Overview
Tom & Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers Appisode is a playable cartoon adventure in which Tom Cat accidentally mails himself to the North Pole when trying to post his letter to Santa. When Tom arrives in the North Pole, he is befriended by Mrs. Claus; but has run-ins with the rodent-in-residence Jerry Mouse. When Santa accidentally leaves behind Jingles, one of the Christmas puppies, the dueling duo of Tom and Jerry must work together to help Santa get the dog delivered as a Christmas morning surprise.
How to Play
This app is called an "Appisode" because it is a cartoon episode that stops periodically to let children play an activity or a game. Kids will tap, tilt, shake, and pinch to participate in the story. For example, when Tom is compressed into a package moving through the postal service, players help the package reach the cargo hold of the plane heading to the North Pole. They switch the directions that conveyor belts move so that Tom is correctly sorted. In another game, kids fix Christmas toys by tapping on the broken parts.
App Analysis
This story is fast-paced and zany as Tom and Jerry try to one-up each other. The underlying message of putting aside petty differences to help a greater cause is delivered well in this fun-filled cartoon game. By working together, Tom and Jerry come up with the solution of feeding Jingles reindeer food so that the puppy can fly. The scenes in which the leashed Jingles flies, pulling Tom and Jerry, are adorable!
Families who are unfamiliar with the Tom & Jerry brand should know that this cartoon contains a lot of mischief. In Tom & Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers Appisode Tom winds up a set of toy soldiers and has them shoot their guns at Jerry. Likewise, Jerry tries to hurt Tom by doing things like whacking him over the head with a rolling pin. If parents are looking to keep the "naughty" away from their kids, they should be aware that Tom and Jerry are mean to each other. But the stunts they pull on each other are meant to be silly and funny. No one is ever hurt.
The abundant interactive elements appear frequently throughout the 38 movie scenes. And the app even provides parents with a tracker, showing your child's progress in each of the 44 activities. Kids can revisit their favorite movie sequences by accessing the table-of-contents button in the upper right corner.
Best For
Tom & Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers Appisode offers a lengthy video experience, making it a great fit for families that are traveling over the holidays. It would be an excellent app to download before boarding a plane or starting a long car ride.
This Tom & Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers Appisode app review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen.
All tech products are judged on a five star scale by looking at the following factors: fun, education, ease of use, value, and technical.
