Neopets

.: Images

.: Style The avatar program is really clean, bright and colorful.  The graphics and widgets are great to look at and this is a must for a kids’ game site. Also, everything is proportioned the right way and its very easy to navigate with helpful links and an “About Us” section where find out about how the site was started by Adam Powell who runs the content of the site, comes up with plots, stories, neopedia articles, and trading card game.  And Donna runs the daily content of the site, making sure that the news page is updated and the art is done correctly.

I LOVE THE COLORS of the site.  Its actually fun to click on the different icons and widgets, as well as the daily News flash.  You can also see how many players are online, total neopets, and the Neodaq Index. (At review time, there are 53,198 players and 230,386,242 Total neopets)

They also have a “Notable Neopet,” on the right side of the page and info about the player who owns it.  Other points of note are the Neopian Times which is the publication of Neopia that has articles, editorial, short stories, comics, new and continued series. One cute story called “Why They Don’t Wear Clothes” talks about how the neopets have unique body shapes so that’s why they don’t wear clothes. .: Plot The first thing that you do after you register is create a neopet where you have to select your neopet’s species, color, and stats.  Oh, and you can also give you neopet a name and a personality. So I chose my neopet to be:

1. Called yopp2525
2. Female
3. River
4. Hunting for Treasure
5. ... and Approach with Caution
   

After signing up, you are directed to a page where you have to go back to the e-mail that got you started and then you can activate your account.

Also, when you first begin, you’re directed to a page where you’re shown the neopet that you create as well as gifts to get you started. These include:

1. To get your fortune started- 1,000 Neopoints
2. To shop your premium items- 150 Neocash (stored in NC Mail)
3. Some free items- Newbie Pack
4. In case you need some help- Neopet Players Guide

You are then directed to the bottom of the page and asked, “Where do you want to go now?”

You can choose:

1. My Account
2. Pet Central
3. Explore- Map of Neopia- This is where you can take your neopets travelling throughout Neopia.  There are a bunch of lands including Altador, Brightvale, Haunted Woods, Faerieland, Kiko Lake, Krawk Island, Kreludor, Lutari Island, Maraqua, Meridell, Mystery Island, Meridell, Neopia Central, Roo Island, Shenkuu, Terror Mountain, and the Lost Desert.
4. Games
5. Shops
6. News
7. NC Mall (Premium Item Purchasing)
8. Brightvale - a bastion of peace, knowledge, and ornate windows.
   

.: Safety There is a “Safety” button at the bottom of the page and its very clear and concise which is helpful and great for kids, teens and parents alike.

Here are the rules:

1. Never supply any personal information to another user on Neopets. Neopia is its own world. Other users do not need to know your real-world telephone number, email address, home address, IM screen name, or where you go to school. Keep that information private. Also, don't post personal pictures of you and your family. This rule applies regardless of age, and you will be warned (and possibly frozen) if you disobey this rule.

2. Don't ever give out your password to anyone (on or off the Neopets site). Neopets staff members will not ask you for your password, and we will NEVER e-mail or NeoMail you to get your password. Also, don't give anyone your Neodrive URL (because it shows your password). Watch out for fake log-in screens - some people are copying our login box and posting it on their personal web pages to trick people into entering their user names and passwords. Look at the URL - if it says anything other than www.neopets.com, DO NOT enter your user information.

3. Be careful who you talk to on the web. If somebody says something to you, sends you something, or you see something that makes you uncomfortable, don't look around or explore. Get your parents instead - they will know what to do. If this happens on the Neopets site, please let us know by using and we will take the necessary action.
4. All REAL Neopets activities and games are contained within the Neopets site. Delete e-mails, files, or web pages that you get from people you don't really know or trust. Sometimes people post links to viruses around the Internet, including on the Neopets site, saying the links lead to other Neopets stuff. (For example, they claim the link is to a NeoHelper program, Neopoints.exe, or a Scorchy Slots program.) Don't be fooled! Links like these go to nasty viruses that can seriously damage your computer. Also, beware of fake Neopets "competitions" and "trades." If they're not located within the Neopets site, then they are not endorsed by us and you are proceeding at your own risk.     

5. Be careful about in-person meetings. Meeting up with people you meet online is not always a great idea, but if you want to, there are 4 very important rules you should stick to.

    * Meet only people you feel you know well, have known for a long time, and only with your parents' knowledge and permission.
    * Meet in a public place, such as a mall.
    * Go with a parent or 18+ sibling (even if you are an adult yourself)!
    * Make sure the person you're meeting is not alone, but coming with a parent/other adult.

6. Neopets is FREE, but not all sites are. Don't ever do anything on the Internet that could cost your family money unless your parents are there to help you do it.

7. Always follow your family's rules for the Internet. They're there to make sure you have fun and stay safe online.

Also, Neopets lets you know that users need to protect themselves from phishing or “spoofed” e-amils.  They also state that they don’t attempt to collect personal information from visitors who identify themselves as under the age of 13 except where they receive verifiable parental consent or in those limited circumstances where they believe that such collection is permitted under applicable law.

The staff at Neopets states that their goal is to help parents ensure that their kids have a safe online experience, so they set up a system where parents can contact them to review any personal information collected about their child.  These requests can be made via email address or phone call.
 
So basically, they’re making themselves available to all their users and their parents in terms of safety and you can never be too safe. .: Gameplay The layout of the Games page is one of the best I’ve seen so far. Everything is neat, concise, and very easy to navigate.  On the top left is the Featured game which is “Trouble at the National Neopian,” and the New Games section, Top Games and Showcase Games.  The top games include Kass Basher, Destruct-O II, Meerca Chase II, Turmac Roll.  The Showcase games are River Rush, Saucy Shot, Edna’s Shadow, and Sky High Race.

The Games are also laid out in categories:

1. Action
2. Adventure
3. Aracade Classic
4. Board Games
5. Card Games
6. Educational
7. For Kids
   

I actually ended up trying out Meerca Chase. The point of Meerca Chase is to race around the screen collect the Neggs of all different colors from the yellow Happy Negg to the Rare Fish Negg.  You must avoid the Red Neggs at all costs.  The game should run a lot faster and there are a few new parts to check out.  And if you get sick of playing this game but like the set-up they have a section called “Other games you might like,” so you can try some new games out as well. OH and there are cool screenshots so you can see if you want to play the game. .: Community It was difficult to find a forum for Neopia and there aren’t any groups like in other games sites.  Though this site is fun and easy to navigate, this community aspect doesn’t seem to be as important for Neopets.

You can find a forum to discuss aspects of the Neopian community under "Boards", but it isn’t comprehensive which is something very different than other game sites.

Additionally, this site really seems to show the sponsors and the ‘buying’ aspects of the Community. There are shops such as the Auction house, neopioan bank, food shop, book shop, bazaar, petpethshop, money tree, rainbow pool, nc mall, neopian plaza, post office, pharmacy, and the magic shop.

There seems to be a strong emphasis on selling products to the users, as there is a ton of product information including Target.

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