Ovi has apps for kids of all ages, and the young at heart, too

Recently, we've had a chance to play with some of the many and varied apps that are available for younger Nokia smartphone users, and we must say we've been rather impressed with the quality of the selection. There are more and more games and apps that seem to have the needs of the first-time mobile enthusiast at their core.

Recently, we’ve had a chance to play with some of the many and varied apps that are available for younger Nokia smartphone users, and we must say we’ve been rather impressed with the quality of the selection. There are more and more games and apps that seem to have the needs of the first-time mobile enthusiast at their core.

Case in point comes in the form of two delightful little games for little children produced by K’Kaa Games. One is called Baby Animals, and the other is called Baby Memo. Both games involve patterns, and matching, and sounds – and each one uses bright, vibrant imagery to keep the child engaged in the game.  As we noted in the Ovi Daily App about the way these games are laid out: “all of images have this wonderful, hand-painted quality to them, and the navigation within the app is big and obvious.”

Each game has three mini-games built in, and while these aren’t for your hard-core gamers, if you want to start a child on a clever path with mobile apps, this would be a good way to go.

This short video from the publishers shows the Baby Animals game in motion:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Both games are available in Store for download, and there are free “Lite” versions available for trial, too.

Now, for those who are a little older, but maybe want a game with a youthful outlook, you might want to consider meeting the Fruity Raccoon. This bold ‘coon is proud to be different and dares to stand out from the crowd with his oh-so-colorful purple and yellow coat. In this arcade-style game, you need to help the raccoon devour as much fruit as he possibly can – begin to see where he gets his name? – while at the same time avoiding the bugs that fall from the trees to ruin the raccoon’s appetite. This game is free to download from Store, and it is compatible with a broad range of Nokia S60 and Series 40 devices.

Looking for a slightly different twist in your games? Then take a look at the new game called Puzzlings by Connect2Media for use on the Nokia N8. This game takes the traditional three-block matching concept, and gives it a new spin!

As our reviewer recently noted: “Puzzlings is loads of fun for the beginning to intermediate gamer. It can amuse an adult, and is also something that can be shared with youngsters.” Puzzlings is available in Store for $2.99 (USD).

Finally – I can’t resist this one – I wanted to share an app that brought back some of my favorite childhood memories. It is the Speed Racer TV app for the Nokia N8. This is a new Web TV application, and it features the first 11 episodes of the classic Japanimation-style cartoon in all of its fast-paced glory.

The app is a Web Runtime widget that neatly displays a summary for each episode of the cartoon in landscape mode. Then, when you are ready to watch one of the cartoons, you just press the play button, and you’re off! Now, please note, the app does stream the content to your device, so make sure you have capacity in your data plan for the necessary airtime.

The Speed Racer TV app is published by ZooVision, and is available for $4.99 (USD) in Store. Go Speed Racer, Go!

Are there apps in Store that put a smile on your face, and help you relive some memories from childhood? Share your ideas in the Comments section below.

Source : http://blog.ovi.com/2010/12/10/ovi-has-apps-for-ki...