Daily App: Turn yourself into a rocket scientist with SimpleRockets
If you want to be a rocket scientist, then you need to check out SimpleRockets from Jundroo. The space exploration game lets you build own rockets from scratch and take them on interplanetary test flights as you hone your rocket-building skills.
You'll spend half your time in Simple Rockers in the blueprint screen, where you will assemble your rocket, adding the right nose cone, engines and more to meet your launch goals. Rocket parts can be dragged easily from the parts section on the left of the screen to your rocket in the middle. Once you have assembled the basic components for your rocket, you can assign stages, allowing engines to fire at different times.
When you finish your rocket design, you can then bring your craft to the launch pad and liftoff into space to see what happens to your flight. Will you make it to your destination? Will you just drift in space or will you lose it all by exploding? Launching is not a static experience, depending on your rocket design, you may have to take control of your craft, activating stages and steering it so it remains on course.
SimpleRockets shines with its logical physics and easy-to-use construction system, especially on the iPad. There is a learning curve for those new to rocket simulation, but the game helps you along with a set of training missions that introduce you to the nuances of rocket design. If you still make mistakes in the building stage, SimpleRockets will offer to complete your ship on your behalf and add the parts that you have forgotten.
SimpleRockets is good, clean rocket-building fun for kids from seven to 97 (and beyond). The game is available as a universal app for US$1.99 from the iOS App Store.
