Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game
| Category | Price | Seller | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | $2.99 | Xylem and Phloem LLC | iPad |
Go play with some bioluminescent millipedes, now!
**5 out of 5 stars! Appsforhomeschoolers.com
**5 out of 5 stars! Smartappsforkids.com
**Apple: "What's Hot" edu/ipad Sept/Oct
**Apple: New and Noteworthy for August and September!
**"Unlike many of the apps labeled “Education” on iTunes, Isopod is one app that truly delivers for that category." engagetheirminds.wordpress.com
**Teachers and parents of kids in third or fourth grade will love this app. 4 out of 5 stars. PadGadget.com
**CYBILS Literary Award nominee, 2012
Xylem and Phloem LLC, is proud to announce "Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game" for the iPad. This truly unique app is best described as an integrated synthesis between arcade-quality gameplay and scientific encyclopedia, with the intention of inspiring a fascination with insects and their relationship to a variety of life science subjects.
Playing the game is instant access to fun: The Isopod rolls up into ball and is then controlled by accelerometer-based "tilt-physics" that transforms the iPad into a game controller. As the user rolls and bumps their way through levels, new environments filled with indigenous creatures appear. Every interactive element has its own set of topic pages, and new topics open as the player succeeds in gameplay.
Explore photos, links and much more in the Isopod Learning Center, featuring 24 scientific topics, with a deep focus on the interconnected world of entomology and ecosystems. Also covered are topics such as bioluminescence, mycology, camouflage and more. The topics covered are authored by a variety of professionals, entomologists, researchers, biologists, teachers as well as Xylem and Phloem LLC staff.
Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game features 24 photo-realistic, interactive creatures inhabiting their natural environments from other locations around the world.
The game also comes in a "Teacher's Version", where all topic pages and levels are completely unlocked for immediate access to all materials.
For even more in-depth study, Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game has its own Pinterest board covering all topics in the game, featuring videos, website links and gorgeous photographs from professional sources around the world.
And as an additional educational feature, Isopod: The Roly Poly Science Game for iPad offers a nearly 60 page printable curriculum pdf, available for FREE download. Created by teachers, this curriculum pack includes crossword puzzles, matching tests, beautiful art, and many other hands-on activity worksheets, all directly tied in to the content found on Isopod.
Isopod is truly unique, first of its kind game application, that kids will absolutely love, and parents can feel good about.
GAMEPLAY TIPS:
Env1: Beetles will come to you if you can stay in one general area. Bumping the blue butterfly means you can go anywhere quickly without a problem but make sure you are not behind an ant line when the power runs out.
Env 2: Follow the yellow butterfly as much as possible, bump whenever you get a chance and free as many gladiators as you can in your enlarged and invulnerable state.
Env 3: Learning to bump twice is easy enough, but when multiple katydids are on screen a good strategy is to bump each one once, and then come back and bump again later, if you can move fast enough.
Env 4: When the millipede stops, get far away...the cyanide gas has an extended reach. Also, wait until a group of 8-10 fireflies appears all at once before bumping the female glowworm power up, that way you can free a bunch at once.
Reviews
Well-Designed but HARD
jwhicks727
This app is great from an educational perspective. Just through playing the game students will learn names of animals and how they interact with one another. Students that want to research or learn more have plenty of opportunities to do so. The app is beautifully designed and makes good use of the iPad's tilt feature to control the game, which is fun. However, the game is VERY challenging, and some students will be turned off right away by how hard it is. I think the goals for each level need to be lessened, or perhaps give some other advantage such as a small health bump from each saved beetle for example.
Free version is bad
drues040404
From a parent, non teacher perspective the free version is horrible and not worth downloading. There is only one game and my child didn't like it and was bored. It did not make me want to upgrade because I could not see enough of what we were missing out on.
Great game.
Equate45
I bought the full version. The graphics are beautiful. I really have fun playing the game. I live in the Santa Cruz area and this game makes me want to go check out the critters in the first part of the game. I showed this to my neighbor's kids and I had make them stop playing (they were using my iPad) when I had to go. I think this is a great game and well done. It is worth every penny.
Great game...until it crashed
Fozzils
This had great potential as a learning tool. But when I progressed to level 3 on the Santa Cruz stage, the screen went black and it seems to have crashed. What a disappointment.
Enlightening entertainment for parents and children
photogurrl
I purchased this game for my 4th grade boy. He's had so much fun playing all of the different levels. The graphics are amazing. The educational value of Isopod is top notch. Both my son and I have learned so much. I've never had any issues with it crashing. I restart my iPad on a regular basis, and find it usually prevents crashing issues I've encountered with other applications (not this one).
Too hard
No full map
The game would be cool if I could get past level 2! It gets ridiculously hard. :/
Nice!
Eliasmom
Good game, very good information. Too hard for very young children as you must tilt the ipad to move the pill bug.
Beautiful, fun, and educational. A true gem!
nuMERic79
Wow! This was a very rewarding game to play. I love the scientific basis of it - all of the bugs are actual insects found in various environments, and each level corresponds to a new location in the world. Graphics: The colors are gorgeous, the animations are fluid and realistic. I was actually surprised at how true to life the insects appeared. I especially loved the glowing insects of level 4. My girlfriend was creeped out by how realistic the spiders moved, haha. Gameplay: Not gonna lie, this game is challenging. However, it is very fun and once you figure out some of the strategies and movement patterns, the levels aren't too tough. I was afraid it might be too easy but it was a perfect balance. The roly poly control is smooth and very fun to master. The different powerups are very very cool, I really liked the "multiball" of level 4 and the double size powerup. The gameplay is addictive and fun. Education: I loved reading about the different insects and learning how they've adapted to their environments. There just aren't enough games out there that make learning fun and make me feel interested in the topics being covered. This game however, allows you to read more about the insects in the different levels and presents the information with beautiful pictures of the bugs. I can't wait for a sequel. Sound/music: Interesting, well crafted, and realistic! You can tell this game was made with care and attention to make a unique gaming and educational experience. Overall: 9.9/10 I will tell my friends about this one. Well worth the money, especially for bug lovers :)
