That is right everybody, ToonTown Rewritten is finally open to the public in an open beta without having to wait in the annoying queue that you had to wait in for the closed beta. Some of you who are reading this article are probably wondering what in the world “ToonTown Rewritten” is, and I don’t blame you for not knowing what it is.
History
Chances are if you were a kid or a parent of a kid during 2003 all the way up to 2013, you most likely heard of Disney’s ToonTown Online! ToonTown Online was an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) developed by Disney Interactive and published by The Walt Disney Company. ToonTown Online was only available on a computer like the majority of MMORPGs are, and it was a free game with an optional paid membership.
ToonTown Online followed the story of the Toons of ToonTown, which were anthropomorphic animals (inspired by and based on the cast of Disney’s Mickey Mouse titles) who were in a constant “war” with robots known as “cogs.” These cogs were trying to take over ToonTown, which was a town made for endless fun and games. In order to protect ToonTown, the player and the other toons (other players as well as NPC quest-givers) had to destroy these cogs using gags, which were comedic weapons like water guns and throwing pie at the cogs faces. On September 19th in 2013, Disney Interactive shut down the doors to ToonTown Online in order to focus on it’s newly acquired MMO Club Penguin.
What is ToonTown Rewritten, then?
ToonTown Rewritten is a non-profit fan-made community revival of ToonTown Online. While I am sure that you have many questions about ToonTown Rewritten, I do not represent the game nor am I associated with the people who do, therefore, I will allow them to speak for their own game here. While the fate of ToonTown Rewritten ultimately rests in Disney’s hands due to their copyright being infringed, the developers as well as the community hope that Disney will have a heart and think of the countless fans and children. ToonTown Rewritten does not harm Disney profits in any way as they are non-profit. ToonTown Rewritten entered open beta on September 19th of 2014, an exact year after the closing of the original ToonTown Online.
First Impressions
While reading my first impressions of ToonTown Rewritten, please keep in mind that the game is in beta testing and does not represent the final product. This is NOT a review, it is simply a first impression of a beta.
During the release day of the open beta, September 19th, I sadly didn’t get to test out ToonTown Rewritten. The reason I didn’t get to try out this game is due to some technical errors and perhaps servers that weren’t quite ready for such a large amount of people, which is understandable in an indie beta. However, I was able to get into the game on the second day and I was immediately welcomed by the same music and art style I used to enjoy in the original game.
I spent a few hours playing ToonTown Rewritten until the game forced me out due to updates the admins were doing, but one thing is for sure, the game is extremely nostalgic and fun. ToonTown Rewritten is rather slow at the moment, which does cost quite a bit of enjoyment, but it is still in beta and is an indie MMORPG, which costs a bit of money to run out of pocket, so these things can be expected while it’s in its infancy. While ToonTown Rewritten has quite a ways to go, it is slowly becoming the game I used to love as a child. I plan to follow this article up with a full review once ToonTown Rewritten is released from the beta stage and I spend a considerable amount of time with it.