Poptropica is a thing that exists--a multimedia affair that started with a browser-based video game invented by Jeff Kinney (who you may remember as the author of those "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books). It's a quest-based game where kids can customize an avatar and roam around, competing and communicating with one another. The game has spread beyond its modest web-based existence, however, and now exists on the Nintendo DS and in books. Neal Ronaghan sent me a smattering of things a few weeks ago, and it's taken me awhile to digest it all. What I found was intriguing, simplistic, and surprisingly fun.

This is what I found in my mailbox one day. There's a chapter book, activity book, player's guide, and a DS game.

Penguin Books is publishing chapter books for the series. I'm not gonna lie--after three chapters, I was pretty impressed. This is not to say it doesn't take much to impress me--one of my favorite books is "Frog & Toad," for God's sake--but the younger set would love these books, and although I'll always long for the Hardy Boys and those Patricia C. Wrede "Dealing with Dragons" books, kids today should be happy they get books like this.

There are illustrations every few pages, which helps people like me give a crap. Again, people, FROG AND TOAD.

There's a very nice, well put-together player's guide for the browser game which I have absolutely no inclination to play because it will SUCK ME IN AND NEVER LET GO. It's also subscription-based, so screw that noise. But the game itself seems pretty neat, and it looks good too. Did you ever have a player's guide for a Nintendo game you didn't actually own? Made you want to play that game pretty hardcore, right? That's kind of how I'm feeling here. The DS game gives a nice introduction of what to expect, though.

Bonus: the player's guide has STICKERS. I am SO SOLD ON THIS.

In the DS game, you create a character and then run around Poptropica doing quests for people. These quests mostly take around five minutes and you're rewarded immediately with treasure or new costumes. It's got a bit of a Little Big Planet vibe about it. The game was developed by Other Ocean, best remembered for the excellent Dark Void Zero game for DSiWare. The questing is broken up by minigames like "avoid so many things thrown at you" or "avoid obstacles as you leap to the top of this volcano" or "navigate this maze." None of it is particularly engaging, but you always feel like you're accomplishing something, which is nice.

Unfortunately, the game lasts about two hours, and then you're left to play the minigames as much as you want--which won't be long. The game, however, looks to be a shorter version of the browser game; something to get your feet wet.

I'd show you the activity book, but the premise is that some nefarious villain has been running around Poptropica with a magical eraser, erasing things out of existance. Your job is to draw in whatever you want as a replacement. Sure, there are subtle suggestions, but it's not like the book is going to say you're wrong! So I drew a bunch of dinosaurs and phallic symbols. I drew a Marker (from Dead Space) but as a PENIS. So there's THAT.

So if you've got a kid, Poptropica appears to be a worthwhile multimedia endeavor. The book is good, the activity book is entertaining, the DS game is shockingly fun, and while I can't speak to the browser game, I can say that--based on the DS game--it would hook me for life. So there you have it, folks: Poptropica. Do any of you have experience with this franchise? Let me know in the comments!