Equestria Girls App Review
App Info
Price: Free (In App Purchases)
Overview
Equestria Girls drops players right into Canterlot High School on their very first day. With encouragement from the helpful guide, players dress in their first day of school outfit, head to class, meet others, and get involved in the social scene. All the while, they are encouraged to grab coins and live up to the Ponies’ high ideals of friendship.
Features include:
- Explore hallways, classrooms, locker and more
- Unlock minigames
- Friendship Quests
- Customize the avatar’s hair and clothing
- Pose the avatar in the photobooth
Quality
This is a high-quality app that is easy to play and use. Some reading is required, and there does not seem to be a narration option. App developers included a “guide” that shows players what to do next in the game sequence. There is a settings section that includes language settings (15 languages), the user agreement, privacy policy, and cautions to parents about the accessible in-app purchases.
Education
This app is not intended to be educational.
Entertainment
What kid doesn’t dream of being older? Equestria Girls will make little girls feel like they are in the middle of high school. There are lockers, classes, hallways, friends, parties, and more to explore. They can even set up their own ID card for Canterlot High. Along the way, a helpful guide will direct their explorations and nudge them to friends with a lot to say. Players will need to do a little reading since the characters speak in text bubbles. However, it is important to note that many parts of the game are not accessible to players until they either scan a token in from a My Little Pony product purchase (like a doll, a vehicle, or a playset) or pay real money to purchase gems.
Value
Though this app is free on the App Store, it could end up costing parents a fair amount of cash. To proceed through the game, kids will need to either scan in a symbol on a My Little Pony product package or pay for gems as in-app purchases. The purchases range from ninety-nine cents to $14.99. It is of concern that the in-app purchase page is not protected except with the user’s App Store password, and developers note that once a purchase is made, the password requirement is waived for a period of time, unlocking the possibility of more purchases without using the password.
Child Friendliness
While this app does not include any outside advertisements or links to other websites, there are in-app purchases that may become necessary to proceed in the game. The purchases are not protected from eager young players except by the parent’s App Store password, and even then, a legitimate purchase unlocks future purchases without a password for a “limited time” that is undefined in the documentation for parents. Parents do have the option of disabling purchases in the device’s settings area. In addition, many features must be unlocked either using these purchased gems or by scanning in a design from product packaging, which is likely to encourage begging and wheedling on the part of the young players.
- NO external links
- NO social media
- NO 3rd party ads
- YES unprotected in-app purchases
