Play Some Games With Pocoyo
Pocoyo Gamebox ($0.99) by Zinkia Entertainment, S.A. gives preschool children a chance to interact with Pocoyo and his friends.
Who is Pocoyo, exactly? You probably wouldn’t know if you don’t have children who tune in to Nick Jr.
Pocoyo is a mischievous boy dressed all in blue. His friends include Pato the duck, Elly the elephant, and Sleepy Bird, all who live in a world devoid of scenery, except when it’s needed. The Narrator will provide helpful guidance with his English accent.
Pocoyo Gamebox is a faithful adaption of the television show. This app features five games to test children’s sense of timing and color matching.
The first game, “Shoot and Color,” shows colored targets floating past Pocoyo. He has a colored ball in his hand, and your goal is to match the color of the ball with the appropriate target. Every now and then, a target showing Pato will appear. Pocoyo grins each time he hits it. This mini-game is good for teaching children to be selective about hitting the correct target.
Next is “Jump Rope,” which is the hardest of all, in my opinion. Pato and Elly will swing the rope. Tap Pocoyo before the rope hits his feet. Not touching him in time ends the game with “Oh, no, you’ve fallen!” While this is certainly entertaining, a keen sense of timing is required, which may be too much for preschoolers.
“Trampoline Contest” is my favorite. You have one minute to collect as many presents as possible. Five jump icons rest below Pocoyo on his trampoline. Select the highlighted icon to make Pocoyo jump high enough to get the present. While this game does require timing, a little leniency is given for selecting the right icon.
The next game, “The Block Tower,” seems like it could use some work. Pocoyo needs to build a tower with his wooden blocks. A color will appear at the top, with different colored blocks at the bottom. Select the block that matches the color to build the tower higher.
However, Elly will appear every now and then with a fit of sneezing. Tap her before she sneezes so you can keep building. You’re given ample time to tap her before she can even sneeze, which makes the game too easy.
Finally, “Pocoyo Mini-Racing” features Pocoyo riding in a go-kart. Slide your finger left or right to move him while collecting as many apples as you can. Trees and bushes will appear as well, so you’ll need to avoid those.
I was most disappointed by this game because it has so much more potential than what it actually is. The trees and bushes will slow you down, though they often appear so far to the side that you can’t actually reach them.
Children who enjoy watching Pocoyo and his friends will certainly enjoy this app. Tickets are earned, which can be redeemed for bonus items at Pocoyo World. The app even provides a promo code for a seven day premium trial.
