Hello! I'm Slanted Fish, the editor-in-chief and creator of the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB). I'm a writer, Hong Kong native, and Christ follower. My Poptropica username is slantedfish 🐠 Don't forget to be awesome!
Nate Greenwall isn’t the only one posting his Poptropica illustrations – I recently stumbled upon the site of Chris Goodwin, an illustrator/designer working for Poptropica, whose online portfolio can be found here. This post comes in three parts. As always, click to enlarge the pics!
Perhaps the most interesting section is character design: designs for E. Vile’s robots from Legendary Swords (as well as some props seen in P-Con: Ep. 2), a huge collection of characters (including several unreleased ones – some possibly for Ep. 3 of PoptropiCon!), unused flying ace designs (the corner suggests they were for the Virus Hunter minigame, Nano-Combat Training), ideas for Max McGullicutty’s look in Survival: Ep. 5, and finally, rough drafts of robots for Game Show Island.
Lastly, there’s a section devoted to scene illustrations – most of these are already in the game, though the one of the cabin is not (but it seems to belong to the unnamed geological park island).
The rest are: the tutorial island in the Poptropica app, Ephraim University (both exterior and interior) from Mocktropica, Soundstage #1 on Back Lot, the Hemlock Herald newspaper room on Ghost Story, a hallway door and post office common room on Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and the bonus quest on Twisted Thicket. Seeing them each as one big scene makes it all the more awesome. ❤
Poptropica sure is beautiful, and Chris has made some really creative contributions to the game we know and love. Enjoy the Chris Goodwin collection, and stay popping, Poptropicans! 😀
Is your school one that doubts the educational merits of Poptropica? The Twitter-ers among us may have already seen this, but Poptropica recently tweeted a few infographics showing off the scholastic side of their game world in response to all the tweets about schools blocking the site.
If you want Poptropica un-blocked at your school, try showing these to someone in charge, and they might just change their mind. Poptropica may be game, but it’s also a world of learning opportunities! 😀
Some of Poptropica’s best stories involve historical figures, real life locations, art history, and more – all with that unique Poptropica twist that makes it engaging, clever, and still accurate.
And with all the branded books and interactive dialogue waiting to be discovered, it’s clear Poptropica encourages reading as well. Still in doubt? Check out the PHB’s Poptropica Game Review!
With all that being said, Poptropica should fit right into any school environment, especially for the target audience of 6- to 15-year-olds – and kids will pick up all sorts of culturally and academically relevant information while being immersed in top-notch storytelling. And that means…
Anyway, 2015 has only just begun, but already there’s Poptropica news to talk about. After a year of episodic islands, it looks like Poptropica will be reverting back to stand-alone full islands after wrapping up PoptropiCon and Arabian Nights around March! (thanks to Samwow5 for the pic)
Meanwhile, members can look forward to Episode 3 of Arabian Nights (title yet to be determined) around Feb 26th. That is, if Zeus here can still be trusted. 😉
@toughicicle Arabrian# around Feb 26. And your other question, sure!
And lastly, perhaps as a follow-up to her totally snazzy PHB tribute, Poptropica Creator Dr. Lange also drew a little something for the team at Poptropican Awesomeness, where two of our PHB authors (Blake & Slippery Raptor) also blog. Check it out:
Anyway, that’s all for now! Poptropica’s had a great 2014, which you can read all about in Slippery’s 2014 rewind post here. Hope everyone’s having a wonderful new year so far! 😀
Hey Poptropicans – as a special treat for visiting this blog and helping us reach the milestone of 15 million hits, I created a little something for everyone: a Poptropica non-SUI music video, matching songs from pop culture to islands in Poptropica that don’t have their own soundtracks (yet)! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. 😀
Each music segment lasts 15 seconds, for our 15M hits. Now, you might pair these islands with different songs (feel free to share in the comments!), but if you like these tunes or just want to know why I picked them, read on – you can also click on the song titles below to hear them on YouTube.
Dark pits aside, Poptropica’s first island is a fun, bouncy adventure that gets the player a feel for the game – so why not a catchy tune? Plus, ‘lollipop’ has ‘pop’ in it, just like the island’s name.
The great Booga shark is terrorizing the locals, and what better accompaniment than the soundtrack to a shark movie? It’s got suspense, but not without a little jaunty sub-tune thrown in.
Despite being a fan-made My Little Pony mix, this is a fun song about villainy, which is rampant on Super Power – and it’s got deliciously evil laughter mixed in with cries of discord and anarchy.
This classic gives the feel of the sly walk of a spy – perfect for the action and adventure of Spy Island, where you can feel like a boss for sneaking past guard dogs and avoiding lasers.
Opening with cries in the Zulu language, this seems fitting for an island that takes place in Africa where we encounter jungles, animals, and other exciting life. (Even the Nabooti totem comes alive!)
In Big Nate’s world, we jump around in a cartoon realm chasing after comic strips, pulling pranks, and digging up a time capsule – and this goofy, recognizable melody embraces all sorts of shenanigans.
Ah, Star Wars. A galactic empire, a cyborg villain, a trapped princess – also elements of Astro-Knights! Darth Vader’s epic tune is a natural fit for our clashes with the robotic creatures of outer space.
A beautiful ballad that sings of paintings forever trapped in their gold frames, this slightly-creepy sound clicks with the canvas caper. There’s even a verse about public mausoleums, like the tunnels we visit.
You’re competing in a reality TV show with a host of colorful characters – why wouldn’t this be the best day of your life? It’s all fun and games – until you get voted off, that is.
Originally a silly song from VeggieTales, this pirate anthem might resonate with all the scallywags who feel like collecting enough doubloons for that Phoenix Warbird is just too much work. (It really is!)
Traipsing through an abandoned steampunk world gets a little lonely, especially with only mechanical parts for company. This track from the indie game Sword & Sworcery kind of embodies that feeling.
Great Pumpkin Island: Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi Trio
This upbeat piano composition made for Peanuts animated TV specials, including one that inspired this island, captures the childhood misadventures that follow Charlie Brown and his gang.
Cryptids Island: Scotland the Brave – cover by the Pipes & Drums of the Royal Tank Regiment
Bold and patriotic, this unofficial Scot anthem inspires brave souls to take on the world – in this case, the hunt for legendary beasts, including the Loch Ness Monster of Scotland.
Yeehaw! An adventure with bucking broncos and moustachioed men awaits on the desert plains of Wild West Island, and it wouldn’t be complete without cowboys whistling in the name of freedom.
Wimpy Wonderland Island: Winter Wonderland – cover by August Burns Red
It’s a winter wonderland in the black-and-white world of Wimpy Wonderland, but with all the teen troubles hounding Greg Heffley, this calls for a rockier version of the classic Christmas carol.
This Magic Tree House tale takes place in Edo of ancient Japan, which in our modern day is Tokyo – and all the synthpop sounds seem to bring home the fact that we’re far from home.
This recognizable tune that starts out slow, then quickens its pace is perhaps the perfect accompaniment for a mystery case – or for pressuring people to work faster. Either way, it works.
It’s a swinging song about a changing world, a little like the robot revolution that has taken over this island – plus, we even visit Istanbul (not Constantinople) for one of the game shows!
Bittersweet but comforting, this melody from the Japanese animated film Spirited Away could represent the complicated union between Fiona and Valiant, even in life after death.
S.O.S Island: Let It Go (from Frozen) – cover by Pentatonix
Surely everyone has tired of hearing the original by now, so we’ll go Pentatonix’s impeccable cover. On S.O.S., we dive into frigid waters in a ship, so it’s safe to say “the cold never bothered me anyway”.
Vampire’s Curse Island: Finger Back by Vampire Weekend
Come on, the band has ‘vampire’ in its name. In any case, this fast-paced number intones tribulations that could be compared to roughing it up in the spooky spaces of Bram’s castle.
What does the fox say? This twisted thicket is just teeming with mystical wildlife, so it seems the strange proposed animal sounds in this viral song would not be amiss here.
Wimpy Boardwalk Island: A Little Vacation by Tiny Little Planets (from Dog Days)
From the soundtrack of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie Dog Days, which inspired this island, A Little Vacation brings us to the summer boardwalk with games, beaches, and of course, Greg’s problems.
Lunar Colony Island: The Adventure by Angels & Airwaves
Life’s waiting to begin in an alien realm, and tracking that down was an astronomical adventure in itself. Space-rock sounds and out-of-this-world lyrics suit this cosmic experience well.
Here we infiltrate the dreams of four of Poptropica’s worst villains to see what evil powers make them tick – the monsters inside that have ruled their ugly rage.
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Island: Oompa Loompa – cover by Primus & the Fungi Ensemble
Oompa Loompas always have a wise word to put in, don’t they? Listen to them and you may just avoid the pitfalls of all that could possibly go wrong when you’re in a room made of candy.
This is it, the zombie apocalypse is upon us – and as always, it’s up to us to save the day (well, night). Going through dark tunnels and seeing the city in ruins may leave our systems feeling ready to blow.
Night Watch Island: Let’s Go to the Mall by Robin Sparkles (from How I Met Your Mother)
Let’s go to the mall… today! Working the night shift comes with its own benefits: we get to play around in the mall when no one else is looking, and best of all, we get our own Segway. Time to jam.
Lights, camera, action! Movie characters are always larger than life because they’re fixed up for the big silver screen – but the truth is, there’s a lot more that goes into production than meets the eye.
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Anyway, that is all 29 classic islands without their own soundtrack, that now have music from pop(tropica) culture to back them up! What song choices would you give these islands? What about the SUIs (sound-updated islands)? Leave a comment and let us know!
Thank you for 15 million hits on the Poptropica Help Blog! ❤
Hey Poptropicans! Are you smarter than a fifth grader?
Although it doesn’t seem to have been mentioned anywhere, there’s a Poptropica English appout there for iOS devices – and it’s created by Pearson Education, the company that owns Poptropica. It’s targeted to 6-11 year-olds and is free on the App Store, but comes with in-app purchases.
The game is populated with Poptropica characters and contains mini-games such as City Hub, Word Factory, Word Race, and Word Tower. If you’re looking to brush up on elementary-level English vocabulary, or know someone who might want to, check it out!
UPDATE: There’s another one! Thanks to PHB reader Why are you reading my name for the tip. It’s also by Pearson, and it’s called Our Discovery Island: Phonic Tricksters. You can get it on the App Store or Google Play for free, but it does contain in-app purchases.
In Phonic Tricksters, the Tricksters (masked Poptropicans) are stealing English letter-sounds (phonemes) and you can catch them by taking photos with your phone camera. This game is for ages 4 and up. Unlike the other app, this one doesn’t seem to explicitly say the characters are Poptropicans.
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In other news, the PHC (Poptropica Help Chat) recently had a (hopefully more eye-pleasing) makeover! If you haven’t already, check out the PHB’s Christmas party 2014 recap, which includes a video introduction to the PHC community and the things we get up to. Think of it as the PHC trailer. 😉
Also, I’ve changed my Poptropican’s look, which you may see around various places, including the new PHB Twitter header. The maroon hair matches my scarf! Rad. 😎
Plus, the PHB recently hit 15 million views! Stay tuned for a special treat… 😀
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