Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (by Gazillion Inc.) said goodbye to closed beta and has opened its arms to anyone wishing to give their game a try. I immediately jumped on the opportunity, (not having the good fortune to get into closed beta) and both myself and my son (3 years old) created our accounts. This game actually intrigued me, as it is an MMO geared towards ages 4-6. There is a safe chat filter and there are moderators that do look over chat logs. Super Hero Squad Online states that they are COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) compliant and are part of the ESRB Safe Harbour program.
Safe Chat Feature
Super Hero Squad Online has two types of chat to keep your children safe. The first is the Safe Chat which goes through strict filtering and phrasing and is only accessible if authorized by parents. Personal information is not allowed to be shared. They have assured that even though you may see something you have written doesn’t mean everyone else did. The second type of chat is the menu chat consisting of pre-created messages and emotes open to everyone. For more on keeping your children safe I strongly suggest reading the “Parents” section at www.heroup.com.
Gameplay
Super Hero Squad Online is a browser based game (only needing a minor download), but you would never know it graphics wise. The graphics stay true to the TV series: cartoony and cute. Keeping in mind that this MMO is meant for children, the gameplay was fairly simple. Players use their mouse for pretty much everything (very little keyboard use). You click to run, click to fight, you get the picture. My son was not familiar with playing with a mouse, but after his first day he had it figured out. You begin with a tutorial that goes over everything you will need to know. You begin by choosing your character (Cyclops or Ms. Marvel). They then go into moving around and defeating enemies (earning tickets for the prize wheel). Next, you get a crack at the prize wheel (1 ticket per spin); winning either items for your HQ or silver (gold for members). You then are shown how to purchase new heroes (in this case Falcon and Thing) and how to switch from hero to hero. Finally you are shown how to access missions.
Once you find yourself in a mission, you’ll see just how simplistic the game really is. You continuously left click on your enemy and build up star points. Star points allow you to use your special abilities by right clicking on your enemy. When you have all your stars lit up, you may use your Hero Up ability. It is a large attack dealing multiple damage to all enemies around you. Each mission has two stages and then a boss fight. The boss fights were (in my opinion) super difficult. I had the hardest time completing them without dying a gazillion times. If I couldn’t beat them than no 6 year old could.
I found dying in game somewhat interesting. As of right now, there is absolutely no death penalty. When you die you are reincarnated right where you were (full health, no star points) and can continue on. My son tested this out rather well having started a mission and then leaving to go watch TV. Enemies attacked and killed him repeatedly for several hours before I finally turned it off.
Free To Play, Subscription, Micro-transactions?
Super Hero Squad Online is available to all as a free to play MMO; however, you do not have access to everything in the game. There is a monthly subscription of $9.95 a month that allows you to earn gold from the prize wheel and gives you access to purchase heroes not available to the free to play gamer. I’ve also been informed that there will be Micro-transactions as well, allowing you to purchase in-game currency.
Is Super Hero Squad Online worth trying?
Please feel free to leave a comment below or follow me on twitter @akadarcee. Check back in Thursday for my weekly "Tidbits of Interest" or wait until next week for the next review (so many to choose from).
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