Tag: Mindshapes »

The Opposites is a wonderfully educational universal app that I greatly enjoy and recommend to others.

I really enjoy this word game. Here, players tap word balloons, finding corresponding opposites as these balloons quickly fill up the page. If the board is not cleared before the page fills up with words, the game is over.

I must admit that by re-reading my own explanation of this game, this app does not sound all that interesting or unique. I do agree that other developers could have gone down a road making this app less dynamic that this application really is, but what really makes this app wonderful for me is the visual style and interesting back story that is offered here - much of which is open for interpretation.

This application is centered around two contrary children, presumably brother and sister. I love the choices made here, as the backdrop of this wordplay game is a wall behind these verbally sparring children that is filled with family photos, often including moments of their sibling rivalry. I think it is very clever how these siblings, although opposite sexes, look very much alike, not being as opposite as they may wish, and the styling of these siblings with green eyes and red hair simply makes me smile.

I am also happy to report that the ambient music found within this app is very easy and desirable to listen to over long period of time, a interesting and unique choice that I enjoy.

Other details include an overhead light that sways side to side with the movement of the device. The word bubbles are also affected by gravity and the movement of the device as well, something that players may use to their advantage, as the layering of these bubbles tightly allows more words to fit on a page before the game is over.

It is great to hear these words narrated by both these male and female characters, allowing players to hear the pronunciation of these words.

The word pairs themselves increase in difficulty from the simplest combinations, such as Stop and Go, or Left and Right, and increase in difficulty through the ten levels, ultimately including words more obscure and scholarly, such as words rooted in biology, medicine, economics or politics and even popular culture, such as a “Guys and Dolls” reference.

Players will learn to decipher the prefixes of words, including “ex” vs. “in,” “in” and “out,” as well as the inclusion of the prefixes “im”, “in,” and “un” to be the opposite of the corresponding word beginning used. I enjoy how these words may have different meanings and multiple possible opposites, with the context falling into place when the second word is revealed.

Although listed as an app for seven and up, I would not hesitate to buy this app for older children or even an adult who enjoys word games. It has been twenty years or so since I took my SATs, and to this day I still make metal notes of sources of material that may make studying for this test easier, and I think this is a great application for those studying for this most important exam.

Personally, I would start the use of the app younger, allowing these sometimes advanced words to be part of a student's common knowledge instead of words one tries to cram in so that one can do well on a specific test.

I really appreciate how this app includes a dictionary that includes each of the words used, broken down by level and comprised of an easy-to-scan list of opposites, also allowing one to tap on a word to read more about its definition.

Players can decide if they want to study the words for each level found in the included dictionary or have a go at the game, learning what works and what does not along the way.

Although apparent for many words used, it would be nice if the part of speech, be it noun, verb or adjective, was also included, and I would love to see this dictionary be narrated as well, possibly in a future update.

It would also be nice for a link to the dictionary to be available when one is choosing a level, as this is not provided as one rises through these levels, and it takes a couple of clicks to find this important, well-written resource.

It is impressive that the list of possible words for every level is a lot longer than the amount of words covered in each level before one moves on, allowing for a new experience when replaying this game or individual levels.

I think this would be an excellent app for educators to use within the classroom, as well as for home use. I know I would have enjoyed this game as a child or teen, as well as the adult I am today, and I appreciate how this word game is focused on one’s vocabulary and reasoning skill without focusing on spelling in any form - something I have always been lousy at.

Some level of strategy is also incorporated here as a word bubble may be highlighted yellow, letting players know that pairing this word will allow for a fruit break for these siblings, pausing their delivery of words - in effect also pausing the flow of words into this page to match or lose the game. Keeping this in mind, I do like to save this special grouping for when the board is getting full and I could use a little time to think.

I have had moments with bad luck where many words without pairs fill up the screen, making the level easy to lose, but for the most part I find this game to have a nice level of difficulty in terms of the amount of time given, both in the levels as well as in the bonus rounds

Typically, I do not comment on the reviews apps have received in iTunes, but I must say that I am surprised with the low score this app has received. It is worth noting that I have not had any issues with this app crashing, and I have completed every level. I do agree that this app takes some time to load - something that I hope can be looked at in the future, but this is not a big issue for me as this app is well-worth waiting for.

My son is too young to appreciate this app now, but I look forward to when he is old enough to enjoy this word game. I have routinely been impressed with the apps the developers at Mindshapes have come up with. A prolific bunch, their apps are each unique to themselves, but with the same overall very high quality. I look forward to more of their apps in the future.

Lingo Zoo is a cute, fun and educational universal puzzle app that introduces young players to various animals, the sounds they make and their names, both printed as well as heard in both English and Spanish.

I enjoy this puzzle app. Seven scenes are included, each with its own theme and corresponding animals to learn about. Farm animals are included, as is typical of apps such as this, but it is nice that some unique choices are offered as well, such as the African Savanna and a garden theme with animals such as a butterfly or lady bug, as well as an interesting choice taking place in the outback.

The look of the scenes and the animals included are full of bright colors and a pleasing cartoony look that both kids and adults will appreciate, as well as lovely music with a different sound that relates to the chosen theme, sometimes relaxing such as the aquatic-sounding music selection for the ocean or peaceful music found in the forest section, as well as upbeat choices such as the charming African-inspired selection for the African Savanna area.

Interface is simple as players simply scroll through the seven themes, tapping to make a selection, yet note that until all the areas are unlocked as one can only access one puzzle at a time from start to finish, starting with the first selection being the farm puzzle. Once a puzzle is chosen, the player selects an animal sign that will take one to the jigsaw of the animal being displayed. I like that the signs used have a look relating to the theme at hand as well, as the ocean signs seem made of driftwood and the garden theme has animal signs made from plant markers that one would use to keep track of what has been planted.

The puzzles themselves have wonderful tactile qualities of sound effects both when pieces are first picked up as well as when placed correctly within the puzzle, and an appropriate sound used to let players know when a mistake has been made is also included. There is a shadow cast by each of these pieces as the puzzle is moved into position, showing some dimension to these puzzle pieces, and there is a nice amount of grab when these pieces are positioned, all of which create a very nice experience which I have come to expect from my favorite puzzle apps.

After the puzzle has been completed, the animal sound of said animal can be heard, if applicable, or another related sound is included if the creature in question is one not known for making noise, and the English and Spanish name for this animal can be seen and heard as one taps the UK or Spanish flag. Do tap the completed animal again to hear more noises. One can choose to reset the puzzle to start over again from here or return to the previous section that this jigsaw is a part of, with this animal taking the place of the sign once found, and tapping here will make this animal bounce about, along with hearing its sound once more.

There is a lot about this app that I really enjoy. With seven habitat choices and five animals per area, there are a lot of puzzles to choose from that will keep kids entertained as well as teach the names of these animals in English and Spanish, and this app can be enjoyed by Spanish-speaking children new to English or other children new to both of these languages as well. I also really enjoy the friendly animals one meets along the way and the look in general of this app, making this a good choice as a first puzzle app for young kids.

I did, however, notice that occasionally the Spanish recording sound as if they lack a pause before the narration of some of the animal names is heard, something that may make the understanding of what is being said a little difficult to comprehend, but my ear for languages is terrible, and my experience in sound editing and recording makes me a stickler for these kinds of details. It is quite possible children would not notice or be confused by these possible recording issues.

I like the fact that this app saves the completed animal puzzles, nice for kids who don't complete this app in one sitting, but I am not a fan in general of apps that lock areas of their apps in order for kids to collect "achievements" of some sort in order to move on to the next area, as here one must complete the puzzle in order to earn a sticker, unlocking the next habitat, an element which seems to be out of place in this app.

Developers should feel confident that high-quality apps such as this one will be enough to keep players interested, and that the use of these stickers, achievements and lockouts tend to be more distracting than helpful. On the flip side of this, one can't continue to collect these stickers once the levels have been unlocked - a possible disappointment for kids who may enjoy this element of the app.

Having said all of this, I do recommend this app as kids and adults will enjoy these high-quality, simple and fun jigsaw puzzles, being exposed to new vocabulary and different languages along the way.

Casper Scare School - Costume Closet is a cute and fun universal memory app based on the characters from Casper’s Scare School computer-animated film and TV series and is a very nice choice of app for the Halloween season.

There are many game apps in the iTunes store dedicated to enhancing children’s short term memory. Typically these apps are styled after the game known as “Memory” or “Concentration” and involve the turning over of cards in order to make pairs, remembering where corresponding matches have been seen as cards are turned over. Although this style of game is fun and has merit, it is nice to see an alternative that has a memory focus as well.

Here, players are asked to choose a card which is revealed to contain a specific costume found on the other side. Kids are asked to remember the specific elements of this costume and then are asked to choose these elements from corresponding possible multiple choices. This game is easy at first but nicely gets more difficult as this game progresses and the details become more specific as well as increasing the selection of costume answers to choose from.

A dress-up section is also available where kids can dress up Casper and two other friends, Ra the mummy, and Martha the zombie girl into the various costumes found within the quiz, unlocking each costume after one has played the corresponding round of costume memory, allowing more and more costume elements to choose from as these memory quizzes progress. It is also nice that while dressing up these characters, one can also background image and color schemes as well as save the creations to share later.

I really enjoy this app. It is nice that 15 costumes are included, giving this application good variety, and that although some spooky characters are included like a werewolf or vampire, these images are never too intense or scary, except for possibly those most sensitive and that many non-creepy characters exist as well.

The look of this app is bright and colorful in general, and there are some nice elements that engage, keeping these games suspenseful and players motivated without being too intense a memory game. I enjoy a cartoony purple swirl used to draw the player into these quizzes in a fun, hypnotic way, reminiscent of an image used during one season's opening credits of the Twilight Zone, as well as Casper counting up from one to ten, prompting the player to focus his attention on these costume details. Although a certain amount of time is given to answer these questions, it is nice that if time runs out or three wrong answers are chosen, the player is simply given a second chance to study the costume in question, making the level of difficulty appropriate for those preschool age and up.

Because 15 costumes are included here, it is understandable that one may not be able to finish all of these mini-games in one sitting, so it is nice that the costume puzzles that have already been solved here have been turned over to reveal the character in question, marking them as having been solved and keeping their costume parts unlocked in the dress-up section. I do find it odd, however, that after these cards have been flipped face up, this game cannot be reset, even when all these costume mini-games have been completed.

One can still choose a favorite character to replay the corresponding quiz, but it is far more appealing to choose from a selection of cards face down and be surprised by which character one is choosing, especially if this app is being shared among multiple children. For this reason, it would be nice if the option were available to save multiple children’s information individually, as well as the option to re-set these cards.

Having said this, Casper Scare School - Costume Closet is a very nice choice for a Halloween app as well as a good choice for those looking for a memory app that will provide adults and children a unique experience.

I am impressed how much this app compels the player to focus and remember details, and even then I got a few answers wrong myself as sometimes I try to multitask and lose focus. This app has reminded me to try to slow down, and I think that there are nice benefits that kids will gain from playing with this app as well.

Hickory Dickory Dock is a creative and fun app that teaches number recognition for 1-12 and introduces the concept of how to tell time, specifically the different hours and their positions on the clock, as well as expanding on the classic nursery rhyme, Hickory Dickory Dock.

I really enjoy the look of the app, as its focus here is on an ornate father clock, complete with a curious mouse who goes on many adventures within this app.

In the recent past, many apps have included 3-D images as part of their applications. Although this app does not specifically offer a 3-D experience, I think the beginning moment as one opens the frosted glass face of the grandfather clock is quite remarkable. The first time I started this app I actually ducked, thinking this glass door, surely with sharp edges and corners, was swinging in my direction. This effect is heightened as there is a subtle but very effective reflection to be seen in this glass as the door is swung, and the detailing of this glass is impressive as well. This is only the first second of the app, however, but what is found inside has am equally great look as well.

Once inside, the surface surrounding of the face of this clock is reminiscent of Victorian flocked velvet wallpaper - here with a soft gold hue and subtle gleam, along with an extensive set of gears that are seen working as the hours change in this clock, and mildly distressed wood grain can be seen on this clock's perimeter, all of which gives this period grandfather clock a nice texture that adds character to this app that I greatly appreciate and that will make steam punk fans smile.

As this app opens and the player taps “go,” one can either choose a number on his own by moving the smaller, hour hand, styled here as a hand itself, to the number of one’s choosing, or allow the app to start understandably with the number “1.” This is where it gets interesting, as each number chosen starts a chain of events that leads to a new and different interactive experience. First, the gears start to move, made all the more realistic by the creaking and cranking of these gears doing their thing and the hands spinning around until they stop at the correct number in question.

The splendid theme of this app is also played - an expanded version of Hickory Dickory Dock, different for each separate number and action that this mouse explores. I find this song delightfully catchy, encouraging me to sing along, with a thick British Accent even, something I usually do not do. Luckily the words are offered at the top of the page, making this easier for those who like to follow along. Although not related, I can only think of the “oompa-loompas” theme song from the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as another tune that is as witty, catchy, begging to be sung, and which can be listened to multiple times within one activity, thus maintaining the quirkiness from start to finish.

The screen is now complete with an interaction that will engage any child, especially those who are fascinated with mechanical objects as this app incorporates levers and springs, a scale, and other elements that mesh low tech elements with a sophisticated physics engine. Players can see the set-up here, but to fully engage the interaction offered, one must move the hour hand to the flashing number in question, encouraging kids to work with the hand of this clock, setting the time in hours and beginning to learn about the concept of telling time as an adult encourages the child to rotate the hand in a clockwise motion. Other skills are learned here as well, as one must use weights to lower and raise the arm of a scale in order to feed the mouse who lives in this clock. Help the mouse clean up after a dust explosion with this clock, assist in the mouse dancing, bounce into objects such as bells, and bathe him or feed him fruit. Twelve different interactions are offered here, each interesting and unique and oftentimes with a good use of gravity and physics.

My son does love this classic nursery rhyme of Hickory Dickory Dock. He enjoys singing this song as we wait on line to pay while out and about. Embarrassing yes, but it beats the alternative of a meltdown. I knew my son would have a lot of fun with this app based on the music, and I was right. My boy also likes to look at and explore all the interactions offered here, as the inner workings of the clock and the mechanical nature of these interactions are quite intriguing, but my son does enjoy the numbers that are goal-oriented more, as he once asked me when one of these mini-activities would end, expecting some sort of grand conclusion that never came. Having said this, my son does enjoy this app, and I really love its look and included rhymes.

I would like parents to understand that this app is designed to welcome children to the preliminary world of learning about telling time. As with apps focused on number recognition and sequencing without an intent of teaching true mathematics, this app teaches the basics of number recognition and the correct sequence of numbers found on a clock as well as how to move the hour hand to the correct number in relation to the time referred to in the rhyme, not the more advanced concept of truly learning how to read analogue time.

I appreciate this app for what it is, and I know from being exposed to other clock apps that, with noted exceptions, these apps can be rather dry and seem like work, although I am sure more effective that the method of learning to tell time adults endured as children. Even if one is not focused on telling time just yet, the mechanical nature of this app, the situations this mouse gets himself into, and the fun, memorable music used here will delight children as well as adults.

I do feel that it is a missed opportunity, however, for the included minute-hand to serve no real function, as it spins around the clock multiple times as one moves the hour hand to the correct place on the clock face. I would have rather seen the minute-hand move slowly and in sync with the hour-hand for parents to be able to point out the half hour, quarter past, and so forth and the minute-hand slowly move in time to the movement of the hour-hand. Although not the focus of this app, parents should at least be able to use this application as a tool for more complicated time-telling if they so choose.

Even though my son has no trouble moving the hour-hand to the correct number in question, I do feel that this may be tricky to some as it seems skippy when moving. I would also like to see instructions included as it took me a few minutes to understand how to play this app because it seems like when a number is selected, the clock goes ahead and displays a time not directly chosen, and it may not be clear to some that the activity offered here involves the player moving the hand to the time one has selected. There is also an interaction where this clock breaks, allowing one to see inside to its mechanisms, a very nice moment, but it would be wonderful if these gears found inside were interactive and movable as well, a detail that would be great to include in a future update.

All in all, the wonderful look and details of this app, along with the creative interactions and most memorable rhymes make this app worth looking into, and it is a nice, beginner time-telling app as well.

Meteor Math is a great universal math game that expertly adds an arcade feel which will keeps kids engaged as they learn basic mathematics.

The premise of this app is simple. The player here is given a number and then must collide meteors together that each have a number value of its own that combined will create the sum in question. This can be done by adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing these meteors - depending on what is being asked of the player.

The look of this app will appeal to arcade- enthusiastic children nicely, as this app opens up with a view of the night’s sky, presumably looking through the radar screen of a space ship or the like, based on the subtle grid also seen that quivers as these meteors collide. As the player progresses and “levels up,” the sky gets lighter and lighter, showing various stages of a beautiful sunrise through clouds. The speed of this game will be enjoyed by kids who are into arcade- style games as at times it can get pretty intense, but not in a frustrating way, an aspect that is supported by the included music, as it is upbeat and contains the right level of intensity without making the player feel overwhelmed or overly rushed.

As stated before, this app includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division and each concept can be chosen to be practiced one-by-one in the “practice” or “compete” sections, or randomly in “survival” mode.

Both time and wrong answers are factors in whether one will “level up” or “level down,” and I do wish that more information about this were offered. I am sure that real gamer kids will understand what is going on more easily that I do or other children who are not as used to this type of game, but I did find myself asking a lot of questions in the beginning of playing this app, such as the difference between “complete” and “survival” sections or what to do if I tap the wrong number and then change my mind (tap again to de-select). Many of the answers I was looking were solved through trial and error, but as a parent, I would like to be able to answer my child’s questions since not being able to tends to frustrate both of us.

I do think this is a great game for kids, especially those who would rather play video games than study math as I don’t think this game condescends to young arcade enthusiasts. I wonder sometimes if a child new to math and in need of studying the basics would find the speed at times difficult, but I think I may be underestimating the abilities of young grade school children, especially those who are already used to speedy gameplay.

This app may not only benefit those who are studying beginner math, but those who are into more advanced math as well, such as long multiplication or division, because being truly comfortable with the basics can make the more time-consuming problems with a lot of columns a little less grueling.

My old sophomore math teacher would not like me saying this, but from the way I see it, all of math no matter how advanced still has a foundation in the most basic of mathematics, as I was one who never showed the “appropriate” work for him as I got my answers using basic adding and subtracting and not “algebraically,” although my answers were consistently correct. My favorite retort was that all a computer does is add and subtract zeros and ones.

Although parents may not directly buy this app for their older kids in middle school and high school, I think there is something to be said for any age group - even adults - working with this app and strengthening their math foundations, as all math is based on these fundamentals.

I found it interesting that in addition or multiplication, either number can be added or multiplied by first for the same outcome, but the same cannot be said for subtraction as one may venture into negative number territory if one arbitrarily subtracts one number into another and chaos can ensue if one does not focus on what specific number will be divided into the other. In this app, in the interest of simplification, the number order in question does not make a difference and 8÷2 as well as 2÷8 will be correct for when the answer in question is “4."

It would be a very nice inclusion for a later update to give players the choice of this more simplified style of math, or if the incorrect number for a given math problem is tapped first is counted an an mistake, adding to further study of math in a way that will make a difference when they work with math in school and beyond, and it would also be interesting if one could combine more than one meteor to equal the sum, such as 1+2+2=5, possibly for more points and bigger explosions.

During game play, I also had a few unresponsive moments where tapping a meter did not select it for collision, a minor note as it did not happen often but did occur, sometime at inopportune moments. I hope this can be looked at in an update. It would also be nice if a “relax” or “beginner” mode could be added, slowing down the action for those who enjoy this concept but don’t like the timed element, be it child or adult.

All-in-all, I do think this is a great choice for children who would rather play video games than work on math as this is a game both children and adults will feel good about. I will be saving this app for my son for when he is older, as I am sure he will enjoy this app when he is ready to play it, and I am happy that he will be studying math this way as well.

Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes is a nicely done universal interactive storybook with wonderful animation and interactions included.

Based on the classic tale of the same name, the caliber of animation used here is very impressive. These images are bright and colorful, with stylings so great that they make me reminisce about the works of Genndy Tartakovsky, known for his brilliant cartoons shown on the Cartoon Network during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Read the full review at GiggleApps.

Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes is a nicely done universal interactive storybook with wonderful animation and interactions included.

Based on the classic tale of the same name, the caliber of animation used here is very impressive. These images are bright and colorful, with stylings so great that they make me reminisce about the works of Genndy Tartakovsky, known for his brilliant cartoons shown on the Cartoon Network during the 1990’s and early 2000's.

I do love the look of this app as does my son and there are some really fun interactions woven into this story as well, from playing with the magic beans which react to gravity and physics, to helping the beanstalk grow and assisting the giant’s wife feed Jack food or helping Jack hide from the giant - my son’s favorite interactions. There is also a nice moment when the player must dress Jack in appropriate garb for giant fighting. When the entire outfit is complete, decorative flames shoot up from behind a prepared Jack with sound effects that resonate “Hero...Here Comes Jack Attack,” reminding me of an opening moment of The Powerpuff Girls, a nice detail that stood out in this well-crafted interactive storybook. It is also fun to tap the characters provided to hear them deliver extra lines of dialogue as well, adding to the humor that this app provides.

Some changes have been made to this story, not found in the original - some that I like, and some that give me pause. In this version, Jack is a typical video game-playing, chore-avoiding teen, details that I readily accept in this updated take on a classic story. I enjoy how his love of video games translates to a great imagination shown as tapping transforms him and his cow into different fantasy characters as they go off to the market. It is also fun how the giant has some elements of being a biker outlaw as well - details I enjoyed even though they may have been over my son’s head.

Since childhood, I have enjoyed a good traditional story like Jack and the Beanstalk, and I am always happy to review a classic tale transformed into an app as I am now introducing these stories to my son as well. In general, though, it has always bothered me how so-called protagonists steal from the villains in classic fairy tales and Grimm's stories, found in such places as at the end of Hansel and Gretel when they steal the dead witch's jewels to help feed their family, or here as Jack takes the Giant's personal possessions - a bag of gold coins, a hen that lays golden eggs and a singing harp. Sure, the characters in question are typically poor and steal to deal with their times of need, but stealing is still immoral, and it bothers me that this point is typically not raised within these stories. In this version, the giant is said to have gathered his riches by looting, and at the end Jack helps not only his family but shares the wealth with the entire community, which presumably was being stolen from in the first place, making this more child-friendly in terms of the issues of taking things that do not belong to oneself.

I don’t like, however, that within this version of the story, Jack goes up the beanstalk only once and not returning to take other items of interest found within the Giant’s home, simply stealing all objects of value at once. I do admit - every time I hear this story I have the urge to tell Jack not to go back up to the castle, just to be glad he made it home safe the first time. However, the adventure Jack gets himself into going back a second time for me is what makes this story so unforgettable. In the versions I am familiar with, Jack goes up twice, even three times in some cases, taking the bag of gold and then stealing the hen and the singing harp - a detail that is most memorable to me, but also made me feel bad as the harp calls out to the giant warning him of what is happening. This theft has elements of a kidnapping as well, as Jack steals this harp amid her protests. The version found within this application avoids this detail, keeping a truer moral compass as here, with Jack coming to "the rescue" of the harp and hen, but also greatly shortening this story and leaving out many details that for me make this a classic story. I do enjoy my fairy tales morally ambiguous and do wish for a more complete version, from my point of view, were used as it would also open up this app to more wonderful animations and creative interactions.

I have also noticed that the narration included here becomes highlighted as the story is read, but there are moments where the highlighting is a little slow and not always in sync with the spoken narration. I do find this a little distracting, and I hope this can be looked at in a future update. Silencing the narration is also an option if one chooses, but I think it would be a good choice to offer the option of no highlighting as the story is read as a simple solution to the syncing issue.

All-in-all, I think the quality of the animation and the creative use of interactions makes this app worth a download, even if it is not as full a story as I am used to. Kids will really enjoy all that there is to look at and interact with, as will adults, making this great fun for all.