Velkomin, Poptropican folk! (That’s Old Norse for ‘welcome’ 🤓)
It’s Lucky Joker popping in today with a truncated review of one of Poptropica’s recently withdrawn classic capers, Twisted Thicket Island — an early favorite of mine from 2012. Let’s flutter into it, shall we? (note: spoilers ahead)
Your initial task arriving on the island is to aide the construction crew in clearing the forest by ridding the “hindering creatures” occupying it in order to make room for their new developments.
In the end of it all though, it’s revealed that the developer, Burt Diamond, and the rest of the lumberjerks are in fact the villainous ones — not the inhabiting forest creatures. You realize the action of forcefully ejecting innocent beings from their sacred home is reprehensible, and that the critters were only acting hostile in self-defense. (What a concept, right?) And so of course, like the heroic Samaritan we are, we eventually save the day and the forest’s magic is restored in all its glory.
As an environmentalist and someone who deeply cares about animal welfare, I really like that Poptropica shed some light on this important real-life issue (even more so with the surprising plot twist).
And including Scandinavian folklore along with the bewitching landscape makes the whole adventure more enticing while still fostering the same core idea. The game-like stages are diverting and the final intervention sure is climactic. I find it satisfying when we end up utilizing the very powers of the creatures in peril to drive the pesky bullies away. Oh sweet poetic justice!
So with all that said, I give Twisted Thicket Island a rating of 4/5 rune stones! It’s the decent storytelling, fun and challenging obstacles, and stunning scenery that grant the island perfect score potential. However, I do feel that the gameplay was just a tad rushed and blandly straightforward compared to other islands. I would’ve appreciated a bit more depth and length, so to me a B grade seems reasonable. 🙂
And that concludes my analysis of Twisted Thicket Island! It’s fairy unfortunate it’s no longer playable on the official game, but thankfully we can still access the island here (courtesy of our resident glitcher, idk). I’m not trolling!
What are your opinions on this mystical quest? Share below in the comments!
Also, don’t forget to participate in our readers’ survey if you haven’t already. (It closes on the 18th.) Thank you for reading, and I’ll talk to you all soon.
– Lucky Joker 🍀
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Nice review, LJ! Twisted Thicket Island has always been a personal favorite of mine. The scenery and creature designs are amazing, and although the gameplay was a bit lacking, there were some interesting challenges such as avoiding the Nokken and using magic powers to stop the lumberjerks.
Well stated, LJ! I loved the forest scenery and creatures of this island, though the heavy injection of platforming mini-games was a bit stressful for me personally. 😛 The story is a good one, though, especially from an environmental justice perspective, like you said. I hadn’t thought much of it when it first released, but looking back, I’m quite impressed. 🙂
Also, love the spooky header image you made for this post!
Nice review! I thought this island was fun.
Btw, whenever you go to the construction site and flush the toilet, why on Poptropica does it black out and send you back at the start?
Woah, I never knew this occurred. I wonder. 🤔
Can verify that happened, but not sure why. Maybe it was a gag to show how things were still under construction and therefore faulty?
I love this island , very mystical and magical , but I have only completed it once ( oops 😬.) I find the game VERY frustrating and tedious , but I loved the plot. Anyone else get it? Anyway, loved it, bye for now!