Tue 27 Sep 2011
App Reviews and News
Pocket Academy
Your objective is two-fold and they go hand in hand: you need to build and develop your school, while increasing the abilities of your students. Your students must improve their skills in a number of different subjects, including math, science, and history. The better your students do, the more skill points you get to spend, which can in turn be used to upgrade the student’s abilities.
You can also spend those points on upgrading your school and opening up new facilities, and allocating these points is one of the most reward but frustrating aspects of the game, as it’s always a difficult decision. There are never enough points to go around to the point where you feel satisfied that everything is looked after. Instead there’s always one more upgrade to purchase, or one more student who’s struggling in a subject to help.
That careful balance is what makes the game compelling though, so in that sense it’s expertly designed. It will keep you glued to your tiny screen until you’ve built your school into an empire of learning, with your ultimate goal being to have the best school in the world; no easy feat.
If there’s a small complaint, it’s that you’re never quite sure what the effect of some upgrades will be, or even how the game determines your rating and points in some areas, which can make it more of a guessing game than an exact science. This is, again, likely done on purpose, so that the process doesn’t become too formulaic and easily mastered. As such, I put up with some of the vagueness for the sake of the overall experience, which is outstanding despite it.
The graphics are really appealing with bright colors and well designed sprite characters. The graphics definitely make the experience far more pleasant, as your school is easy on the eyes, which makes it more enjoyable to develop and tinker with. The music is also pleasant, though hardly memorable.
I have to say, Pocket Academy took me by surprise with its depth and charm. This could easily stand as a larger PC retail release for $20 or more. Despite some minor issues, building your school and developing your student’s grades is a great way to spend your time; just be sure it doesn’t affect your own grades in the process.
RATING – 4.8/5
Platform – iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 3.1 or later).
Genre – Simulation
Price - $3.99
You can also spend those points on upgrading your school and opening up new facilities, and allocating these points is one of the most reward but frustrating aspects of the game, as it’s always a difficult decision. There are never enough points to go around to the point where you feel satisfied that everything is looked after. Instead there’s always one more upgrade to purchase, or one more student who’s struggling in a subject to help.
That careful balance is what makes the game compelling though, so in that sense it’s expertly designed. It will keep you glued to your tiny screen until you’ve built your school into an empire of learning, with your ultimate goal being to have the best school in the world; no easy feat.
If there’s a small complaint, it’s that you’re never quite sure what the effect of some upgrades will be, or even how the game determines your rating and points in some areas, which can make it more of a guessing game than an exact science. This is, again, likely done on purpose, so that the process doesn’t become too formulaic and easily mastered. As such, I put up with some of the vagueness for the sake of the overall experience, which is outstanding despite it.
The graphics are really appealing with bright colors and well designed sprite characters. The graphics definitely make the experience far more pleasant, as your school is easy on the eyes, which makes it more enjoyable to develop and tinker with. The music is also pleasant, though hardly memorable.
I have to say, Pocket Academy took me by surprise with its depth and charm. This could easily stand as a larger PC retail release for $20 or more. Despite some minor issues, building your school and developing your student’s grades is a great way to spend your time; just be sure it doesn’t affect your own grades in the process.
RATING – 4.8/5
Platform – iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad (iOS 3.1 or later).
Genre – Simulation
Price - $3.99
