App review: ‘Finding Dory: Just Keep Swimming’ is oceans of fun for young Dory fans
Finding Dory: Just Keep Swimming (Disney)
Finding Dory: Just Keep Swimming (Disney)
Parents need to know that "Finding Dory: Just Keep Swimming" is a game developed to promote the "Finding Dory" movie. (Common Sense Media/TNS)
Parents need to know that “Finding Dory: Just Keep Swimming” is a game developed to promote the “Finding Dory” movie. The side-scrolling, bubble-collecting adventure is a story-driven game. Kids move Dory through underwater worlds like shipwrecks and kelp forests as she looks for her parents. She collects bubbles for points, avoids obstacles and finds her movie friends, like Nemo, Hank and more. Read the app’s privacy policy to find out about the information collected and shared.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Tap and hold the area around the screen where you want Dory to move. Move Dory in the direction of the bubbles to earn points (bigger bubbles equal more points). Avoid hazards — like spiky fish — so you don’t lose points, and collect the friends that Dory requests: “If I could find six crabs, I bet someone will know where my parents are.” Kids also get to choose objects based on Dory’s descriptions to complete Mad Libs-type stories, though it doesn’t really matter which objects kids choose. You can earn three stars on each level, and must complete one to move on to the next. There are 13 levels.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
This easy, side-scrolling game is oceans of fun for Dory fans, and the stories add a creative touch, too. There are so many levels, each with unique characteristics, but consistent gameplay to keep it interesting but not too challenging for young app users. One thing to watch for: When it’s time for a player to choose one of three objects, Dory says some silly clues that don’t make much sense, which may confuse some kids until they get further into the game. Once kids understand how their choices appear later in the silly story, however, they’ll likely have some good laughs. It’s not necessary to see the movie before playing the app, but knowing the movie’s storyline likely adds to the experience. Since Dory’s poor memory is featured in the game, it’s too bad kids don’t actually have to remember anything for her, though they are instructed to. Also, gameplay might get repetitive for older kids, though the story might carry them along.
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 5 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Ease of play: 4 out of 5
Violence and scariness: 0 out of 5
Sexy stuff: 0 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 2 out of 5
Consumerism: 2 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
APP DETAILS
Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows Phone
Price: $3.99
Release date: June 2, 2016
Category: Entertainment
Size: 217 MB
Publisher: Disney
Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later; Android 4.2 and up
