This stimulating app uses an arcade-style game in which students practice single and multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division. In the Story Mode, students navigate through a microscopic world, the ocean, or space with their evolving alien as they avoid enemies and collect number bubbles to solve basic math problems, solve for an unknown variable, or create their own equations. The graphics and sound make it seem like a high-tech arcade game. The alien evolves as students improve and students can unlock new backgrounds as they play. Students choose their operations and level of complexity for the math problems, along with the difficulty level for the game (beginner, advanced, or expert). The Practice Mode does not have enemies that students need to avoid. The speed of the game can be changed and the student can choose the number of given problems along with the fact families they want to practice for each operation. This app is highly customizable, which makes it appropriate for a wide range of students with varying mathematical skills. While the Story Mode level may be troublesome for students with visual and processing speed weaknesses, it is a fun app that makes children forget that they are doing math. *Note: This app was originally reviewed for iPhone/iPad. Some differences might apply.

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
• Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
• Visually appealing to children in the target age range
• Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
• Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
• Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
• Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

• Has a free or trial version
• Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
• Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
• Student should be able to use independently after first use
• Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
• Multiple users can save a profile
• Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
• Can play without sound and not distract others
• Students can save work between sessions
• Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
• Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
• Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
• Overall - Easy to use

• Anxiety
• Gives negative feedback (red X's, buzzer)
• A player's success depends on speed
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Visual Discrimination
• Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
• Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects