Salon Stylist and Style Lab: Makeover are two great games for young girls that let them indulge in all the hair and beauty makeovers they can think of. Parents will like it because there's no mess -- no need to buy gallons of makeup remover, and no need for that quick trip to the hairdressers to fix an unauthorized haircut that has gone tragically wrong!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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