Flea Symphony
By Kim Alessi,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Clever rhythm puzzle gets challenging quickly.
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Flea Symphony
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What’s It About?
The game begins when a flea is blown out of a horn. Using trial and error, kids move musical instruments to bounce the flea into a red bell -- all in time and corresponding to pictures notated on a musical staff. Off-rhythm bounces show up as a blue line where the beat's too early or late. When instruments are properly aligned, the flea bounces in rhythm, which highlights the notation and advances players to the next level. Each world brings more intricate instruments and mechanics, making the game increasingly challenging.
Is It Any Good?
FLEA SYMPHONY is all about rhythm, physics, and timing. The game is very imaginative and its sights and sounds are great (for even more stunning visuals, Retina iPad can download the Retina asset pack, which is available as a separate 90 MB download). While the game's objective is simple, Flea Symphony is a tricky time-based, trial and error puzzler. The pacing of levels is sometimes odd, with easy puzzles followed by really challenging ones. In either case, the picture notation musical staff is indispensable because it gives kids a visual rhythmic phrase to match -- if your beat's a little early, lower the instrument; if your beat's a bit late, raise it up some. It's really rewarding when everything lines up -- the game lights up and players are washed with a short but very pleasing rhythmic symphony.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Music is made up of individual notes which, when played together, makes a song. Talk about how music can be written down using notes or other forms of representation.
Explore the branch of physics known as mechanics by bouncing a ball off different surfaces. Ask kids to predict how a ball will bounce on flat, angled, and curved surfaces.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Arts: music, rhythm, Science: motion, physics, Math: patterns, probability
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: analyzing evidence, decision-making, logic, Tech Skills: using and applying technology
- Release date: November 15, 2012
- Category: Music Games
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Publisher: Majesco Entertainment
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.1 or later
- Last updated: August 18, 2016
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