Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose Review

Posted by Amy Solomon on May 15th, 2012
iPad App - Designed for iPad

Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose is a charming new app that allows children to explore five truck-related sections. As is the case with other Duck Duck Moose apps, Trucks is bright and colorful, with fun, playful characters hidden throughout that will react with a tap in various cute ways that children will enjoy, as well as including the classical instrumentals of children's rhymes that Duck Duck Moose are well known. An iPhone version of this app is also available.

My son’s personal favorite area of this app is the car wash where he can ride a car back and forth through a mud puddle, then drive the vehicle to the next screen into a car wash and engage the different rollers, sprayers and an air blower as one drags their car through the car wash.

Although I appreciate that like within a real car wash where driving in reverse is not an option, my son would like to have the ability to of drag his car back and forth between these different stations to re-wet his car, allowing him to use the blower over and over again.

Fixing a tire is also focused on here, as one section allows players to choose a sharp object that a car rolls over onto causing a flat that will be fixed in the next scene. I enjoy how the selection of implements are random, changing as one may go back to this section, with fun choices including a fork, open safety pin or a hedgehog.

Currently, only one item can be chosen to flatten one's tires. It would be nice if players could choose any and all sharp items to puncture their tires, just for fun.

After the tires are damaged, a tow truck takes the car to the next page. Nice interactive moments exist here like disconnecting the truck from the car or lifting the car up onto hydraulics with either the drag of a finger or tapping the up and down arrows of a control pad. A tap will bring players to a page of tire selections to chose from. Another tap adds these new tires to one’s car. Although we have heard no complaints from my son, my husband and I would love to change the car’s paint job, basic model and other elements as well, fully realizing all that could be included within a garage-themed scene, even if it is not directly related to fixing a car’s flat tire.

My son has also really enjoys the sorting game of compost recycling and garbage where he cleans the mess off a street, sorting items into the correct containers, such as produce, empty food jars and fun garbage such as underpants, a shoe or a garden hose.

Later, tap on the correlating can of the truck that is here for their pick, and the truck will then back up, allowing the monkey worker to empty the correct bin into their truck and drive off. I enjoy this section as well as this allows children to learn how to sort their waste into the correct bin at home.

A parade is also offered which includes cars, trucks, construction and emergency vehicles. Do notice the stoplight to the right of the screen where children can tap the red, yellow and green lights as doing so will stop, slow down or allow the procession to keep moving. I like how when applicable, the sirens and other sounds these cars and trucks make can be heard as well as seen when tapped, such as is the case for the cement mixer and road sweeper.

Another fun detail here is the ability to stop a car with a finger, causing the vehicle behind to crash into the car - a fun inclusion that I wish were allowed with all the vehicles.

A construction section is also included where players get to interact with a front loader and dump truck, filling and dumping piles of dirt or sand.

At first glance at this lovely and fun app, I assumed that the target audience would be the same as their earlier toddler apps such as Wheels on the Bus or Old MacDonald, yet I must tell readers that my four year old son does enjoy this app a great deal, as we had a hard time retrieving the iPad away from him while exploring this application.

I have been a fan of Duck Duck Moose from their first apps, both toddler and educational. After tackling such subjects as math, reading, puzzles and music, I have wondered what would be next from these prolific developers. I am happy to see their interest in developing open-ended applications as well. I am very interested to see what Duck Duck Moose comes up with next.

iPad Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose screenshot 1 Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose screenshot 2 Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose screenshot 3 Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose screenshot 4 Trucks HD - by Duck Duck Moose screenshot 5
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