I’ve been on the lookout for fun math games that would appeal to my little guy, and this one definitely hit the mark. He’s at that age where he’s fascinated by ninjas and this one had the cutest storyline (ok, cute for a ninja story) battling the jealous Tomato-san who covets the math ninja’s math prowess. Quick caveat, I have tried to keep my home a weapons free zone, minimize the fighting games etc. but I feel I am in an uphill battle. You don’t let them have swords and the next thing you know the plastic golf clubs are dismembered of their heads and the sticks are their swords. The covers for the bins you so lovingly sort their toys in are their shields. It’s pretty hopeless. I did find this TED video pretty fascinating though about boys and education and I think this game does cater to boys (not that I’m saying girls couldn’t enjoy it, but it just feels like at this young age, the kids seem to like to segment themselves into “boy things” and “girl things” despite all your efforts to keep things neutral.
Each level commences with Tomato-san throwing out a challenge. Sal enjoyed reading the storyline and progressing through the levels. Once you go through the storyline, you commence with the fighting of the bots, and then some math problem solving till you get to battle Tomato-san. It is essentially math flashcards, but wrapped in an engaging and fun storyline. Each level allows them to earn money that they can spend on different weapons or defenses. This also had a big appeal for Sal.
It’s a fun game, simple but effective design to keep Sal engaged.
Cost: $1.99
