Common Sense Media Review
By Galen McQuillen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Film promotion's simple math and snowball fights fall short.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Norm of the North's Digit Dodge
What's It About?
NORM OF THE NORTH'S DIGIT DODGE is a game where the film's title character and his lemming friends throw snowballs at each other in a one- or two-player competitive math game. Kids must decide whether an elementary school-level math equation is right or wrong, and if they respond correctly before their opponent does, their character lobs a snowball at the opposing side. Once a player throws enough snowballs to reduce the opponent's energy bar to 0, the game is over. There are also a few special moves that can be used to distract the opponent, such as blocking a view of the buttons or switching their placement on the screen.
Is It Any Good?
As a digital version of a snowball fight, it doesn't do a great job of translating the fun, and as a learning tool, it's little more than a set of true/false flash cards. Kids will likely lose interest quickly, unless they're hooked by the game's main draw -- the characters and setting from Norm of the North -- and as the app is primarily a promotional vehicle for the movie, that makes sense. Parents shouldn't expect much learning, though two kids can play at once and practice basic math skills, so some may find it worth the $0.99 for the full version.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about basic arithmetic and how it's useful in the real world to make quick mental calculations.
Discuss the joys and risks of friendly competition, both as depicted in the game's lighthearted snowball fight and in real-world two-player games such as this one.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Subjects : Math : addition , division , multiplication , subtraction
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : memorization
- Pricing structure : Free to try (in-app purchase to unlock all content)
- Release date : January 12, 2016
- Genre : Educational Games
- Topics : Numbers and Letters
- Publisher : Animoca Brands Limited
- Version : 1.0.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later; Android 4.0 and up
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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