Of all the toys in our house, the one that gets played with the most is the iPad. I swear I haven’t seen that thing since we got it! While sometimes it can drive me nuts, I have to admit, it has been such a life saver on car trips and in waiting rooms, as the girls can entertain themselves with countless games and apps that help pass the time. So when I first saw the Pressman Toys iPieces games, I knew these would be a BIG hit and was delighted when they asked me to give ’em a try for you guys.
We were given two games to review: the Fishing Game and Air Hockey, two classics that the girls were very familiar with. Your first step is to head on over to the iTunes App Store and find the app for your specific game (your download is free). Install it, and you’re ready to play – easy peasy!
I have to say, these games are very cool. They aren’t just your average iPad app as they actually come with playing pieces that you can hold in your hand. I love this aspect as I am an old school board game player who’d rather have something tangible to hold than just stare at a screen. The pieces then use your body’s electrical current to then translate movement to the iPad screen, which is how you engage with the game. Pretty cool, right?!
The first game we tried out was the Fishing Game. We have the board game version of this title, so the girls were very familiar with it. We got out the fishing poles and fired up the app – we chose three player mode, although you can sign in as many as four players, or as little as one. I think it was a tad crowded on the screen with all of us playing, though it certainly made it more challenging. The whole aim of this game is to drag as many fish into your bucket as possible before time runs out, all while fending off the grey herons that snatch them away and avoiding the larger blue fish which chases your catch. Our first game was a learning experience, as it take a minute to get used to how to hold the pieces and figure out what triggers the fish to bite. It’s can be quite frenzied as you try and manage all of these aspects, but it’s quite fun once you get the hang of it!
One thing to note is that in order to translate the movements on the screen you need to keep the end of your pole in constant contact with the iPad, and you must be careful to move in smooth, swift strokes. Otherwise you lose your fish. It took us a few trys to get it right, but once we did it was an hour before we quit!
The girls REALLY enjoyed this one and ask to play it quite a bit these days. I keep the pieces in their plastic case, which is the perfect size for tossing in the car for a long road trip. I’d say this one was definitely a winner!
Now, the one I was most excited to try was the Air Hockey game. You can’t get much more classic than Air Hockey when it comes to arcade games! After installing our app, we fired it up and gave it a try. The girls had previously played so they were kind of familiar with how to play, but had a harder time playing by the rules on this one. The screen is rather small, so staying on your side and remembering to not cross the middle line was proved difficult. On the flip side, the pieces on this one were easier to keep in contact with the screen since you weren’t dragging anything, so I thought the play of this game was smoother. This one might be better for older kids and teenagers who have the patience to play by the rules (aka myself and Coach D who battle nightly on this one).
Pressman Toys currently sells their iPieces games (Air Hockey, Fishing Game, Snakes & Ladders, Game of Goose and Pool)at retailers such as Toys“R”Us, Barnes & Noble, K-mart, Radio Shack, Learning Express, and BJ’s Wholesale Club stores nationwide, as well as on Amazon.com.
And because Pressman Toys is as excellent as their games, they’re offering one of you lucky readers the chance to win a set of your very own iPieces. Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below to get your entries in before November 13th at 9pm PST.
***Please note: I do verify all entries. Should your name be chosen as the winner and you have not completed the required action I will be forced to draw another name.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*I received the above reviewed products for free courtesy of Pressman Toys. Regardless, all opinions and recommendations are 110% my own, always have been, always will be.
I would love the Pool game! What a neat idea!
jaragabrielle1018@gmail.com
I would like to get the iPieces™ Pool Game for our iPad.
abfantom at yahoo dot com
air hockey star95011atyahoodotcom
Would love to try the fishing game
Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com
iPieces Game of Boose
FB
Cassandra Darensbourg
iPieces Game of Goose
FB
Cassandra Darensbourg
The fish game would be perfect. My son is autistic and I’m searching for apps and toys to use with his new iPad.
I’ve seen these games and they look like so much fun. I think the fishing game looks like fun to play with the grandkids
excited by iPieces™ Game of Goose
Air Hockey 🙂
ktgonyea at gmail.com
Air hockey!:)
The Game of Goose sounds fun but after your review I’m most excited to try the Fishing game! Thanks!
Snakes and ladders is the best!
AIR HOCKEY
The Pool Game
I like the iPieces™ Air Hockey
ltlbit1@hotmail dot com
Snakes and ladders or fishing!
Air hockey or pool look really fun!
bergiejrfhe at yahoo dot com
The pool one sounds great!