iBonsai

Our rating:

By: iBonsai

Version #: 2.0

Date Released: 2008-12-25

Developer: Brainpower Labs LLC

Price: 0.99

User Rating:

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iBonsai is an amazing app that brings bonsai, the Japanese art of growing dwarfed trees, to your iPhone and iPod Touch. Open the app, tap to start, and an aesthetically rendered bonsai tree begins to grow right on your screen. The tree will stop growing after about half a minute, then you can swipe to view the tree at any angle, pinch to zoom in and out, shake to make the leaves fall off, and double-tap to grow another tree. It’s really too easy to be impressed by the sheer beauty of what this app manages to come up with. And, as the developer claims, the app displays a different tree every time so, like snowflakes and fingerprints, no two bonsai trees are alike. How cool is that? And you know what’s even cooler? Several days ago, not long after the original version was released, iBonsai was updated to version 2.0. And boy was the update a huge one. Among the new features are…

Auto-generated Ambient Music. I really, really, really like this addition to the already exceptional app. iBonsai was already powerful enough to get me "in the zone" without a background music. But with the zen-like music included, I could now look forward to an even more relaxing experience every time I open the app. This feature can be toggled in the iBonsai control panel within the iPhone Settings app.

Interactive Growth-shaping Tool. Yet another innovative bonus, but one I rarely use. I prefer my beautiful bonsais grow the natural way. Nature (or should I say, the developer’s awesome algorithm) knows best. To activate this tool, just tap and hold anywhere on the screen until a dark inky loop appears. This in effect exerts an outward force so nearby branches grow the opposite way. I tried it once, and I must admit "beautiful" is not how you would describe the result.

Growth Speed Feature. This new feature is not as special as the others so far, but it’s great to have the option to adjust the growth speed according to one’s current mood or preference. I personally enjoy my bonsais growing at the fastest possible rate. It’s like watching one of those amazing time-lapse footages on National Geographic, and it also means I only have to wait for roughly eight seconds for the next tree. You can choose the growth speed in the app’s control panel.

Auto Regrow. If this feature is set to On (also in the iBonsai control panel), you won’t have to double-tap to give way to another tree. With the growth speed set to Fastest, watching bonsais grow one after the other is quite a treat. The only downside is you won’t have enough time to marvel at the beauty of a particularly lovely full-grown bonsai, like I often find myself doing.

That said, if you want a new, extraordinary way to relax and meditate, get iBonsai now in the App Store.

Quick Take

Value: With the recent update, it just got higher.
Would I Buy Again: Hai!
Learning Curve: Practically zero.
Who Is It For: Anybody who as an eye for Japanese art.
What I Like: It’s one of a kind.
What I Don’t: Settings are external to the app.

Final Statement: Steps to iBonsai’s huge success: Put an awesome algorithm in a pot, water it with appealing art, and watch it grow into one amazing app.