He's seriously into dinosaurs (not unlike his dad at his age) and when you add a video game into the mix....game over.
Here's the deal. Put in your cash (oh...so much more than just one quarter....sigh...so long ago) and get a magnetic swipable and so very collectible card from the machine with either a dinosaur or some modifier to a dinosaurs attribute(s).
Then play rock/paper/scissors with a video game.
Here's an example:
So every species has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Some can take a lot of damage, some hit hard, some get to use more modifier cards, etc.
Boring for anyone over 10 perhaps. Man, Jake loves it.
Most importantly it teaches valuable lessons about logic, math, and crucial concepts like hit points that will become oh so important when he starts playing REAL role playing games like that one with the funny dice.
On that note, RIP to Gary Gygax, inventor of Dungeons and Dragons. Thanks for such an enjoyable waste of time. I can't imagine what else I would have spent my spare time doing from 1979 - 19XX. I look forward to seeing Jake and Lily's eyes light up when they role their first d20.
