Yippee ki yay!

Thank you to Cube Dog for sponsoring this review. For more information about Cube Dog please visit the Facebook page or download it on iTunes. (And the Facebook page has a sweet contest running June 13th-17th!)

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I was rather excited to review the new Cube Dog app, available now (for free!) at the App Store. But no one- no one was more excited to "help" me play/review/play/play/boss/review this little guy than 4 year-old Lily and 1.5 year-old Nora.

This thing is pretty cute. The basic Cube Dog app includes the options to customize your own puppy; head shape, eyes, ears, facial expression, and color.

My helpers and I created a reddish dog (although not too red, one of the shorter members of my crew would like me to point out) with humongo eyes and a sweet square mouth. Against the protestations of the minis, we named him J. McClane. (Anyone?) Lily had wanted to name him something noun-related, and Nora pretty much wanted to agree with Lil. But as it's still my iPhone- for now- I had veto power on this [one] option.

McClane. Being coy.

Once we had created the little guy, it was time to play. There's a little toolbar on the bottom of the home screen that lets you choose how to play with your pet. We started with the 'ball' icon, figuring it was to start a game of catch- but it incited our guy to grab a ball, run away, and hit a line drive with a baseball bat he had apparently stowed under his fur. We were impressed.

During one game experiment, we apparently either bored him or inspired him to communicate- because he whipped out an iPhone of his own and called us. Seriously. The call screen came up on my phone as an incoming call from Cube Dog. (I got stoked for this one...but sadly, it wasn't a real call. Once I "answered," the image went back to McClane, who pocketed the phone under his positively tent-like fur.

Lily also wants me to include the fact that, when you tickle McClane, he laughs. And squirms. It is quite cute. She also is apparently the only one who can cause him to go all heart-eyed. I think they're in love.

And I'd definitely like to include his ability to turn into a ninja. That's right. When you touch one of the toolbar playing options, a throwing star appears at the pup's feet. (Also inexplicably- or for a reason which I have not yet discovered- when you touch a certain part of the screen too hard, he goes into Battle Mode.) This is great. He looks momentarily alarmed and then gets out weapons and a headband for, you know, combat.

Ninja pupper.

You can shrink or enlarge the puppy by pinching or expanding- pretty standard fare for an iPhone app- but it also lets you go all 3D and turn him any way you choose. That's right, you can play games with your dog while he's facing away from you, leaning back at a 45 degree angle. (I have no idea why you would do this, but my point is that you could.)

This app is compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch 4 with the camera; you're gonna need the cam to document your puppy as well as I did. Obviously. The camera also gives you the option to have the puppy's background be what your phone sees. Like the coffee table where you and two tiny helpers are creating digital art. For example. (Again, I have no idea what purpose this serves other than to elicit an- "Oh, look at the coffee table" reaction from one of the girls...but time will tell.)

It looks as if there are some pretty cool toolbar features available in the advanced (read: paid) packs at the App Store...but for our usage, the (free) games we have are good enough.

In short, this thing is fun. Nothing earth-shatteringly wild, but certainly toddler-mesmerizing for at least ten minutes.

Which I'm pretty sure is all the impetus some of you will need.

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While Cube Dog provided me with the app to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Cube Dog, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.