Neopets launched in November 1999 and quickly became one of the most popular websites for kids of that generation. Although ownership of the site has changed hands a few times, the site itself has remained relatively the same -- until now. After rumors abounding for years, Neopets is finally going to be mobile-friendly, which could mean big things for gameplay.
In June, Neopets Brand Manager Stephanie Lord released a video announcing early-stage beta for the mobily-friendly Neopets site. The site also released a trailer, seemingly to entice new players to sign up and also encourage older players to return. The trailer displays interfaces for desktop and mobile.
At time of writing, the beta mode for the mobile-friendly Neopets site is pretty limited. Players can only access a few games and they cannot submit scores to earn Neopoints, which is one of the primary in-game currency-makers on the full site.
The games themselves can be a bit finicky if players accidentally click away. A good majority of the games use a combination of mouse and keyboard, which means they will either not be available for mobile or they will require an arrow key overlay. As of now, it's unclear how Neopets intends to adapt these games for mobile.
It's also possible to check on pets and care for them, but players are limited to what's in their inventories. They can dress pets up, read to them, feed them, play with them, heal or groom them. There is also one shop accessible where players can purchase new goods with which to interact with their Neopets. Additionally, players can create new Neopets from the mobile site.
Unfortunately, there are several options in the site menu that are not actually mobile-friendly. When players click on them, they will be redirected back to the main site. These flaws indicate that a full Neopets app may have been a better move than trying to adapt the 20 year-old site for mobile use, but as the mobile site is only in beta, it's unclear what further improvements can be made.
That said, a mobile-friendly site or app is long overdue for Neopets. The site was groundbreaking when it launched in 1999, but it's since fallen well behind the times. If the mobile-friendly development is successful, it could inspire players to return to the site and introduce new players to its simplistic and often absurdly fun world.