Carnival Games
Posted August 23, 2010
Released by 2K Games recently on the Apple app store for the iPhone / iPod Touch platforms, Carnival Games is a version of the Wii / NDS title of the same name. Priced at $3.99, 2K is likely targeting young players with this application with a child-like theme and cartoonish colors. The game puts you in control of a small kid, girl or boy depending on your choice. The child is placed in a closed off world, a small carnival with a handful of mini-games and a few characters to interact with.
There are 10 mini-games to choose from as well as a Swami booth to hear your fortune. The mini-games are pretty much identical to what you would find in a real carnival. There are target shooting games on timers, a whack-a-mole style of game, a take on bumper cars, milk bottles to knock down, etc… Each game takes a few seconds to load up and there are visual cues on the screen to alter how to hold the iPhone based on the type of game.
Doing well in the games allows you to earn tickets. Tickets can be redeemed at the aforementioned fortune telling booth or at the prize tent. The tent allows you to customize your little avatar that was created at the beginning of the game. You can purchase new clothing or accessories to give your avatar a more unique look. There’s a decent selection of prizes, but nothing extremely exciting to strive after.
You can also wander the carnival and talk with characters or complete tasks for them. Unfortunately, it’s something of a chore to navigate the 3D environment due to the slow animations. That being said, I can appreciate the touch anywhere control system on the iPhone. You can touch anywhere on the screen to pull up the navigation control stick.
There’s a ton of games available for the iPhone / iPod Touch platforms for children and you really have to stand out with something spectacular to make waves. Carnival Games is not that type of app. The mini-games aren’t as entertaining as they could be and I would be surprised if kids would play these mini-games over and over to get tickets to spend in the Redemption booth. Add in the crashing issues and you have a problematic application that should have been polished rather than simply ported. I can’t recommend this application for kids as it’s more frustrating than fun. For a collection of mini-games for kids, check out Cliffed: Norm’s World for the iPhone / iPod Touch.
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There are 10 mini-games to choose from as well as a Swami booth to hear your fortune. The mini-games are pretty much identical to what you would find in a real carnival. There are target shooting games on timers, a whack-a-mole style of game, a take on bumper cars, milk bottles to knock down, etc… Each game takes a few seconds to load up and there are visual cues on the screen to alter how to hold the iPhone based on the type of game.
Doing well in the games allows you to earn tickets. Tickets can be redeemed at the aforementioned fortune telling booth or at the prize tent. The tent allows you to customize your little avatar that was created at the beginning of the game. You can purchase new clothing or accessories to give your avatar a more unique look. There’s a decent selection of prizes, but nothing extremely exciting to strive after.
You can also wander the carnival and talk with characters or complete tasks for them. Unfortunately, it’s something of a chore to navigate the 3D environment due to the slow animations. That being said, I can appreciate the touch anywhere control system on the iPhone. You can touch anywhere on the screen to pull up the navigation control stick.
Graphics
- This isn’t a game with the iPhone 4’s Retina display in mind. Frankly, the in-game world is pretty ugly for an iPhone title. The mini-games are somewhat better, simply because the artwork is mostly static. Neither are particularly eye-popping though. I also ran into several game crashes when exiting to and from mini-games, likely due to some sort of loading issue.
Audio
- The fun, cartoony feeling is established with entertaining, bouncy tunes and matching sound effects. There are no voiceovers in the game, but it’s not the type of games that requires it.
Conclusion
There’s a ton of games available for the iPhone / iPod Touch platforms for children and you really have to stand out with something spectacular to make waves. Carnival Games is not that type of app. The mini-games aren’t as entertaining as they could be and I would be surprised if kids would play these mini-games over and over to get tickets to spend in the Redemption booth. Add in the crashing issues and you have a problematic application that should have been polished rather than simply ported. I can’t recommend this application for kids as it’s more frustrating than fun. For a collection of mini-games for kids, check out Cliffed: Norm’s World for the iPhone / iPod Touch.
Discuss This Game on Our Official VGT Forum