LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 3D is a game that comes so, so close to
being terrific. The story is fun, even if you don’t follow the cartoon series and don’t grasp its nuances. And the puzzle solving elements are fantastic. Using the characters at your disposal to figure out how to progress is challenging, but never frustrating. Where it falls short, though, is in its save features. Levels are long — with some lasting 30 minutes — and you cannot save the game mid-level. Given the rather weak battery life of the 3DS, that can be problematic for players who don’t have that long to dedicate to the game. And with the 3D effects turned on, looking at the screen for a period that long can result in severe eye fatigue. A simple save at will or autosave feature would boost the game tremendously. As it is, it’s still one that’s worth your time — if you know what you’re getting into.
Category Archives: Common Sense Media
Game review: Rayman 3D
Rayman 2: The Great Escape is often cited as one of the best
games of all time — and it hasn’t lost a lot of its luster. The game, now called Rayman 3D, is reinvigorated by the 3DS’s 3D effects, which do a good job of simulating a world with depth. But the 3D effects can sometimes make the game a bit more difficult — and many players may feel eyestrain after playing for an extended period (or even a short one). While the gameplay elements are still a lot of fun, UbiSoft did not take advantage of many of 3DS features, such as the gyroscope or touch screen functionality, which is a bit baffling. Still, this is a fine port of a very good game — and one of the better launch titles for the 3DS.
Game review: Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
While Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition is one of the best 
(and most elegant) multiplayer games to ever appear on a Nintendo platform, it’s worth remembering that this is, at its heart, the second update of a two year old game. That means the graphics aren’t as impressive as you might expect from a launch title for a system whose main selling point is its graphical differences. In 3D mode especially, the backgrounds appear incredibly static — almost cardboard-like.
At its core, though, the game remains a good fighter. The action moves quickly and there is a tremendous variety of moves among the large collection of characters. Finding a random online opponent is easy (though the matchmaking service isn’t fully up to snuff yet), as is connecting with friends. Fighting in the system’s 3D mode takes some getting used to, but it’s a nice (though unnecessary) addition, letting the characters stand out as they battle. Longtime fans of the series don’t need to buy yet another version, but for new 3DS owners looking for a quality game for older teens, this isn’t a bad choice.
App review: ABBY MONKEY – Animal Games For Kids HD
The name’s a mouthful, but ABBY MONKEY – Animal Games 
For Kids HD by 22learn is a good collection of educational games for children with a good variety of settings so parents can gradually ramp up the difficulty to keep kids challenged. For example, the number of cards in the Animatch game (essentially the classic card game of concentration) can range from 8 to 18. And the reading of words can be toggled off and on for kids who know the words. The cartoon critters you’ll encounter are charming, and the game greatly encourages children as they get answers right. The promotional links at the start of the app are a bit too much, but it’s not enough to detract from the quality of the games. By the time they tire of this app, kids can learn up to 80 different animals.
App review: Angry Birds Rio
New Angry Birds levels are never a bad thing — and 
Angry Birds provides plenty. With 60 initial levels and commitments from developer Rovio for additional updates in May, July, October and November, this will keep fans of the runaway hit franchise happy for a while. Veterans of the game, though, might be disappointed with how easy half of the levels are this time around, although there are other elements, such as hidden fruits and new achievements to keep them busy. The marketing parts of the game are relatively tame, which is refreshing as well. While the visceral thrill of the game is still there, the gameplay is starting to show very early signs of aging. Angry Birds has been around for a while now and there are lots of clones on the market. It’s still a lot of fun, but Angry Birds Rio is noticeably less addicting than Angry Birds.
App review: Horton Hears a Who!
With bullying a common problem in schools, Horton Hears
a Who! teaches an important lesson to children about sticking up for people who are unable to defend themselves. The creatures that share the jungle with Horton (and who do not hear the Whos) taunt and mock him for his actions and ultimately try to punish him, but he maintains his watch over the Whos, underlining how critical it is to stick by your virtues, even when there is peer pressure to abandon them. The message alone makes this a five-star app, but the added bonuses of charming narration and wonderful educational elements, such as highlighted words and picture identification, put it over the top.
App review: The Going to Bed Book
Sandra Boynton is one of the most-loved modern authors 
of children’s books and it is fun to see her beloved board book become an app. This app has a soothing reader (Billy J. Kramer), great highlighting of words read, the ability to tap any word to hear it spoken aloud, and lots of interactive hotspots. Plus the interactive elements vary greatly from tilting the iPad to make the animals slide to turning on the hot water in the sink, which causes the screen of the iPad to steam up (you wipe it clean with your finger). However, The Going to Bed Book has a few navigational issues. The onscreen animations are generally well-done, but some are positioned on the screen near where the user is likely to try to swipe to the next page, making it sometimes hard to advance the book. Even with this shortcoming, the book’s message and characters are as charming on iDevices as they are in the original board book form.
App review: NBA JAM by EA Sports
NBA JAM by EA Sports is, quite simply, a heck of a lot of fun to 
play. Easy to pick up and anything but complicated in its rules, the game focuses solely on the most outlandish parts of the sport — monster slam dunks and huge blocks of opponents’ shots. It’s a bit more aggressive than other basketball games, but the violence is arcade-like and not too concerning. The game further offers impressive visuals and keeps the adrenaline pumping with announcer Tim Kitzrow’s “boomshakalaka”-infused running commentary. The biggest disappointment is the lack of any multiplayer mode, as this is one of those titles that’s more fun with friends.
App review: Jack and the Beanstalk Children’s Interactive Storybook
Jack and the Beanstalk Children’s Interactive Storybook is 
a blueprint for interactive children’s books. Each of the app’s 32 pages has entertainment elements, with dozens of hidden surprises. For instance, touch Jack enough on one page and he’ll break into song. On another, touching the right onscreen picture opens a memory game. Phrases, rather than words, are highlighted as the story is narrated; users have the option to turn highlighting on and off, giving the app a wider range of potential users. The app is dense with kid-friendly features, and will make a nice virtual library addition.
App review: NBA Elite 11 by EA SPORTS
If you’re a fan of NBA games looking for a precise 
simulation of the sport, NBA Elite 11 by EA SPORTS isn’t it. It is, however, a fine game for fans who simply want to have a fun experience that’s a step beyond an arcade-like basketball game. With easy-to-grasp controls and a smooth flowing animation system, it gets a lot right — even down to the television-like presentation. It’s a fun single-player game, but it’s a title that cries out for a multiplayer mode, something that NBA Elite 11 by EA SPORTS lacks. Of course, seeing that EA cancelled all other platform versions of this game, the fact that it’s available at all is a notable achievement.
Chris Morris: Journalist 