Parents' Guide to Super Mombo Quest

At first glance, the goofy purple monster kids play may seem to be panting, but its tongue turns out to be as useful as rope for scaling a wall. Kids will do plenty of wall-climbing in Super Mombo Quest as they try to complete goals, such as gathering all the crystals in an area or getting a Mombo Combo, obtained when you defeat all monsters that are present before a timer runs out. Kids may, at times, be a little confused about where to go next -- the levels bleed into each other without a distinct transition screen or other major pause. Generally, though, they get guidance on new elements that are introduced, and they're doled out at a piecemeal pace, which helps keep them from being overwhelming. The controls -- such as hitting the right and up buttons to jump and climb on a wall -- are fairly easy to get the hang of, although when mushrooms you need to bounce on and other elements are involved, kids may have to try to jump more than once to be successful.

The app's backstory feels like a minor part of the experience -- kids don't really need to closely follow it to play. They will need to pay attention to the information Thoma, master of the ancient guardians, gives out, because he offers helpful tips that can help them understand how to kill monsters and perform other actions. The game has some solid elements, including its graphics, which have a nifty retro arcade feel. Sounds such as the bouncing noise you hear when you jump on mushroom also add ambiance. Best of all, the game doesn't really incentivize buying anything with real-world funds. Kids will see ads, but they're not shown frequently or for long enough to significantly disrupt the playing experience. Without too much to spend your in-app earnings on, it's possible to play Super Mombo Quest for free -- which makes the experience even more enjoyable.