Taking a bite out of 'Snow White and the Huntsman' apps

Universal Pictures’ Snow White and the Huntsman (SWATH) perched on top of the box office throne on its June 1 opening weekend, crowning itself with a majestic $56.1 million.

The 2D Kristen Stewart/Charlize Theron/Chris Hemsworth-led action-fantasy reimagining of the classic fairytale cracked The Avengers’ five-week domination that poisoned summer tentpoles MIB 3, Battleship, The Dictator and Dark Shadows’ expected big openings.

(Movie poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Of the two high profile Snow White projects this year, SWATH benefited from its darker tone that appealed to an older 18-34 audience and both females and males; the ax-wielding Huntsman’s (Hemsworth, white-hot off The Avengers) title billing kept this fairy tale from being perceived as "just for girls." The other Snow White, Relativity Media’s comedic Mirror Mirror starring Julia Roberts and Lily Collins in March courted families with colorful costumes and died a quick death after receiving middling reviews and box office receipts.

(Photo source: Mirror Mirror official Facebook)

SWATH’s digital marketing campaign effectively touched many bases from Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook (that included an app for fans to collect badges). Two iOS game apps were also released, Escape The Dark Forest and Snow White and the Huntsman – Storybook, and both are rich visual and interactive tools to engage.

Were these two downloadable apps the fairest and most effective of them all? Let’s take a bite and find out:


Escape The Dark Forest:

(Photo source: Escape The Dark Forest on iTunes)

Users can play as Snow White or the Huntsman in this runner game (available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) where they collect items and slide/jump/move from the Mirror Army chasing you to win. The Huntsman has special abilities to charge and attack. After running 1000 meters, players unlock film clips.

On Target: Escape is basically a SWATH version of the hit game app Temple Run, which is addictive and easy to play.

Temple Run (Photo source: Temple Run on iTunes)

Having the option to play as the male Huntsman and female Snow White characters expanded the appeal to everyone, especially teen boys who may have been skeptical to go anywhere near a game starring a “fairy tale princess.”

Play as the Huntsman (Photo source: Escape The Dark Forest on iTunes)

Interspersing film clips each time one has to restart after dying creates an atmospheric feel of the movie’s tone. Also, people love to reach goals so rewarding film clips after running 1000 meters is a great bonus to make the game more challenging and fun yet build awareness at the same time.


Missed Opportunity?: It is the right idea to base Escape off Temple Run, but the game play has to be the same or better to encourage gamers to want to swap over.

Escape is bogged with rough game play and glitches. The characters run extremely slow compared to Temple Run, making it feel like lag. Furthermore, trying to get the characters to jump by swiping the touch screen doesn’t work the majority of the time.

Dual Mode isn’t for two-players, but allows one to play as both characters simultaneously. The option makes the game's control more confusing when steering two side-by-side runners at the same time.

Dual Mode (Photo source: Escape The Dark Forest on iTunes)

It’s frustrating, and despite the cool SWATH characters, most players would stick back with tried and true Temple Run.

Disney/Pixar’s Brave, on the other hand, did collaborate with Imangi Studios, the company behind Temple Run, to create an official variation Temple Run Brave. The game app doesn’t come out until Thursday, June 14, but it’s a safe bet it’ll run as smooth as the original Temple Run.

Trailer for Temple Run Brave game app

Unlike the SWATH apps, it is also available for Android devices in addition to iOS so it won’t alienate non-Apple users. However, Temple Run Brave carries a $0.99 price tag, which is unattractive for a marketing tool and when placed next to the free Snow White apps.


SWATH Storybook:

(Photo source: SWATH Storybook on iTunes)

The interactive book brings the SWATH story to life with animation, music and scenes from the movie. Readers can unlock wallpapers for their iPad as they read.

On Target: The storybook app captures the dark tone, creating a preview of the movie. It allows a reader to get acquainted with this new version of the traditional fairy tale in a fun, interactive way.

Shifting a device from side to side gives each scene dimension, making it visually captivating and more exciting to read.

Try and explore the rich environment (Photo source: SWATH Storybook on iTunes)

Readers are asked to participate during the story, such as using their finger to "shatter the Mirror Army."

Use your finger to defeat the villain (Photo source: SWATH Storybook on iTunes)

Missed Opportunity?: The story starts with voiceover narration, but then ceases after three or four pages. It could be a good idea to have the option of having the entire story read to one by the voiceover.

(Photo source: Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries: Shadow Ranch on iTunes)

A storybook app is ideal for an iPad, which is larger and easier to read. On the iPhone or iTouch, the text is minuscule without the option to magnify it. Although the app works better for an iPad, other book apps such as Nancy Drew Mobile Mysteries: Shadow Ranch allowed the option of magnifying text size.