Video Game Review: Toontown Online
Rated by 9 members
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that at $9.95/month, this game is more
expensive than most children's software, but it is constantly
growing and changing. It offers a tremendous amount of
entertainment that can be enjoyed over several months. Parents
should monitor their child's continued interest in the program
to determine how long they want to subscribe to the game. Many
parents have enjoyed playing this online game with their kids.
At times, other kids can be rude in how they use the drop-down
menu phrases, or by ignoring or running away from you, but most
experiences are positive ones.
Families can talk about what makes playing this game so much
fun. Is it the other toons (kids) that you interact with or the
quests you go on? Since there is always more to do, is it hard
to sign off? What do you do when someone is rude to you?
The gist of TOONTOWN ONLINE (www.toontown.com), a nonviolent massively multiplayer online game for children, is that kids become toons who go on quests so that they can become more powerful toons and gain laff points. All toons are trying to rid Toontown of the pesky businesslike Cog robots. Toons defeat the Cogs by using gags on them, including throwing pies in their faces, or squirting them with fake flowers. They purchase gags after earning jellybeans by playing fun Trolley Games. Toontown locks kids into a safe online environment where they can talk to others who are playing the game, but only from pre-scripted drop-down menus. Friends who know each other outside of the game can exchange passwords to permit instant messaging between the two during the game.
Part of the fun of playing in Toontown is that it is constantly evolving and changing. In December 2003, Disney introduced the first Cog Headquarters (Cog HQ) neighborhood to Toontown and since then, there have been many more. The Cog HQs adds depth and complexity for experienced players -- those who have been playing long enough to have amassed about 60 or more laff points.
This virtual world is an exciting place to explore not only because it constantly offers new puzzles, games, and activities but also because it's fun to play with others while saving this world from robotic destruction. Families can check out the free portion of the game before committing to the full subscription membership.
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