So, unless you live under a rock, you have played Club Penguin before. Whether you played it at ten years old, or you’ve rediscovered it in in your early twenties in a bout of nostalgia, you know what it is- and it’s everything. You remember walking around the little town or plaza, customizing your penguin outfit, feeding your puffles, and of course the infamous pizza parlor music. But on March 30th 2017, Club Penguin closed forever. And even worse? It’s newest adaption opened for mobile apps: Club Penguin Island.
1. You’re forced to complete missions in the game
One of the reasons most people loved Club Penguin is because you could do things at your leisure, make friends, and play games. In Club Penguin Island, the entire game is mission-based. I didn’t sign up for this crap.
2. The app is not suitable for release
This app is full of glitches. Of course, this is expected when releasing a brand new app. But because of Club Penguin’s popularity, it should be a necessity to release a new app that is actually suitable for release. Ya know, just a suggestion.
3. You lose your original Club Penguin username and membership
If you had a previous Club Penguin username/membership since you were twelve, forget about it. You’ll have to start over fresh with this one. And it’s a load of BULL.
4. Not to mention, you have to pay for literally EVERYTHING you do in the game
Before you even complete the first level, they prompt you to confirm a free 7-day trial about three times before you literally can’t do anything else and you’re forced to pay up. This makes the game virtually unplayable for those who would rather opt out of a paying membership. (There are so many glitches in this game that if you’re lucky, the game will spazz out and you can bypass the membership). I’m sorry, but WTF?
5. You HAVE to play it on a mobile device...
They DO have a website, but when you click “Play Now” you’re redirected to a page that has the available locations. I’m sorry, but I’m never going to play this game on a mobile device. The platform switch was a deal-breaker for me.
6. It’s completely revamped and developed… but it looks nothing like the OG Club Penguin
If you’re anything like me, a visual improvement does not always necessarily impress. Club Penguin was popular because it generally stayed the same overtime, image wise. People liked the simplicity of it. While the graphics in the game are nice, I prefer old school.
7. It’s not marketing to the children… it’s marketing to their parents’ wallets
I’m going to tell you right now, this game and company have become all about money. I mentioned the membership before- this is advertised just about every three minutes throughout the gameplay. It is evident that this game was created to eat the parents’ wallets of children who are unfathomably hooked on the “new and improved” Club Penguin (aka not the one we all know as young adults).
8. But fear not… Club Penguin Rewritten is in the works
If you played Toontown in the early years, you know that it was also shut down by Disney (however, it was not replaced with an adaption of the game). Instead, a third-party company developed a 100% identical version of Toontown and is now up and running. Check out the website for Club Penguin Rewritten, as it is currently in the process of being made. You can expect it to look just like the OG Club Penguin we all know and love.
