Sago Mini Ocean Swimmer Review

Sago Mini Ocean Swimmer, in one word, is a delight. Developed by Sago Sago - the dream team combined with the talents from Tickle Tap Apps and Toca Boca - this app is as highly engaging as it is colorful; children can go on an adventure with Fins, their new fish friend, as they explore his aquatic home. This new Sago Sago app brings back memories of my son as a younger boy, as Tickle Tap Apps were the first downloads I made, getting me interested in the potential for children’s iPhone and now iPad applications and the worlds they can create, appreciating this as a much less passive experience than watching television or videos produced for babies. I am excited to see a new Sago Sago title that, to me, seems lovingly updated from original application Finding Fins with a few important changes I am really fond of. Now one swims together with Fins instead of seeking him out as he hid behind objects such as rocks or sea weed. I am also enjoying being able to use a drag of a finger to move Fins around the screen instead of tilting the iPhone to navigate as seen in this previous app - wonderful updates that make this app utterly intuitive for the youngest app users.

There is a lot to explore within Sago Mini Ocean Swimmer, I enjoy meeting Fins at his home and swimming to both the bottom of the ocean as well as to sea level, being able to see the beautiful pink horizon and meet characters such as Harvey the Dog and Jinga the Cat; both recurring characters in other Sago Sago apps as well as a family of ducks or a friendly turtle. Yellow orbs will draw children’s eyes, letting them know of key hot spots to explore as well as other areas of interest that may include musical moments involving a group of clams, a trio of musical fish, or even a short Broadway-esque number with starfish dancers, complete with costumes - all being details that make me smile.

Animated moments are included with abundance that go way beyond the simple flutter of sea creatures one may expect of an oceanic app such as this, but instead contain charmingly animated scenes that show Fins interacting with his surroundings in ways like bumping into a friend’s sand castle, spend time making himself at home in the belly of a whale or being a guest at his own surprise birthday party - each moments that make me smile over and over again. As do the larger-than-life characters also included; such as a squid with a witty sense of humor, a likable sea monster or an ice cream-serving octopus. In Fins' ocean neighborhood, the puffer fish one may encounter have an abundance of energy and the sea horse has flatulence issues. Be sure to meet the cheeky ghosts living with the remains of a sunken pirate ship as well as look for treasure, all of which is sure to entertain children of any age.

I am certainly quite pleased with the sheer number of colorful unique elements one can interact with, and children as well as their adults are bound to come across new details each time they explore this app. Sago Mini Ocean Swimmer is not unlike another app, Sago Mini Forest Flyer, which I equally enjoy. The downloading of these two apps will go a long way in entertaining any toddler as well as older children who will adore these colorful interactive applications.