Parents' Guide to He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe

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Common Sense Media Review

Chris Morris By Chris Morris , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Awkward controls hamper nostalgia-powered platform game.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's It About?

Players control the game through a series of thumb strokes on their touchscreen. Swiping to the left or right with your left thumb moves He-Man through his adventure, while tapping the right side of the screen swings his sword (other attack motions are unlocked throughout the game, such as double tapping to swing overhead). Swiping your right thumb upward is used to send He-Man airborne -- a move that is essential in the game, but doesn't work so well in practice.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The nostalgia that goes with He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe is undeniable -- and the sense of humor Chillingo has about the game is very welcome (they know exactly how cheesy the franchise is). And as an arcade side-scrolling brawler, it's actually a pretty fun game.

Where it stumbles, though, is the controls, which are often non-responsive and non-intuitive. Jumping is an essential skill, but the action required for the move is not a natural one -- and it only seems to work some of the time. It's a cheap app, so you won't feel as if you've wasted money, but it's not something that will hold your attention for a long time.

App Details

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