Back to the Future: Episode 1 HD

Review

Common Sense Media says

Decent adventure game has mild profanity and violence.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Back to the Future Ep 1 HD -- much like the movies it's based on -- isn't appropriate for younger players because of some profanity, alcoholic references, and mild violence. Mistakenly, iTunes lists the game as not containing any objectionable material.

  • Ease of use4
    It's quite easy and intuitive to use your fingertip on the objects and characters in this game.  
  • Violence3
    The game shows some scenes of animated violence, including someone being punched in the face and a shoot-out between a police car and gangsters.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language3
    The game has some profanity, including a few instances of the word "s--t" (spoken by both Doc and Biff), as well as "damn," "hell," "heck" and "Jesus Christ!" said as an exclamation.
  • Consumerism3
    The game is based on the popular Universal Studios movies of the same name, plus there are plugs for other Telltale Games adventure games on iPad (from the main menu).
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    One of the game's puzzles involves stealing bootlegged liquor during Prohibition.
  • Privacy & safety0
    Not applicable.
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Is it any good?

 

The first of a five-part downloadable game series, BACK TO THE FUTURE: EPISODE 1 HD for iPad lets you play as Marty McFly (voiced by a Michael J. Fox sound-alike) three years after the events in the Back to the Future films. As McFly, you must travel back in time to the Prohibition era in the 1930s to rescue Doc (voiced by Christopher Lloyd from the film trilogy) -- but in doing so, you'll run into some resistance by the police, mobsters, and an eager newspaper reporter. By solving puzzles (based on an inventory system), exploring Hill Valley in the early '30s (by walking in a given direction and tapping on objects), and interacting with the townsfolk (by selecting answers from dialogue options), Marty desperately attempts to complete his mission -- without altering the course of history. While fun, the game can be quite sluggish at times, so be sure to close all other iPad apps that might be running at the time (and hopefully, Telltale Games will offer a downloadable fix, too). Plus, the game isn't as interactive as other adventure games, but overall is an enjoyable digital diversion -- especially for fans of the film series.

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This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Adult
November 21, 2011
AGE
8
 
Pg
If the the movie is pg then the game is pg alright
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This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Category:Adventure Games
Platforms:iPad
Price:$6.99
Publisher:Telltale Inc.
Version:1.0
Release date:February 17, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.2 or later
This review was written by Marc Saltzman

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
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