Common Sense Media Review
By Chris Morris
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
In-app pushiness mars otherwise fun strategy game.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Battle Nations
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
Players will face off against enemies by selecting a unit, whose range is shown on screen, then selecting a target by touching it. Enemies and soldiers have hit points, which are reduced when they are attacked. When those points hit zero, they disappear/die. The game also has players build a base through a menu system and gather resources to continue construction, all done through a series of screen touches and menu selection.
Is It Any Good?
After playing BATTLE NATIONS for a few minutes, you'll quickly wish this wasn't a free app. The game is fun, even with its hit-and-miss humor and extended narrative, but if you choose not to buy "nanopods" via in-app purchase (which can run up to $50), you'll quickly get frustrated by how long it takes to get things done. It's a frustrating financial play that comes at the expense of the game's fun factor -- and could have been avoided with a free and paid version of the app.
That's a shame, since the game itself is put together well. Resource gathering is well-done and the battles are well-designed. Even the characters are fairly engaging (for the most part). And the inclusion of a multiplayer mode gives the game extra life once you grow tired of (or finish) the single player campaign.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Play board games like Stratego or chess to give kids a chance to exercise strategic thinking.
Help kids practice resource allocation in real life. Encourage them to be fiscally responsible and thoughtful when budgeting money they receive as gifts, allowance, or from working.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence , strategy
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : October 10, 2012
- Genre : Simulation Games
- Publisher : Z2Live, Inc
- Version : 2.3
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 4.3 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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