Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall was a massively multiplayer online game developed by Cartoon Network and Grigon Entertainment, a gaming studio based in South Korea. The game used Unity as its engine.
During its first year launch, players could access the full game by purchasing a subscription whereas players without subscriptions had limited access. On August 29, 2013, Cartoon Network and Grigon Entertainment shut the game's servers down. However, two unofficial fan revivals, FusionFall: Retro, which was the original game, and FusionFall: Legacy, which was the same as Retro but with more content.
On April 15, 2020, Cartoon Network caught wind of the fan revivals and issued DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedowns to the developers. FusionFall: Retro was removed entirely and FusionFall: Legacy was cancelled. The developers of both games issued statements regarding the DMCA takedowns, saying they respect Cartoon Network's decision.
Plot[]
Planet Fusion, who is under the control of the main antagonist Lord Fuse, was traveling throughout the universe devouring planets that he encounters along the way. When he sees Earth, his next target, he drops Fusion Matter that makes common objects into warped monsters. The objective is to thwart the enemies' plan.
Gameplay[]
In FusionFall, players create a custom character that serves as their avatar. In-game, there are more than 50 non-playable characters that were from then-current and past shows that aired on Cartoon Network, some of whom appear as part of a roster of companions that will aid the player on their journey.
The game is played from a third-person perspective with an overlaid HUD. When a player defeats an enemy, they gain experience and receive in-game currency for their character's clothes and weapon upgrades. To attack an enemy, the player can either use ranged or melee attacks. There are also nanos, which are small caricatures of an avatar that provide the player with special abilities, for a period of time. These are obtained by defeating a doppelganger and choosing one of the three abilities shown.
For the Guides, Dexter, along with Ben 10's Ben Tennyson, Edd from Ed, Edd, n Eddy, and Mojo Jojo from The Powerpuff Girls can be selected. When a player completes their Guide's quests, they receive equipment and special items.
When a player reached level 5, they couldn't continue unless they purchased a redeemable card from any participating retailers. Though on April 16, 2010, the cards were made obsolete when FusionFall became a free to play. Players who didn't use their time limited cards received refunds. Due to FusionFall being geared towards children, there are parental control options that allowed parents to watch what their children did and restricted how much they can interact with other players.
In-game events[]
During special holidays, FusionFall had in-game items that players could unlock via special codes, and complete missions held by special guest appearances. Overtime, FusionFall added more missions, NPCs, areas, and elements from Cartoon Network's more recent shows. There was also a new area called the Academy, where players could make characters and start playing. Eventually, FusionFall's development was halted so Cartoon Network could focus on their other games.
Reception[]
Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall received generally positive reviews.