Tag Archives: apps

App Review: JumpStart Preschool Magic of Learning 1

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Knowledge Adventure has a strong reputation as a kid’s software creator for a reason. Through the JumpStart brand, the company has honed learning exercises into fun games – and the JumpStart Preschool Magic of Learning 1 proudly continues that tradition. The games are challenging, but not too difficult and are full of educational opportunities for young children. While geared toward younger users, a few of the games — especially Bug Catcher — might even appeal to slightly older children.

Read more at Common Sense Media


App Review: My Very First App

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My Very First App is good at what it does, but unfortunately, it doesn’t do an awful lot. The color identification games it offers are useful and have varying degrees of difficulty, making the app useful for a range of age groups. And Eric Carle’s distinctive artwork is, as always, wonderful to look at, but you’re paying a premium for it here. From a strictly educational standpoint, you can get a more complete set of learning tools for the same amount somewhere else. But if you’re a fan of Carle and willing to pay a bit extra for it, this app will easily satisfy you.

Read more at Common Sense Media


App review: Symmetry Shuffle

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Symmetry Shuffle is a much harder game than it initially seems to be — but that’s not a negative for die-hard puzzle fans. The game’s premise — moving objects around on screen — is basic, but players quickly learn that there’s strategy involved. There are two modes: Timed and Solve. The former is a stress-filled affair, challenging you to solve puzzles and advance before time runs out. The other is more casual, letting players learn the game and begin to figure out their strategy. In either mode, though, hours can slip by as you try to figure out the best methods to win. It is a great app for challenging kids to use higher level thinking skills.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App review: WordsWorth

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Not since Bookworm has a word puzzle game been this engrossing. WordsWorth is less cartoony than the PopCap Games classic, but offers more diversity and (seemingly) a deeper vocabulary. Single player is fun, but the ability to play competitively with other players — via WiFi, Bluetooth, or 99 Games’ own online community — adds another layer of fun.

Read more at Common Sense Media


App review: Maya Pyramid

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On paper, Maya Pyramid sounds like a so-so premise. Match cards up to add to 11, revealing other cards and then repeat. In actuality, it’s a nail-biting good time. The game is fast-paced and exciting and younger players won’t realize they’re building strong math skills in the process. It’s a wonderful example of the “easy to grasp, difficult to master” philosophy that makes for a good game. With a variety of levels and fun, but unnecessary, bonuses (like the game’s background reflecting what time it is when you play), Maya Pyramid is a satisfying time waster that is well worth the money.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App review: The Price is Right HD

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The Price is Right has always been a show about subtle advertising, but it’s not something you have to pay to watch. Paying a few bucks for an app that then proceeds to bombard you with commercial placements is a bit extreme, though. While the game is well-paced and offers a variety of unlockable mini-pricing games and play modes, it’s not entirely stable, sometimes crashing without warning (though this will likely be fixed in updates). Playing with a friend in multiplayer mode is more fun than playing by yourself.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App review: Press Your Luck HD

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The television version of Press Your Luck is cheesy fun — and the app has the potential to match that. Unfortunately, the current version is a buggy game that’s prone to locking up and has a very limited number of questions. After you play just two rounds, you’ll start hearing questions repeated. The single-player version is fairly boring, since the automated contestants pick answers seemingly at random — and are never intellectual threats. (In one round, for example, the automated contestant guessed that Muhammad Ali was best known as a scientist.) Multiplayer, which is all done locally and not through online matchmaking, is a bit more fun, but still nothing incredible. Finally, the game moves at an incredibly slow pace — and the host’s continually repeated comments get old fast.

Read more at Common Sense Media

App review: Thomas Tilt and Go

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There’s nothing particularly educational about Thomas Tilt and Go, but kids who are big fans of the television show will enjoy the chance to control some of their favorite characters. It’s not a challenging game, either. As long as the player keeps Thomas moving forward, he or she will easily earn enough points to advance with time to spare. (They’re rewarded with short clips from the television show.) The upside of this is kids won’t get frustrated, but unless they’re die-hard fans of the show, the might get bored after one or two tracks. The gameplay is virtually identical from level to level. Is it worth $2.99? No. But if the price falls, it’s a good, safe addition for young children.

Read more at Common Sense Media

Consumer electronics: The App effect

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The advent of the app era has certainly changed how people view their phones, but its real impact has been less on telecommunications – and more on the electronics industry. 

A new study by Deloitte, released today, finds that mobile apps actually aren’t a key driver on smartphone sales, but they do play a big role in people’s decision-making when they’re looking for something like a gaming console or GPS.

Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog

App review: Stick Stunt Biker

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Stick Stunt Biker is an over-the-top racing game that makes motocross look like a ride around a parking lot. The game features impossible jumps and bone-shattering crashes in a cartoon manner that is actually a lot of fun, at least for a while. It’s not an easy game, but the frustration of failure is mitigated by the cringe-inducing experience of seeing the stick figure racer tumble to the ground. The app might use a realistic physics engine to portray those crashes, but there’s nothing close to real about the rest of the game. It’s fun initially, but after a while, the repeated crashes get old and the varying tracks don’t really incentivize you to keep playing. Ultimately, Stick Stunt Biker is a fun diversion, but nothing that will top your list of favorite apps.