When it comes to games, Hasbro has it down pat

We find that the easiest way to bring a smile to our children's faces is with one simple announcement: "It's family game night" For youngsters, this is an easy sell, but teenagers also appreciate this low-pressure way to interact with parents (even if they won't admit it.)

You can't go wrong with an old favorite, especially when it has a modern twist. With Monopoly: Electronic Banking Edition ($34.95), there's no more money to count out. Each player gets a debit card to swipe through the Electronic Banker to buy properties, collect rent, and pay fines. This classic has been brought up-to-date with higher property values and new locations such as Boston's Fenway Park and the Gate-way Arch in St. Louis. We're amused by the new tokens, which include a dog in a handbag, an Altoids tin, and a flat-screen TV.

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The Game of Life: Twists & Turns ($34.99) puts players on a nonlinear path to pursuing their goals. Choose to Live It (follow the adventure track), Love It (family track), Learn It (education track), or Earn It (career track). The game comes with Visa cards instead of cash, and an electronic LifePod serves as a personal assistant as it lets players choose how long to play and manages money, houses, cars, and family matters at the touch of a button.

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Fans of I Spy and other picture hunt adventures will enjoy Pictureka! ($19.99, available exclusively at Target). Players try to find hidden objects on a gameboard before the timer runs out. Don't bother memorizing where things are, the board consists of nine two-sided tiles that change throughout the game.

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Electronic Hyper Slide ($24.99) comes with four colored discs that players flick, slide, or shoot under the arch. With three different challenges--fast pass, code buster, and add one--friends can face off against one another as the game calls the shots and keeps score electronically. It also comes with a Hyper Band for solo play.

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The i-List Music Party Game ($19.99) allows up to four people to hook their iPods to the game console and compete to be the first to find songs in their playlist that match the question. For example, "Find a song from a movie soundtrack." The game is compatible with all iPod portable music players except the Shuffle and some MP3 players that have a screen and allow playlists.

With No Brainer! ($19.99), the player straps a plastic brain to his or her head and waits for it to ask yes or no questions. Contestants answer by nodding or shaking their noggins. The more you get right, the faster it goes. For more information on these games, visit www.hasbro.com.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning