 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Emerald Island
- Windows, Mac
- Price: $5.95/month
- Genre: Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG)
Common Sense Media says
Eco-focused MMO in which kids' in-game actions do real good.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO). While there are two kinds of chats available, neither is activated until a parent consents to their use. On option is Restricted Chat where kids can only use a limited, predefined menu of phases to communicate. For older kids, parents can authorize the use Safe Chat, where kids can type messages limited to words from within the Emerald Island Safe Chat dictionary, which prohibits inappropriate language and the sharing of personal information. While free to play, the subscription membership offers a more robust experience including a wide range of parental controls. These controls allow parents to set the maximum daily play time within the game, restrict play time to specific hours of the day, determine whether their child can trade items within this world. For Earth Day, the game is partnering with www.TreesForTheFuture.org so that when kids plant trees within the game, real trees are planted in the real world as well.
What's it about?
EMERALD ISLAND (www.EmeraldIsland.com) is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) where kids enter the game as an animal avatar that they design. Tasked with fighting off eco-destroying rodents known as PiRats, kids go on a series of quests to save this world from pollution, deforestation, and other ecological disasters. Upon entering this world, kids are provided with a home and land on which to plant a garden. This world is populated with other kid players as well as non-player characters who act as your guides throughout the world. As with most virtual worlds, you can change the look of your avatar, safely chat if parents approve, and decorate your crib. But the focus of this game is completing eco-themed quests and planting a garden to raise crops for sale and to keep the habitat "green."
Is it any good?
Emerald Island is a fun world to explore. Many MMOs can be confusing for kids, but Emerald Island eases this discomfort by providing cute, in-game movies that explain the game play and stationing many characters within the game whose sole purpose is to help you play. By exploring the minigames scattered throughout the world, growing vegetables to sell, and doing quests, kids earn coins to buy things in this virtual world which can include furniture for their home, and land in which to grow a bigger garden.
Most quests have an ecology message, and the economy within the game requires you to plant a garden, so kids will learn about ecological issues and how to grow different kinds of plants by playing the game. During the weeks surrounding Earth Day (April 22), in-game actions of planting trees results in real world actions of tree planting by Trees For The Future, so kids can do good in the real world by playing this game. While still a little buggy, this is an MMO that kids ages 6-12 will enjoy.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why planting a garden is helpful to the Earth. Why are some seeds rarer than others? Is that true in real life? What was your favorite quest? Do you like playing the minigames or going on quests more? Why?
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AGE
We loved this game. note that I said loved past tense. Since this game has been sold to another company we have not been able to log on in over a week. We had to start our characters over due to the transition. If your computer is slow it tends to make the game slow but other than that we didn't have any troubles until they changed owners. Now we can no longer play. I tried contacting the company but their email in box was full and can no longer accept emails. We are very disappointed.
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AGE
The perfect site for kids under 8
This site seems to be tailored to the uptight parents on this site. IMO, kids should be allowed to play as soon as they are able to read the instructions. really, it teaches great lessons, like "plant a tree" and "help people". Throwing cartoon apples at bad guys is laughable violence.if that's the worst your four year old has seen, then you are way overprotective, i think.
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AGE
Emerald Island no longer there
We also loved this game, but can't find it anymore. My 7 yo daughter Tiana sure hopes that they bring it back.
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AGE
Hours of clean, engaging fun!
My 6 y/o girl has played 5-6 games online (disney, nick and bella sara) and a couple of MMOs (club penguin). Emerald Island is the most engaging, thoughtful game she's played by a wide margin. She diligently goes back to the world to water and take care of her garden plot and loves the quests. She's just now starting to spell and really grooves on the word sailing mini game too. She's become a great deal more environmentally conscious over the last few months and the "save the world" theme of the game really resonates with her. She still hasn't found the magic avocado seed yet but hopes to soon!! She's recruiting her cousins from NYC to join her in the world too...I love the social aspects of this one too. A must try for boys/girls in the 6-12 range.
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AGE
emerald island
This game is no longer available on the web.
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| Platforms: | Windows, Mac |
| Available online? | Available online |
| Genre: | Massively Multi-player Online Game (MMOG) |
| Developer: | Fluid Entertainment |
| Release date: | November 1, 2008 |
| Price: | $5.95/month |
| ESRB rating: | E for (Mild Cartoon Violence) |
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