MediaWise’s top ten ‘games to avoid’ for children and teens

The National Institute on Media and the Family has just released the 2007 Video Game Report Card (pdf file), which rates the games industry on everything they’re not going to listen to. It covers everything from how parents don’t understand ESRB ratings to how kids are successfully purchasing M-rated games 50 percent of the time, but we were more interested in their lists of “games to avoid for your children and teens,” as well as their recommended ones.

MediaWise 2007 list of games to avoid for children:

• Assassin’s Creed
• Call to Duty 4
• Conan
• The Darkness
• Jericho
• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men
• Manhunt 2
• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
• Stranglehold
• Time Shift

It’s hard to argue with this list if your opposed to putting violent games in children’s hands. They’re all M-rated, and all involve killing. Titles like Manhunt 2 and The Darkness are shoe-ins for this type of list, but the Wii title Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is a bit of a surprise. I know of some that would say that Kane & Lynch: Dead Men is appropriate for an “avoid” list for other reasons.

Hit the jump for more, including the MediaWise 2007 “recommended” list. 

MediaWise 2007 list of recommended games for children:

• FIFA Soccer 08
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
• Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour
• Madden NFL 08
• Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
• Need for Speed Pro Street
• The Sims 2: Castaway
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Viva Pinta (the NIMH fudged the name)

I’m sure that all of these titles are “safe,” but I can’t recommend Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour to anyone, child or not. Titles like Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Galaxy, and Viva Piñata are solid choices for anyone, child or not.

We give the National Institute on Media and the Family‘s 2007 Video Game Report Card a “B-.” Of course, they’d give Destructoid an “F.”