Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! We’ve got a couple of Mocktropica-adjacent updates to share this weekend. Let’s start with the fun one…

With the end of September comes the conclusion of Poptropica’s #DrBeev mini art contest to draw the beloved furry doctor of Mocktropica Island in one’s own style. Check out the beev-tiful creations they featured on their Instagram story on Thursday:

Although they mentioned a prize of 10,000 credits in their original post about the drawing challenge, we haven’t heard any word yet about anyone receiving the prize. We’ll let you know if we get an update!

Dr. Beev isn’t the only thing Poptropicans are drawing! Have you seen the Poptober drawing challenge yet? It’ll give you plenty of ideas for Poptropica inspired creations throughout the month of October!

Check out this artwork from the PHB’s own Lucky Joker for the first Poptober prompt, “Island.” In this case, he went with Ghost Story Island and the love triangle of the tale. Learn more about Poptober here!

“Triade D’amour (Poptober Day 1: Island)” by Lucky Joker

And for more Poptropica fan art, check out Community Creations! This month’s theme is “Monsters.” 🐲

In other not-so-fun news, an unwelcome surprise may now greet you as you travel from scene to scene in Poptropica: full game screen video ads.

With sidebar ads, footer ads including a video ad already, and now the full game screen video ad, the Poptropica browser is literally all ads.

The ads so far have been for kids’ products like Nerf guns, Minecraft Dungeons, and LEGO Mario. (Thanks to Dangerous Icicle and Gentle Dolphin for their reporting.)

The ads are about 15 seconds long and are not skippable. So far, these ads only appear in the Haxe version of the game. They don’t show up every time, but they do appear every now and then, and a regular loading screen will come up after the ad itself ends.

And yes, they’re rather annoying.

This isn’t the first time Poptropica has tried to do this, either. Back in 2014, video ads also appeared in between scenes to advertise for Galactic Hot Dogs, a book series owned by Poptropica’s parent company StoryArc Media which also has its own Poptropica island. After receiving much backlash from players, the video ads disappeared within a month.

Plus, doesn’t this bear some resemblance to yet another aspect of Mocktropica Island? Mocktropica has turned out to be something of a prophecy for Poptropica’s current state for quite some time now…

A scene from Mocktropica Island where the player is charged for simply trying to leave a scene in the game.

With this stunt, Poptropica seems more desperate than ever to make money from and for the game. We don’t know what their financial situation looks like, but can only make guesses from moves like this one that it seems, more than ever, that things aren’t going well.

Video ads you’re forced to view are an easy way for Poptropica to make a buck, and definitely much quicker than creating a whole island for advertising, but it comes at a great cost in a different way: the players’ user experience. Who wants to play a game where the screen is all ads? And ultimately, there is no Poptropica without the players.

So for Poptropica to be willing to sacrifice that, despite their long track record of creating actual non-intrusive engaging ads in the past, is a big sign that either they care more about lining their pockets than their players’ experiences, or they’ve hit a low enough point they’ll do whatever it takes to make enough to keep Poptropica afloat.

We may love Dr. Beev but we certainly don’t love the other elements Poptropica is borrowing from Mocktropica Island! Do you agree? What do you think? Share with us in the comments and on the PHC!

“Poptober Day 2: Carnival” by Magniventris

On a lighter note, we hope you’ll join us for Poptober and Community Creations this month! And there’s at least one more big event to look out for this spooky season: the PHB’s Halloween costume contest! Details dropping very soon, so stay tuned… 🎃

~🐠

Guest Posts, Social Media

Introducing: Poptober drawing challenge 🖌

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post from MaryannTheConqueror.

It’s October! We are finally in the midst of fall, a time of color-changing leaves, pumpkin spice, spooky season… and art challenges!

While art challenges can exist year-round, many are set in October, especially after the “Inktober” trend. Since then, many alternative challenges have sprung up, including something for Poptropica enthusiasts. Introducing the Poptropica drawing challenge: Poptober!

The goal of this challenge is simple: draw something every day according to each of the prompts! Of course, you will not be shamed if you cannot make all the days (I doubt I will). Or, if you’re feeling a lower commitment, check out happyclonetrooper’s version of the Poptober challenge, with weekly instead of daily prompts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bri/HCT (@happyclonetrooper)

You can use any medium, make your drawings as simple or complex as you wish, and interpret the prompts any way you choose. If you want to, you can even combine challenges (such as making all the subjects cats, or doing all the drawings in ink like the original Inktober). Just have fun, don’t stress, and make art!

To share your Poptober drawings with the world, you can post wherever the Poptropica fan art appreciators are: some places to start are the PHC’s #art channel on Discord, the We-Love-Poptropica DeviantArt group, Instagram and Twitter with the #Poptropica tag, and even the comments of this post. Excited to see what you make!

And for more creative endeavors in the fandom, keep an eye out for the PHB’s monthly Community Creations coming later today.

Have a great start to the spooky season!

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by MaryannTheConqueror. If you did, be sure to check out another recent post of hers: a ramble review on Ghost Story Island. And of course, join in on the fun on the PHC Discord.

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.

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

Guest Posts, Reviews, Super Villain Island

Ramble Review: Super Villain Island ⚡️

September 30, 2020September 26, 2020 Slanted Fish

Welcome to another Ramble Review! This guest post comes from Incredible Fire, who will be rambling about Super Villain Island.

Super Villain Island is just as thrilling as it sounds. Poptropica’s 30th island has you slipping into the minds of the most diabolical villains ever. Full of twists and turns, this neatly pulls together some of Poptropica’s most iconic characters for a whirlwind adventure.

The settings themselves—a mysterious prison on a dark and stormy island, magical landscapes, ghostly ships—give off chilling vibes to all who dare enter. And the sometimes annoyingly difficult gameplay gives the island a challenging edge.

The plot — extracting the source of evil from a villain’s dreams, all Inception style — makes this quest an exciting journey. This island is bound to keep players challenged as they strive to save Poptropica. It’s also worth noting that other islands make an appearance here, effectively raising the stakes, and keeping Poptropica connected.

All in all, Super Villain Island is an enjoyable experience, thrilling players by bringing back so many iconic villains in a satisfying way.

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Incredible Fire. If you did, be sure to check out the previous Ramble Reviews on Twisted Thicket and Ghost Story, and stay tuned for more! And of course, join in on the fun on the PHC Discord.

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

Guest Posts, Pop 5

Pop 5: Best Dressed Characters in Poptropica

September 28, 2020September 26, 2020 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post from Purple Paw, who’ll be sharing a list of her favorite fashions in Poptropica. The following is the author’s opinion only. Enjoy!

Heyo! I’m Purple Paw. You may know me from Discord, and also from my Ramble Review on Twisted Thicket Island. I’m back with a second guest post, this one highlighting the best-dressed characters in Poptropica!

We can style our own Poptropicans any way we wish, with hairdos, accessories, clothing, facial markings, and more. But it’s not just our avatars who have a sense of fashion; popular preexisting friends and foes from across the islands also rock some spectacular looks, and they’re who we’ll be talking about today. So grab your camera and don your flashiest outfit, ’cause we’re going on a tour of Poptropica’s greatest fashionistas!

5: DJ Saturday Nite (Zomberry Island)

We start off the show with none other than the disco star of Zomberry Island, DJ Saturday Nite! With that swirly pink-and-purple dress, giant silver star glasses, and chunky headphones, there’s no way I could lead a fashion tour without including her. Despite the zombie apocalypse that’s swept her island, this star shines on. Hers is an outfit that’s fit to boogie, that’s for sure!

4: Director D (Spy Island)

Surely this is a look we can call fashionable. It may seem simple at first glance, but that crisp white suit and formal bow tie make for quite a tidy, prim outfit. And who would’ve thought that the stylish hairdo is really a toupee? As the leader of the Bald And Dangerous (B.A.D.), he may be up to no good, but Director D has got a fashion sense to rival even the greatest Poptropican stars.

3: Scheherazade (Arabian Nights Island)

Now this is a look you can’t ignore. First off, that hairdo is one of the biggest eye-catchers in Poptropica, with a shiny golden band propping up that poof of hair, alongside a wisp of shiny bangs to top it off. The elfish ears and gold earrings give off a true Arabian Nights genie look, as do the smoke-like tail in place of legs! But the bursts of flame on her hands tell you that she’s no dainty fashionista. She’s the dangerous leader of the Forty Thieves, and she’s not to be messed with!

2: Medicine Man (Shark Tooth Island)

The best and most exclusive part of this outfit is, of course, the giant blue tribal mask covering the Medicine Man’s entire head. The shock of green leaves, rows of teeth, and large eyes tell you that he’s no ordinary tourist. The smiley-face necklace and prim grass skirt adds to the tropical island look that is essential for Shark Tooth islanders, and the wooden spoon lets you know his profession: standing on a platform atop a palm tree, cooking up healing potions! For a spiritual healer, the Medicine Man sure has a spectacular style.

1: Poseidon (Mythology Island)

And here it is, winning the Poptropica-wide fashion show in the number one spot: Poseidon! This Greek god may live in an underwater cave, but the sea water hasn’t ruined his good looks one bit. With his starfish-bearing crown and powerful trident in hand, he lets you know right away that he’s king of the seas. The glittering pearl necklace just adds more to the ocean theme, as does his teal-colored skin and pristinely wrapped purple-and-white cloth. The main attraction, of course, is the mustache, resembling kelp as it waves gently in the tugs of the tide! No, Zeus — Poseidon is not “all washed up.”

That just about concludes our fashion tour! I hope you enjoyed traveling from the deserts of Arabian Nights, to the tropics of Shark Tooth and more as we admired some of the greatest fashion styles throughout Poptropica. Let me know in the comments who your Pop 5 best-dressed Poptropicans would be!

—Purple Paw

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Purple Paw. If you did, be sure to check out the many other Pop 5 posts on the PHB!

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

American Girl: Courtney’s Island bringing gimmicks from ’86 😎⚡️

September 26, 2020September 26, 2020 Slanted Fish

Yo, check out the new island, Poptropicans!

Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s take a closer look at the new spot on the map: it’s American Girl: Courtney’s Island. This massive ad is just about as ambitious as the first American Girl adventure from earlier this year, Joss’s Island. Let’s go!

You can click on the billboard on Home Island to get to Courtney’s Island.

When you land on the island, you’ll find yourself at the Orange Valley Mall, which looks like a cross between the exterior of the convention center on PoptropiCon Island and the interior of the Twin Palms Mall on Night Watch Island. It’s 1986 and you’re in a teen’s wide world.

Courtney will tell you there are video games you can play (two) and 8 free prizes to collect. Like the other American Girl doll characters, she isn’t Poptropican-ized, but there are some Poptropican NPCs to be found here on this island. You can learn more about Courtney the basic ’80s girl™ with a passion for video games through two videos in the Cinema: a “Courtney 1986” music video and a “Meet Courtney” intro.

Heading left of the Cinema, you’ll find Smiley’s Arcade, where you can play a game called Crystal Starshooter (also the name of Courtney’s invented video game hero). It’s basically like the Poptropica single-player arcade game Blaster Attack, where you maneuver through space and press space bar to shoot at spaceships.

Check out the Pac-Man promo and the out-of-order Sky Dive game in the arcade.

Hop to the upper level of the mall and you’ll come across small stores like The Book Shelf, where you can pick up an 80s Comic Book. When holding it, press space bar to have your Poptropican shout out some ’80s slang, complete with bold colors and spiky speech bubbles. Gnarly!

Right of the bookstore, there’s a record store called Tunes, where you can pick up a free 80s Walkman. Tap the space bar and you’ll hear a segment from the “Courtney 1986” bop!

Next to Tunes is Valerie’s, which offers two-in-one 80s Outfits. With frizzy hair, sunglasses, a denim jacket and more, you can mix and match styles. Plus, you can wear Courtney’s pet guinea pig on your head with the Parsley Head Rider just beside the shop!

Jumping past the elevator, check out the pizza at Slices, where you can grab a cootie catcher. If you click the “Make Yours” button on the item card, you can even find Poptropica’s instructions on folding your own cootie catcher IRL. All it takes is a sheet of paper!

Dropping back down to the first floor, look for D’Amico’s Electronics. Inside, you can get a game console to play Bot Breaker! It’s basically a game of Pong, where you move your bot (which you can pick from three styles) left and right to bounce a ball on the screen, with the aim of knocking the other bots and clearing the screen to get to the next stage. You can pick up the occasional drops of green batteries to regain lives.

Fun fact: A sideways version of this game mechanic also appeared in the Web Browser Cafe on Counterfeit Island.

Finally, rounding off the tour, let’s visit the American Girl Place at the center of the island. But first, don’t forget to claim your very own Care Bear Follower! Inside the AG Place, you can learn more about the dolls (including Joss), play with the Colorizer of the Radiance Salon, and fix up your own pink milkshake (handheld) at Super Scoops.

That’s all for this totally tubular terrain throwing it back to four decades ago! What do you think of Courtney’s Island? Do you vibe with the ’80s, or are you ready for Poptropica to get back to the modern age of the 2020’s? Give us your bombdiggity best in the comments!

~🐠