Howdy, Poptropicanos, my name is LJ! I’ve been playing Poptropica for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been blabbing about it here on the PHB for over 8 years. Wowie, the time sure goes by fast when you’re having fun. Beyond the realm of Poptropica, some of my hobbies include drawing, taking long strolls, collecting way too many cool things I don’t have room for, creating unique characters, and letting my imagination run wild in my daydreams. In real life, I tend to be pretty extremely shy, but online, I’m usually bursting with cheerful energy. Don’t be afraid to chat me up in the comments or on the PHC. Also, follow my IG and DeviantArt if you wanna!
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Howdy doodly, Poptropicanos! I’m Lucky Joker happily reporting the arrival of cool Husky pets — brand new in the Pet Barn today — as well as the third weekly Pop store update for April. Let’s pop in!
For the first time in 9 months, Poptropica has finally given us a new furry friend to adopt and call our very own! Well, some of us rather… unfortunately, like a majority of the cute critters in the barn, the Husky is members exclusive. That still leaves free players with just only two options: the (basic, not husky) dog and the kitten.
This new husky is a really cute pet, though. I like its large ears, fluffy cheeks, and itty bitty tail. What do you think?
*carries pet* Now strutting right into the popping shopping center, we have some “new” outfits to choose from this week. Although it’s an updated selection, nothing of the current inventory is actually fresh.
Of course, we all recognize the classic Pop Star and Rock Star looks. Along with them, however, we have a bunch of casual getups we’ve seen available over the past year: Cool for School, Shady Pockets, Spring Fling, Cool Green, and last week’s Good Bunny. So yeah, nothing technically new. Here they are anyway:
It’s good to see familiar looks pop up in the store from time to time (and to have most options available to everyone for a change), but I hope to see original ideas coming in soon too. Hmm, why not hold a third costume contest? It’s never too soon. 😜
That’s it for today folks! Be sure to keep an eye out for the analysis of the recent survey we held in the coming weeks.
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It’s Lucky Joker popping in today with a truncated review of one of Poptropica’s recently withdrawn classic capers, Twisted Thicket Island — an early favorite of mine from 2012.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.
Good day, Poptropicans! It’s Lucky Joker here popping into 2020 with one of my first non-news posts, a Pop 5 list. It’s a new decade and that means a new era for Poptropica.
With the new version of Zomberry Island on the horizon (or is it? we’re still waiting…), it feels like the perfect time to start compiling my list of islands I hope to see return to the game one day, in full sound-updated glory. Let’s begin! (If you haven’t played all the old islands: beware, spoilers ahead.)
#5: Mystery Train Island 🔍
Starting off this list is Mystery Train Island, which is possibly one of Poptropica’s most popular adventures — and among my personal favorites. Every island has a theme; and the theme of this island is a classic, yet compelling whodunit set in the late Victorian era. How appealing does that sound? Right up my alley, that’s for sure.
I can just imagine how calm and soothing the soundtrack would be with a soft piano playing beautifully if it was sound updated. And can we talk about how awesome the boss level is (or should I say was…)? It’s one of the most climactic scenes in the entire game in my opinion. A crescendo would go along brilliantly with it I’m sure.
#4: Wild West Island 🌵
Popping in at the number four spot comes another Poptropica fan favorite — Wild West Island! This Old-West-inspired escapade is full of many fun and exciting moments. With the multitude of western mini-games, lingo, and scenery, this island makes for one special and enjoyable experience that you can 100% immerse yourself into.
As for the soundtrack choice, it’s undeniably unquestionable — western folk music of course! Give Jeff Heim a banjo, a guitar, and a harmonica and I’m sure he could create at least a dozen hillbilly hits. It’s a sound we have yet to hear in Poptropica, I believe.
#3: Super Villain Island ⚡
Smack dab in the middle at third place is the super Super Villain Island! I mean, how could an island featuring four of Poptropica’s most prominent wrongdoers not be in this list? In my opinion, SVI has one of the most creative and out-of-the-box concepts — it’s like a cool sci-fi movie or something — and of course, some of Poptropica’s coolest characters.
The roaring storm over the ocean, each of the villains’ dreams, the colossal battle at the end — there are so many great tracks to be made here! I can already hear them now. Super Villain needs to return and there should be no doubt about it.
#2: Game Show Island 🤖
Just behind the top pick is the remarkable, robotic extravaganza that is Game Show Island! Sure, it’s not the absolute best to have graced the screen in the past 12 and a half years, but Game Show is arguably one of the most fun islands in the game; I don’t think there’s one Poptropican who doesn’t like it (even if it’s not their favorite). All of the mini-games and funny looking robots totally make the island interesting and amusing. I think having it sound updated would enhance that.
Each location could have a different background song. A modernized gypsy-like tune would be a good choice for the city of Istanbul. It would capture that unique Turkish sound perfectly. As for Japan, I’d like something kawaii, or something highly electric to really get my heart racing during Mr. Yoshi’s Super Terrific Challenge. Russia’s pretty diverse, so perhaps a remix of the national anthem would suffice? In Miami, a rad hip-hop track would definitely work well. And you can surely count on the vibrant sensations of tango to create an atmosphere in Buenos Aires. You could hear the world in one island! (Not to mention all of the mechanic and techy sound ops throughout.)
Honorable Mentions
Alright, before I reveal my number one choice, I wanted to honor a few other beloved islands that almost made this list. Give it up for Super Power Island, Nabooti Island, and Counterfeit Island! They’re all wonderful classics, and totally deserve to be in the top five as well.
And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for. Taking the trophy for the island I’d love to see return most…the astounding, the stupendous, the one and only — it goes to none other than…
#1: Astro-Knights Island 🚀
Astro-Knights Island! This thrilling quest is one like no other and is definitely one of my all-time favorites (along with Mythology)! This intergalactic island is jam packed with mythos, action, and adventure — everything Poptropica is all about.
Can’t you just envision a dreary, medieval melody accompanying the crummy streets of a fallen Arturus as you played? I certainly could! In addition, we could get some celestial tunes for when we’re journeying through the stars and an intense orchestral symphony with a battle like dynamic for when we’re defeating the evil Binary Bard.
Astro-Knights is an absolute must play for any Poptropica player and it undoubtedly needs to grace the map once again. What do you think?
And there you have it — the full list of islands that I think should make an epic comeback to Poptropica! (Psst, creators, if you’re reading…I’m sure many others would agree with me, so you know…)
Thank you so much for reading as always and I’ll talk to you all soon. Happy Easter to those who celebrate! 🐰🐤
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.
Hello there, Poptropicans! How’ve you been? It’s Lucky Joker here with the member gift bunch for February and a new Poptropica home screen as well.
January’s over, and we’re on to the second month of the year, which means new stuff! If you purchase or have a membership anytime within the month, you’ll acquire these three exclusive items: Blue Storm Sword, Blue Strom Knight, and Blue Storm Viking.
Pretty cool gifts this time around, if you ask me. Okay, moving on…
As of today, Poptropica updated the main picture on their front page.
To my knowledge, the graphic to grace the home screen has always been a still image, but this time it’s an animated one. I personally love it! All of the characters and islands capture Poptropica’s essence so well — it’s amazing!
So, what do you think of these new things? It’s not much, but I do appreciate even the smallest of updates these days. It’s reassuring knowing the game is still cared for, to some extent.
Thank you for reading as always. Talk to you guys in the next one… pop on!
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