(STEM) Create your own video game with Game Builder Garage for the Nintendo Switch! ~ Dallas Mom Blog and Fort Worth Mom Blogger: Trendy Mom Reviews
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Monday, July 5, 2021

(STEM) Create your own video game with Game Builder Garage for the Nintendo Switch!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are honest and my own. 

If you follow regularly, you may know that I love products that make STEM fun.  In today's post, I'll tell you about my own career as a software engineer, why I encourage my own children to learn about programming, and tell you about the new Nintendo Switch game that makes visual game programming fun for kids - Game Builder Garage(Spoiler alert - coding is a great skill and Game Builder Garage makes it fun for your future tech moguls to start coding small video games!)

Let's start with a quick summary of why I am glad that I learned to code at a relatively young age. When I was fresh out of college, my coding skills allowed me to earn a good living. It was easy to find a job. I was quickly able to find a job that offered a good salary, benefits, and flexibility. I worked on projects that I found meaningful and had the opportunity to see the projects go into the real world. I worked with many smart people and enjoyed working to solve problems as both a team and individual. I have many happy memories from my early career as an engineer.  I then took a several year break from coding when my children were born, but accepted a job last month where I am reviving my coding skills! The first few weeks were overwhelming because I had to get up to speed on company specific coding practices and new tools/features that were not around before my gap years. I am still learning, but finally starting to feel up to speed and love coding again! 

When I look back on my career and career gap, I realize that I picked a good career path because it was truly possible for me to return to coding. Someone mentioned to me that technology changes so quickly that you are typically never more than a couple of years out of date because things change rapidly. While I don't agree 100% with this statement, there is a seed of truth to it.  Over the past year, I spent time practicing skills for the type of job that I wanted and then the stars aligned for my new job. It  wasn't immediate. I applied for multiple jobs and was not selected to move forward in some cases. I'm sure that the several year gap in writing code made many managers hesitate. That was tough and gave me doubts, but I just needed one job and one came though!  

I encourage my own children to get into programming because I know that the field provides many opportunities to make a difference. Plus, as a parent, I will feel some relief if my children pursue careers in an in-demand field.  That's why I wanted to share this post today -- to share my personal experience and to give other parents tips for things that I do with my own children to help them to become confident problem solvers and programmers.  One of my top tips that I'll feature today is to make coding fun and to take advantage of the Game Builder Garage game that is available on Nintendo Switch!

Here is a quick overview:

"Have you ever dreamed of creating your own video game? That dream can become a reality with the Game Builder Garage software, launching exclusively for the Nintendo Switch system on June 11. With this new software, kids and parents and everyone in between can have fun learning to create and share their very own video games. By connecting colorful creatures called Nodon, anyone can enjoy learning how to create their own game through fun, guided lessons that cover the basics of visual game programming – and no prior experience is necessary! To get an idea of what Nodon look like and how they work in the game, as well as getting a taste of the types of games you can create, check out the announcement trailer for Game Builder Garage right here."

In my personal experience, my family has spent hours with Game Builder Garage.  The visual game programming environment is fantastic!  It's so easy to use. No prior experience is necessary.  My children have a several year age gap and have been bonding through this game. It's fun to watch them code. My older son already knows how to code, but it's especially fun to watch my younger son because he didn't have any coding experience prior to the Game Builder Garage game. It's very cool to see him so engaged in coding!  I have a feeling that he will continue to love it.

The team at Nintendo did a fabulous job and seemed to have thought of everything. The lessons are easy to follow. The visual programming environment is intuitive. The opportunity to create games is perfect for curious children. The entire experience is engaging and education.

We hope that you have a chance to try this game with your future tech titans!  Nintendo truly makes coding fun with Game Builder Garage for Nintendo Switch!

Learn More

This game is available on Amazon and at stores nationwide with a retail price of $29.99.


For more information about Game Builder Garage, visit https://nintendo.com/games/detail/game-builder-garage-switch.

 

Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/.

 

Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online

 

** Software compatibility and play experience may differ on Nintendo Switch Lite. Additional accessories may be required (sold separately). See support.nintendo.com/switch/play for details

 

About NintendoNintendo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has created franchises that have become household names worldwide, including MarioDonkey KongThe Legend of ZeldaMetroidPokémonAnimal CrossingPikmin and Splatoon, through its integrated hardware and software products. Nintendo aims to deliver unique, intuitive entertainment experiences for everyone, manufacturing and marketing video game devices such as the Nintendo Switch family of systems, developing and operating applications for smart devices, and collaborating with partners on a range of other entertainment initiatives like visual content and theme parks. Nintendo has sold more than 5 billion video games and over 779 million hardware units globally. From the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System more than 30 years ago, through today and into the future, Nintendo’s continuing mission is to create unique entertainment that puts smiles on the faces of people all over the world. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/.










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