Brand new screen with character and a Costumizer controversy

Hey there, Poptropicans! Yesterday, the Creators gave us a sneak peek of a new “Character Screen” coming to Poptropica, and it is officially here!

With this update, you can mix and match individual costume elements from any costume. Though this may seem similar to how costumes already worked, this new feature allows it all to happen in one place without having to find a new costume each time.

There are three tabs that you can browse: your costumes/items, your closet (members can save up to 30 outfits), and your pets.

Have a lot of items? You can also sort through those items by outfits, powers, pranks, followers, misc, prizes, and gifts if you don’t want to see them all at once. A similar sorting system for your pet includes pet, body, eyes, facial, and hat.

More than that, the Colorizer is now easily accessible on the same page! With it, you can change your hair and skin color without the extra hassle. And it even works on your pet!

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The character screen can be found in your drop down in the top right, just above your map. And, as you can see, the items option has been removed.

Messing around with the new features so far, I will say it is nice to have everything in one location. People generally seem to view this update in a positive light, particularly regarding the return of the Colorizer, but it is not without flaws.

First off, the character screen has already been very glitchy for me. For example, most of my closet items beyond the first page are inaccessible, despite them showing up as available when first loading. The screen has also frozen for me numerous times already, and some of my items are totally blank. Was this update rushed like other projects have been in the past? Has anyone had similar issues?

It is also frustrating that some of my most recently purchased items appear at the very bottom/last screen of my inventory, making them difficult to find.

Another grievance I have is the lack of a “cancel” button when choosing accessories. Often times, I will accidentally click on an outfit part or dislike how it looks, but when I take it off I am also missing the accessory I was previously wearing. This wasn’t a big problem for me in the past.

That brings me to another big concern for fans: What about the Costumizer? Will we ever get it back? Unfortunately, chances are looking slim. In their announcement post, the Creators explain that they “were receiving many complaints about the feature,” so it will not be returning. Here’s why:

Older players had to spend the credits to purchase a costume or they may have had a discontinued outfit from the early days that is unavailable in the store. Meanwhile, a new player would be able to instantly copy and wear the same items from any older profile, sidestepping the other player’s efforts.

Alas, some fans are not content with this explanation…

It is true that this reasoning doesn’t feel fully justified. Even when the Costumizer was available in the past, some items were still not fully customizable (such as store costumes that cost other players credits). Was this failsafe not enough? Similarly, what if they just made NPCs customizable and not other players?

Either way, the Costumizer has always been a fan favorite despite whatever drawbacks the Creators may see regarding fairness, so I am sad to see it left behind.

Pop HQ also claims to have “a few special projects in the works,” so maybe we can look forward to other updates in the near future.

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In other news, the Creators also announced two new costumes available in store. They include Loose Twirl (250 credits) and Soccer Champ (200 credits with membership, in yellow, green, and blue).

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Oddly enough though, these aren’t the only two new outfits I see in the store. On my end, there’s also an Acidic Dinosaur, Volleyball Allstar (in teal, grey, and red), Overall Shorts, Striped Romper, Choose Love Shirt, and Hedgehog Head Rider: all for 0 credits! Is this a mistake on their end?

I also wonder if the “choose love” shirt a subtle nod to Pride Month. Though that’s what comes to mind when I hear that phrase, the shirt is not the colorful spectacle I would expect if that was their intention. Am I reading too much into that?

I also see some returning outfits, and a glitch where the Slice of Pizza Tee and King & Queen Hoodies appear much larger than the rest of the costumes. Moreover, the 5th screen appears completely empty for me aside from a Zomberry character peeking out on the right side.

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Such glitches leave me unsatisfied with these rushed updates, but maybe that’s just me.

Lastly, we have a few new clubhouse items to share. For non-members: a hammock chair, instant camera, LED bonsai tree, and LED photo clip. Looks like the Overall Shorts outfit is in this picture too? For members: a Popcorn Maker, Indoor Tent, Egg Chair, Punching Bag, Figure Display, and Salt Lamp.

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Not gonna lie, these items do look super cute. I’m totally jealous of the members-only figure display! Who wouldn’t want a little Rumpelstiltskin in their home?

And with that long post, our updates come to an end. How do you feel about this new feature? Do you miss the Costumizer as much as I do? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

~SD