My Dolphin Show

App review by Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Media
My Dolphin Show Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 6+

Erratic controls, animal exploitation mar lovely graphics.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire Paid Kids' Games
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Parents say

age 7+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 5+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that My Dolphin Show is a game featuring dolphin trainers and captive dolphins, whales, and other animals performing for an audience at various locations, including a Sea World-style amusement park, a cruise ship, and a Vegas show. Kids earn stars based on the dolphin's performance to unlock levels and earn coins to buy costumes for their dolphins. If they don't want to wait, kids can unlock levels early or buy costume upgrades as in-app purchases. Because the captivity and training conditions of marine mammals is controversial, and the game doesn't include any mention of that, some parents might be concerned about the embedded messages and misalignment with actual animal behavior. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.

Community Reviews

tsteele93
tsteele93 Adult
August 11, 2016
age 7+

Constant money grabbing!

Personally I don't have any problem with all the crazy stuff that some people worry about the dolphins in captivity, shows, and blah blah blah. My kids are 8 and 9 and that doesn't even register in their world. They just like making the Dolphins jump, and more importantly, getting people to come to their show (it is terrible if people are getting up and leaving) and getting 100 people to watch. What bugs me is that it constantly tries to get $2.99 for a mermaid that will help them have 110% hang time or other boosts. Or $3.99 for four mermaids (my kids at least learned that is a better deal, even though they don't realize all of them are a bad deal!) I wouldn't mind paying $3.99 if that was all I was going to have to pay, but knowing that tomorrow they are going to probably need another $3.99 for something else makes me think the best approach is to just say no to ANY purchases. Making money is fine, being greedy is not. As far as the game, I give it 99% on appropriate for kids. It is pure and innocent. The money grab turns me off though. I am fortunate, my kids came with the piggy bank wanting to use their own money to pay for it, and when I told them, "No, it isn't a good enough deal," they accepted it and just kept playing. It would not be fun if they weren't good kids. I just was looking at the game, and the kids showed me another oddity. You can also purchase a giant pooh (Not the bear) to swim with instead of a Dolphin. I'm not one to worry about poop humor, but it is a bit in your face and some parents might not like it. One last issue, there is a way to earn extra prizes by watching short videos. Some of these are hugely inappropriate for the audience of this app. Zombie bloody video game trailers are included in the videos that the kids have to watch to get free coins and other prizes. Not good at all...

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

In MY DOLPHIN SHOW dolphins jump through hoops, knock over bowling pins, and splash guests for the applause of the audience and fish rewards from a trainer. In the game, kids control the dolphin, guiding it through the obstacles according to the trainer's signals. If the dolphin completes the challenges and keeps the audience seats filled, kids earn more stars and coins. Stars unlock additional levels and show venues, and coins can purchase costumes and other types of animals.

Is It Any Good?

The graphics are well-done -- beautiful coral fills the training pool -- and the dolphins are impressive to watch as they jump, flip, and kiss the trainers. But even overlooking a premise that some will find controversial, the controls are too erratic and difficult to master for kids to feel like they're actually controlling the dolphin's moves. Add to that the barrage of in-app purchases to unlock other levels and a request for a five-star rating, and this just-for-fun game may not be the best choice for most kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the conditions that the dolphins and whales in these kinds of shows live in and how they're trained. What do they already know? What do they want to learn?

  • Discuss ocean mammal behaviors in the wild. What do dolphins eat? How do they play? Is it similar to or different from what the dolphin does in the game?

App Details

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Themes & Topics

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