One of our favourite children’s apps of 2013 was Kung Fu Robot, released in May as an interactive comic book for iPad, starring an all-action robot hero, android ninjas, a crazy rooster and lashings of peanut butter.
Back then, the app was a free download with volume one of its story. Now it’s been updated with a second volume, available as an in-app purchase within the existing app.
“The adventure continues with more games, more ninjas, more kung fu and one very, very angry chicken super villain. Has anyone ever seen a chicken get angry? You will soon find out why,” explains its App Store listing.
The new episode costs $2.99 (£1.99 to us Brits) and follows on from the first episode, with three new chapters and two mini-games. Clean Up on Aisle 9 is a shooting gallery game, while Unicycle Race involves running and leaping along rooftops – if you’ve played a game called Canabalt, it’s a bit like that.
Meanwhile, the story remains a whip-smart mix of action and humour, with children swiping through the comic-strip panels to follow the story. It’s never a static experience thanks to the animation, but most importantly, it’s a cracking story with fun characters.
Also a neat touch: the sum-solving skill needed to access the in-app purchase screen: “If 72 ninjas entered the kitchen, and 24 ninjas leave, how many ninjas are still in the kitchen?” we were asked when we bought it. Of course, you’ll still want your in-app purchase restrictions switched on, if your child is capable of working that out, but it’s a nice spin on a parental gate.
We’re pleased to hear that Kung Fu Robot has been finding fans around the world, with more than 130,000 downloads so far, and an award from Parents Magazine as one of the best apps of 2013 – we also included it in our rundown of the year’s top children’s apps.
According to its creators Propaganda3 and Kid Rocket, there’ll be four more episodes to follow in 2014, finishing off the initial ‘How to Make a Peanut Butter, Jelly & Kung Fu Sandwich’ story. They also say more comic apps and “standalone experiences for the iPhone” are on the way in the future.
“The groundwork for additional stories has been in place for a while but now we’re definitely motivated to get them in the hands and hopefully hearts of our fans,” says Jason Bays, who came up with Kung Fu Robot.
Kung Fu Robot is a free download for iPad from Apple’s App Store.
Read about more comics apps for kids on Apps Playground, and check out our 100 Best iPad Apps of 2013 e-book – £1.99 from Apple’s iBooks Store