I have a vested interest in children's MMOGs. Sitting next to me on this couch as I write these words are two boys, ages 10 and 12, who look suspiciously like me. This is not to say they don't and haven't played all manner of MMO – I often tell the story of the elder receiving his first Boy Scout belt loops for playing chess in Asheron's Call - but through years of Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates!, months of ToonTown, weeks of Guild Wars... nothing just fit. The previous six months have been glorious! So many games to choose from and not least among them, Cartoon Network's FusionFall.

FusionFall is loosely based upon the entire Cartoon Network universe. That is to say, Turner has taken every character you can imagine from Cartoon Network, aged them a few years and re-imagined them as neighbors fighting off the evil planet Fuse. You see, this big green goopy planet has been wending its way through the universe, scooping up and absorbing planets. It now has its uh... eye set on the Cartoon Network neighborhoods and has sent an advance squad to placate Dexter, the Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Bloo, Mojo Jojo and Ben 10 just to name a few. Through an accident with one of Dexter's experiments, you will be transported to the future (and back again) to help fight back Fuse and its minions. Lots of minions.

Any doubts that this game is directed squarely at the tween crowd should be set aside. If you don't believe me, spend some time in the character creation system. First, it's robust. This is not to say that adults don't like to play dress-up just as much as kids do, but looks are paramount at this age. As I said if I had any doubts, then being forced to stop mid-character creation quashed them.

You see, I'd found this killer name for my character (unless you want to wait for character name approval, you'll use the name generator) – Terrible Lunaticrhymes (told you it was a killer name). Then, my kids demanded they eat. They demand this frequently. Rather than pick a random appearance I was willing to give up the name. I returned later in the evening to find my character and name waiting for me – she looked as she did when I stopped creation but was wearing only shorts and a t-shirt. Yeah for the kids who are called to dinner by their parents!

Four characters previewed at the creation stage.

As much reading as the game contains – and it does contain quite a bit, it's intended for tweens not primary-age kids – it also has quite a bit of voice over. Some characters are vividly familiar; some just seem wrong. Dexter should not be a teenager! But they guide you quite easily through the use of the controls, user interface and backstory while keeping you engaged and moving the entire time.

In simplistic terms, the gameplay can be described as a lot of defeating Fuse Creatures and platforming to complete missions and get Nanos. This is very simplistic but still accurate. Fuse Creatures are the stuff that is created when Fuse Goo (Fusion) meets other stuff. Sewer Creepers, Hydras, and Painsaws are a few of what results when the Goo meets fences, trucks, buildings and as I said, stuff. It becomes painfully obvious what something is made from as you move from area to area clearing creatures to complete missions for the denizens of the various neighborhoods.

The platforming comes in whenever you have to enter a building. As platforming goes, it's quite spectacular and rather easy. That is to say – I suck. My kids do marvelously: there is usually more than one direction you can head; the mini-map helps lead you to your final destination; you can use a keyboard and mouse or plug in a game pad; and there are arrows leading you on. I'm just awful, there's no two ways about it.

Speaking of arrows, remember how I said this game is definitely made for kids? Missions occur in various neighborhoods: Pokey Oaks, Peach Creek Commons, Sector V and the like. A friend and I were playing because we wanted Monkey Waypoint travel (I'll get to that in a moment) and he was on an older system. He had the resolution turned WAY down but he could still read the directions on the ground. "Pokey Oaks North" was clear as it could be on the ground. The developers at Cartoon Network took into account that kids get hand-me-down computers and made sure the important stuff is absolutely visible.