Casual Mom

We recently had the opportunity to check out a couple of educational games for preschoolers for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Count Caddy and Sort Slider are two apps that are part of the Tickle Tap Apps series.

Tickle Tap Apps are developed by zinc Roe design and are geared at being educational and fun, yet simple enough for kids to do on their own. My daughter Izzy, who is 3, did the “testing” of these apps and had no problem following the simple verbal instructions. There is no reading required so she didn’t need me to help explain what to do and could play on her own.

Count Caddy (app store link) teaches counting by having kids drag various items into a circle while the game counts them. Unfortunately, this game didn’t hold Izzy’s attention long and she didn’t make it far.  I do plan on encouraging her to play because it is a great way to teach counting by twos and threes.

Sort Slider (app store link) was more successful at entertaining her.  She played this game for awhile and seemed to really enjoy it.  Instead of dragging their finger on the screen, kids tilt the phone to slide the shapes to the matching silhouette (dragging can still work too).

We both enjoyed the animations, music and style of the games and look forward to trying the other Tickle Tap Apps in the series.  These are great games to have handy for those times you might need to keep younger kids occupied, for instance while traveling or waiting at the doctor’s office.  Definitely worth giving a try.

Fans of Zuma who are looking for more will not be disappointed with Zuma’s Revenge.  It provides the same great addicting gameplay but also has some new twists like slide-aiming, lily- pad hopping and boss battles.  Zuma’s Revenge also includes some new power-ups to help you conquer the tiki bosses of the island.

There are 60 levels to play with increasing difficulty.  As you match 3 or more colored balls they disappear.  When you have achieved enough points, the balls stop coming and you can clear them all to complete the level.  Creating chains of disappearing balls and using the power-ups can help you complete the level faster and achieve an Ace Time.  The lightning,  laser,  tri-shot and moving the chain backwards are useful power-ups when the balls are getting a little too close to the end.

I was a big fan of the original Zuma  (you can read the review here) and enjoyed Zuma’s Revenge.  It’s new features kept the game interesting while maintaining the same basic popular gameplay.  If you were a fan of Zuma and are looking for a completely different type of game then Zuma’s Revenge probably isn’t for you, but if you are looking for an extension of the great fun Zuma provided then Zuma’s Revenge is well worth a try.  For those who haven’t played Zuma then you are missing out on a great game and I recommend playing Zuma’s Revenge to see what you have been missing.

If you’re looking for a fun game that provides a little different game play than many of the popular time management games then Plants vs. Zombies by PopCap is a great choice.  This game is packed with content and will provide hours of entertainment.

The game features Adventure and Survival modes, Mini-games, Puzzles and a Zen Garden.  There is great variety in the game so you are not doing the same thing over and over again.  With the large assortment of plants you can choose what suits your style of play as you defend your home from the zombies.  Your neighbor Crazy Dave will guide and sell you items from the trunk of his car that will assist in the protection of your home.

I’m not sure who enjoys the game more, me or my 3 year old daughter.  She loves to watch and help me play.  Every day she wants to play “the zombie game” and provides advice of which plants to use.   She even talked grandma into playing!

In addition to the really fun gameplay, the humor written into Plants vs. Zombies is one of the things that keeps me playing time and time again.

Be warned this game is addicting and you will find yourself playing during any free time you have and possibly during times that something else needs to be done.

Cake Mania is definitely worth a try for those who liked Diner Dash (one of my favorites). It adds several different features and is more about creating an order/cake rather then just connecting a series of events. The tutorial is short but teaches you everything you need to play.

The basic game play involves taking orders for cakes, creating them and then delivering a delicious masterpiece to a satisfied customer. As you progress through the game, the cakes become more complicated with layers and toppers. You also encounter a variety of customers with different levels of patience. As new bakeries are opened and you reach higher levels, the number of customers increase. You will find yourself running around the bakery and planning what needs to be done next.

To help you meet the demands of customers there is a shop after every level where you can purchase, among other things, upgrades to your ovens and frosting applicators or toppers for your cakes, which make the cakes worth more. You can choose to purchase new accessories or you can upgrade existing ones. What you decide to purchase becomes part of your strategy for the game. Having this flexibility is great and when you play the game again you may choose to spend your money differently, for instance upgrading all of your ovens before buying the t.v. to entertain customers.

Overall, Cake Mania is definitely worth purchasing. It is entertaining and provides enough of a challenge to keep you playing without becoming frustrated. I found the game seemed to end too soon and wished there were more levels. While this could be seen as a negative that the game is not long enough, I believe it is the sign of a good game, leaving me wanting more.

Zuma was the first casual game I downloaded and made me a believer that purchasing these games was worth it. I had enjoyed playing Zuma online and my husband convinced me to buy the full version. I played the game endlessly and enjoyed the many features the full game provided.

You explore the temples of Zuma by shooting different colored balls and making matches of three or more. As you continue to uncover hidden temples, the balls begin moving faster and the levels start with longer chains. A level ends by scoring points to fill up the gauge, which will stop new balls from appearing in the chain, and clearing all the balls on screen. There are several ways to score more points ending the level faster thus giving you a time bonus, such as gathering coins or shooting a ball through a gap. If you find you need a little help managing the chain of balls, there are power-ups you can collect when making matches. Some of these will push the chain back, slow it down, or blowup several balls all at once.

Zuma is probably my favorite game. I love the graphics and find the pace and style of the game perfect. The levels gradually get more challenging and while they repeat there is plenty of variety to keep the game from becoming boring. This is a game where everything comes together (graphics, game play, sound, etc.) making it a must try for anyone who likes casual games.