Lifestyle and children’s iPad app maker Callaway Digital Arts has partnered with toy manufacturing giant Hasbro for a series of apps. Their first joint project is the Mr. Potato Head app, which is now available for iOS and is sure to delight children aged 2 to 6 (and nostalgic parents). The iconic character, created 60 years ago, was chosen to be the star of his own app because the spud’s interchangeable parts and outfits “make a delightful touch-based mobile app that promotes imagination-driven free-play,” says Callaway Digital Arts CEO Rex Ishibashi.
The app turns Mr. Potato Head into a user-controlled animated character. Children can dress him up in one of 22 different thematic outfits (each comes with 10 parts). Parts from each outfit, which include Pirate, Cowboy and Spaceman themes, can be mixed-and-matched, giving kids the chance to create four-armed mutant spuds. New outfits will be released in the future to keep Mr. Potato Head fashion-forward.
After dressing up their favorite root vegetable, kids can take Mr. Potato Head on an adventure in interactive environments such as “Pirate Island” “Wild West” and “Enchanted” castle, all of which feature completely touchable screen spaces.
Ishibashi says CDA and Hasbro have already discussed other apps but is not ready to disclose them yet. The Mr. Potato Head app is currently available as a free-to-play app with six outfits and two environments. Additional “playlets” (two themed outfits and its coordinating environment) can be purchased for $1.99.