MapleStory
By Carolyn Koh,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cute online role-playing game can get pricey.
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A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
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Based on 9 parent reviews
Recommendation -100/10
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Lose your money, life savings and house to this game and get 0 returns
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What’s It About?
MAPLESTORY is a 2-D, side-scrolling MMORPG that looks and feels like a \"platformer\" -- a type of video game where players have to get their characters onto platforms. Cute and colorful in an anime style, it's a game that's easy to get into and play. The entry is easy and the PC requirements are low. Like most MMORPGs, gameplay centers around exploring dungeons (maze-like environments) and killing monsters with swords or magic to earn gold -- called \"mesos.\"
Gameplay is simple as you move forward and backward with the arrow keys, jump with the Alt key, and perform combat with the Ctrl key. Aside from exploring dungeons and killing monsters, there are mini-games that are found in the game and on special quests. Most of the quests are of the \"Kill X creatures and bring me Y pelts\" variety. Mini-games can be played solo as well as multiplayer and include a tic-tac-toe variant, a matching cards memory game, rock-paper-scissors, and pachinko (a variant of pinball).
Is It Any Good?
Pets provide another layer of depth in this game, but must be bought from the cash or item shop with real money, and like any items purchased from the cash shop, they last only 90 days, whereupon the owner must buy a "water of life" and perform a quest to revive it. The cash shop also provides "fluff" avatar customization items and it's easy to get in a never-ending cycle of buying items with real cash. Platform gameplay can be very engaging and the large community a draw into this game.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why games like these can be addictive. Parents can also discuss social etiquette online. What's OK and what's not? Have you ever noticed bad online behavior? What did you do about it? Also, how is teamwork an asset in this game?
Game Details
- Platform: Windows
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Nexon
- Release date: October 18, 2005
- Genre: Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG)
- ESRB rating: E10+
- Last updated: November 15, 2019
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