Which 2000s MMORPG is the GOAT?

Our writers advocate for their favourite MMORPG from their childhood...

Ashley Levy
29th January 2025
Image Source: IMDB

Movie Star Planet

Movie Star Planet is the best 2000s MMORPG because it is the 2000s. The glitter, the neon, the egregious quantity of animal print. It’s a perfect snapshot of a perfectly gaudy bygone era. You could design your own room, have adorable pets, and date super-hot movie stars that absolutely weren’t 30 years old. Most importantly though, were you really living if you weren’t hanging out at your friend’s house after school, creating avatars for the kids from your class and making movies about them? MSP was MMORPG excellence, and her prime will be missed, as will all the friends and relationships we made along the way, who were – again – absolutely not 30.

- Ashley Levy

Club Penguin

Club Penguin, released in 2005, was among one of the most iconic MMORPGs of its time. Living a virtual life as a penguin, you could hang around a multitude of areas around the island where you could make friends and indulge for hours in fun minigames that are still embedded in the memories of the former kids that once populated the game, with my personal favourite being Card-Jitsu. You could also establish your own little life and identity by decorating your igloo, adopting pets called Puffles and buying cool clothes to give your penguin avatar some flair (though this was admittedly very limited without membership) which all culminated to create an antarctic experience forever remembered with fond nostalgia for kids growing up in the 2000s and early 2010s. Though Club Penguin shut down in 2017, its mark on the millions of its players is still present today.

- Raven Orteza

Moshi Monsters

If you had even a lick of swag in the 2010s, then you were probably playing the best MMORPG - Moshi Monsters. With extensive lore, detailed avatar customisation, and insanely catchy songs, Monstro City was the place to be. Your unique avatar is soon recruited to be a Super Moshi, working to save mutated moshlings, now glumps, from Dr Strangeglove. Honestly, a pretty dark concept for a children’s game! Of course, there was also a range of minigames, a house to decorate, a garden to cultivate, and public chatrooms. And don’t even get me started on collecting trading cards in primary school. I had at least 3 shiny Iggys… Take it from a 20-year-old woman with a Jeepers keychain, kids who were on Moshi Monsters in the 2000s are cool and stylish now.

Keira Gratton (Arts Sub-Editor)

Bin Weevils

We all love penguins - if you don't love penguins, you probably should hug your mother and go outside for once - and moviestars are part of our day-to-day life. It's no wonder, therefore that MMORPG's with those themes took off. What we don't all love, however is bins, mulch, and insects. British studio 55 Pixels took the yuckiest stuff imaginable, and turned it into the defining video game of my early childhood. For the mum's credit card warriors worldwide, you're all invited to the big Bin Weevils ball. Keep fighting the good fight. Viva las weevils.

- Dylan Seymour (Sports Sub-Editor)

Panfu

Panfu is an under-appreciated gem in the world of 2000's MMORPG. It released in 2007 and was much similar to its senior, Club Penguin, just for people who preferred pandas as opposed to penguins, I suppose. Instead of igloos, you lived in a treehouse, and instead of Puffles, there were Bollies, which were strange, duck-like creatures. There were many different places for the player to explore in Panfu such as San Franpanfu, the Jungle, the City, and so many more. There were even exclusive locations for lore-intense quests such as the Bitterland and the Plane. I found Panfu so enjoyable thanks to its regular updates with new locations, activities, and events. Unfortunately, the game was admittedly pretty restrictive unless you had a membership. Luckily for me (and unluckily for my parents) I was a golden panda. Unfortunately, Panfu was short-lived and died out not too many years after it started, which is arguably due to the rise in Animal Jam's popularity at a similar time. However, I will never let Panfu's legacy die. And to whoever manipulated 10-year-old me into giving you the password to my account and locking me out forever - you ruined my childhood.

Amy Mescus (Gaming Sub-Editor)

ToonTown

Born 2 years before the Club Penguin egg had even begun to hatch, Disney took the world of MMORPGs by storm with Toontown. The game allowed players to explore its wacky world with their own fully-customisable avatar, of which you could change the head, body and legs; fur colour and clothing; and create your own ridiculous tag using Mickey's Pick-A-Name game. Its turn-based combat mechanics were simple yet incredibly fun. Players attacked with Gags - slapstick moves such as banana peels, foghorns and falling pianos - to defeat the Cogs by making them laugh, with 49 unique Gags available from Goofy's shop. The map was a joy to explore, but what really made Toontown for me was the community. Unlike many other MMOs where high-level players would usually only hang out with the other elites, everyone in Toontown helped each other out. Experienced players provided support and showed newer members the ropes all the time. And the wide variety of interaction options made communicating and making new friends so easy.

- Adam Lovegrove (Head of Culture)

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