The Etch A Sketch has made a return from your childhood memories. Amazingly, the similarities to the original are uncanny on the iPhone and iPod Touch.
A red frame and flat gray screen fill your touch screen, while the device’s multitouch controls allow you to turn direction knobs when drawing your lines. You can even shake your iPhone to erase the screen and start over, just like the original.
The controls take a while to master, but it was amazing how the knobs reminded me of the original. At times, too, it was frustrating to control the image, and I found myself making odd shapes, but this toy has been upgraded for the new millennium.
Etch A Sketch allows you to draw and paint with a touch of a finger, while dropping shapes and pictures into you masterpiece. There’s even a tool called the Tilt-to-Draw, which enables you to control your pen movements while tilting and twirling your device. Etch A Sketch gives you multiple options to get your desired effect, and, most times, I found the controls pretty intuitive. It just took a little patience.
The free Etch A Sketch lite version is a simpler version of the app. It allows you to use the classic Etch A Sketch controls, touch and painting features, but the $1.99 upgrade was worth it. You have more drawing tools and the option to paint over your own images. There was almost no end to what you could do with the app for your casual creative aspirations.
I enjoyed tinkering with Etch A Sketch. It could be a new way to bring out your creativity and youthful innocence.
