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The PHB’s 12th Halloween Costume Contest: 🦸♀️ Heroes & Villains 🦹♂️
A new look into an old new Poptropica
Howdy, Poptropicans! It’s Lucky Joker here with an unlisted video to share from the YouTube channel of Poptropica visual designer, Kyle Fox. (Thanks to idk the glitcher for the cool find!)
In the short preview, you can see what Poptropica Worlds was like during its early stages before it was released. A few placeholder art and other assets such as “Short description or clue for how to use the item” were never seen in the game — as well as items including a Big Apple and various clothing parts.
At the very beginning, in the top left corner, you’ll also notice a bar marked with a number six (possibly referencing a level system?) and a not-so-familiar currency called Moonstones. We could only wonder what the purpose of having two forms of currency was.
Pretty interesting, huh? It’s unfortunate the developers’ hard work has gone to waste, seeing that Poptropica Worlds has since been abandoned. Were you a fan of “the new Pop”? Leave your opinions in the comments!
Plus, if you’re interested, check out our Poptropica Portfolio on Fox from a couple years ago. And don’t forget to participate in this month’s Community Creations and/or enter our Halloween costume contest for a chance at a free membership! You don’t want to miss out on the fun!
Talk to you all in the next one. Pop on!
– Lucky Joker 🍀
Not gone in a Flash: bring on the bevy of blimps, Beevs, and berries 🫐
Hey Poptropicans! We’ve got a bunch going on in the Poptropica fandom this week: news of what’s to come beyond Flash, Instagram story highlights, and contests past, present, and future. Let’s pop right in!
In the comments of their latest Instagram post about the Zomberry Hero special event, the Poptropica Creators confirmed a couple of salient details: 1) that “nothing will get lost” regarding the old islands currently on Flash, and 2) old (Flash) accounts will be transferable to Haxe, with more details coming “towards the end of the year.”
That’s certainly something to look forward to! In the meantime, if you’re not yet caught up on Poptropica’s preparations for the end of Flash by the end of 2020, check out the following PHB articles:
- What will happen to our accounts post-Flash?
- SUI’s will stay, old school islands maybe someday
- Preserving Poptropica post-Flash
And if you have more questions, shoot them at Poptropica’s CEO here — we’ll be sending some of your questions for the Poptropica team to answer in an upcoming Q&A here on the PHB!
That’s not all that’s new on Poptropica’s Instagram. On their profile, the Creators added two new story highlights, Fan Art and Zomberry, so you can view some of their past stories even after the initial 24 hours.
New story highlights on Instagram: Fan Art & Zomberry 
Promo for Zomberry Hero
Check out the fan art they shared this week, including a few from PHB staffers Gentle Dolphin and Lucky Joker, and several blimps!
Handmade blimp by @quackin_things 
Gentle Dolphin’s first time on a blimp by @phs_animations 
Maroon on her blimp by @happyclonetrooper 
Poptropica OC by @petalshere 
Bubblegum Brat by Lucky Joker @luckyjokerpop 
Dimension Bros drawn by @hfevra 
Dr. Hare by @eazybridget 
Super Wing aka Selby, Guardian of Twisted Thicket by Gentle Dolphin (@phs_animations)
Speaking of Poptropica fan art on Instagram, remember all the fantastic features of Dr. Beev creations? The Poptropica Creators posted several more on the official blog, and announced that they decided to “give a bunch of artists 10,000 credits”!
Hey Beaver Boy by @goldsberrie 
Baby Beev by @hfevra 
The Bucktoothed Beev by @urchinmeade
Gentle Dolphin was among those whose Dr. Beev art was featured, and she confirmed that the Creators sent a DM on Instagram to ask artists to send their usernames in order to receive the 10,000 credits prize.
And there’s more from the Creators’ Blog post:
Also, if you’re under 13 and not on the gram, we’ve got you covered. We’re working on an all-new submission system so everyone can participate!
Poptropica Creators’ Blog, “Paging Dr. Beev”
Sounds like we can look forward to more contests in the future that aren’t limited to Instagram, so people of all ages can participate!
On the subject of contests, the Creators have unveiled the first 30 winners of the Zomberry Hero event who beat the game without restarting. They’ve each won a free one-month Poptropica membership! For tips on the game, check out our Zomberry Hero Guide.
There are still more chances to win a free Poptropica membership! Enter our Halloween Costume Contest as a hero, villain, and/or with a group costume — there are just two weeks until the deadline, and already plenty of entries you can browse through for inspiration! 🎃
We’re also loving all the Poptober art you all have been sharing on the PHC, our Discord server. If you’re not already on, join the server to meet other Poptropicans, discuss Poptropica, and more! See you there. 😄
~🐠
Ramble Review: Astro-Knights Island 🚀
Welcome to another Ramble Review! This guest post comes from MaryannTheConqueror, who will be rambling about Astro-Knights Island.
It’s no secret that I love Astro-Knights Island, and from what I’ve seen, many others feel the same. There is an abundance of fanart of all its major characters, and even some minor ones! Despite this, it is strangely ignored by the Creators, a trend I’ve noticed over the past few years.
Again, Astro-Knights was a big deal during its heyday. It was so difficult that it was the first and only island to have a built-in official guide. The villain (who I shall get to) won the Villain Showdown hosted by the Creators’ Blog back in 2011, against the likes of Zeus and Dr. Hare.
And yet, hardly any content related to it gets released anymore. Most ads for Poptropica featuring many classic villains leave Mordred/Binary Bard out of them, and we’re lucky to see any Astro-Knights references at all, despite its continuing popularity, even after it was among the many classic islands removed then brought back but locked behind the membership paywall.
The story of this Island had potential. Serious potential. I’m saying right here, right now, that it could have easily been turned into a book series, game series, or even a TV series that expanded on it, and with the right writers, it could have been one of the most unique ideas in decades. This isn’t just my inner fangirl speaking (though I can’t deny that my 14-year old self is influencing the writing of this article) — this is from what I’ve observed in the creative world.
Astro-Knights is a clever blend of historical medieval fantasy and futuristic technology (sometimes referred to as “clock punk”). There’s space travel, epic boss fights, a lore connected to one of the most famous Western legends, the legends of King Arthur. Of course, now I’m just stepping around what I consider to be the best character not just from the island, but from the entire game, and one of my greatest examples of Poptropica’s squandered potential.
But first, let me give you a little bit of, as TV Tropes calls it, “fridge horror.” A couple times during Astro-Knights, it is mentioned that Mordred made his near-fatal ascent into space twenty years ago. Meaning he was trapped in space for that long, without any human contact that we know of. Imagine going through quarantine but for two decades, with no contact from family members or friends of any kind.
Binary Bard is what is known as a tragic villain, similar to Azula (from Avatar: The Last Airbender) or Sweeney Todd (from the Sondheim musical). He’s a character who, through a mix of his own bad decisions and circumstances beyond his control, was sent down a path with little hope of him ever turning back, except maybe through a very carefully written redemption arc (I might talk about my mixed feelings with a certain sequel island another time).
I was very disappointed that the Astro-Knights book (anyone remember those?) did little to expand on him or the lore of this island. These are the characters and stories that can go very far if allowed to do so, and I am sad to say that, just like its villain, the fate of Astro-Knights is tragic.
Hope you enjoyed this guest post by MaryannTheConqueror. If you did, be sure to check out the first Ramble Review on Twisted Thicket Island, and stay tuned for more! And of course, join in on the fun on the PHC Discord.
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. You can find some tips and guidelines on our page on how to Write for the PHB, and share blog posts on the PHC.
📰 If you have an idea for a PHB post, send it in! ✨
With fear at zero, be a Zomberry Hero! 🧟♂️🍍
Hey Zombtropicans—the Zomberry Island 2 special event teased last week is here! Head over to the new “Zomberry Hero Special Event” on the map to get started saving the latest victims of the of bad blueberries.
This special event is only on the Haxe version of the game, so if you’re not seeing it, you might be on Flash. To use your Flash account on Haxe, try idk’s Format Loader tool and select “HTML5 (Haxe JS).” Or consider starting a new account on Haxe. Also, if you’re having trouble loading Haxe, try disabling your ad blocker.
Troubleshooting aside, let’s get to the Zomberries! This special event continues the tale of Zomberry Island, one of the classic islands from back in 2013. Now, in 2020, a blueberry smoothie stand run by a couple of young girls has reintroduced a new wave of Zomberries…
After the comic, click “Start” to begin the game. You’ll be greeted by a girl on a hoverboard named Anita, who equips you with a gun that shoots pineapple-flavored slime balls, an antidote to the zombie infection. Your task is to go around shooting at the zombies to turn them back into regular form (whether human or animal), using your mouse to aim and spacebar to shoot. Check the map in the lower corner too!
But keep an eye on your fear meter: it goes up when you’re near a zombie, and if you let it stay for even a moment too long, you’ll faint and the level restarts. Having audio on is helpful for hearing the heart palpitations to warn you when you’re too close.
According to the Creators’ Blog, there are three levels in the game, each getting progressively harder. And with widespread reports of game lag from early players on our PHC Discord server, it’s certainly not as easy as it sounds, so approach the zombies carefully! To add to the struggles, there are also video ads between scenes to deal with…
Still, there is a little incentive for making it through: the Creators are offering a free one-month membership to the first 30 non-members to complete the whole event without fainting! They’ll be announcing the winners Thursday, so stay tuned for that.
UPDATE: The Creators also shared a YouTube video guide for the Zomberry special event (with no lag)! Not sure who the person behind the camera is, and her character’s pink hair is more saturated than Blue Tooth’s, but it’s cool to hear some narration. Check out the 3:25 timestamp for a reference to Dr. Beev, 5:05 for a mention of Shark Boy (original name), and 7:25 for a promise of more sneak peeks to come!
At the end of it all, Anita hints that there’s more to come in the sewers, and you’ll get a “to be continued” screen with zombie alligators. Wonder what that’s all about!
Beating the game is also supposed to award you with 1000 credits as the prize, although some players have reported not seeing the credits added to their accounts. But if you do get it, it’s the perfect time for a seasonal store surprise…
Whether or not you succeed in ridding the Zomberry plague, you can still join in on the fun with the Zomberry bundle in the store!
The whole set includes a Zomberry mask, T-shirt, hoverboard, Zombify squirt gun, and even a zombie puppy follower, all for the hefty price of 1000 credits. It’s also limited edition—only available during the Zomberry Hero event, which presumably lasts until the end of Halloween season, so shop and play while you can! 🧟♂️
For more spooky season shenanigans, don’t forget to enter our Halloween costume contest and make some art for Community Creations and Poptober! 🎃 Oh, and drop your questions for Poptropica’s CEO for an upcoming Q&A here on the PHB!
What did you think of the Zomberry special event? Were you able to beat all three levels and become a true Zomberry Hero? Share with us in the comments and with other players on our Discord server!
🧟♀️🔦🧟♂️
Bring in your questions for Poptropica’s CEO!
Hey Poptropicans, we’ve got something special lined up for you!
We’ve been in touch with Poptropica’s current CEO, Abhi Arya, who is also the chief of Coolmath Games and Sandbox & Co., Poptropica’s parent company. We asked Mr. Arya if he’d be interested in doing a Q&A with readers of the Poptropica Help Blog, and he said yes!
Do you wonder about what goes on behind the scenes of making Poptropica, what the future holds for the game, and more? Send in your questions in the comments of this post, and we’ll gather some of your questions for the Poptropica CEO and team to answer.
While we wait to hear their insights, you can revisit this 2015 interview we did with the then-CEO of Poptropica, Jess Brallier! Poptropica has changed a lot in the past five years, especially with the external factor of having to adapt to a post-Flash future, and this is a great opportunity for both fans and the Creators to reconnect about what’s been going on.
We’ll be taking questions from now until next Tuesday, October 20, so fire away in the comments! And we’ll keep you posted on their answers here on the PHB, so stay tuned… 😄
— the Poptropica Help Blog —
