The 10 Best Kids Xbox One Games

Kids who are ready for a real 3D adventure get three of them in one box with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, a polished remake of the purple dragon's first games. Spyro charges and breathes fire at goofy enemies, and the early worlds ease young players in before the jumps get tricky. Critics praised its bright worlds and fair pacing. It's a single-player game, and the box warns that part of it downloads after you insert the disc.

Two players can team up on one couch in the LEGO Marvel Collection, which packs three superhero games onto two discs: Super Heroes, Avengers and Super Heroes 2. A second player can jump in or drop out at any time, and heroes who fall apart simply rebuild, so young kids rarely get stuck. There's a huge cast of characters to unlock. Cartoon fights earn it an older-kids rating, and the shared split screen can feel cramped on a small TV.

Young readers who have finished the books can relive all seven years at Hogwarts in the LEGO Harry Potter Collection, which puts two remastered games on one disc. Players brew potions, cast spells and solve light puzzles, alone or with a partner on the same screen. The first half tells its story through mime and music instead of spoken lines, which suits early readers. The originals came from older consoles, and the camera and menus show their age.

Dinosaur fans get the most out of LEGO Jurassic World, which retells all four Jurassic Park films in brick form, with plenty of slapstick. Kids can play as the dinosaurs, not just the people running from them, and a second player can join on the same screen. Famous scenes from the films are played for laughs, so the scares stay mild. Critics called it fun but repetitive, and the later chapters lean on the same kinds of puzzles.

For birthday parties and rainy afternoons, Just Dance 2021 gets the whole family off the couch. On an Xbox One, each dancer holds a phone running a free controller app, or stands in front of the old Kinect camera, and the game scores how closely they copy the moves. A kids' mode has its own songs. It needs an internet connection, has online features, and keeps pitching a paid song subscription once the free month ends.

Kids who know the SpongeBob cartoon will hear every familiar voice and joke in Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated, a fresh-looking remake of a cult favorite. Players switch between SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy, each with different moves, while they hunt for golden spatulas around the undersea town. The tone is silly, never scary. Reviews were mixed, though: the camera can fight you, and gathering the same items over and over wears thin.

Speed is the whole point of Sonic Colors: Ultimate, a sharper remake of an older Wii game in which Sonic frees colorful aliens and borrows their powers. It carries an E rating, for cartoon violence only. This copy comes in the European box, but Xbox One discs aren't locked to a region, so it plays on American consoles. Bottomless pits and sudden bursts of speed can frustrate younger kids, who may lose lives quickly.

Older kids who want a real challenge will find one in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, three remade platformers starring a spinning, wide-eyed bandicoot. Timing every jump matters, and the boss fights reward patience. The first game is the toughest of the set, so start with the second or third and come back to it later. Kids who give up easily may find the whole package frustrating, since the levels punish small mistakes.

Preschoolers who watch the show can play their way through PAW Patrol: Adventure City Calls, a gentle adventure built around the movie. Kids pick from a pack of pups, each with its own rescue tool, and clear simple missions around a bright, toy-like city. It carries a plain E rating with no content warnings at all. Critics mostly skipped it, and kids past early grade school will finish it fast and want something harder.

Truck-mad kids can drive real Monster Jam trucks such as Grave Digger in Monster Jam Steel Titans 2, from stadium events to wide outdoor areas full of ramps and jumps. Big crashes are part of the fun, and the handling rewards practice rather than speed alone. It has an E rating. The game includes online play and paid extras, so set up the console's family controls before handing over the controller.