While the family and I continue our decent into Super Mario Galaxy 2, I wanted to take a minute and mention two games we rented recently, SpongeBob's Boating Bash and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Since I want to get the inferior of the two out of the way, first up is SpongeBob's Boating Bash for the Wii. If you walk into any video game section of your favorite retailer you're likely to see about 6,000 SpongeBob games - pick any other SpongeBob game if you must bring yourself to buy one.

Boating Bash is supposed to be a racing game staring the characters from the SpongeBob universe. But I would say it's as close to a punch in the face as it is a racing game. This game is simply awful. The one redeeming quality is that they got the voice actors to do the voices (which I assume is a contractual obligation), outside of that, this game made me want to toss my Wiimote out the window. The controls are clunky at best and the graphics are a complete mess. If you want a racer for your kids I would pick up Sonic and Sega All-star Racing instead. Just steer clear of this game at all costs.

SpongeBob's Boating Bash - 2 out of 10

The second game we played is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs for the PS3. If you saw the movie and enjoyed it I think you'll have a good time with this game - assuming you play with your kids. My family and I absolutely love the movie, and while the game isn't as good as the movie, it's still a good time. The game is a simple 3-D platformer with a storyline lifted right from the film. You play as Flint Lockwood and a second player can drop in and out (ala the LEGO video game series) and play as Flint's pet monkey, Steve. My three-year-old particularly loves playing as the money because, well, it's a monkey and who doesn't love monkeys?

The challenges in each level are simple, the collectables are out in the open, and the controls are simple to learn, making this an easy game for kids to pick up and play with almost no problem. They've simplified the controls so that playing consists of hitting just a few buttons. Pressing the X button jumps, L2 or R2 activates your equipped item, L1 or R1 changes items and you move with the left stick. The graphics aren't great, but given the retro feel of the movie and the audience this game is after, they don't need to be. 

If your an adult gamer with no kids, I would stay away from this one unless you're looking for trophies. An experienced gamer can finish this game with 100% completion in an afternoon easily. But with that completion will come many trophies to add to your collection. Sure, they're from a simple kids game, but they still add to your total.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball - 7 out of 10 (with kids, 4 out of 10 without)

Oh, and if you haven't seen the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, what are you waiting for? Queue it on Neflix ASAP.