CLUB PENGUIN Games for Kids

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 likes the Nintendo DS. Imagine that. Disney making a shrewd business moves. 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, kind of 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 mini-games 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?


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