Question from a non-gamer parent - hoping for advice

[WhisperingShadow]

Hi all, I'm looking for some friendly guidance as a parent who knows practically nothing about gaming. My 10-year-old has been playing games on our Switch and begging me to let him join this forum.

The game he's been playing most is Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. He keeps saying how helpful forum strategies can be. Without understanding the game myself, can anyone give me an overview of what kind of discussions take place here?

Are kids allowed to join the forum? If I can't help my kid with his game and see that the community is safe for minors, I can let him sign up. My main concern is them accidentally viewing or participating in discussions about mature content. I want to make sure this space would be age-appropriate before allowing membership. Any insider perspective from parents would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

Once your kid is 13, they can join themselves. Additionally, I would argue that most discussions on here are fine for that age, with the only mature content possibly being swearing (or hateful opinions on the political side of the forum, why do we have that when it's so stupid in there?)
I'm not a parent, but I am 17.
In gaming terms, I would argue that this site is rated somewhere between E10+ (everyone 10 and older) and T (anyone 13 and older) with it leaning more towards T for Teen. It's always up to you, but once he's 13, he's legally allowed to join and use GBAtemp without your consent or supervision.

As for discussions, usually you'll find people talking about games (such as discussing which ones they like, dislike, or otherwise find notable) in addition to some guides. Though honestly, this site is at least in my experience more for the advanced user with many discussions and tutorials for hacking your consoles (which is a perfectly legal thing to do! Using homebrew software on your system is free, but comes with no warranty for issues caused by it or user error, so I would advise that you stay away from CFW/Homebrew and other modding discussions, not like they're mature or anything, but homebrew can be dangerous if badly mishandled.) which I'd argue is what the site is more or less for nowadays.

Anyhow, since your kid has a Switch, you may want to consider setting up the Parental Controls if you haven't already. Obviously don't be some strict overprotective helicopter parent, but it might be interesting to see how long he plays for in each game with the mobile app.

 

[WhisperingShadow]

I appreciate your detailed response to my queries. As my kid is only 10, I will do my best to support him until he turns 13. This might be an opportunity for us to bond through gaming together. Although Homebrew sounds intimidating and has the potential to damage the Switch, we can explore it further when he is older, and I have gained more knowledge. In any case, I am grateful for your help. Your explanation has been particularly helpful for someone like me who is new to this.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

I appreciate your detailed response to my queries. As my kid is only 10, I will do my best to support him until he turns 13. This might be an opportunity for us to bond through gaming together. Although Homebrew sounds intimidating and has the potential to damage the Switch, we can explore it further when he is older, and I have gained more knowledge. In any case, I am grateful for your help. Your explanation has been particularly helpful for someone like me who is new to this.

Homebrew on the switch currently requires some extra hardware to perform, and even then, it's likely that your switch has already been patched and is incapable of being exploited without hardware mods. On other Nintendo consoles, such as the Wii U and 3DS, installing CFW (custom firmware) is rather easy as long as you're careful and know what you're doing. But again, I think it would be better to avoid that for now and focus more on using GBAtemp as a place to discuss games, rather than hacking. For example, asking about how to get through a game or asking if a certain title would be age appropriate if the ESRB (or ratings board for your country) rating isn't clear for you.

Also, fun feature on the Nintendo Switch: You can remap the buttons on the controller (almost) however you'd like in the settings. Very useful in my opinion, both for accessibility as well as just messing around, taking away the ability to use certain inputs as a challenge to see if you can still progress in a came without being able to do certain things. Also fairly handy for if you use a non-nintendo controller (either through a USB dongle, such as what 8BitDo makes, easy to use honestly, good if you need another controller but don't want to buy some joycons and already have a PlayStation/Xbox/etc controller, or through MissionControl if your system has homebrew, which again for now would be best to more or less ignore and not try to install)

 

[WhisperingShadow]

Homebrew on the switch currently requires some extra hardware to perform, and even then, it's likely that your switch has already been patched and is incapable of being exploited without hardware mods. On other Nintendo consoles, such as the Wii U and 3DS, installing CFW (custom firmware) is rather easy as long as you're careful and know what you're doing. But again, I think it would be better to avoid that for now and focus more on using GBAtemp as a place to discuss games, rather than hacking. For example, asking about how to get through a game or asking if a certain title would be age appropriate if the ESRB (or ratings board for your country) rating isn't clear for you.

Also, fun feature on the Nintendo Switch: You can remap the buttons on the controller (almost) however you'd like in the settings. Very useful in my opinion, both for accessibility as well as just messing around, taking away the ability to use certain inputs as a challenge to see if you can still progress in a came without being able to do certain things. Also fairly handy for if you use a non-nintendo controller (either through a USB dongle, such as what 8BitDo makes, easy to use honestly, good if you need another controller but don't want to buy some joycons and already have a PlayStation/Xbox/etc controller, or through MissionControl if your system has homebrew, which again for now would be best to more or less ignore and not try to install)

I agree! Homebrew on the Switch is a bit too advanced for me, but I'm excited to try remapping or disabling some controller buttons. That could be a great way to level the playing field between me and my son, who's a much better gamer than I am.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

I agree! Homebrew on the Switch is a bit too advanced for me, but I'm excited to try remapping or disabling some controller buttons. That could be a great way to level the playing field between me and my son, who's a much better gamer than I am.

Yeah! All you need to do to make a custom button layout is open system settings (the gear icon in the home menu) then go down to Controllers and Sensors, and select Change Button Mapping. You can even save different layouts, up to 5 per-controller. Also, if a custom layout is active, you'll be asked if you want to reset back to the default layout or keep it when you turn your switch back on from sleep mode.

 

[Nintendoswitchmodfan]

If you want to bond with your son using a Nintendo Switch, I recommend Super Mario 3D world for the Nintendo Switch. It has local Multiplayer and is a ton of fun. Forum should be harmless but keep an eye on them regardless, the internet is a scary place and can mess up anyone who is not ready for it. Good luck and your son is very luck to have someone care about him as much as you do! I wish I had a mom like you when I was growing up TOT

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

If you want to bond with your son using a Nintendo Switch, I recommend Super Mario 3D world for the Nintendo Switch. It has local Multiplayer and is a ton of fun. Forum should be harmless but keep an eye on them regardless, the internet is a scary place and can mess up anyone who is not ready for it. Good luck and your son is very luck to have someone care about him as much as you do! I wish I had a mom like you when I was growing up TOT

As someone who has had unrestricted internet access, this. Thanks to twitter I played a game that I would rather not name here, and got traumatized. I will say though that it thankfully isn't on any consoles, and likely never will be due to its awful nature.

Also, something fun I personally like about Bowser's Fury, which is included with the Switch port of Super Mario 3D Land: The little calico cats scattered about look a bit like my fursona! Sure, it's a coincidence, but a very cute one. Additionally, the bonus you get for 100%ing bowsers fury (that is to say getting all the shines) is also quite cute!
It also has co-op where one player can control mario, while the other can control bowser jr. to help out. I feel like that would be excellent for you and your son!

 

[WhisperingShadow]

Yeah! All you need to do to make a custom button layout is open system settings (the gear icon in the home menu) then go down to Controllers and Sensors, and select Change Button Mapping. You can even save different layouts, up to 5 per-controller. Also, if a custom layout is active, you'll be asked if you want to reset back to the default layout or keep it when you turn your switch back on from sleep mode.

Thanks for the button remapping steps for the Switch! I'm starting to really like the Switch and gaming in general.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

If you want to bond with your son using a Nintendo Switch, I recommend Super Mario 3D world for the Nintendo Switch. It has local Multiplayer and is a ton of fun. Forum should be harmless but keep an eye on them regardless, the internet is a scary place and can mess up anyone who is not ready for it. Good luck and your son is very luck to have someone care about him as much as you do! I wish I had a mom like you when I was growing up TOT

Thank you for the game recommendation, it really looks like a lot of fun. I was actually looking for good games to give him this Christmas season. The internet can really be unpredictable. I'm thinking of purchasing an ad blocker to prevent some ads that may have the potential to display inappropriate contents, anyone has a recommendation with easy parental controls?

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

As someone who has had unrestricted internet access, this. Thanks to twitter I played a game that I would rather not name here, and got traumatized. I will say though that it thankfully isn't on any consoles, and likely never will be due to its awful nature.

Also, something fun I personally like about Bowser's Fury, which is included with the Switch port of Super Mario 3D Land: The little calico cats scattered about look a bit like my fursona! Sure, it's a coincidence, but a very cute one. Additionally, the bonus you get for 100%ing bowsers fury (that is to say getting all the shines) is also quite cute!
It also has co-op where one player can control mario, while the other can control bowser jr. to help out. I feel like that would be excellent for you and your son!

That game sounds terrifying. I'm glad I don't use Twitter. Thanks for telling me about Bowser's Fury, I'll watch some game reviews on YouTube tonight to have a feel of the game. I appreciate you taking the time to recommend a new game to enjoy over the holidays!

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

Thanks for the button remapping steps for the Switch! I'm starting to really like the Switch and gaming in general.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

Thank you for the game recommendation, it really looks like a lot of fun. I was actually looking for good games to give him this Christmas season. The internet can really be unpredictable. I'm thinking of purchasing an ad blocker to prevent some ads that may have the potential to display inappropriate contents, anyone has a recommendation with easy parental controls?

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

That game sounds terrifying. I'm glad I don't use Twitter. Thanks for telling me about Bowser's Fury, I'll watch some game reviews on YouTube tonight to have a feel of the game. I appreciate you taking the time to recommend a new game to enjoy over the holidays!

Don't purchase an ad blocker! Get one, but don't spend money on one.
Just switch to Firefox (assuming you don't already use it, it's very easy and on Android devices can even work as a password manager for other apps) and install the uBlock Origin extension. It'll block any ads that would normally load, not only making pages load faster, but also making the internet less annoying.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

Honestly, I've gotten far less suggestive ads than I've gotten suggestive if not sexual youtube video recommendations..
But I would try to not worry about that. Just be sure to monitor your son's internet browsing responsably, obviously don't be overbearing but I would ensure that he avoids adult websites until he's old enough, and stays off of social media (maybe besides YouTube, as for the most part it can be fine. YouTube Kids though I personally advise against, just keep an eye on his watch history.) until he's 13, if not 15~ or so.

If you want to make an ad blocker for your home network as a whole, you COULD make a PiHole yourself, though it is rather technical. But yeah, all in all, ads are something that for the most part I feel you can probably not worry that much about.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

Another game I recommend on the switch is Grapple Dog. It's a 2D platformer where you play as Pablo, the aforementioned Dog with a grappling hook. Pretty fun to swing around in, honestly! The controls in the menu are kind of odd, though. Seems like they forgot to make it use normal Nintendo controls rather than Xbox controls during development (in its menus, B is accept and A is cancel/go back for some reason, I'm guessing that's why) but it's not too bad. Maybe an update fixed it, not sure.

Another game I recommend would be Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which while it isn't out yet, I've... gotten my little paws on it early, to put it one way. And it's really fun! Sure, it's another 2D Mario game, but those are always fun, plus the new power-ups, the multiplayer, the Wonder effects on the levels.. it's just fun!

I'll try and keep thinking of good games to recommend for you both. There's many I could recommend, but some (for example, Inscryption, due to its darker themes and some mature actions/imagery) would fall under higher ESRB ratings such as T or M.
It's always up to the parent to decide if something is okay for their kid, the rating on the box is just a quick at-a-glance way of knowing what the game has in it.

 

[WhisperingShadow]

Don't purchase an ad blocker! Get one, but don't spend money on one.
Just switch to Firefox (assuming you don't already use it, it's very easy and on Android devices can even work as a password manager for other apps) and install the uBlock Origin extension. It'll block any ads that would normally load, not only making pages load faster, but also making the internet less annoying.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

Honestly, I've gotten far less suggestive ads than I've gotten suggestive if not sexual youtube video recommendations..
But I would try to not worry about that. Just be sure to monitor your son's internet browsing responsably, obviously don't be overbearing but I would ensure that he avoids adult websites until he's old enough, and stays off of social media (maybe besides YouTube, as for the most part it can be fine. YouTube Kids though I personally advise against, just keep an eye on his watch history.) until he's 13, if not 15~ or so.

If you want to make an ad blocker for your home network as a whole, you COULD make a PiHole yourself, though it is rather technical. But yeah, all in all, ads are something that for the most part I feel you can probably not worry that much about.

Post automatically merged: Oct 18, 2023

Another game I recommend on the switch is Grapple Dog. It's a 2D platformer where you play as Pablo, the aforementioned Dog with a grappling hook. Pretty fun to swing around in, honestly! The controls in the menu are kind of odd, though. Seems like they forgot to make it use normal Nintendo controls rather than Xbox controls during development (in its menus, B is accept and A is cancel/go back for some reason, I'm guessing that's why) but it's not too bad. Maybe an update fixed it, not sure.

Another game I recommend would be Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which while it isn't out yet, I've... gotten my little paws on it early, to put it one way. And it's really fun! Sure, it's another 2D Mario game, but those are always fun, plus the new power-ups, the multiplayer, the Wonder effects on the levels.. it's just fun!

I'll try and keep thinking of good games to recommend for you both. There's many I could recommend, but some (for example, Inscryption, due to its darker themes and some mature actions/imagery) would fall under higher ESRB ratings such as T or M.
It's always up to the parent to decide if something is okay for their kid, the rating on the box is just a quick at-a-glance way of knowing what the game has in it.

I'm using Firefox for my personal browsing, while Chrome is used for work. I haven't used an ad blocker yet. I remember reading an article once that Google will ban YouTube accounts that are using ad blockers, so I've been hesitant to use one. Do I need to turn off the ad blocker when I'm on YouTube, or was that just to scare us?

I checked out a video of Grapple Dog. It may not be for me, but I'm definitely interested in Super Mario Bros Wonder! You're lucky to get to play a game that's not been out in the market yet. Is that one of the perks of being a long-time member of this forum, like being one of the early game reviewers?

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

I'm using Firefox for my personal browsing, while Chrome is used for work. I haven't used an ad blocker yet. I remember reading an article once that Google will ban YouTube accounts that are using ad blockers, so I've been hesitant to use one. Do I need to turn off the ad blocker when I'm on YouTube, or was that just to scare us?

I checked out a video of Grapple Dog. It may not be for me, but I'm definitely interested in Super Mario Bros Wonder! You're lucky to get to play a game that's not been out in the market yet. Is that one of the perks of being a long-time member of this forum, like being one of the early game reviewers?

YouTube won't ban your account, it's just to scare you. At most YouTube will refuse to work, and even then, uBlock Origin's team has been at war updating the extension to get around YouTube's detection of it, sooner or later YouTube will just give up.

Anyhow, you can try out a demo of SMB Wonder in some stores that have those Nintendo Switch kiosks. I personally got the full game early because, well, I pirated it. I know, I know, that's not very nice of me, but as a company I really don't like what Nintendo does. The price we have to pay for barely-working online play is just unfair, but the games are still fun and they make good stuff at least.
I won't tell you how to pirate switch games as that would be against the rules of the forum; I will also like to state that, while installing backups of games (including pirated ones downloaded from the internet) is made possible by CFW (custom firmware) and homebrew, CFW and homebrew ITSELF is not piracy, nor is making backups of your own legally bought titles; the piracy itself (or sharing of backups) is what's illegal.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

Super Mario Brothers Wonder has now officially released! Not sure if there's an eShop demo, but it's at least available for purchase.

 

[Ricken]

I struggled a ton with Oracle of Ages when I was his age.

Show him this; https://www.zeldadungeon.net/oracle-of-ages-walkthrough/

That website carried my youth through most of the Zelda series.

 

[WhisperingShadow]

YouTube won't ban your account, it's just to scare you. At most YouTube will refuse to work, and even then, uBlock Origin's team has been at war updating the extension to get around YouTube's detection of it, sooner or later YouTube will just give up.

Anyhow, you can try out a demo of SMB Wonder in some stores that have those Nintendo Switch kiosks. I personally got the full game early because, well, I pirated it. I know, I know, that's not very nice of me, but as a company I really don't like what Nintendo does. The price we have to pay for barely-working online play is just unfair, but the games are still fun and they make good stuff at least.
I won't tell you how to pirate switch games as that would be against the rules of the forum; I will also like to state that, while installing backups of games (including pirated ones downloaded from the internet) is made possible by CFW (custom firmware) and homebrew, CFW and homebrew ITSELF is not piracy, nor is making backups of your own legally bought titles; the piracy itself (or sharing of backups) is what's illegal.

I have downloaded the uBlock Origin extension on my Firefox and have immediately noticed the results. Good thing you suggested that.

I have a pretty good idea on how to get a game for free, thanks to my kid who showed me how. But then that's where I realized the danger of the internet lies. Not just because of the inappropriate advertisements but the possibility of getting trojan, malware, and other scary stuff. Thanks to this community, I am able to protect myself, my kid, and our device from these dangers.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

I have downloaded the uBlock Origin extension on my Firefox and have immediately noticed the results. Good thing you suggested that.

I have a pretty good idea on how to get a game for free, thanks to my kid who showed me how. But then that's where I realized the danger of the internet lies. Not just because of the inappropriate advertisements but the possibility of getting trojan, malware, and other scary stuff. Thanks to this community, I am able to protect myself, my kid, and our device from these dangers.

I mean. I could tell you the actual GOOD places to get games for free (though only for consoles before the switch, sadly I kinda can't help with switch piracy not only because piracy discussion/ROM sharing is against GBAtemp's site rules, but also because there is no good place for switch roms yet..) if it wasn't for the fact that I'd get banned from here for sharing those kinds of sites.

However! If you have a Nintendo Wii U, you can just install homebrew on it easily (with practically no brick risk either) and then get NUSspli, which is a homebrew tool to download games directly from Nintendo's eShop servers. Still works great for me, and it's not against the site rules to talk about NUSspli either.

In fact, if you wanna talk about anything off-site, you could probably email me at [email protected], but I think talking through GBAtemp is pretty alright.

Post automatically merged: Oct 23, 2023

Furthermore, I bet your kid already knows the two good places I'd even suggest; that red website and that green website. I can't say more than that, though.

 

[WhisperingShadow]

Super Mario Brothers Wonder has now officially released! Not sure if there's an eShop demo, but it's at least available for purchase.

That's great news, thanks for letting me know!

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

That's great news, thanks for letting me know!

Wonderful news, if I may say!

 

[WhisperingShadow]

Show him this; https://www.zeldadungeon.net/oracle-of-ages-walkthrough/

That website carried my youth through most of the Zelda series.

Thank you so much for this really detailed resource! My kid is usually very patient in figuring out the games, and only seeks my help when he's exhausted everything. However, I've rarely been able to help him because I'm not a gamer. This will be so handy for those situations!