Freaky Creatures

$20, Internet Site, Windows

Teaches: creativity, strategy

CTR Rating: 84%

CTR Review

Richly illustrated and complicated, Freaky Creatures brings plastic monster figurines to life, in their own online world. Once online, you can customize your monster, decorate its home and fight online with other players, each controlling their own monster. The game uses a Pok�mon-style turn-based battle system that is very familiar these days. The more you fight, the stronger your powers. The experience teaches you about percentages, problem solving, and typing via chat. It combines collectible action figures (sold in toy stores) with an online world. The starter pack includes two very detailed plastic collectible figures with parts that move, and a flash drive that acts as a key to the online game -- when combined with the codes printed on the cards. You begin with a random assortment of parts, powers and lair objects which you can collect and trade online, and then participate in battles with other players. You can also customize your creature's lair with furniture, toys and pets. Interaction with other players is made possible through reading the online comics and character blogs, or by following leader boards, playing mini-games, creating teams, and participating in custom tournaments. The installation process is arduous, consisting of typing in cryptic passwords and downloading very large files. Once we installed and updated it, we found the graphics were still sluggish. More information is at www.freakycreatures.com.