Halloweenie games

A selection of spooky game suggestions to keep the young ones entertained.

It's that time of year, when ghosts, goblins and things that go bump in the night come out to wreak mischief and play pranks.

This modern way of celebrating Halloween really began in America with trick or treating - kids dressing up in ghoulish costumes, going from door to door in search of candy. Literature, films and the vivid imaginations of kids have turned this evening into an otherworldly event where Witches and Warlocks weave their spells, Skeletons come out of the closet and Goblins skulk in the shadows.

It is a time of year that can be great fun whatever your age, but if you're looking after little terrors these games may help to keep them entertained.

Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble
Monstrous fun that makes use of the easy to get to grips with Buzz! Buzzers, Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble on PlayStation 2 challenges you with mischievous games set in Monster Mansion.

Twenty-five games, ranging from spinning mummies to quietening the zombie neighbours, can be found throughout the mansion. Up to four little monsters can compete by collecting ghoulish eyeballs over a series of games.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Filled with Wizards and mythical creatures, J.K. Rowling's magical world is the perfect game setting for Halloween.

With the Ministry of Magic refusing to believe that Harry's latest encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort is true and with no one to turn to, the students of Hogwarts must take matters into their own hands and prepare to defend themselves against the Dark Arts.

Inspired by the books and expanding upon the action of the movie this latest outing for the Boy Who Lived lets you explore a Hogwarts brought vividly to life.

Monster House
Big screen thrills come to PS2 in this gripping game based on Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg's Monster House. With the house itself coming alive and trying to gobble up any wayward Halloween trick or treaters who step on its porch, the stage is set for a fun and freaky game. Enter three kids...

As DJ, Chowder and Jenny, you will explore the house room by room in this creepy Adventure game adaptation, experiencing key moments from the film in your bid for escape.

Scooby-Doo! Who's Watching Who?
What could be more Halloween than Scooby-Doo and those pesky kids solving another mystery?

When Mystery Inc. become the new stars of a reality TV show about ghost hunting, the Ghost Scene Investigator question their unscientific methods. With the gauntlet thrown down you must help Scooby and crew debunk the most ghosts before this new team of rival investigators can.

A happy and wholesome Halloween
To help you make the right judgements about whether a game is suitable for children you can check out the following websites, which hold detailed information on and an explanation of the rating systems used for games released in Europe.

Parents' bbfc at www.pbbfc.co.uk

PEGI at www.pegi.info

USK at www.usk.de