Puzzle Planets

Review

Common Sense Media says

Not much science in fun but repetitive Nat Geo app.
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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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Puzzle Planets is a science-based puzzle game about forming planets and initiating life. The game teaches very rudimentary ideas about tectonics and geological formation but is not otherwise educational. There are some creatures pictured in the planet profiles that have weapons and another wearing a bikini, but these are static images and not part of the actual gameplay. Scores can be optionally posted to Facebook, which requires logging in.

  • Ease of use3
    The first level is a tutorial that walks the player through the controls. The controls are mostly easy to master.
  • Violence1
    A humanoid creature on one of the planets is described as having "gladiatorial battles" and "brutally killing" its enemies. It is pictured holding a spear and with a sword and helmet. The actual gameplay does not depict the creature at all.
  • Sex1
    One humanoid creature is a sea-dwelling blue-skinned female wearing bikini-like clothing in one of her forms. There is only one image of her in this outfit.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism1
    On the settings page there is a "Learn More" link that goes to the National Geographic Channel's page about geological exploration.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety4
    Mostly private. Players may opt to post their scores to Facebook, which requires logging into Facebook.
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Is it any good?

 

PUZZLE PLANETS is a game from National Geographic about forming planets: first the tectonic plates are put together; then mountains, rifts, and volcanoes are formed; and finally the continents are seeded with life. Each of the 15 planets plays out in these three phases, with the player spinning the planet to match up tectonic plates, pinching and spreading areas to create continents, and then spinning again to create life. The planet's profile screen will show an imaginary creature in one of three evolutionary stages depending on how quickly the planet was successfully completed.

The gameplay is sort of fun but repetitive; after a few planets the only value in playing again is to improve times to see all three stages of all the creatures. However, with only 15 planets the entire game can be played in about an hour or so. Also, although the game does follow the stages of geological planet formation, there is very little science other than that basic idea.

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This review was written by Jonathan H. Liu

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This review was written by Jonathan H. Liu
Category:Puzzle Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$0.99
Publisher:National Geographic Society
Version:1.0
Release date:March 18, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.2 or later
This review was written by Jonathan H. Liu

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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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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.
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