In this review, we look at three educational iPhone games: Polynx, QuizQuizQuiz and Whirly Word. Each is slightly different, but each is, in its own right, a great title to play. Whether you’re looking to extend your general knowledge or language vocabulary, or to test your basic arithmetic ability, there’s certainly (as Apple themselves would say), “an app for that.”
Polynx
Category: Games
Seller: Christopher Urbanek
Requirements: iPhone OS 3.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 7.0 MB
Version Reviewed: 2.1
Price: $0.99
Polynx would be considered the most challenging of the three applications here, as it takes more skill and a problem-solving ability to get your head around it. To solve the puzzle, you must connect each individual piece to other pieces so the total of the connected pieces is the number of the original piece. Confusing? Take a look at the screenshot below. From the left-hand-side of the screen, we are told the piece with the number 6 must equal 4. So that piece must be connected to a number of other pieces to equal that total. As you can see, there are several possibilities for this result, as there are three individual 1s the 3 could connect to so it equals 4. There’s only one full solution to each puzzle, so you’ll need a little trial and error to get to the right answer.
The graphics are pretty basic, with two themes from which to choose: a blackboard or “zen.” Since all three of these applications are educational, there’s not much need for insane graphics or intense animation. The good thing with Polynx is that you don’t notice anything is missing. The graphics are clean and stylish, and they fit well with the style of the game. The user interface is intuitive, and within the first couple of goes, you’ll have no worries navigating the menus and completing the levels. Maybe the screen could be used a little more effectively; there’s a lot of blank space when you’re playing, but it does give you a little more room to navigate the puzzle and to see what you’re working with.
I quite enjoy playing Polynx. It’s something new I’ve never really tried before. The iPhone’s interface is the perfect starting point for the game; you quickly forget you’re on your iPhone, as it could easily be a board game on a glass surface (a little exaggeration, but you get the idea). If you think you might even just slightly enjoy this game, I guarantee you will. Since there’s a lite version available too, you really have no excuse not to try it out.
QuizQuizQuiz
Category: Games
Seller: Four Door Lemon Ltd
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.2.1 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 5.5 MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Price: $1.99
If haven’t already figured out what QuizQuizQuiz is about, maybe it’s not the best title for you. QuizQuizQuiz could be the ultimate quiz application for the iPhone and iPod touch, with over 28,000 questions in five languages. Whatever you consider your strength, there’s sure to be a category that suits your style, such as “Beautiful People,” “Pirates” and “Music for Losers.” With difficulty ratings going from beginner up to mastermind, you’re sure to find a level that you can answer.
There are also quite a few methods of play; you can either simply play by yourself, go against the clock, challenge another friend or play a “passaround” with a group. The last two options offer more of a social experience, while the first two could be used to enhance your knowledge (so you have a better chance of winning against your friends). If there are no pub quizzes near you, you could host your own using QuizQuizQuiz and the “passaround” feature that supports up to five players.
The graphics are pretty simple, and don’t distract from the questions. It uses all original graphics, with none of the menus or frame styles from Apple’s usual design features. I might like more of Apple’s design showing through, but their original graphics look great and do the job just fine.
I’ve enjoyed using QuizQuizQuiz, despite not being much of a quiz mastermind. I still found levels and subjects that suited me, and trying out new levels allowed me to expand my knowledge of various areas. If you’re a fan of quizzes or enjoy the occasional pub quiz with friends, you’ll deffinatley want to check out QuizQuizQuiz. For $1.99, it’s certainly worth the purchase.
Whirly Word
Category: Games
Seller: Mighty Mighty Good Games (Darren Sillett)
Requirements: iPhone OS 2.0 or later
Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch
File Size: 2.0 MB
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Price: $0.99
Whirly Word is, for the most part, a lot more relaxing than QuizQuizQuiz. You’re not under so much pressure, despite it being more difficult to fully complete. So, what is Whirly Word? Well, basically, you’re given six individual letters that form a rotary dial, and you’re left to find all the possible words (3 letters and upwards) that can be made from those six letters. As an example, you might be given the letters: CPCEOD and be asked to find all 16 words that can be made up from them. Think of many? How about copped, dope and doe? The more you find, the better your score. The first few words are pretty simple to find, but you’ll find yourself racking your brains for some time to think of more, then you’ll kick yourself when you ask for the answers. You don’t need to find all the words to progress to the next level, either, so it’s not completely impossible.
The graphics for Whirly Word look great. It’s exactly how you would expect a word/puzzle game to look; it wouldn’t look out of place if you played it by an open fire sitting on a rug. The dial for the letters is a golden brown color, elevated over a black and gray background. There’s no need for much animation, so everything is kept pretty simple, and the end result looks fantastic.
Whirly Word is not suited to everyone. Some people might find it a little tedious, saying games are meant to be fun, not educational. But if you’ve ever played Scrabble (and who hasn’t?) or have any sort of interest in language—or are even just looking for a new game to try out that could even enhance your vocabulary—you’ll want to look at Whirly Word.
I am waiting for this new educational games and you give me this thanks for this
I'll be snapping these up as soon as they are available.