Dr. Seuss Band

Review

Common Sense Media says

Great musical free play, but far-too-tough rhythm game.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Dr. Seuss Band is a musical app that combines free musical play with a rhythm game. Kids start with an instrument with three components. They can switch portions out to change the sound of the instrument. When starting the app, there are two unlocked options for each section. Additional options are unlocked by getting high scores in the rhythm game or by making in-app purchases. Kids can play on the colored keys just like on a piano, and the keys are properly labeled. They can scroll up or down to play at a higher or lower octave. The rhythm game invites kids to play songs titled after Dr. Seuss stories by playing each note as it drops from the top of the screen, but the game is not well-executed. They can unlock harder versions of the songs and new songs by meeting scoring objectives or through in-app purchases.

  • Ease of use2
    The basic app is simple to use, requiring swiping and tapping. The included game, on the other hand, requires kids to play notes as they come down the screen. It starts easy enough, but quickly ramps up, requiring notes to be played in rapid succession or for the player to switch between octaves mid-song. It's made all that much more difficult because the songs are unfamiliar and there is no way to hear what they should sound like. Scoring doesn't happen until the end, so you don't even get that kind of feedback.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism3
    The game includes music titled after some of Dr. Seuss's most popular books, but there is little actual tie-in to his brand's media properties. On the other hand, the app starts with just a few unlocked songs and musical instruments. These must be unlocked by reaching high scores in the songs, or by purchasing at $.99 each. The entire collection of songs can be purchased for $3.99, horns and effects for $4.99, or the entire set of unlockables for $7.99.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety0
    The app does have the option to log into Game Center to share high scores, but viewing the Leaderboard is the only feature active in the app. 
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Is it any good?

 

DR. SEUSS BAND has some great features. The ability to experiment with different sounds and play actual songs is fun. It has much of the whimsy you'd expect from a Dr. Seuss app and will probably entertain your younger kids happily for quite some time.

The game portion is another story entirely. The lack of familiar songs is unfortunate, especially for kids who are just learning about instruments. But the real problem comes in the difficulty, which easily rivals games aimed at adults. Where most rhythm games have you tracking three to five keys, Dr. Seuss Band has eight keys on a screen. Harder levels require you to switch back and forth between octaves mid-song, upping the keys to a whopping 24. You'll need to get through the harder levels in order to unlock additional instruments and songs without paying an additional fee. You don't need to do it perfectly, but you do need to do it. If you're looking for a quality free-play music app for kids, this is a great choice, especially if the price stays down. If you're looking for a great rhythm game, look elsewhere.

This review was written by Christy Matte

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This review was written by Christy Matte
Category:Music Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$.99
Size:40.50 MB
Publisher:Oceanhouse Media
Version:1.1
Release date:January 3, 2012
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.2 or later
This review was written by Christy Matte
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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