 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Bike Baron
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Price: $.99
- Category: Racing Games
Common Sense Media says
High-flying extreme sports game with realistic physics.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Bike Baron is a physics-based extreme sports game that challenges players to guide a motorcycle rider over an increasingly difficult series of obstacle courses. When the rider crashes, he yelps in fear, then falls to the ground like a lifeless puppet, but there is no blood. Users can create and share their own courses, but there's no personal information attached to them and the game doesn't feature content in the toolmaker that would offend most parents. The game does not support iPhones sold before the 3GS and is only compatible with third generation (and higher) iPod Touches. Users can share high scores via the Game Center social network, but participation is optional.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn rudimentary concepts of physics and gravity as they attempt to jump obstacles on a motorcycle race course. Bike Baron also encourages kids to be creative via the game's level editor, which lets them create new courses to explore (and again, learn when a feat is physically impossible due to the laws of nature). Kids won't develop deep knowledge of physics with Bike Baron. This game a fun and silly way to play around with concepts such as gravity and momentum.
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativity
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoninganalyzing evidence, hypothesis-testing, problem solving
What's it about?
Bike Baron players race a motorcycle along a course, making jumps and avoiding obstacles. They have to use the iDevice's tilt controls to get additional distance from their jumps, but need to be positioned properly to land. Gravity works as it does in the real world. Crashing or running into an object will throw the driver from the motorcycle. Players earn stars by completing courses in certain time frames.
Is it any good?
The fun with most physics-based sports game is seeing how far you can fling your onscreen persona when you crash. That's true in BIKE BARON, but the game isn't limited to just that aspect. The courses are entertaining. There's plenty of diversity. And the difficulty ramps up at a good pace. The level editor is a nice addition to supplement the included 40 levels, but downloading the levels others have created is overly tricky (you have to go to a company blog to find codes for levels, then download them blind). Overall, this is a silly, fun game that proves to be a fun diversion, though not something that will become an obsession for most.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn rudimentary concepts of physics and gravity as they attempt to jump obstacles on a motorcycle race course. Bike Baron also encourages kids to be creative via the game's level editor, which lets them create new courses to explore (and again, learn when a feat is physically impossible due to the laws of nature). Kids won't develop deep knowledge of physics with Bike Baron. This game a fun and silly way to play around with concepts such as gravity and momentum.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading:
- Math:
- Science: physics
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication:
- Creativity:
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning: analyzing evidence, hypothesis-testing, problem solving
How kids will learn
Bike Baron is a game that starts easy to hook players -- and by the time it ramps up the difficulty, they want to keep going. To master higher levels, though, they'll have to pay closer attention to the effects of gravity and momentum on their character, which can facilitate learning. They'll also have some control over their own experience with the level editor, where they can make new courses.
How parents can help
- Expand on laws of physics by offering real-world examples of things shown in the game (i.e., if an object is traveling fast enough, it can go upside down momentarily in a loop).
- Ask kids what consequences they'd need to consider if the game were real life. Which parts of Bike Baron make it clear it's just a game?
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| Category: | Racing Games |
| Platforms: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | $.99 |
| Size: | 37.40 MB |
| Publisher: | Mountain Sheep |
| Version: | 1.01 |
| Release date: | October 20, 2011 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 3.2 or later |
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