Looney Tunes Dash
© 2014 Zynga, Inc.
Fast, fun and addicting, this concoction of applied behaviorism and adorable cartoon characters is specifically designed to usher your child toward a state of joyful frustration, with a fairly high probability that he or she will want to make an in-app purchase ... for as much as $100 (in real money). That's right folks. The game is extremely well crafted, starting with a short movie featuring Bugs Bunny, being chased by the hunter Elmer Fudd. To jump, dive or change lanes you swipe up, down, left or right, collecting stars and other goodies along the way. But here's the catch ... by the time you reach level 14, the challenge becomes impossibly hard unless you purchase a super stomp, laser blaster or turbo blast. Failure is built into the DNA of this game... you die hundreds of times by running into a tree or falling into a ravine, and unless you buy additional lives you lose all the items you've selected so far. You also might encounter an advertisement from a company that will buy you more lives. Need to know. This app collects information from your device that might include which apps are running, your browsing history and bookmarks, profile data, Wi-Fi networking, such as whether Wi-Fi is enabled and names of connected Wi-Fi devices. If you install on your phone, it can give the publisher your phone number, call information, whether a call is active, and the remote number connected by a call. So, while the app might be free and fun, it also might give away your identity. Also noteworthy is how this app blends child-friendly graphics and characters (Looney Tunes) with a "not for children" legal strategy. The terms of service state that "you may not use this app if you are under 13 years of age" and "if you are between 13 and 17, you agree that a legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these terms." And then, in all caps "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" just in case your child does accidentally purchase the $100 king-sized case of Looney Bucks. So, while the game is fun, we question whether it's worth all the behavioral manipulation, that includes holding current progress hostage unless you pay up. And if you do accidentally spend $100, that's all folks.
$99, iPad, iPhone, Android
Teaches: timing. logic, memory, spatial relations
CTR Rating: 74%