Family Time

If picking up Xbox 360™ for your eager gaming family is your first step, your second will likely be choosing the best games for your kids. Your children don't need to be isolated when they sit down cross-legged in front of the TV with controllers in their hands, so choose your game purchases wisely.

There are many games to choose from, but something that's important to any parent is family time. Find something your whole clan can enjoy and look forward to.

For Xbox 360, I've compiled a list of games that line up nicely with family time in mind. Here are a few suggested titles for you and yours.

A Vibrant Kameo

It's vivid, it's colorful, it's funny, and it's simply a joy to behold. Kameo™: Elements of Power™ is an action/adventure game that small children, adolescents, and adults can all appreciate. While not a multiplayer title, few games are better suited for backseat driving.

Kameo: A gorgeous world for your family to explore.

Siblings and parents can take turns, help guide the action, give tips when someone gets stuck, or otherwise simply enjoy the unfurling of the spectacularly crafted world. If adventure is your son or daughter's delight, Kameo will provide an adventure for the whole family.

Racket Time

Friendly competition is great for family bonding, and the more personal the experience, the better. That's exactly what Top Spin™ 2 offers with its freakishly realistic graphics and one-on-one gameplay. Grab your favorite pro (like Roger Federer or Andy Roddick) or create and customize your very own player, then pit yourself against parent or sibling in epic matches. What's more, with Xbox Live® play and relatively short matches, it's a great and quick way to touch base with kids at college.

Scantily Clad Aggression

For parents with teenagers, you can hardly do better than Dead or Alive® 4, with its jaw-dropping eye-candy and fast-paced gameplay (so long as you don't mind some relatively scantily-clad fighters).

There's nothing like a good family fight.

There's nothing better for getting out the aggression than a fighting game so beautiful you can feel every punch, kick, and throw in your bones. For fans of the series, you'll be happy to hear that defense is a source of focus for Dead or Alive 4, with an even more intricate fighting system in place.

Hot Seat Crashing

If hot seat gaming has any home left, it's the family living room. Variations of "my turn next" have been heard in thousands upon thousands of family rooms over the years, and there's no better game for controller hopping than the high-octane racer Burnout Revenge™.

Your kids will love making the sparks fly in Burnout Revenge.

Whether you're taking turns trying to win races in the career mode, or piling up high scores in the hyperactive crash mode, Burnout Revenge offers up quick bite-sized bits of exhilarating racing for everyone involved.

Aside from belonging to traditionally family friendly genres, the preceding games have another important element in common: They all play easily. Control setups are simple and intuitive, so even the youngest or most inexperienced gamer can wrap their limited skills around any of these games. Don't forget that gaming time is good, but gaming time as family time is always better.

Article by Alex McLain