• Editor Rating

  • Rated 4.5 stars
  • Highly Recommended
$$2.99

  • Pock & Palam
  • Reviewed by:
  • Published on:
  • Last modified: November 19, 2019
  • Quality
    Editor: 90%
  • Education
    Editor: 80%
  • Entertainment
    Editor: 90%
  • Value
    Editor: 100%
  • Child Friendly
    Editor: 100%

Review Summary:

Pock & Palam makes a gentle and simplified introduction to many types of standard arcade and game system games, and will help young children feel like they are “part of the action” as they play a game that just may entertain older children as well.

[appimg 982901458]

App Info

Price: [app 982901458] {price}
AppStore User Rating: {stars}[/app] Download on the App Store

Overview

Pock & Palam is a wordless graphic arcade adventure game featuring five worlds where the main character fights enemies and dragons in a quest to rescue the princess. Players need to exercise a variety of eye-hand coordination skills as well as planning to defeat the enemies.

Features include:

  • Score counter visible for each level
  • Cartoon violence more suitable for younger children
  • Simple controls
  • Fast-paced action
  • Colorful, unique graphics and animation

Quality

This app is a high-quality app, with all features working as expected. Each level features a demonstration video that clearly shows how to use the relevant functions. Developers may wish to consider a short parent information section to highlight the app’s benefits to young users and to briefly tell the story in words so parents can clarify for any young users who don’t understand the premises.  I’ll admit to being a bit lost on the storyline, but I don’t have a lot of experience with similar games.

Education

This app’s primary value is in entertainment, but there are some educational points to be highlighted. Players need to attend to directions and follow them. They also exercise considerable eye-hand coordination, especially on the tasks that require coordinated use of both hands. There are some aiming tasks where players must account for direction and speed to hit the targets, and some timing challenges as they need to jump or punch at the correct times to defeat enemies without taking much damage themselves. The score counter does decrement when an enemy sneaks in a hit, but the points are easily regained.

The storyline is wordless, and developers may want to consider clarifying this a bit more, as it provides the character’s motivation for visiting the five worlds and facing the challenges. As it is, there is little in the way of explanation for the genii-like character called “Pock” and little information about how he can help the main character, “Palam.” There is also little explanation for how the pair can rescue the kidnapped princess. Fleshing out this background would likely make the game more enjoyable for young players.

Entertainment

This game’s primary purpose is entertainment. The developers’ goal is to provide an arcade game with traditional moves such as jumping, punching and launching projectiles as in other, similar games, but to do so in a way that was suitable for young players. So many of these types of games are quite violent, or complex to the point of being too hard for young children. Pock & Palam is a simplified game in the genre, and the perfect answer for the young child who sees older siblings or friends playing similar games and wants to “keep up with the big kids.”

Value

The app is a good value at $1.99. There are five worlds, with a dragon-shooting challenge in between each of them.  Furthermore, once the entire game is played through and the princess is rescued, players can choose to replay any or all of the levels they found interesting or fun. If a young child enjoys arcade games, or even wants to try them because an older friend likes them, this game just might be a good answer.

Child Friendliness

Pock and Palam is very child-friendly. The clear instructional videos showing the controls and moves for each level are a very nice touch.

  • NO external links
  • NO social media
  • NO in-app purchase
  • NO 3rd party ads

Pock & Palam makes a gentle and simplified introduction to many types of standard arcade and game system games, and will help young children feel like they are “part of the action” as they play a game that just may entertain older children as well.

$$2.99
Editor rating
Rated 4.5 stars