Tozzle – Best Toddler iPhone App Ever

I’ve had Tozzle (my 2 year old calls it Puzzle) on one iOS device or other for some 3 years now. My now 5 year old played it every day and now it is my 2 year old’s favourite. It emulates the wooden puzzles of old and I must confess it was the adorable animals that had first attracted me to download it.

When it was first launched there were just 3 puzzles, and over the years its developers have added new puzzles consistently and also increased interactivity in the puzzles. Now there are an incredible 42 puzzles in all!

Tozzle’s beauty and strength lies in the layering of their puzzles and its depth of interactivity. In the latest bunny puzzle, bunny can, after it is completed, grow carrots, harvest them, eat them, and even lift weights (which will make him hungry again). I am in awe of its incredible design while watching my kids play it.

I can’t recall how much I paid for the game – it was either $0.99 or $1.99. But even now, it will be the best $1.99 you’ll ever spend. There is a Tozzle Lite too if you’d like to try for free. If there is one app to get for your toddler, I’d have to say Puzzle is it. I mean, Tozzle. 🙂

A huge thank you to some of the hardest working devs I’ve ever encountered in the iOS world. I still remember my son waking up thrilled to find new puzzles in his Tozzle. Thank you again!

Morphs Review

I’ve been hunting for a game like Monster Pets for ages now for the iPhone to no avail.

Morphs recently appeared in the App Store as a free offering and I couldn’t help but try it out.

Similarities:

1. It has the same cute creatures Monster Pets has, not too much like Pokemon nor too Disney either, which is a balance I like.

2. The creatures also hatch from eggs and morph as they level up.

3. Both have maps to explore and monsters to fight. And like Monster Pets, you can battle with more than one Morph.

4. You can train your Morphs too.

5. There is the time element. You have to wait for your Morphs to heal or train – the game also runs in real time.

Differences:

1. Morphs is a considerably larger game. Monster Pets has only 4 creatures and their various morphs which resemble them, just tougher versions. Morphs also starts with 4 to choose from but the creature it morphs into depends on the type of crystals (water, fire or earth) you feed it. The morphs into a Morph with the 2 highest elements.

2. The maps in Morphs are huge compared to Monster Pets’ 4. Plus you physically walk through the map and discover money and crystals or fight.

3. Training is the one thing I miss about Monster Pets. My own poor arcade skills has rendered training an unpleasant one for me. You can train in each element plus attack and defense but each requires a dexterity I do not have. 🙂 Instead I miss the simplicity of saving money to buy a gym or library and have the Monster Pet learn or train on its own. If you love tilting your iPhone to catch or avoid things or shoot and tap things, you’ll love the training part of Morphs (once every 2 hours although you can play the practice mode as much as you want).

4. Fighting in Monster Pets allows you to select Attack, Defence, or Special Attack while in Morphs, you have to select your Morph when it has rechargd and click the enemy to attack.

Ultimately Morphs is a more updated version of Monster Pets, in my humble opinion. It is the closest thing I’ve found to my beloved Monster Pets, which I have valiantly but failed to find on the App Store. At the price of free, you can’t go wrong trying Morphs. And if you love it, show the developer some love and appreciation by buying some credits, even if it is just once and even if it is just $0.99. Every dollar goes a long way. For the developer, it helps kickstart the dream of Morphs 2.

Best Origami iPhone App

I’ve recently picked up origami again and went through pretty much the entire offering of origami apps on the iTunes store.

The best app is undoubtedly Enjoy Japanese Origami (EJOrigami) by Rakugaki (you can search the store for Rakugaki or origami).

1. It has a nice offering of free animated step by step instructions. I highly recommend downloading the free rose tutorial.

2. The steps are animated and easy to follow, and you have the option of running the complete animation as well.

Many apps had rather confusing (to my untrained origami eye) instructions but this app is truly made for the beginner or a rusty expert (ahem) and thrill my kids with the things I can make with paper. 🙂

Here are some of their screens: