Deskplorers "Pirates" (Episode Two) HD

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fun adventure with learning and storytelling along the way.
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
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Deskplorers "Pirates" (Episode Two) HD is a fun app that blends storytelling, games, and learning, and is a stand-alone, pirate-themed episode of a larger series. There's some pirate-themed violence, but it's cartoony. There are several other themes in development as well as completed episodes, and Episode Zero is available to be downloaded for free from the iTunes store. The game has three profiles for the family with more than one child, as well as a parents section that explains how the game works. This review is based on the iPad version in HD; a standard-definition version is also available for the iPhone/iPod touch.

  • Ease of use5
    Game controls are very simple. Everything is accomplished by swiping and tapping -- from reading the book to the mini-games, which have easy and hard levels.
  • Violence2
    With a pirates theme, you can expect swashbuckling with a little waving of cutlasses and cannons, but no one dies. Characters who get hit by a coconut cannonball are dazed with cartoon stars and swirls around their heads. In a tense moment, a character does get dangled over piranha fish with sharp teeth, but otherwise, this is a very kid-friendly game.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
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Is it any good?

 

Kids follow the adventures of Tom, Lea, Spoon, and Scrabot in the Caribbean as they find buried treasure and thwart a band of naughty kids who are their adversaries. The reading level is suitable for 6- to 8-year-olds, although parents can help younger kids read but have them exercise their deductive abilities. Each of six chapters requires kids to solve a puzzle by "cutting" out and "pasting" the right object needed into the story. If kids choose the wrong object, they can earn points to try again by playing one of three games: a simple tower defense game, a rhythm game, and tilt game that uses the device's accelerometer. 

After the first run through, kids are encouraged to try the game in French or to try the detailed version where they have to not just find the right object, but also the page where it would fit best. All in all, this is a well-done game that will engage younger children
with sound, music, and animation, including a short movie "reward" when
they solve the puzzles.

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This review was written by Carolyn Koh

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This review was written by Carolyn Koh
Category:Kids Games
Platforms:iPad
Price:$1.99 / 3.99 (iPhone / iPad)
Publisher:Bulkypix
Version:1.0
Release date:April 21, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.2 or later
This review was written by Carolyn Koh

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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