Marvel Future Revolution

(Very) Early thoughts:

Well, Netmarble did what SquareEnix couldn't: they delivered a very decent open-world MMORPG game with characters from the world of Marvel. But let's not beat around the bush. The gameplay of Marvel Future Revolution is mediocre at best. There’s a lot that Netmarble could do with the game but players just have to spam the attack button and then there’s autoplay as well which just makes the game a repetitive and boring grind. The characters do look pretty, especially on higher graphical settings and players get to choose who they want to play as. The cool thing with all the different characters is their signature special abilities and attacks. But unfortunately, it’s a wasted opportunity since you just keep clicking the attack button and can take out enemies without even thinking about it. Being all about the characters and you can play as a bunch of different heroes from the Marvel Universe. Another thing which was a cool feature was the suits your characters can wear. Costumes can be mixed up and paired with different items to make your hero stronger and more resilient. But this comes with a couple of downsides. The game does have a story and there’s PvP gameplay and the story has been written by Marc Sumerak who has worked for Marvel. It’s an original story set on Primary Earth. At present, players can play as Starlord, Black Widow, Spiderman, Doctor Strange, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Storm. One big issue for me was optimization. Even my Samsung S20 FE which is pretty good for mobile gaming struggled a little and as far as I know, overheating and freezes are pretty common across devices which really is a big issue and should be worked on (you can see it by how this playthrough ended - later I noticed that the game crashed because my phone was just burning up). The game doesn’t have advertisements which is pretty cool but the In-App purchases are among the biggest concerns here. The game is way too pay-to-win and if you were to take a look at the store, you’d find a lot of different cosmetics for every character but they’re not just visual addons. They can increase the damage and strength stats of your players which some might consider as unfair towards other players. There’s a bunch of different bundles which cost quite a bit and if you’re going into PvP, someone who’s made these purchases is going to have a big advantage. Since the game does have an engaging story, I do think that kids 10 and above will find it pretty fun to play, but as the game goes it's non-stop violence, so take that with a grain of salt (or the entire shaker). 3 out of 5 Pandas (for now)

Paw Patrol Rescue World

Review:

If you ever wanted to be in an episode of Paw Patrol, this is your chance. In Paw Patrol Rescue World you'll take on missions playing as the titular characters of the Paw Patrol Cartoon Show as they face challenges to help their friends in Adventure Bay. The game's strengths are without a doubt its amazing cut-scenes, the music, and the sound editing using the original voice actors from the show. The gameplay is fine, but the mini-games are nothing worth writing home about and have been seen on many other games, but they are well implemented within the story and they're fun for kids 3 and up that are fans of the show since they're the typical mini-games that work fine motor skills of children. As for monetization, the game does not push any in-game ads and in my view, that's the cherry on top of what's essentially a great game. 5 out 5 Pandas

PJ Masks Moonlight Heroes

Review:

PJ Masks Moonlight Heroes is a multilevel scrolling game based on the popular Tv Show PJ Masks, whereby single presses anywhere on the screen will make the main hero dodge obstacles and/or collect orbs and masks. you can choose between the 3 heroes: Catboy (who climbs and jumps between two buildings), Gekko (who runs across the rooftops), and Owlette (who flies over the rooftops). Each hero has seven levels to complete. A total score and star rating (1 to 3) is given at the end of each level to indicate a degree of completion. The aim of the game is to collect as many orbs and masks as possible and to make it to the end of the level without losing lives. Very simple, fine motor skills, good hand/eye coordination, and fast reaction time are required to play. Content within the app itself is completely fine for children aged 4+. 5 out of 5 Pandas

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Legends

Review:

Teenage Mutant Ninja (or Hero) Turtles Legends is an excellent game and an example of how to adapt the source material into a well-crafted experience. The game follows a simple path but from the graphics to the gameplay everything is thought out perfectly. Yes, it deals with violence and I certainly recommend it to children 6 and above, but the violence is subdued by the gameplay that forces kids to think about their choices. This is no beat-em-up, no street fighter kind of game. In order to progress past a certain point and to gain more and more bonuses, brute force will not be enough and the game does make you think about who to have in your party, what powers to use on whom, and why. In terms of monetization the game allows you to play it from start to finish without ever having to see an ad, something other Nick games should follow. 5 out of 5 Pandas

BEN 10 Omnitrix Hero

Review:

To be perfectly honest I was expecting a lot from this title since Cartoon Network usually delivers good tie-in games. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The graphics and sound effects are good, the music is reminiscent of the old 16-bit era but the game in itself is just too repetitive. Being able to play with different characters is nice and all but the whole game feels like going through the motions just for the sake of it with no real objective or story to back it up. The monetization is kept to a minimum, but the difficulty really ramps up, making it almost necessary to view ads to progress in the game. A real shame. This one is for [screaming] die-hard fans only. 1 out of 5 Pandas.

Toca Kitchen

Review:

In true Toca Boca fashion, Toca Kitchen is a very well-made little game where you can try out different types of foods with 3 different people, each with their own likes and dislikes. It can help kids and parents talk about different types of food items, as well as how everyone is different and can have their own taste. It can also let kids see what happens to certain items when cooked in different ways, from grilled to fried or even squeezed. Plus kids can just fool around and make the poor characters eat stuff filled to the brim with hot sauce. All in all, it's a very enjoyable and very fun little game. 4.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Math Kids

Review:

MATH KIDS is a free educational game aimed at children from 3 to 8 years old. It has a very good presentation with a very likable mascot (Lucas) and it is very easy to understand, even for toddlers. The game adapts its difficulty to the age you input at the start so you don't have to be afraid that it will overwhelm your child, but even if it does, it is very easy to change the difficulty in the setting menu. Your kid will learn about counting, adding, and subtracting numbers in multiple fun mini-games that are very well presented. This game is not about the bells and whistles and that's fine by us since the important stuff is on point: the questions are shown in a simple and clear way, pointing out one right answer before asking the child to make his/her choices. Plus the little bonuses you can collect along the way, like stamps, stickers, and objects are fun to see them pop-up from time to time. Plus, there are trophies to collect by completing certain goals. Another positive is that this game doesn't try to shove ads in the child's face and is careful in the way it pushes its own monetization. Oh! And it comes in different languages, although I can only attest to the English version. I definitely recommend it. 5 out of 5 Pandas

Thomas & Friends Adventures!

Review:

Based on the popular children cartoon Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends Adventures! follows Thomas and the gang as they go around the world finding new friends and getting to know new tracks to race and play with. The free version tested only lets us play the China section of the game, but it is enough to have fun for half an hour and gather everything that world has to offer. Then, if you don't wanna pay for the full version, you can still have fun trying out new trains and creating tracks using the materials you've gathered so far. Now for the big question: is it worth the upgrade? Well, as it happens with these types of games, the answer is yes, if and only if your child is a very big Thomas the Tank Engine fan. If not, then there are plenty of similar games around to play with (Hot Wheels being one of them - here's our free-playthrough and review: https://youtu.be/PpFDY51f-F4). 3.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Merge Safari - Fantastic Animal Isle

Review:

Merge Safari is a visually stunning little game. Its aesthetics are just awesome and the cuteness of the animals, as well as the whole game, is undeniable. Too bad the game itself is just as boring as can be, with this being just another Idle-type game, where all you do is click to get coins, then proceed to buy animals, and when you have to of the same you can merge them together to get the next animal, and so forth. I have nothing against idle-games. They can be casual fun, but when they're riddled with ads like this one they become unplayable. And Merge Safari is a good example of this. And that's too bad because this game has a lot of potential, especially when thinking about younger gamers. There's so much they could have done with this from an educational perspective that it's just a shame that all the potential is wasted on such a simple and at times boring game. 1 out of 5 Pandas.

Megapolis

Review:

Megapolis is your typical Sim City / City Manager / City Skylines clone, but a very capable one especially if you're thinking about letting your kid play with it. That's because even though the game itself can be very, very, tricky with some really complicated mechanics, it presents itself in a way that's very simple and easy to understand, even for a child. The developers were really smart about letting the players play the game as if on wheels by placating each level within certain mission constraints, and telling you exactly what you need to create or do in order to progress. As a learning tool, this game can be used to teach new vocabulary and to train logical processes (if - then / only if and so forth) but we do recommend giving it only to children that already have basic verbal skills in order not to frustrate them as some of the instructions can be quite challenging. The game overall is very pretty to look at and easy to navigate, although sometimes we can get lost, especially when the map begins to get crowded with lots of structures. Although there are no in-game ads to stop the fun on its tracks, the game can be very insisting on its monetization strategy so, as always, supervision is always strongly advised. 4.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Sonic Forces (mobile)

Review:
Sonic Forces is essentially an on-rails racer... but a beautiful one.

You join three other characters – all real human players that you're automatically connected to via a server – and you compete for grand prizes. You can move your character side to side over the four lanes, avoiding obstacles as you go, while trying your best to collect the iconic rings (to go faster) and powerups (to slow others down). Each character has its own set of powerups, which means there's plenty of fun to be had across the franchise's cast of characters – including Tails, Knuckles, and more.

Once you get a proper handle on the simple controls, the matching of players by ability and level is impressively well done.

Unfortunately, it all falls down due to the difficulty since unlocking new characters demands so much grinding that it's just not worth it after a while. Plus the live connection means that you need data or Wi-Fi to play, another big bummer in my book.

Being a freemium game, there are ads in it, but fortunately nothing too intrusive. All in all, Sonic Forces is worth a look and it can be a little reflex booster for kids of all ages. But please don't fall into the rabbit hole of paying for characters... it's a beautiful game, yes, but you'll be spending way too much for what's essentially a middle-of-the-road Sonic experience.

3.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Hot Wheels Unlimited

Review:

Hot Wheels Unlimited is more than your run-of-the-mill racing game.
It features a ton of cars, tracks, and challenges. Plus it has a very active community creating new tracks and challenges to try out.

While aimed at all ages, but it is definitely best suited for children 5 and up since there are some instructions (especially when creating new custom tracks) that require a little effort in terms of spatial awareness that can be challenging for children below 4.

Another feature that's just perfect is that in the free version of the game you cannot progress the "story" mode further than 3 races per day, which is just the right amount of play-time for a very young child. But don't worry, even though you cannot progress in the "Story mode" you can still create and race on custom tracks, so you can still have a lot of fun with the free version.

4.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Toon Cup 2020

 

Review:

This one is going to be short and sweet. Toon Cup 2020 is a very simple football game that pits your favorite characters from various Cartoon Network shows against each other in a 3 Vs 3 football (or soccer, for all you American kids) match. The animations are solid, the gameplay is fine as is the sound design and the characters themselves don't disappoint each with his or her special quirk making them unique. The possibilities are pretty much staggering considering that you unlock new characters as you progress and although you can buy your way, the game is a lot of fun in its free version with no barriers whatsoever. Just a fun time with all your favorite cartoon characters. 5 out of 5 pandas.

Talking Pocoyo

Review:

Talking Pocoyo Free is like it says right in its name, a "free" Pocoyo game made by the good people at Zinkia that have already made a tonne of mobile games featuring Pocoyo. This is a very simple app where you can have Pocoyo dance, play instruments, and play a guessing game where Pocoyo will imitate an animal and you'll have to pick the right one. Despite its name, this game is in fact paywalled, meaning that you'll have to pay to get all the dance moves and all the instruments. Fortunately, the real fun is definitely in the guessing game, which is completely free. As for the other stuff, there's plenty of other options around, but if you have a die-hard Pocoyo fan at home, well... good luck. ;) Another thing I have to point out is that even though the game does not stop you with ads it does feature always-on ads right on top of the screen as you play it. Since this is clearly a game aimed at very young children (toddlers especially) it is something that just rubs me the wrong way. But even so, the guessing game is pretty nice and Pocoyo is very well animated. 3 out of 5 Pandas.

Dragons: Rise of Berk

Review:

Dragons: Rise of Berk is a Farmville-type game set in the world of the How to Train Your Dragon universe. It combines egg-hatching, collection-completing, and city-building altogether. Also, the game features amazing artwork and sound effects and it's relatively easy to learn, but be aware that that are many mechanics (and currencies) at play at any given time so, while being simple it can be a little bit tricky to grasp especially for younger players. Although the game doesn't force you to pay-to-play, but you (and your child) have to be aware of the dangers of micro-transactions so parent supervision is definitely advised. Rise of Berk should easily please fans of the film and it's definitely fun for all ages. Despite its amazing graphics and excellent game mechanics, we wish the developers would have added some more unique features just to differentiate the game out from the others out there. 3.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Lego Duplo World - Preschool Learning Games

Review:

Lego Duplo World is just amazing. It's well made, well-thought-out, and very well executed as a preschooler-friendly set of mini-games. Each mini-game has a quick explanation about its use in the development of the child, no ads are shown throughout the game experience, and while a lot of the game is behind a paywall, the game does not push the monetization. All in all, it's well worth the download of the free version and is also well worth the upgrade to the full version. 5 out of 5 Pandas.

Spongebob Moves In!

Review:

Spongebob Moves In! is a Farmville-type game set in the world of Spongebob&friends. The game feature a little intro animation and some voice-over work taken from the cartoon but all and all its biggest strength lies in its graphical fidelity to the Spongebob cartoon. The writing is fine and the instructions are given in a way that's easy to understand and follow. Now, being this a Farmville-type of game it can be a way for your child to train patience as well as playing around with some light strategy involving numbers. The game doesn't force you to pay-to-play in any way and that's why we're recommending it but only to children 6 and above that are aware of the dangers of micro-transactions and to those that are able to exercise some self-control. Parent supervision is definitely advised. 4 out of 5 Pandas.

Nella The Princess Knight - Kingdom Adventures

Review:

For all that Nella The Princess Knight has going for it with a more than decent hide-and-seek mini-game, the free version is just too short to be worth it. Yes, it is fun to play, but the game is over in a second and then the app will smother you with the "opportunity" to upgrade in order to play the locked mini-games. Yes, those extra mini-games do seem exciting and different than the standard Nickelodeon tie-in games, but c'mon, maybe add one more of those before asking people to buy the set! 2 out of 5 Pandas.

Peppa Pig: Polly Parrot

Review:

Even in its free version, Peppa Pig: Polly Parrot offers quite a lot: excellent animation, voice acting, and an excellent set of mini-games that will have your 4-year-olds oinking along with Peppa and George as they try to find Polly Parrot, feed her, or just listen to some silly phrases that will make Peppa and George rolling on the floor laughing. There's also the usual memory game and a very well implemented tracing game. In a nutshell, Peppa Pig: Polly Parrot is a very well-made game, with absolutely no in-game ads and one that's worth a try for any fan of Peppa, especially those under 5. 5 out of 5 Pandas.

PJ Masks Hero Academy

Review:

Based on the popular TV Show, PJ Masks Hero Academy, this free-to-play game is a very good logic-puzzler. The game asks us to calculate trajectories, force, and direction through a very well-made mini-game featuring your favorite characters from the PJ Masks animated series. You can choose between 3 difficulty levels, and even though the challenges are the same, you'll get more or less help from the game depending on the difficulty setting. Plus the game can recognize when you're struggling or just breezing through the levels and asks you to adjust the difficulty settings - a plus in our book. Hero Academy seems to have much more to offer but unfortunately, it's behind a pay-wall that's a little steep, costing you about €14 to unlock. 3.3 out of 5 Pandas for the free-to-play game.

Octonauts and the Whale Shark

Review:

Based on the popular TV show, Octonauts and the Whale Shark is a run-of-the-mill mini-activities mobile game where you can find all your favorite characters. The mini-games available are fun and well-thought-out, being well suited for kids ages 4 and above (maybe 3-year-olds can also get something out of it). The hook is that while you're playing the mini-games you'll be collecting trading cards with all the different characters and species from the show. Once you're finished you can go check those trading cards at any time in your in-game binder. It's a great hook and the game is indeed quite fun, but the free version is definitely too short. If the rest of the mini-games are more of the same then the 4€ price of the full game is a bit much... unless your kid is a die-hard Octonauts fan. If that's the case, like in most cases, it's 4€ well spent. 3 out of 5 Pandas

Super Wings - It's Fly Time

Review:

Even if Super Wings - It's Fly Time is packed full of very enjoyable mini-games I cannot in good conscience recommend it due to some big issues dealing with the accuracy of the knowledge that the game is trying to teach. The game's intentions are very noble and the length it goes through is admirable but some of the information is just plain distorted and the developers could have used something better than Wikipedia as a source. Then there's the issue with some language terms that are also not very accurate, such as using "more" instead of "plus", among others. It's a real shame that Super Wings has those issues because it is one of the most complete gaming experiences out there and in reality, it could be a great way for young kids to get to know geography and a little bit more about other countries. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the issues it has severely cripple what could be a great educational game. 2 out of 5 Pandas

My Very Hungry Caterpillar

 

Review:

My Very Hungry Caterpillar is a gem, especially for toddlers and fans of the book of all ages. You play as the titular caterpillar and have an entire sandbox to play in. Your objective is quite simple: just feed the caterpillar and make her happy until something beautiful happens. You got a whole bunch of options even in this free-to-play version. The graphics are colorful and joyful, and the music is sweet and soothing even if a tad repetitive. One other plus is that the game does not bother you with non-sensical ads even in its free version, but it's totally worth the €6 to upgrade it and have all the extra features at your (and your caterpillar's) disposal. 5 out of 5 Pandas.

Masha and The Bear Good Night!

Review:

Masha and The Bear Good Night! is a collection of mini-games related to going to bed within the Masha andThe Bear universe. The mini-games themselves aren't bad but are not very memorable or funny. The intrusive non-removable ads also don't contribute to the experience. It's great that the game offers two modes, one for toddlers and one for older children, but the difference is minimal. If you can keep your kid from clicking on the intrusive ad, this is a very decent option to entertain him or her for half an hour but no more than that. It definitely isn't worth paying for the upgrade.

2.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Miffy Educational Games

 

Review:

Miffy Educational Games is a middle-of-the-road collection of educational mini-games aimed at older toddlers and children under 6. Yes, the ads do get in the way but the €6 asking fee is just too much when there are better alternatives (unless your kid's a die-hard Miffy fan). Miffy Educational Games is not worth the upgrade in order to get the no-ads version as well as the extra mini-games in my opinion. 3 out of 5 Pandas.

Gumball's Amazing Party Game

Review:

Gumball's Amazing Party Game is a very enjoyable party game consisting of a variety of board games that are punctuated by mini-games. Unfortunately in the free version, there's only one game to play with and a handful of mini-games to enjoy. Don't get me wrong, the game is a blast to play with, even on your own, but it's way easy just to plow through everything the free-version has to offer. On the plus side, there are no ads whatsoever that bother you while playing this game. NOT ONE. And just for that Gumball's Amazing Party Game is head and shoulders above many others like it. 4 out of 5 Pandas (and yes, it is worth it to spend 5 or 6€ and just get all the games and mini-games for hours and hours of fun).

Goodnight Caillou

Review:

Goodnight Caillou is a concise set of simple mini-games related to bedtime activities such as brushing our teeth or cleaning or counting sheep. While not being particularly bad, the games themselves lack imagination. Plus, the whole experience is very short. Best suited for very young kids only, which is a pity due to the huge amount of in-game ads that appear throughout.

2.5 out of 5 Pandas.

KID-E-CATS Educational Games

Review:

KID-E-CATS Educational Games is an excellent collection of educational mini-games, suitable for children ages 4 and up. It offers hours of good educational fun and is worth the upgrade in order to get the no-ads version as well as the extra mini-games.

4.5 out of 5 Pandas.

Robocar Poli Mailman

Review:

Robocar Poli Mailman is a decent enough mobile game, but it pushes way too hard its upper-tier (paid VIP Club), even to 5-year-olds. Plus, the ads are really annoying and not suited to the age inserted at the start.

2 out of 5 Pandas.