Games and laptops can sometime be diametrically opposed. Some games require lots and lots of RAM and specialized graphics chips. These are often not part of the typical laptop configuration.

To determine what your games needs you need to check the Minimum Systems Requirements. You can find these either on the box that included the CDROM that came with the game or on the game manufacturer's website. Typically the younger set, eight or younger's games are not too CPU, RAM or graphics intensive and they often will work. But still check.

If your kid, usually boys, plays the latest games then you might need at least a Centrino 2.0Ghz, 1.5 GB or more RAM and 128MB dedicated RAM. You might need to turn down the resolution and leave those antialiasing and anisotrophic options off. If you have serious $$$ to burn go for the Dell XPS series or Alienware instead, they come with a powerful graphics chip, the GeForce Go 7800 GT. You might even consider a desktop with tons of RAM (2GB+) and the latest graphics chip. Better to get this type system than to listen to the complaints about the "crummy" computer.