Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this very popular virtual world and adventure game is fun, safe, and sometimes educational. Unlike many adventure games, players don't fight, get hurt, lose, or die. Kids can chat using prescripted phrases, and can challenge each other to play simple arcade-style games. One thing to note is that younger kids could feel rejected if their requests to chat or play games are ignored. Kids choose a username and password so they can reenter the game where they left off, but other players don't see that name; instead, the site assigns each kid a preselected name like Cool Starfish or Fearless Hippo. There's one prominent, recurring ad for Apple Jacks cereal that players pass as they walk through screens.
Families can talk about what a good amount of time is for playing online games, and draw up some guidelines for balanced use. Families can also talk about how advertising on Web sites can sometimes look like content. Why do you think sites blend the two?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Susan Yudt
Ready for some island hopping? Then head on over to POPTROPICA.COM, a virtual world from the creators of FunBrain.com. Players get an avatar and username, then board the Poptropica blimp for one of three destinations: Early Poptropica Island, Shark Tooth Island, or Time Tangled Island. Each island holds its own adventure; players climb, jump, and collect objects in order to complete missions, which they learn about by talking to the locals. Along the way, they can stop in at destinations like the Pop Shop or Poptropica Arcade to chat or play mini-games with other visitors. After saving their game once, players can leave and come back at any time to pick up where they left off.
Poptropica is completely appropriate for kids, but its missions are challenging enough to keep young teens entertained, too. Exploring the three islands takes hours of game play, and the site has plans to add a fourth destination, 24 Carrot. Parents will appreciate the educational tidbits woven into the adventure -- players encounter famous historical figures and learn about ancient civilizations on Time Tangled Island, for example. Poptropica also gets points for cleverness -- the original settlers of Early Poptropica Island are rendered in 1980s-style 16-bit animation.
Other virtual worlds with games include BuildABearVille.com and MoshiMonsters.com.
Reviewed: 05/24/2008
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
|
|
|
ViolenceA few creepy critters (bats, snakes), but no violence. |
|
 |
|
|
LanguageCharacter names and chat phrases are prescripted, so there's no chance of profanity. |
|
|
|
|
Message |
|
 |
|
|
Social BehaviorKids can complete missions by helping out characters on the islands. Younger kids could feel rejected if their requests to chat or play games are ignored. |
 |
 |
 |
|
CommercialismThere's a prominent ad for Apple Jacks cereal that looks like game content. |
 |
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
|
|
Educational ValueKids can learn about history, art, and other subjects at different points on the islands. |
|
|
|
|
