Howdy, Poptropicans! It’s Lucky Joker here, inviting you to fill out the 2020 PHB Readers’ Survey. Every year, we survey our readers to get a current picture of our community’s demographics and hear from all of you.
Your feedback helps determine the way we run things around here so that you get the best possible reading experience when you visit — and that is the primary goal for us. 🙂 We also like to get a better understanding of how our community and reader base has evolved since the last survey.
The survey will stay open until Saturday, April 18, and we’ll share the results here on the PHB sometime in May. With that said:
Note: Your identity will remain anonymous, unless you opt to include it in the comment box at the end.
Thanks for sticking with us, and thanks for your feedback! Stay tuned for the results in May, and feel free to check out survey results of previous years in the PHB archives. See you in the next one.
Hi, everyone! We hope you’re all staying safe during this pandemic. With many businesses being affected, Poptropica could be taking a hit as well. Still, the Creators managed to give us some minor yet meaningful updates.
There is a new ad campaign for the upcoming Dreamworks movie Trolls World Tour. Many concert stadiums have popped up on various islands, so you can rock out no matter which island you’re on.
When you’re ready, go inside and talk to Poppy. She will ask for your help to stop the rock trolls, and you agree to lend your epic guitar skills. This mini-game is like Guitar Hero, and the objective is to click the jewels when they reach the bottom. Keep doing this to fill the gauge on the bottom left.
Though it would be cool if you won an electric guitar, you still get two prizes that are pretty interesting. The first prize is the Tiny Diamond Follower, which gives you the power to splash gold glitter onto the screen.
The second prize is the Rainbow Glitter Barf power (yup). Equipping this power gives you sweet troll hair*! (*Side effects include headaches, nausea, and vomitting sparkly rainbows.)
This Trolls campaign doesn’t stop with concerts and sparkles. You can express your love of music by decorating your clubhouse with four posters for Trolls World Tour! Open your furniture inventory to put up those posters.
Two weeks ago, we celebrated the long-awaited return of the Photo Booth. However, some players told us that they couldn’t see it. When I logged in to check, sure enough, the Photo Booth was nowhere to be seen on Home Island!
This is strange. Why would the Photo Booth disappear as soon as it came? Did they need to remove a nasty glitch? Maybe they wanted to add more content to the sticker menu? What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments.
On a lighter note, the Poptropica Creators made a post on Instagram on March 23 for National Puppy Day. This may not seem like much, but this is their first social media post since last February. Maybe this is a sign that things are returning to normal at Pop HQ? Or perhaps the post was scheduled ahead of time? It would nice to hear an official statement from them regarding recent events, but in the meantime, we hope they’re well.
How are you guys faring during this pandemic? If you haven’t already, check out our previous post about how you can enjoy Poptropica during the quarantine. Maybe you can watch Trolls World Tour on April 10? I hear the movie will have an early digital release for fellow social distancers.
Hey Poptropicans. By now, you’ve probably heard of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping over the world, causing school shutdowns, closing businesses, and more. With life on lockdown, why not turn to Poptropica to pass the time?
Real talk, though: we haven’t heard from Poptropica in about a month, and with all of this going on, Poptropica Creators may have their workflow disrupted, too. That could mean a lull in activity for Poptropica, despite earlier promises about updates for this year. We’ll have to wait and see.
Anyway, whether the virus has been on your radar for months, or has just started to affect your area in the past couple weeks, at least one thing is clear: staying away from crowds helps keep you and everyone safe.
The outside world may be falling apart, but on the flip side, the online world is thriving. Here on the PHB, we’re bringing you recommendations for enjoying the best of Poptropica while under quarantine. There’s plenty to do inside!
Can you stomach the comics? 🦠
One obvious island comes to mind: Virus Hunter. In this island released in 2013, your mission is to locate the person harboring a dangerous new virus, then enter his body to remove the disease before it spreads! There couldn’t be a more relatable adventure in these trying times, and whether it’s your first time playing or you want to revisit it, the PHB has a guide for you.
Before the island came out all those years ago, Poptropica created a six-page comic called Pandemic Panic as a prelude to Virus Hunter Island. Check it out below, and read tons more official Poptropica comics on the PHB!
More island adventures, for all the benchers 🏝
Besides Virus Hunter, Poptropica is also filled with lots of other great island adventures to play. If staying at home is starting to feel like jail, try busting out of prison on Escape From Pelican Rock Island. If you miss large gatherings full of people, mingle with the cosplayers on PoptropiCon Island. Or if you prefer to strike it out on your own, embrace the solitude of Survival Island. There’s something for everyone, and we have all the guides you’ll need!
No prison can hold me.
This cave was almost too much to bear.
Here’s an open secret: the islands currently on the map aren’t the only ones you can play. With the Old Island Directory, you can play about 30 more old school islands, which Poptropica had taken down from the official game due to the older technology causing bugs. Since Flash is going down, now’s the time to play them before they’re gone for good!
Having one giant adventure!
This puzzle didn’t outfox me.
Create or compete, staying upbeat 👩🎨
Even beyond the decades of islands, Poptropica still has a fair amount of fun to offer. The Photo Booth is back, your club house could use a refreshed design, and worlds are waiting to be made on Realms. And while you’re at it, maybe you’ll enjoy giving your character a new look, too!
Decorate your club house!
Make a whole new world on Realms!
Meeting up in real life may not be a great idea these days, but you can still hang out with friends online! Drop by the arcade at the same time and you can play games like Star Link together, or head in solo and find new buds. You can also challenge yourself on solo games like Blaster Attack.
Star Link
Blaster Attack
And last but not least, join in on the PHB’s Community Creations challenge! This month’s theme is Hobbies, and all this downtime is a great opportunity to explore some (within health precautions, of course). Whatever the hobby, you have until the end of March to capture it for us Poptropica-style. Details here.
What have you been up to in this pandemic panic? Share your stories in the comments, keep washing your hands, and take care, everyone! 💪🧼
Hi, everyone! This is Gentle Dolphin here with the latest Pop news. Let’s start off with something pretty big from earlier this month: March member gifts.
This month, members will get to rock that “Big Hair, Don’t Care” attitude with three humongous hairstyles: Big Afro, Big Dreadlocks, and Big Ponytail. Speaking of big, we want to give a big thank you to Shiny Bird for these pics.
If you are an active member, these colossal coiffures will be added to your inventory upon logging in to Poptropica this month. Act fast and snatch these weaves before they disappear for good!
Moving along, we have a new ad starring 2020’s American Girl of the Year: Joss Kendrick. It’s a basic billboard ad showing Joss and her dog Murph surfing across the ocean waves, which will make many northern players long for the arrival of summer.
All you need to do is watch a short video to win two prizes: Joss’s Cheer Outfit and the Murph Follower. I could make a witty American Girl joke here, but I’m pretty sure you guys know more about American Girl dolls that I do. 😜
Next time you visit Home Island, make sure to walk past the Pet Barn. You will discover that, after being gone for almost six months, the Photo Booth is back in business! If you’re feeling especially photogenic, step inside and get ready to take some amazing photographs.
Inside, you will find that nothing has changed since the Photo Booth last appeared. You still have the classic backgrounds and characters, as well as plentiful props and effects. Even though the options aren’t new, that shouldn’t stop you from getting creative! Have fun making all kinds of silly scenarios and epic battles!
When you are done with your photo, click the green check mark button to save it to the Photo Board on your player profile. Unfortunately, your picture will not be saved to your device like before. The best you can do for now is take a screenshot on your phone or computer.
That’s all for now. Feel free to comment below what your favorite hairstyle is, or what you plan on creating in the Photo Booth—or even share your creations! Or at least some American Girl facts, perhaps?
Hey Poptropicans, we’re in the beginning of a new month, which means another rotation of items at the store! And for March, the store has brought back some old favorite costumes and powers. Check ’em out:
Old-timers may recognize powers from the past like the Phantom*, Torch, and Hypno-Powder, while newer players may remember springtime outfits like the Rib Wrap, Navy Raglan, and Red Heart outfits, which were introduced last spring. Even suit-ups from the earliest days of the store are back, with classics like the Fairy Queen and four iterations of the Rock Star.
(*The Phantom is looking a little different from old times though… besides the disjointed appearance, you also can’t adjust your character’s opacity.)
However, more than half of all the current stock is for members only, including items that were originally available for everyone via credits. Still, some of the items which were rolled out last year for members are now available for all, such as the Mardi Gras Jester, Clover Kid, and Lilac Star outfits.
The Poptropica homepage has also been host to another little update, this one involving the login process. Now, clicking on the “Play for free” button in the middle will bring you straight to creating a new character.
To log in as usual, instead click the “log in” button in the corner (of the homepage or character creation)—which will pop up with this new login box.
On a more delicious, yet irrelevant-to-game-development note, the Creators also shared a pop quiz on the official blog to ask the all-important question: What’s the best Mardi Gras breakfast? Poptropicans have been casting their votes for pancakes or waffles in the blog comments—and maybe crepes, too?
That’s all for this post! What other costumes and powers do you want to see return to the store? Want to weigh in on your favorite breakfast foods or the new login thingamajig? Comment below—the Creators might be reading!
Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the February recap for Community Creations! February’s theme was Memes and the featured work is not in any particular order. Be sure to check out all the featured artists!
Man, already starting out with a classic format, huh? This idea was simple, but creative and very appropriate for our theme! Just goes to show you that ideas can pop out of now where, no matter how much your inspiration may seem to be blocked at first. That’s the whole point of this series, right? Anyway, the layout is perfect and the emotion of the original meme is definitely captured well here. Very funny! Find her DeviantArt here.
Yall Remember Poptropica by ray-of-flight
Ah yes, a cat meme. The internet’s favorite meme format. And rightfully so a lot of the time! I love Black Widow’s coy expression in this design. She somehow perfectly matches the expression of that sly cat? Even in the face of a knife? Anyway, the lineart and coloring here is super clean and professional, with obviously some excellent humor backing up the work. Seriously, how amazingly fitting??? Find his DeviantArt here.
Cursed Image by Gentle Dolphin
Dang, another classic template! We’re really knocking this theme out of the park, huh guys? The reference to Amelia’s seemingly doppelganger in Poptropica is super relevant and funny. It perfectly fits the Spider Man meme format, both in subject matter and in art style! I must say, that 1960s TV vibe really shines through, and it makes for a simply excellent piece. The composition and the figures match the original super well, and the VHS style really shines through when combined with the style of the artist themselves! Find her DeviantArt here.
The Internet’s Slow in a Pocket Dimension by Magniventris
Okay, I know that pose anywhere, even if its in a Binary Bard guise. Another classic meme template! The top and bottom text are super reminiscent of some older meme layouts, and I must say that the Poptropican context is hilarious. The humor and emotion behind this is oddly fantastic, and I love the character design of Binary Bard here! The artist really let their own interpretation of the villain flair, putting in unique detail into his robotic half for sure. Seriously, great work in a simple layout! Find her DeviantArt here.
Jorge Dabs by ANNE14TCO
Pffft, okay, this is kinda silly but I love it. And it’s that what meme culture is all about? I love featuring characters from the Poptropica books, and the animation of this submission certainly makes it stand out from the rest. Dabbing is still cool……… right? *ahem* Stepping away from that, I think that the movement and random humor in this submission is perfect for our theme. Ridiculous, I love it! Find her DeviantArt here.
Honorable Mentions
Absolutely hilarious submissions this month guys! Really a theme to mark in the history books, so keep up the creative work!
March: How Do I Participate?
Community Creations is a cool series for anyone in the Poptropica community to join in on. To sum up what it’s about, it’s basically a chance to show off your artwork, creepy fan-fics, Pop clubhouses, costumes, and anything else that pops into your mind.
If we really like the piece you submit, we will feature it here on the PHB! As long as it relates to that month’s theme. So what is March’s theme? March’s theme is…
Hobbies!
Poptropica, for many of us, is a cherished lifestyle hobby. But it certainly isn’t the community’s only hobby! So why not showcase some of those other hobbies in our next theme, as much of the world moves towards spring?
Whatever you like to do, or whatever your Poptropican likes to do, is totally acceptable! Whether is be a sport, playing an instrument, theater, glass blowing, baking, ghost hunting, you name it! Maybe you just like, I don’t know, …trains? The limits are completely up to you, so be sure to show off your creativity, but more importantly, your passion!
Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArt, Twitter, or Discord.
Results: I will feature 5 of the submissions as well as 3 honorable mentions.
Limitations: Nothing NSFW, and make sure you relate to the theme.
Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!
I will always be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. Bonus points if you make a compelling description for your piece! While quality counts, I’m mainly looking for something to simply catch my eye, so don’t be afraid to join in!
So what are you waiting for? Go make something awesome!
Hey Poptropicans, get your game face on! We’re about to blast you into the arcade scene and show you how it’s done…
Some distant time ago, Poptropica brought us the Blast-off Arcade, and with it, three new games. They also refined three other games (and took out seven others, rip). Anyway, here on the PHB, we’ve (finally) updated our Game Guides, complete with pages for the newer arcade gamesBlaster Attack, Crash-n-Bash, and Poptastic. (Better late than never, right?)
We’ve also updated our guides for the older gamesBalloons, Sky Dive, and Star Link, which, although they’ve retained the same gameplay and style, did receive slight graphic refinements. Have you noticed, for example, that the background on Sky Dive is colored a little deeper than before? Or that falling too fast doesn’t make a Poptropican-sized hole in the ground anymore?
Old Sky Dive
New Sky Dive
To get to our new and improved Game Guides, look for “Pop Plus” on the PHB site menu and go to “Game Guides.” From there, you’ll find all the head-to-head and single-player game pages, with tips and tricks to make you a pro.
But that’s not all! Scroll down some more on the page, and you’ll also find a section dedicated to the Bygone Days with info about classic, now-retired games like Hoops, Pathwise, and Soupwords. Plus, we’ve included memories of old multiplayer hangouts like the Multiverse, tribe rooms, and even those good old five-star battle rankings — all gone with Flash’s impending doom.
Oh well, at least we still have all these other flashy arcade games. I mean, did you know that the balloon animals on Poptastic move at different speeds depending on their color? Because if not, you might need that game guide. 😉
🚀 So what are you waiting for? 👇 Get on out there and beat your high scores with PHB Game Guides!
