Author: Gentle Dolphin

Hello, everyone! My name is Gentle Dolphin, and I have been a long-time fan of Poptropica. I like drawing, baking, and being an overall dork. In real life, I'm pretty much the same except for the fact that my hair is brown instead of pink. You can befriend me on Poptropica if you'd like. My username is "magicalyre".
Zomberry Island

Return of the Zomberries

Gentle Dolphin

Hello, boys and ghouls! This is Gentle Dolphin bringing you the latest Poptropica news.

Ever since the big island purge last summer, we have been wondering when the classic islands would return to Poptropica. Just a few weeks ago, a “Flashback Friday” post gave us a glimmer of hope for one of Poptropica’s spookiest adventures. Now, a recent post by Blue Tooth has confirmed what we have been suspecting:

Zomberry Island will be coming back!!!

zomberrytease

QUARANTINE BREACH, POPTROPICANS!!

This is your EXCLUSIVE FIRST ALERT that Zomberry Island will be coming back with an all-new experience later this year!! Keep your eyes right here on the blog for upcoming previews, artwork, and more as our team works on a totally new level based on the classic Zomberry Island!

Awesome, right? After months of anticipation, we finally have our first returning island! There is quite a bit to unpack in this post, so let’s take it bit by bit so we can know what to expect.

Although the release date has not been confirmed, the post says that Zomberry Island will be coming back sometime later this year. It might not be October like we were all hoping, but the island will definitely be back before the end of 2019.

The most intriguing statement is that there will be a brand new level based on the classic island. Does this mean that the Creators are adding more content to Zomberry Island? If so, then this would be the first sound-updated island (SUI) to not be a straightforward adaptation of the original. (Unless you count 24 Carrot Island, which was redone for Poptropica Worlds.) Will other classic islands be given more content, as well? There’s a lot to think about here.

This whole idea to make more Zomberry content is not entirely new. Back in 2016, the Daily Pop showcased some concept art for a few possible Zomberry Island-themed minigames; you can read more about them in these “PHB Sneak Peeks” posts right here. Anyway, could this new level be inspired by one of these unfinished minigames? We’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case. 

Before the outbreak strikes again, you can prepare yourself by playing the original Zomberry Island via idk’s Old Island Directory. Don’t forget to check out our Zomberry Island Guide if you need help finding key clues and avoiding pesky zomberries.

Are you excited to stop the Zomberry plague a second time? How do you feel about the idea of the Creators adding more content to the old islands? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day! 

—Gentle Dolphin🐬

Advertisements, Reality TV: Wild Safari Island

Flying with Jeremy to the Wild Safari

Gentle Dolphin

Greetings, Earthlings– I mean, Poptropicans! Today we have some news stories to make you go wild and fly out of your seat! Let’s start off with a dream that finally became a reality.

After being made members-only almost two months ago, Reality TV: Wild Safari is finally available for all players! Now, non-members can join in on the fun and compete against a slew of celebrity cameos in death-defying challenges for a chance to win the island medallion!

WildSafari_page

If you’re confused by a challenge or curious about your fellow competitors, then come check out our Reality TV: Wild Safari guide! There, you’ll find tips and tricks to help you earn the coveted first place title! Good luck, contestants!

In other news, we have some ads that would intrigue the most dedicated space travelers. The Toy Story 4 ad is back to promote the film’s home and digital release. Like last time, players can watch the trailer to get the Buzz Wings Power! Act fast and claim those wings before the ad disappears to infinity and beyond.

Blue Tooth certainly thinks this power is amazing! She took to social media and posted a video of herself being yeeted into the night sky then falling stylishly back onto the ground. Check it out:

There’s also a new ad for the Disney Channel series “Gabby Duran & the Unsittables”. Watch the short trailer to earn two out-of-this-world prizes: the Space Bubble and the Jeremy Follower.

Curious about the angel costume I’m wearing in the photos? Well, I’ll be representing Team Heavenly for this year’s PHB Halloween Costume Contest! Our theme this year is “Heavenly and Hellish”, so be sure to send in your cute and/or devilish costumes. Check out the original contest post for full instructions on how to submit your costumes!

Are you excited to revisit Reality TV: Wild Safari Island? Which outer space ad prize is your favorite? Will you be entering the PHB Halloween Costume Contest? Are you on Team Heavenly or Team Hellish? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

—Gentle Dolphin🐬

 

Blast from the Past

Birthday blog and bugs be gone

Gentle Dolphin

Hey, everyone! September may be ending soon, but Poptropica’s 12th birthday celebration is still going strong! In addition to the free cake car costume, the Creators’ Blog is also celebrating with a special post highlighting some of the biggest moments from Poptropica’s early years.

Adventures...on a blimp!

This mini-retrospective post covers the first five years of Poptropica’s life (2007–2011). It’s interesting that they mention old islands that were recently taken away (though perhaps not permanently), and they even feature an ASG account! (Perhaps they’re okay with this aspect of glitching?)

We’ve shared their post below, but you can read the original on the Creators’ Blog. Without further ado, let the nostalgia begin:

Poptropica is officially TWELVE YEARS OLD! Can you believe it!? Here’s a look back at some of our favorite moments from the past twelve years!

2007: Poptropica was created by none other than Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series! Do you remember what the first island was?

Pop Blog 2008

2008: The Poptropica Blog started! That’s right, we’ve been blogging about all things Poptropica since 2008! Also, some seriously stellar islands came out, including Nabooti Island and Spy Island!

Avatar Studio

2009: Multiverse and Avatar Studio. Did you know the clubhouses in today’s Poptropica use a lot of the same technology as Multiverse?

And good ol’ Poptropica Avatar Studio. It doesn’t work quite the way it used to, but you can still check it out HERE.

Poptrpoica Map 2010

2010: Islands, islands, and more islands! Which of these islands was NOT released that year: Cryptids, 24 Carrot, Steamworks, Skullduggery, or Reality TV?

Poptropica Guidebook

2011: Poptropica: The Official Guidebook was released! We also announced our first line of toys, were named one of the top 50 websites of the year, AND released a few more islands!

Phew! That was a really amazing first five years of Poptropica! Stay tuned for our next installment of Poptropica favorites. In the meantime, get on over to Poptropica to get your FREE 12th birthday gift!

A part 2 covering the rest is likely coming soon, based on the post’s ending. For a more in-depth look into Poptropica’s history, check out our Poptropica Yearbook posts here on the PHB!

popyb

In a recent “Bug Fix Friday” post, Blue Tooth made note of some recent updates to smooth out the gameplay experience. The chase scene from Arabian Nights: Episode 3 is working properly, and the game screen now shrinks to fit on mobile devices. Nice.

skyChase

The end of this post tells readers to keep their eyes peeled for future updates. What kinds of updates do you think will be coming? Possibly the return of a beloved creepy island? Only time will tell…

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

—Gentle Dolphin🐬

Member Gifts, Membership

Go wild with flash-y gifts and SUI common rooms

Gentle Dolphin

Hey, guys! This is Gentle Dolphin with not one, not two, but three bits of Poptropica news! Let’s get started with a wild set of items!

First, the September member gifts are here! Like last month’s gifts, these items are themed around the latest island, Reality TV: Wild Safari.

During the month of September, members will receive Reality TV Star Followers (featuring, from left to right: Mandy Screams, Torta Piccola, and Bopbop), a Cheetah Head Rider hat, and a baby hippo.

September_Member_BB

If you are an active member during the month of September, these items will be automatically added to your inventory upon logging into Poptropica. If you’re interested in receiving these gifts as well as having early access to Reality TV: Wild Safari, look into purchasing a membership.

Second, the common rooms have been given the SUI treatment! Not only do these rooms now have bigger screens and sound effects, but they also have the chat feature from the Blast-Off Arcade. Just click on the icons on the bottom-left corner of the screen to either speak with words or express yourself with emojis.

Another similarity to the Blast-Off Arcade is the inclusion of game stations. Each common room is supplied with a game station where players can battle each other in minigames. Have fun!

partytimetowerSUI

While checking out the common rooms, I came across a strange character in Timmy Failure Island‘s common room. Clicking on him causes three thought bubbles to appear over your Poptropican’s head, like whenever you talk to NPCs in the game.

commonroom_timmyfailure2

Slanted Fish says that the dialogue is used as a stand-in for testing things in the game, as seen in some behind-the-scenes images by some glitchers. We’re not sure why this character is in a common room, though. Anyway, feel free to stop by and strike up a conversation with him in between your adventures!

Finally, there’s a brand new screen for when players need to activate Flash before playing Poptropica. This particular screen stands out from the previous two because it includes a short video demonstrating how to allow Flash to run on the site. Pretty cool!

activate_flash_v5

What do you think of this month’s member gifts? Will you be visiting the updated common rooms sometime soon? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

—Gentle Dolphin🐬

Advertisements, Store

Follow your nose back to school

Gentle Dolphin

Hey, everyone! This is Gentle Dolphin keeping you in the loop of the latest Poptropica news. Let’s get started and flash forward to our first update!

We all dread leaving summer vacation behind and returning to school or even college. Don’t worry because Poptropica has got you covered with brand new back-to-school items!

auguststorepic

This month, everyone can buy cool school fashion and supplementary supplies for their arrival back to school. There is one member-exclusive item, though: the Noodle Guy Follower. It’s a weird but funny addition to a back-to-school update, to be sure.

A recent post on the Creators’ Blog informed players of a new Froot Loops advertisement on Poptropica. Toucan Sam will stand outside a brick house and invite you to come inside. In the house, he will tell you to jump into his imagination, which is where the ad game takes place.

This ad game is similar to the Schroeder’s Piano minigame from Great Pumpkin Island. While the song is playing, click the different colored Froot Loops when they reach the bottom of their respective rows. Keep doing this in order to fill the gauge in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Don’t get too distracted by the weirdly animated Toucan Sam.

After keeping the rhythm, you will win a “Follow Your Nose” hat. Wearing it gives you the ability to leave a colorful trail of Froot Loops as you run.

I could finish this segment here, but I want to share something I discovered a few days ago. Before the Froot Loops ad appeared on Poptropica, I stumbled upon a cyclops kid standing in front of a mysterious green structure. Take a look:

mysterydoor

Weird, right? This structure acted as a place where players could watch videos to earn credits, similar to the movie theater and billboard on Home Island. However, it also showed up in ad spaces between scenes on other islands, possibly so players could earn more credits during their adventures.

I went to check on it later, but I found that it had been replaced by the Froot Loops ad. Maybe the structure was there to take up space because Poptropica didn’t have any new ads at the moment? But why did the structure have such a strange temple-like design? What was with the cyclops kid? We may never know…

Last but not least, there’s a new screen for when players need to activate Flash before playing Poptropica. Unlike the previous screen, it includes a helpful guide on how to allow Flash to run on your computer. Neat!

activate_flash_v2

What do you think of these new updates? Do you like the new store items? Do you have any theories about the mysterious green structure? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

—Gentle Dolphin🐬