Slanted Fish

This is the My Place in Poptropica story of Wild Wing, a player from Spain who has improved her English through Poptropica, and also blogs at Poptropica All. See below to send in your MPIP!

Hey all! I’m just a person in the world who likes Poptropica and writing on blogs (about Poptropica). I thought I’d share my Poptropica story with you, so enjoy!

The Start of All

It all started one year, I don’t remember when exactly. Anyway, I’m from Spain, but my father wanted me to learn English so that I could get a good job in the future. He sent me an e-mail with directions to a game site that was in English. That site was FunBrain.

I got really addicted to that site, and then I found an ad on the Math Arcade. I just clicked on it and a few moments later, I had registered for my first Poptropica account! I don’t remember my first account, but I do remember my Poptropican on Shark Tooth Island, standing on the top of a coconut.

More Homework, Less Poptropica

As I got older, I had more homework to do, and the free time I did have, I spent with my friends. So I started to forget about Poptropica and its magical world.

I started playing other games, and Poptropica was at the end of my list. My friends told me about some other games, and I talked a little about the things I remembered about Poptropica. However, I think that they didn’t like it too much, and I agreed with them at that time.

Re-discovering Poptropica, and Membership

About two years later, I remembered Poptropica. At the time, I didn’t have too much homework, so I started playing it more. That’s when my current character, Wild Wing, was created.

I completed almost all of the islands, but I couldn’t finish Virus Hunter or Steamworks. Later, on my other accounts, I think I finished Steamworks, but since it took so long to complete, I didn’t play it again on my main account.

My parents let me have a one month membership. When I became a member, I said to myself that it would be as cool as in the ads. But I was a little bit disappointed. I bought all the cards from the store and did all the things members could in that time. But there wasn’t much for members back then: there weren’t any early access islands or the seven (now six) members-only islands. So, I didn’t like membership too much.

Discovering More: The Social Aspect

This part is when I discovered the social part of Poptropica. Videos on YouTube, the Poptropica Help Blog, other interesting fan sites… the more I found, the more addicted I became to reading about Poptropica and playing the game.

I just love reading all the funny and interesting blog posts out there, and discovering new Poptropica blogs. I love knowing and thinking about all the different points of view.

Less Pop Original, More Worlds, and a Blog

When Pop Worlds was released, for some reason, I couldn’t enter Poptropica Original anymore. I checked Flash and all that stuff, but nothing worked. So I have to play Poptropica Original on my father’s computer. He’s usually on it, so I can’t go on Pop Original most of time. Right now, when I do play, I can only really play the few things that are available on Poptropica Worlds.

With the release of Poptropica Worlds, and of all the new features, I decided I wanted to create my own Pop blog, called Poptropica All. Check it out!

Anyway, I don’t know what will happen in a year or more. But I do know I would like to continue with Poptropica. In addition to being fun, Poptropica has also helped me with learning English, and that’s been pretty useful to me!

If you want to add me on Poptropica, my username is magicandmagic (don’t ask me why). Well, thanks for reading!

¡THAT’S ALL!

Hope you enjoyed this “My Place in Poptropica” story!

If you haven’t already, we invite you to send in your own. Please include your username and a minimum of 550 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!

~the Poptropica Help Blog

Guest Posts, Tribes

Pop Petition: Bring Tribes to Worlds!

August 25, 2017August 23, 2017 Slanted Fish

(Hey Poptropicans! This is a guest post written by Poptropica community member MT, wherein the idea of bringing Poptropica Tribes to Worlds is discussed. Enjoy!)

Pop Petition Header

Hello, fellow Poptropicans! I am honored to speak to all of you today. Let me introduce myself. Call me MT: short for Moody Tuna, and I’m not this MT.

As you may or may not know, Poptropica is a map made by the “Creators”, a group of ~~psychiatrists~~ ~~psychologists~~ ~~physiatrists~~ ~~physiologists~~ psychics that can tell the future (because they create it). They created the past to ensure the future, and they succeeded. But as the Poptropica graphic novels will show you, Octavian has been messing with the timeline for the sake of saving his loved one. But there’s another mystery about the Poptropica timeline: when did the tribes form?

Tribes came to Poptropica for the ancient Poptropolis Games, but tribes had already been existing for a time. The tribal system has also separated Poptropicans and given us awesome common rooms. So, it was pretty awesome in Poptropica Original, and I’d love to see the concept continue in the newer Poptropica Worlds, especially with more expansions on story. Of course, having tribes will require jerseys and running shorts, and that, of course, will show those hideous knees. *shudder*

Still, choosing a tribe would be a great way for Poptropicans to show a bit of personality to their friends, and unite Poptropicans in some friendly competition.

poptropolisgames3 — Spear me the details.

As we know, islands on Worlds each get their own museum, and now I’m wondering out loud what the museum would display if there was one for a remastered Poptropolis Games. Of course, it should talk about the ancient warrior in the members’ bonus quest, as well as the sinking and resurfacing of the island.

And what about the common rooms? We have yet to see an actual common room in Worlds, even though the Creators have talked about bringing multi-player features to Worlds. One of the original picture previews for Worlds even says “Challenge your friends!” Well, I think it’d be cool if we had a common room on our Home Island that corresponded to the tribe we were in. But what do you think?

I have to go, so… BAM!! *a golden robot looms closer, red eyes gleaming with delight* “Mwahahahaha!!”

The end?!?!?

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by MT!

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 Write for the PHB page. We also encourage sharing blog posts on the PHC.

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

Poptropica Worlds

My dearest Balloon Boy, it’s a Poptropica Worlds trailer!

August 23, 2017August 23, 2017 Slanted Fish

So, my dearest Poptropicans,

Today was a weird day. Not like talking cats weird… more like meeting a chipper little boy who takes selfies with immortal gods and hangs out with identical spies kind of weird. These bizarre antics and more are captured in this new Poptropica Worlds trailer:

Well, this video is certainly… interesting. Clearly, one of the aspects that stands out most here, for better or worse, is the running dialogue narrated by an excitable young child named Manfred who’s writing to Balloon Boy about his adventures on Poptropica Worlds. Since Poptropica has never been one to use voice acting, this change has definitely perked some ears.

From the sound of the kid’s voice, the video sets a very clear vibe of being something that hopes to appeal to children. And while Poptropica is a game targeted to kids, there is also an older player base around, many of whom grew up with the game from when they were children, for whom the attempt to appeal is lost in the childlike voice acting.

A commenter on the video, Messy Wolf (WonderfulFilms), writes that “the voice acting was a little bit overdone and catering to a much younger demographic.”

However, another commenter, Kenzie Backlin, had a different opinion, suggesting that “they should do voice acting for all characters.”

Whatever your thoughts on the kid’s narration, we’ve also got the rest of the video to look at. Something that’s more of an unequivocal observation among Poptropicans is that the animation continues to impress, in keeping with the Poptropica style with perhaps more detail than before, especially with the Worlds-style avatars. Good stuff!

dr hare shock — gif by naps (astroknightsisland) on tumblr

Another element that’s important to take note of is the actual content being displayed in the trailer: namely, the islands. We see the boy, Manfred, writing his letter on his desk in his house on Home Island, where he also spins the daily wheel and decks out his place, which he calls his “clubhouse.”

Anyway, could this letter-writing business be a sign that the currently unreleased “Inbox” feature on Worlds is soon to arrive? And that we get to send messages to Balloon Boy, who’s up in the stratosphere? It’s nice to see his presence continued in Worlds, at least.

We also see Manfred run through the other islands currently on Worlds, Crisis Caverns and 24 Carrot. However, he also meets Zeus on Mythology Island, which exists on Poptropica Original but not Worlds – could Mythology be the next island? And perhaps more curiously, how did he get the irritable Zeus to smile for a selfie?!

zeus selfie — gif by naps (astroknightsisland) on tumblr

Beyond that, there are a couple more that are not so familiar: in one scene, a “phantom” colored in pitch black jumps out at him from what appears to be a stage. In another, a horde of spies appears, then disappears in the next moment. The background is that of Zomberry Island with a side of a soundstage from Back Lot, but these characters don’t appear anywhere in the original game, suggesting that these will be brand new islands.

Anyway, what do you think of the new Poptropica Worlds trailer video? What islands are you looking forward to next on Worlds? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

–🐠

Pop 5

Pop 5: Poptropica Places We Wish Were Real

August 10, 2017July 27, 2017 Slanted Fish

This post originally appeared on Pop Blog, which recently won Best Fan Site in the 2017 Poppies! It’s now being shared on the PHB courtesy of the author, Mia, and this list represents only the author’s opinions. See the bottom of this post for how you, too, can write for the PHB!

Hey fellow Poptropicans!

So, this post is about islands – maybe somewhere in Hawaii, where it’s peaceful, quiet, calm– wait, not those islands… Poptropica Islands! You know, fighting crime, wreaking havoc, saving lives, and heck, even ruining lives (for evildoers of course). Anything but peaceful! Yes, there are some Poptropica islands I wish were real places on this very Earth and here’s 5 of ’em! 😀

(Side note: I know some Poptropica Islands take place in real places on Earth, usually straight from the past or realistic places that aren’t specifically named. So yeah… just makin’ sure you guys know that I don’t doubt the existence of things like caves. xD)

#1: Time Tangled Island

First off, there’s Time Tangled Island. From here, I’d basically like to be able to time travel to all of the different time periods! I mean how great would it be to shake hands with Thomas Jefferson or meet Ancient Vikings!

#2: Ghost Story Island

Secondly, Ghost Story Island! Now, normally people wouldn’t want to live in a place with ghosts or supernatural beings, but how cool would it be to be able to see ghosts! Same thing goes for the vampires on Vampire’s Curse, but I won’t count that as one of my choices since the reason is practically the same. 😛 And hey, who says ghosts don’t actually exist? Boo!

#3: Mythology Island

Then there’s Mythology Island! Greek gods and goddesses roaming around – magic and mythical beings, amazing items and acts being witnessed every day! Enough said! Who wouldn’t want Mythology Island to be real?

#4: Shrink Ray Island

Fourth, Shrink Ray Island! Of course, I would like the ability to be able to change back and forth between normal size and tiny, but wouldn’t it be fun to jump on marshmallows like trampolines and be able to fit in a dollhouse? And who knows? Maybe someday science will get there!

#5: Monster Carnival Island

Last but not least, Monster Carnival! Not your run-of-the-mill carnival, that’s for sure! In this carnival, you’re walking along side disguised monsters and having this old-timey creepy feel. Sure, it would be scary at first – but who doesn’t love a good scare?

Ringmaster Raven’s Tent, Monster Carnival Island

I hope you guys could relate with some of these choices! What other Poptropica places would you want to check out in real life? Until next time!

~Mia

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Mia! If you did, be sure check out her site, Pop Blog.

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

PHB Specials

Poptropica and Age, Part 3: When Are You “Too Old”?

August 8, 2017February 4, 2020 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, it’s Slanted Fish.

In this post, I’ll be exploring the topic of Poptropica and age. This is a continuation from two previous posts, so if you haven’t already read them, be sure to first catch up with Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Once you’ve read those, continue on below to Part 3!

Are you ever “too old”? Is it weird for anyone older than 12 to like Poptropica?

Well, this might sound like a cop-out answer, but it really depends on your perspective. Ask a community of Poptropica fans, and they’ll probably tell you no. Ask another person whose tastes do not align with yours, and they might answer differently.

Is Poptropica a kids’ game? By many accounts, yes. Is it also an all-ages game? Though the most populous group will probably continue to be the group the game was made for, you’ll find players of varying ages in this community. By that detail, it’s okay if you fall outside the typical spectrum.

This is a cliche, but: age is just a number. (Or as the memes will tell you, “False! Age is just a word.”) It’s only a recommendation guide, and you are not obligated to follow. You may find an 8-year-old who hates Poptropica, and an 18-year-old who loves it. Stereotypes can be broken. What matters is whether you find joy in it – whether it’s constructive to you and the people around you. Taking this into account, the factor of age becomes less important.

Yujo, a longtime Poptropican who is now 20, says this about his commitment to the game: “Part of what has made me return to the game is nostalgia, I suppose. Another would be the storytelling of Poptropica, continually dishing out something new every now and then. Even with Poptropica Worlds, a new platform, I still find myself enjoying playing it. One other thing that has made me stay for so long, despite my age, is the amazing community. I’ve made some fond memories playing Pop, so I’ll probably make some more before I pop on out down the line.”

There may be people who look at an older player and go, “Really? Don’t you have better things to do?” and, yes, it might strike them as odd. But that’s just the question: if you do enjoy your involvement in Poptropica, whether it’s just the game or something more – then isn’t it something worth doing, despite what critics may say?

And here is another thing critics may overlook: the Poptropican side of Ye Olde Player may be the only side they are seeing. But the truth is that every person on this earth is a complex individual, which means, for starters, that we all have lives offline. We go to school, we hang out with our family and friends, we pursue our interests, the list goes on. Some of us are just a tad farther down the age line than others.

Will most of the high school and college-aged still be playing beyond the early twenties? That remains to be seen. This group has gone past the old recommendation of “6–15 years old” for a handful of years now, and who’s to say there won’t be more years? As long as Poptropica continues to be enjoyable and keeps coming out with new and interesting content, the oldies might just stick around a little longer.

Here’s the other thing: everybody finds things and activities they enjoy, or at least, something to occupy themselves with. If your life didn’t have Poptropica in it, it would have something else: perhaps other games, books, movies, TV shows, hobbies, etc. And these things are not mutually exclusive! You can enjoy Poptropica while pursuing other interests and duties in your life, too – in fact, it would be pretty unhealthy not to.

Either way, you’ll find something to take hold of and be inspired by.

Why not let it be Poptropica?

Well, that’s my take on Poptropica and age – all three parts of it. In case you missed it, you can catch Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Do you agree or disagree with these thoughts? What has your experience been? Share in the comments below!

Keep on popping on, Poptropicans.

~🐠

Author: Slanted Fish

My Place in Poptropica: Wild Wing