Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
I�d never heard of Club Penguin until today. Evidently, it�s some kind of MMO for kids,
or something. Which is weird. Freaking nine year olds, chatting online. With penguins.
I must be getting old, because even though I...just read this on the Internet, I still
think it sounds fake.
Of course, online MMOs for kids aren�t going to fly with everyone. I mean, penguins can�t
fly in the first place. So it only makes sense for Disney Interactive to bring Club Penguin
to something that�s a bit more traditionally kid-friendly. Something like the Nintendo
DS. Imagine that. Disney making a shrewd business move.
It�s Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force.
And you know, the surprising thing is that...this thing isn�t that bad. In fact, it�s pretty
good. Elite Penguin Force takes the characters and general setting...and applies it to something
different. In this case, a freaking...point and click adventure game. That�s awesome.
I mean, they could�ve phoned this in�it still would�ve made money.
But they didn�t.
Instead, they made a really good adventure game.
So you play as a...penguin. A penguin who ends up being recruited into this secret agency
called the Elite Penguin Force. As you�d expect, this conveniently leads to a bunch
of mysteries, which you are now uniquely qualified to solve. You explore the island, you talk
to penguins, you find clues...you occasionally snowboard.
Because...X-Games.
So I really like the decision to make an adventure game, but that said...I�m, like, an adult.
I�m not exactly the game�s target demographic. And to be honest, I�m not sure the game
is always ideal for little kids. I mean, as you�d expect from an adventure game, it�s
got a lot of reading. Speech bubble after speech bubble. It�s slow and, at times,
kinda boring. There�s quite a bit of puzzle solving and deduction to do...
I just, I�m not sure it�s the best choice for nine year olds.
But that said...on its own merits, this is a well-done game. It has a nice cartoony look,
there�s actually a bit of humor...and with about a dozen missions, it�s a nice length
for a kid�s game, too. There are also minigames and a little multiplayer mode...again, it�s
an impressive game given what it could�ve been.
I�m just wondering...if you buy it for your kids...will they play it, or will you?