My PomPom

Anyone that hasn't played Big Blue Bubble's My Singing Monsters yet should stop what they're doing, download it, and give it a try. Though occasionally bogged down by connectivity issues, My Singing Monsters is one of the cleverest musical town-building games available. The term "town-building" is a bit misleading though, as players actually raise a multitude of fantastic-looking characters that contribute a unique voice to a massive chorus.

One of those sweet-voiced characters is PomPom: a fluffy pink critter that resembles an otherworldly cheerleader. PomPom now has her very own spin-off game called My PomPom, which is essentially a virtual pet game that lets players interact with their very own PomPom. There's not a whole lot to do, however, and only very young players will remain interested for longer than a few minutes. And even they are likely to drop off out of boredom before too long.

The most interesting thing about My PomPom is that the PomPom within will repeat anything the player says. Admittedly, it was pretty funny when PomPom parroted me yelling at the cat to get off my desk. Beyond repeating what she's told, PomPom can also eat food and level-up. Food costs diamonds, which are not easy to earn in-game beyond a once-a-day prize wheel spin. Supposedly they can also be earned by playing a pom pom juggling game, but more often than not my PomPom inexplicably messed up after a couple of tosses, regardless of my timing.

Other activities include unlocking dance moves and bringing PomPom into the "real world" via augmented reality. Players can record their PomPom's antics via their mobile device's camera and send them to pals.

It's cute for a while, though unlocking new actions via food (which, again, costs diamonds) is tedious. If nothing else, My PomPom might be useful for introducing newer, younger players to the far superior My Singing Monsters.