By: Carter Cox
In this blog post, I will be reviewing three different apps: Zogo, DailyBean, and Retro Bowl. To start, I will begin with the education app Zogo.
Zogo
Zogo is a financially-focused education app that aims to reward users for learning about topics relating to financial literacy. The app is free to download on iOS’s App Store and is primarily targeted towards young teenage demographics. The goal of the app is to spread awareness about financial literacy to younger audiences. I would estimate ages 13-18 is the target market. The app is full of interactive learning modules regarding financial topics such as saving, spending, investing, taxes, insurance policies, and more. However, the modules are presented in shortened and simple sections so virtually any audience can understand it. Throughout the modules, there are self-reflective quizzes that help assess the user’s understanding of the material. As user’s answer quiz questions correctly, they earn credit that can be saved towards real-life prizes, such as gift cards to popular retail stores.
Zogo is relatively simple app to use. It follows most iOS app conventions, such as having a customized profile, settings panels, and a lower-screen navigation bar. It also uses small icons to classify content in a visually-pleasing way. In this sense, most would view the app as playful. For example, animations of colored confetti shoot across the screen whenever the user selects the correct answer on a quiz.
The main advantage of this app is its use of gamification. Progress bars and XP levels are clearly presented on nearly every page to make the user feel like they are playing a video game, and not learning about financial literacy. The main disadvantage of this app is that its sponsor, Canopy Credit Union, has an overbearing presence in most of its information. However, this is a fair tradeoff for an app that is free to download and even provides the user with the option to earn real gift cards as rewards.
Overall, Zogo is a simple app with a simple goal: spread information about financial literacy. The app is well-designed, is easy to use, and is even visually pleasing. I might even find myself checking this app from time to time when I have downtime, even though I am not particularly interested in its topics.
Rating: 3/5
DailyBean
The second app I am reviewing is DailyBean. DailyBean serves a day-to-day journaling tool for users. DailyBean is free to download on the iOS app store. DailyBean is most likely aimed towards younger adult audiences, maybe ages 15-22, due to its cartoonish nature. However, DailyBean allows the user to record mature experiences such as smoking and drinking to their daily journal. For this reason, I think 15-22 is the appropriate age range. DailyBean was published by Blue Signum Corp.
DailyBean gives users the chance to confidentially journal their daily activities. The app has an extremely simple design. Each day, the user is prompted to rate their overall mood on a scale from 1 to 5. It also asks the user to record any notable moods, activities, or interactions they had on that day. For example, the app asks if the user ate any meals or if they played an instrument, just to name a few. Each mood, activity, or interaction is symbolized by a small, animated logo for clarity. At the end of the prompt, the user is asked to write a short note summarizing their day. After these steps, the app combines every answer from the user to make a summarized visual display.
DailyBean’s strongest advantage is its simplicity. It takes only a few minutes for the user to record a simple yet accurate summary of their day. Over time, the app records trends for the user’s convenience. This could mean a trend of being happy for 6 days in a row, or if they have missed breakfast 4 days in a row. One disadvantage for this process is that it may oversimplify a few things. For example, a user could record that they received a gift that day. However, the user would not be able to specify what gift it was unless they wanted to include it in the end summary. This app could benefit from allowing the user to write a brief, one-sentence explanation for every mood, event, or feeling they experienced on a given day.
In conclusion, DailyBean is a very effective journaling app. It does not lock the user into any subscription or in-app purchase. The user can jump into the action immediately after downloading. The app’s usability is remarkably strong and over time, I might find this app quite useful. I never journal my daily experiences, but this app is making me seriously considering starting to do so.
Rating: 4.5/5
Retro Bowl
The third and final app I am reviewing is the video game Retro Bowl, an updated spin on the classic American football game Tecmo Bowl. Like the game it was based on, Retro Bowl is an 8-bit American football game that has been extremely popular with mobile video gamers. Retro Bowl is free to download and has been atop the iOS App Store charts for years now. Retro Bowl has two main target markets: young video game players ages 12-17 and nostalgic video gamers from the 1970s and 1980s. The video game is simple and has a bright, colorful interface that would appeal to a young gamer, but the content itself is straight from the 1980s, hence its appeal to older audiences who potentially grew up with Tecmo Bowl. Retro Bowl was published by New Star Games.
Retro Bowl is played out from the perspective of the football team’s general manager, which is the user. This means the user gets to make all the decisions on behalf of the team, such as personnel, playbooks, and all other aspects of any sports franchise. The user is also in control of all in-game gameplay. However, the user only controls the offense.
By far, Retro Bowl’s strongest advantage is its weaponization of nostalgia. The 8-bit aesthetic is sure to hook many old-school video game players, regardless of how solid the gameplay is. Lucky for users, the gameplay is excellent. The mechanics for passing, catching, and running are fluid and easy to control. This game does not have a standout disadvantage, but football fans may be disappointed that there is no opportunity to control the defense.
Overall, Retro Bowl is an exciting and vibrant outing for football fans, or general sports fans. The game has high enjoyability, as users can really dive deep with full control of a franchise and play both the regular and post season. For fans who wanted to experiment with the feeling of being a general manager while also indulging in cartoonish football antics, Retro Bowl is the perfect mobile venture.
Rating: 4.5/5
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