My Secret World (DS)

When the Nintendo DS first came out, it seemed like the number of different games were pitifully few, and the number of those games that broke free of the narrow genre confines of the early library were even fewer. Imagine (and Ubisoft generally) have been wondrous in actually expanding the palette of the DS, and making it into a console that is more attractive at this point than a PSP. My Sercret World does more than further the corpus of Nintendo DS games: it gives anyone fortunate enough to have the game the ability to do some pretty innovative things with the DS. One of the best things that My Secret World allows players to do is create their own diary, one that is encrypted with a code that goes beyond the lock / pen & paper diaries of the last centuries.

To further personalize this diary, players will be able to stick in a number of different icons, backdrops, emoticons, and the like. To top that all off, players can create a virtual version of themselves. These features, along with the ability for players to go forth and allow their friends to take different types of quizzes, makes My Secret World into a game that young children can play to get them ready for sites like Myspace and Myyearbook. There are no individuals lurking around the corners, in fake profiles, or the like: when children that have familiarized themselves with My Secret World in the past are finally allowed o get on the computer and onto sites like these, they will be more cautious than children that are just dropped in front of the computer without a similar type of education.

I know that the cover and game play seems more geared for the female child subset, but the lessons that an individual can draw from the game really is beneficial for male and female children alike. Here’s to hoping that Ubisoft continues to create these games, along with giving children something to do, allowing parents to provide their children with a game that ultimately increases their security. This game would be good for any age that can read and write, up to that age (13 or 14) when they can go online in a controlled setting. Kudos to Ubisoft for creating such a great “game” for the DS, and I’ll definitely eyeball games in the Imagine line whenever I do actually have children.

Rating: 9.2/10

My Secret World (DS) / 2008 Ubisoft / http://www.ubisoft.com /