Some things have universal appeal. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like the taste of pizza, for example. Along the same lines, it is quite easy to make someone laugh at a cartoon cat who imitates, with a ridiculous voice, everything you say. This is probably the reason Tom the talking cat has floated in the Top 100 Free Apps list in iTunes App Store for so long.
This app is best used with the iPhone 4, but the basics of the game are simple – it’s basically just for fun for you and your friends. Tom is a lanky, silly, anthropomorphic talking cat in the center of the screen, waiting for your opinion. If you talk to Tom, he will repeat what you say in a funny voice. You can stroke his head and he will purr like a real cat, or you can push him to get on his nerves, again, like a real cat. Grab Tom’s cola to tease him, or give him a glass of milk and he’ll be happy to drink it. You get the idea.
The controls in the Talking Tom Cat app are simple. There are a few buttons on the periphery of the screen, and these will help you adjust the settings, but most of the time it’s just you and the cat. This type of game is well suited to a touchscreen device and really stands out just like the iPhone. Unlike the outdated digital pets of the past, you can actually touch Tom to interact with him. You pet it the same way you would pet a real animal, and it’s one of the things that makes this app so delightful.
In addition to all these cyber pet antics, Talking Tom Cat is also great for generating short video clips that you can share with your friends via YouTube, Facebook, or email. Since Tom will repeat everything you say, it’s a great way to create fun birthday ecards or personalized messages. While Talking Tom Cat is a free download, some of the features need to be unlocked via a one-time $ 0.99 in-app update. It is not too much to ask.
The only real downside to the app comes from its limited compatibility. The 3D animation will render slowly on a first generation iPhone, as you would expect. However, the animations are a bit slow on the iPhone 3G, compared to the iPhone 3GS. Any iPhone running iOS 4 instead of 3.xx will also be a bit slow, but by no means unusable. Lastly, iPod Touch owners should make sure they have headphones or earphones that come with a built-in microphone, as the iTouch does not come equipped with a hardware microphone like the iPhone does.
Talking Tom Cat is certainly a first for anyone, but older users will likely outgrow that novelty quickly. There are a limited number of tricks up Tom’s sleeve. The kids, however, will probably laugh at Tom for hours. Talking Tom Cat is very kid-friendly – it’s fun, non-violent, non-competitive, and of course enjoyable and affordable. If you need to keep your kids docile and distracted during long car trips, but want to avoid games that could cause arguments between your kids, you might consider adding Talking Tom Cat to your arsenal.
