Slanted Fish

This is the My Place in Poptropica story of Lone Axe, a young adult looking back on memories of playing Poptropica while growing up. See below for details about sharing your own MPIP story!

Hello! My name is Lone Axe, and this is the story of my Poptropica experience. I am perhaps a little too old to still be enjoying this game, but at this point, I don’t care. Do what you love, even if people think you should not enjoy it. That said, let’s begin the story…

Elementary school days

My story begins many years ago, when I was in elementary school. A friend introduced me to this game, and it was unlike anything had I played before. If I recall correctly Counterfeit was the newest island at the time. Me and my friend would play the game a lot and talk to each other about how to beat the tricky parts, as well as how we can design our characters. Eventually he moved away from the game, but I didn’t. I often find myself fixated on games I like for a long time.

Counterfeit Island was released in late 2009.

Fun fact: my old account was my school ID. I ended up ditching that account to make one more in line with my other account names, so I could remember it more easily. That is when Lone Axe was born.

Some fond memories

I have beaten almost every island (except Steamworks and Astro-Knights, but don’t tell anyone about that… shhhh).

Two islands that hold a special place in my heart are Cryptids and Twisted Thicket. These islands are most likely why I have such a fascination with cryptids and fae creatures. Mythical beings living in our modern world alongside us in secret is such a cool concept to me.

Have a Sprite: Could one of these dryads be coming to Poptropica?

To this day I still remember getting scared off my computer because of Poptropica. If you remember the Jersey Devil sequence from Cryptids Island, you know why. When it popped up in the window in that old house, I quite literally fell off the chair I was sitting on. My mom thought I lost my mind for a second.

Steamworks Island has been one of my greatest roadblocks in getting all the medallions in this game. I got stuck at the end and refused to try again for years. The island is one of my favorites in story and visuals, but wow, it’s hard.

Thoughts on the game now

With the death of Flash, the game feels gutted and many of my favorite experiences I can’t revisit now. All the chapters of Survival Island (except for one), Monster Carnival, and more are gone. I do have hope, though: hope that things can be restored and more people can experience the old feeling and wonders I had as a child.

I am an adult now, but this game will continue to be a part of me for years to come and I hope to see it improve. If you liked this and want to add me as a friend on Poptropica, my username is LogicBomb404. I hope you continue to have fun in this game as I do!

Hope you enjoyed this “My Place in Poptropica” story! If you did, you’ll probably enjoy our other MPIP stories here on the PHB.

If you haven’t already shared your story, we invite you to send in your own. Please include your username and at least 400 words, typed with good spelling and grammar, and divided into labeled sections. If you send in your story, we will continue to post new community MPIPs!

Interested in writing for the PHB under a different Pop-topic? Take a look at our Write for the PHB page for ideas, guidelines, and more!

~the Poptropica Help Blog

The PHB meets Popsonas and videos on the official Poptropica blog!

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, it’s Slanted Fish! 🐠 If you’ve been checking the Poptropica Creators’ Blog lately, you may have seen my first guest post shared there this week. And if it’s your first time here, perhaps because of that post: welcome! Here on the PHB, we’re all about Poptropica. 😄

Introducing myself on the official Pop blog through my Popsona — read it here!

You can see the post for yourself over on the official Pop blog, but it’s basically about creating your own Popsona, or Poptropica persona for your game character. It’s a fun activity that’s been part of the fandom for years, and you can find even more Popsonas from the PHB team here.

Of course, the PHB is a big part of Slanted Fish’s Popsona story, so I had to include it in there as well — and am grateful that the Creators included a link here, to the “Poptropica fan publication known as the Poptropica Help Blog.” Still, the PHB is bigger than just my story — it includes all of you who read it and follow along with us! 📰🏝

Speaking of Pop blogging, don’t miss out on the other fantastic guest posts from this week! Purple Paw (a fellow PHB writer) blogged about what makes Poptropica special to her, while BraveSky waxed poetic about the game’s many adventures. And if you’re feeling inspired, you can also share your musings about Poptropica here on the PHB! ✏

In other news straight from the Creators’ Blog, the Video of the Week series continues with a two-part walkthrough of Timmy Failure Island by Siblings Ahoy! Check out part 1 below and part 2 on the Pop blog:

By the way, the PHB has walkthroughs for every island listed on our Island Help page! Each of our guides comes with video and written walkthroughs, as well as other fun stuff like the lowdown on Quippy’s store items, trivia, album photos from the old days of Pop, and more.

That’s it for this update! Share with us in the comments: What’s your Popsona story? What do you want to read about next on the Creators’ Blog? And any theories as to why Timmy Failure so brazenly walks around without pants??

Be sure to check out the posts below to know what else is happening in the Poptropica fandom, from Island Flash-backs spotlighting the classic islands from the Flash days to free membership giveaways! At the PHB, we’re always busy cooking up ideas inspired by Poptropica. 🌤

🌟 Keep on popping on, Poptropicans! 🌟

Free Membership Giveaways

And the first winner of the PHB’s Monthly Membership Giveaway is…

January 31, 2021January 29, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans. It’s time to announce the first winner of the PHB’s Free Poptropica Membership Giveaways: GreedyShadow!

Congrats, GreedyShadow! May your new membership allow you to attain all the cool items of your heart’s desires. By the way, if you need a refresher on what membership has to offer, check out our Membership Tour page, updated for 2021.

One of the perks of membership in the age of Haxe is access to Time Tangled Island, which is currently available to members only. Here on the PHB, we recently updated our Time Tangled Island Guide with tons of new pics — check it out if you need help or just want a throwback!

Anyway, in case you missed the announcement earlier, our membership giveaways are a new monthly occurrence here on the PHB. It’s easy to enter the giveaway, so why not give it a try?

To enter for your chance to win, comment on the Free Poptropica Membership page and leave at least two other comments around the PHB within the month to be entered into that month’s giveaway.
We’ll announce a winner sometime in the final week of each month. If you don’t win, you can always try again for the next month!

For the full details, including all caveats and the philosophies behind these giveaways, head on over to the PHB’s Free Poptropica Membership page. That’s also where you get started on entering the monthly raffles!

Thank you all who have been participating, and regardless of the outcomes, we hope you’re having fun interacting with the PHB. Let’s keep the comments coming for all Poptropicans to enjoy! 🥳

Keep on popping on,
~the PHB 💙

Guest Posts, Polls

Vote for your favorite Poptropica villain! 🦹‍♂️

January 30, 2021January 31, 2021 Slanted Fish

It’s time for a Poptropica showdown! In this guest post by Smart Icicle, vote for the best Poptropica villain and see how they stack up with the rest.

Of course, Poptropica has had many more villains since the Pop Creators’ Blog’s great Poptropica Villain Showdown of 2011…

Hello! I’m Smart Icicle and I want to share a poll with all of you! You may not know me, but I’m also known as Target1051 on Poptropica and DeviantArt. I am a big fan of Poptropica. I decided to create this poll because I want to know what villains you like. Whichever villains come out top, I’ll write about them in a future Pop 5 post here on the PHB!

The poll will close two weeks from now, on Feb 13 at 11:59 PM EST.

That’s it for now. Smart Icicle out! 📚❄️

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Smart Icicle. If you liked this, you may also enjoy this Pop 5: Villains of Poptropica guest post by TechWizard, and look out for Smart Icicle’s take on this Pop 5!

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, our Discord server.

📰 If you have an idea for a PHB post, send it in! ✨

Guest Posts, Mystery Train Island

All aboard for alternate endings to Poptropica islands 🚂

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Icy Crown (Emu), who explores the idea of alternate endings to Poptropica islands with the example of Mystery Train. Can you come up with your own?

Heyo! Icy Crown coming atcha with a guest post for the PHB. 💕

One thing I’ve always wondered as a Poptropican after finishing an island is, “What if (so and so) didn’t do that?” or “What if ___ never happened?” So I thought, “Hey, someone should do that.” Today I put forth the challenge!

This post is all about ~~how much I love Ned Noodlehead~~ alternate endings for my favorite islands.

Of course I had to pick one of the greatest islands (haters gonna hate): Mystery Train! Spoiler alert: the ending of this game is given away. But don’t worry, If you have played it but scarcely remember, you can always check out the PHB’s Mystery Train Island Guide. Here’s the synopsis:

How do you solve a mystery when everyone is a suspect? It’s 1893, and some of the world’s brightest minds are traveling by train to the World’s Fair in Chicago. But after a dastardly crime puts the fate of the Fair in peril, only you can piece together the clues and collar the criminal. All aboard for a whodunit that will keep you guessing until the last twist of the tracks!

All Is Fair: Let’s skip all the exposition, shall we?

In the original ending, we find out the culprit is Mademoiselle Moreau (or as the PHB guide affectionately calls her, “Frenchy”), and we have to chase her to take back Tesla’s transformer. In the heat of things, she’ll fall into a water tank, trapped! From there, the fair is saved.

Now here’s my alternative version of events:

As you approach Frenchy on the ferris wheel, she throws the transformer into the air, but somehow it manages to land safely on a platform a few levels below. At this point, it’s a race between you and Frenchy to retrieve the transformer, and you’re well ahead of her. Just as your fingers brush the side of it, someone pushes you onto your stomach and yanks you off the ledge as you plummet down and plop into a… water tank? Turns out Erik Weisz was in on it the whole time. You think it’s over, done, the fair is ruined. There’s no way you could get it back, let alone get out of the tank!
But then, out of the blue, a green-faced Mark Twain jumps down and snatches away the transformer from Erik’s own two hands. The fair is saved! Mark unlocks the tank and you are able to catch your breath. Victory is yours!

There you have it! What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

But before I send you loose, I have a challenge for you! Following my example, create your own alternate ending in the comments below. Remember to be creative and original!

It’s time for me to sign out, but keep on poppin’ readers!

~ Icy Crown

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Icy Crown (Emu). If you did, you might also enjoy a guest post by Comical Carrot that brings a twist to the topic with Unsatisfying Island Endings.