The Smurfs Classic Series app review: enjoy the classic tales

Introduction

For Smurfs fans who remember the original series and stories, this app is a blast from the past that has been completely re-injected with modern twists. It’s meant to be a way to enjoy these lovable blue creatures on your mobile device and introduce a whole new generation to them.

A Smurftastic Adventure

Right from the launch of this app it was a total ode to the old school Smurfs series and stories. I loved the main screen with its forest sounds and Brainy Smurf clutching his book to his side. On the other hand, I was also disappointed at the same time to find this “free” app is not at all free and in order to read the stories you’ll need to purchase them. This is such a huge disappointment, I can’t even say.

So what exactly can you do for free in this app? Well the truth is, not a whole lot. I figured my best bet for finding interesting finds if you don’t want to spend money is to check out the More Smurfy Stuff section. Guess again, here I found a bunch of cool-looking items but yet again they were all in-app purchases. You could check out the movie, read the children’s Smurf book, and more, yet nothing was available for free.

In fact if you want access to all the features and tools in the app you’re going to have to make quite a few purchases, which again seem rather disappointing for an app in the “Free” category.

 

Bare bones

It’s rather hard to comment on the app when all you can do is look at the main menu and wish you could access all the features. By visiting the app's description page I was able to get a bit more information on what exactly you can do if you make the in-app purchases. You'll be able to record your own voice for story narration, create your own library of Smurfs books, and enjoy animated stories that feature sound on all the pages. I just wish there were a few little tidbits for free that I could preview.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Ideal for those who were fans of the original Smurfs series
• Excellent as a way to introduce the world of Smurfs to children, as it’s meant to be a children’s app
• The ability to create your own library of Smurfs books
• Extra features and functions such as recording your own voice for narration
• Very simple to navigate

 

Cons

• There is nothing available for free; everything requires in-app purchases

 

Final Verdict

Again it’s really hard to comment too much on an app that doesn’t allow you to do anything for free, despite the fact that it is in the free category. I really wish I could have even had access to one story just to see the quality I would be able to get if I make the in-app purchases. Even if it was just a few sample pages, I think you need to give the user a little something for free.