More than Meets the Eye: Transformers Mix and Match Book – iPad App Review

By Colin | July 3, 2011 | No comment yet

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If your kids (or you) see a tricked out semi-truck on the road and say (or think to yourself) “Look! Optimus Prime!”, then Transformers Dark of the Moon Mix and Match Book is a must. I have been a fan of the Transformers saga since I was young and still love watching the old cartoons, so this app brought back a number of childhood memories as well.

Using Transformers is a great incentive to further aid your child’s reading skills. Not only does the app help children by reading the stories aloud, but it also has fantastic illustrations of everyone’s favorite Autobots and less than favorable Decepticons.

As anyone would expect from a children’s app, Transformers Dark of the Moon Mix and Match Book is very easy to use, opening with a gigantic play button on the home screen. From here, kids can choose to either learn the dilemmas faced by individual Autobots or replace parts of the story with tidbits from other Autobots promoting creativity and imagination. When the different parts of the stories change, the bodies of the Transformers do as well!

The color schemes assigned to each Autobot, along with a neat old school Transformers sound, let kids know when the story is back in one piece. When the stories are complete, kids can learn more about the pictured Autobots and Decepticons by tapping their respective sigils in the bottom left and right corners.

Kids can also choose to mix and match the stories by shaking the iPad, activating a slot machine feature that will randomize the three parts of the story. For parents who want their kids to get more practice from reading the stories without the app doing the work for them, the switch to turn off the reading feature is located in the information section accessed by tapping the “i” on the home screen.

There are six different stories in all, and with three changeable parts to each story, this app will not soon lose its entertainment value. If you think your kids want more Transformers (I know I would have), there is also an option to buy the iPad game from the home screen.

What I liked: The illustrations are great, especially for kids. I’m a huge fan of Transformers and loved being able to brush up on their info by using the Autobot/Decepticon logos in the corners.

What I didn’t like: Six stories/Transformers didn’t seem like enough for me, but that might be because I’m a huge Transformers nerd!

To buy or not to buy: If your child is into Transformers this app will keep them entertained and thinking. The option to mix and match the stories will promote creativity (eat your heart out Mad Libs), and the easy-to-read stories will help their reading skills. Overall, $2.99 is a good deal for something your kids will learn from every day.