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BAM! Jr. Version 1.1.0 is a major update to this matching game from Holland's NoMoreMouse. New in Version 1.1.0 are more "energy in the game," new sounds and artwork, and general bugfixes.
Bam Jr is Intended for preschoolers. At the start of the game, each of two to eight players chooses one of eight different colored shapes. During gameplay, the eight shapes are displayed randomly, and each player in turn must quickly tap on the screen when their chosen shape appears.
The Eight Different Shapes are:
* Blue duck on a yellow background
* Green car on a magenta background
* Cyan bird on a red background
* White robot on a gray background
* Yellow flower on a blue background
* Magenta frog on a green background
* Red fish on a cyan background
* Gray airplane on a white background
Initially, each shape is displayed for a few seconds, making identification easy. The sound of an alarm clock being wound up is heard throughout the game, and at the start, it is being wound. The winding sound effect remains at the same pitch, but winding progressively speeds up and the game gains momentum after finishing each round, with the images moving faster and requiring quicker response from players. If a player fails to choose the right image, he/she has to leave the game. Eventually, one player survives elimination of the others and thus wins the match. The scoreboard is displayed after the game is over showing the number of rounds you've played. As rounds go by, the shapes are displayed faster and faster. A side-benefit of players developing coordination and recognition is touted, and that seems to be a reasonable claim.
By the time 50 shapes have been displayed, they appear at the rate of two or more per second, which poses quite a challenge to children and formthat matter adults alike. With practice, however, the developers note that players may reach 100 shapes or more by the time a winner is declared. There is no penalty for tapping the screen if a shape that no one has chosen is displayed. Players are eliminated when they fail to tap on the screen quickly enough when their own chosen shape is displayed. Relying on color matching, while easier and faster, is a risky strategy, because the color combinations are reversed between the first four shapes and backgrounds and the last four shapes and backgrounds.
NoMoreMouse's Gideon Rijnders advises: "Don't blink, keep your eyes on the screen, wait for your shape, and then BAM!" as the formula for success playing Bam! Jr.
There are no ads, come-ons, or in-app purchases, and the game interface is extraordinarily clean and uncomplicated.
Bam Junior! Seems to work flawlessly, and as advertised. I don't expect its simple, non-animated graphics and likewise uncomplicated sound effects tax the iPad's computing and video resources overmuch. It's also inexpensive at just $.99 on the App Store. If you have kids in the roughly 2-to-5 year old age bracket (the developers say 2 to 8, but I'm skeptical that kids over five would be terribly captivated) and they have access to an iPad, this game is worth checking out. However, where I live, "preschool" means age five or younger, and in my estimation the game's appeal will be very limited for anyone older than that. By the time they were eight, my kids were playing poker.
Bam! Jr. Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* Requires iOS 4.2 or later (iOS 5 tested)
* Universal app optimized for display on all iOS devices
* 10.5 MB free memory
BAM! Jr. 1.1.0 is $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.
For more information, visit:
http://www.nomoremouse.com/NoMoreMouse/BAM_jr.html
App Store
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bam!-jr./id495934409?mt=8
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