A Sneak Peak at Cartoon Network's FusionFall Online Video Game

FusionFall is Cartoon Network's initial foray into the massively milti-player online (MMO) game world. This weekend, Cartoon Network is hosting a second sneak=peek at the game allowing kids and adults alike to register for the game and have access to play. If you don't already have a Cartoon Network account, one can register separately just to play the beta test of FusionFall for free.

What is FusionFall?

In case your children don't have Cartoon Network on the main family television all day, and you have missed the cartoon that the the basic premise of the FusionFall game is based on, there has been unstoppable force traveling the Galaxy for Millennia, consuming countless planets and civilizations. Its next target is Earth, and the player is the last line of defense!

FusionFall Game Review

FusionFall takes all of the best (in the mind of the Network) Cartoon Network characters and re-imagines them in a style similar to anime. When you register for the game, you create your own avatar and quickly find yourself alongside some of the characters from the network. Since one of the common problems for this type of MMO is how to let everyone play with their favorite character without having hundreds of copies of the same character potentially running into each other, FusionFall allows players to collect small versions of Cartoon Network characters ('Nanos')as they move through the game that bring special powers and abilities to the player.

The authors of the game have invested a lot of stock into the 'collection' component of the MMO. In order to succeed in the game, a player has to focus on collecting as many 'Nano's' as they can find to boost their abilities with power-ups. As more Nanos are collected, the Nanos can be used in varying combinations in order to achieve goals and improve the players skill sets.

Unlike World of Warcraft and some other MMO's, the designers of FusionFall have targeted it to the Tween audience who may not be 'allowed' on the computer for a few hours at a shot to still be able to login and enjoy the game in as little as 20 minutes. When I tested the game, I found this to be true, although my 9 year old would definitely not want to get off of the game in that short amount of time if she were playing!

FusionFall Review Summary

The sneak peek of FusionFall ends 7 December so make sure you or your child check it out (FusionFall.com)! Since Cartoon Network has not announced if the game will be a subscription service when launched in mid-January, or if it will make money through advertising or another means, a good bet is if your child is registered as a beta test that they may get in on the ground-floor of the game and avoid costs added at a later date! From the 3D graphics to the basis of the game, FusionFall is one online game that you don't want to have your Tween miss out on this season!