App review: Dragons Adventure
With Dragons Adventure, a game based on the world of Dreamworks' "How to Train Your Dragon," Microsoft has hit on a fascinating gaming concept. The app, made in conjunction with Dreamworks, is made for kids on road trips. It uses Nokia's maps to translate your real-world route into the fiery and exciting world of the film, and displays real landmarks such as rivers or notable buildings as cartoon destinations in the app. Weather in the game mirrors weather in real life.
That's all great, but the game does have a main -- major -- limitation. It comes pre-installed on the Lumia 2520, Nokia's first tablet, and that's the only device on which it will work. There is a companion version of the app for Nokia Lumia smartphones for parents to control parts of the game, but kids really need that specific tablet. Still, Dragons Adventure is an interesting app, because it allows for interactivity on a scale that most apps don't. With the companion version of the app, parents can send dragons to battle into their kids' paths and hide secret treasures for them to find. It's fun, and it will be interesting to see how the concept evolves -- and whether it leaks over into games that are more widely available. Free, for Windows Lumia devices, specifically the Lumia 2520 tablet.