Hero Up

Marvel Comics knows kids connect with superheroes, and this web-based virtual world is a spin-off of their television cartoon "The Super Hero Squad Show," where good crime fighters go against evil villains such as Dr. Doom. Animated avatars allow kids to become the heroes, engage in activities and games individually or with others, collect virtual cash to spend along the way, and safely chat in common areas. There's a sense of adventure kids will love. It's kind of exciting and cool to see superheroes dash across the screen to complete missions when you're hanging out in Super Hero City, and the interactive game lets kids move around in search of seedy villains to battle. Fighting is tame and animated, and the missions start simple and get progressively more difficult, but the game play and interaction is kid-friendly and fun. There is, however, money to be made by Marvel, so there's a steady push toward pricey upgrades (one month is $7.95; a full year is $79.95) to unlock more goodies. Kids may see parents as heroes for letting them linger on this safe, fun-filled virtual world.