AppBlaster
Buy online
$19.99 MSRP
(actual price may vary)
Editors’ Rankings
TimetoPlayMag.com Ratings and Reviews
At TimetoPlayMag.com, we want to engage, inform and entertain our readers to give them the benefit of our knowledge, experience and the breadth of products we cover. We look at more than 10,000 new toys and children’s products every year, and our primary purpose is to help you make the best choices for the kids in your life.
Our goal is to give you the real story on what you’ll find when you bring a toy home. And we know that every kid and every family is different. That’s why we always say: “The hot toy is only hot if it’s hot for your child.”
Our editorial team has more than 100 years combined experience working in the toy industry. Our rating system ranks toys on 4 key criteria:
- Fun — Does it engage the child? Does it inspire imaginative play? Does it contribute to creative expression? Is it entertaining?
- Repeat Play OR Collectibility — Some toys are played with, some are collected. If we feel a toy is better suited for collectibility, we’ll rank it based on Collectibility instead of Repeat Play.
- Repeat Play — Will kids come back to it over time? Does the toy allow diverse imaginative play experiences? Does it provide longer-term play value?
- Collectibility — Some toys may have limited traditional play, but kids will treasure them as collectibles.
- Assembly/Instructions — Is the toy easy to assemble? Are the instructions clear?
Over the years we’ve learned a lot about what makes great toys and exciting play experiences. We want to help you create the best experiences for your kids and your family.
Ultimately, you’re the best judge of what you want to bring into your home — and what’s best for your kids. And because you’re an important part of the Time to Play family, we invite you to let us know if you ever find an error or have any ideas how we can better help you. After all, we exist for one reason: to help you have more fun!
What It Is
Peripherals are big in video games, adding levels of excitement and reality, particularly in first-person shooter games. The AppBlaster brings that added dimension of fun to games for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Once you purchase the AppBlaster product, download the first app, Alien Attack, for free from the Apple store. Then place your iPhone or iPod into a mounting bracket that sits on top of the blaster. (The mounting bracket fits the iPhone 3GS, but comes with two insert plates so that the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4 fit.) The mounting bracket snaps on top of the AppBlaster. Alien Attack uses the camera and gives you an image of aliens on the screen. Move the blaster around and take out the aliens when they appear on screen. The game interface has a radar screen at the bottom to show you where the aliens are and help you as you move around to find them. The game is 360 degrees, which means that aliens may be hiding all around you. The blaster uses dual triggers to conduct the heat from your fingers to the iPod to activate the game. The blaster can also be adapted to use with or without the stock depending on which is more comfortable for you. More apps that work with the blaster will be coming soon.
Why It’s Fun
We had a really good time playing Alien Attack. The aliens are very silly looking, kind of like in the original Ghostbusters, which makes the game appropriate for younger kids. The AppBlaster is a fun way to take app games, which are so popular with kids, to a new level.
Who It’s For
The AppBlaster and Alien Attack app are for ages 8 and up.
What to Be Aware of
Make sure your iPhone or iPod fits tightly in the unit and that the camera lens is in the opening on the back of the unit.
The AppBlaster works with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and the iPod Touch (4th generation).
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