Hello Kitty Online - Chocolate Attack

From jetliners to Blackberry covers, Hello Kitty has been marketed on every physical product known to man. On July 1, 2009 the creator of Hello Kitty, Sanrio Digital, released Hello Kitty Online and was developed by Typhoon Games. Typhoon Games also created Yu-Gi-Oh Online and Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, which are Japanese based. The online MMORPG was designed for kids, but adults do appear to play the Hello Kitty themed game as well.

Like many other "freemium" online games, Hello Kitty Online offers items, pets, and apparel for earned points, or you can use purchase Sanrio cash points. Sanrio cash points can be purchased for $4.95 for 425, and up to $39.95 for 3,800 points. Aside from the paid for point system, everything else is earned through chopping wood, mining for ore, attacking monsters and occasionally attacking evil chocolate that has washed on shore due to an offshore chocolate rig spill.

Charitable contributions have been a large factor for Hello Kitty Online, the current charity Chocolate Harbor Rescue accumulates points for killing chocolate monsters. The points are then converted into cash, half is donated to Oceana in support of the Gulf oil rig spill, and the other half goes to UNICEF in support for the recovery of the 2010 Pakistan floods.

Other aspects of the game include a farming system, much like Farmville. Crops are the main source of income for the game, and they can be sold, traded or crafted into other items. Similar to World of Warcraft, Hello Kitty Online also sports a pet system. You can own up to three pets, some of which include tamed chocolate monsters, dinosaurs and something that looks like the popular Domo-Kun. Some pets have the ability to store extra items, buffer statistics or just follow your character around. You can also customize your character with various different outfits.

The user interface is a bit buggy at times, but the graphics are very simple. The game is designed to be a social media site for kids though, so the simple graphics and animations work well together. The bubbly sound effects and music also play well with the atmosphere.

The gameplay is safe for all ages, as there is no real animated violence. Rather than your character getting hurt, they simple fall over and sleep until the game reloads. Defeated monsters also become dizzy and pass out, but you can loot items from them. Sadly there is no player vs player battling of sorts, but you can complete through various minigames. The educational messages hidden behind cute gameplay also makes the game a breathe of fresh air, in comparison to other MMORPG's.

Overall this is a great game for anyone who enjoys Hello Kitty, especially younger kids. The social integration and educational plots are great for everyone.