Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Smart Icicle. Enjoy!

Hello! Smart Icicle here, and I would like to introduce my dream island. I already know a few of you wanted to see my dream island when I shared a bit about it in my “My Place In Poptropica” story. Now just sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy my dream island: Cherryfall Island.

This story dates back to ancient China. When I first saw Poptropica release Red Dragon Island, which took place in ancient Japan, I just had to create a story in ancient China. At the time, I would go China almost every year to visit my grandparents. As for the name Cherryfall, it’s inspired by the cherry blossom tree, common in Japan and China.

Characters

In the island, you will meet a monk, shopkeepers, an empress, two imperial guards, and four prisoners. The monk is going to help the player, while the prisoners are the villains of the island. The empress is going to send the player to jail. The shopkeepers are minor characters (but will give the player a dress, watch, and any jewelry they like). The four prisoners are going to be key to the plot of the island.

Plot

During a time travel accident, the player gets stuck in ancient China. While trying to figure out what happened, a monk approaches the player and acts as their guide. The monk tells the player that prisoners have been escaping from their prison, and that they need to bring them back to jail.

The monk decides to take the player to the empress of China and tell them about the situation. Unfortunately, the empress was in a bad mood, so she decided to send the player to jail for bothering her. Will the player escape and gather the escaped prisoners? Or will the prisoners get to you first?

Nested: I know why the caged bird sings.

As for a plot twist… that will be at the very end. When the player and the monk finally find the escaped prisoners, they turn out to be familiar faces! You’ll come face-to-face with the fantastic four super villains: Dr. Hare, Captain Crawfish, Black Widow, and Binary Bard.

Inspirations behind the island

As I mentioned, I was inspired by my family’s travels to China. In particular, the dresses, earrings, and watches that our grandparents send to us every Christmas and birthday were in my mind as I thought up this island.

For the jail scene, I decided to add a bit of twist inspired by the Henry Stickmin games. For those who don’t know these games, you play as criminal mastermind and you have to make choices along the way to complete the game. This game is hilarious because of all the choices that don’t work, and that’s something I wanted to include in my island.

Anyway, what did you think of my dream island? Also, be sure to vote in my poll, “Who is your favorite Poptropica creature?” The poll closes at the end of the month, which is coming up soon.

Lastly, check out my blog! I write about my fandoms, including Poptropica. That’s it for me now, Smart Icicle out! 📚❄️

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Smart Icicle. If you did, you might also enjoy other posts in our My Dream Island series, such as Opposites Island by Noisy Snowball. And consider sharing yours!

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you! 📰✨

Contests, Fairy Tale Island, Fan Art Features, Social Media

Last call for fairytale fan art! 🧚‍♀️

April 20, 2021June 6, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, we’re back again with the fairy fan art features! ✨

Since posting the last batch, the Pop Creators have shared a bunch more on their Instagram story. Take a look inside this book! 📖

Princess and the Frog by @bunnies_n_bowties

So cool, right? The Fairy Fan Art Challenge officially ends tomorrow (Wednesday, April 21), so get your entries in soon, whether on Instagram or through the submissions form. 🎨 You could win in-game credits!

The countdown is also on for Fairy Tale Island, which drops this Thursday, April 22! 🧚‍♀️ Here’s how a few Poptropicans on the PHC have been getting into the spirit. Speaking of the PHC, stay tuned for our upcoming party — we’ll have more details very soon!

Get hyped with all the sneak peeks, put together an outfit fit for a fairy tale, and stay tuned for our island guide here on the PHB. Here’s to a happy ending for the island and its inhabitants! 🍻

Concept art of princesses and more for the upcoming Fairy Tale Island. We can spot Cinderella by her iconic glass slippers!

Keep on popping on, Poptropicans! ✌️

~🐠

Contests, Fairy Tale Island, Fan Art Features, Social Media

Fairy fan art features, once upon the ‘gram

April 19, 2021June 6, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! The Fairy Fan Art Challenge from Poptropica has been going strong, and there’s still a bit of time left to join! 🧚‍♀️🖌

The Pop Creators have been sharing some of the entries on their Instagram stories, and they’ve even created a new story highlight on their IG page called “Fan Challenges” where you can see the recent features. We’ve also gathered them here for you:

Nanau and Kapaka, Selkie, Kitsune, Princess Kaguya, and Titania by @capax_infini

Pretty epic stuff! Remember, the contest ends this Wednesday, April 21. You could win some in-game credits! More details about the contest were covered in our post last week. 🎨

And perhaps even better, Fairy Tale Island is set to release this Thursday, April 22, with the winners of the art challenge to be announced the day after. Stay tuned — we’ll be watching for this exciting Pop drop and will release an island guide here on the PHB! 🎉

Scene from the upcoming Fairy Tale Island

Keep on popping on, Poptropicans! ✌️

~🐠

Clubhouse, Guest Posts

Clubhouse Tour: Shy Popper 🏡

April 19, 2021April 17, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by White Fox. Enjoy!

Hi Poptropicans! Today, I’m going to do another clubhouse tour. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: “Jeez, lady! How many clubhouses do ya have?!” Not to worry — I’m not going to do one of mine this time.

My friend, Shy Popper, AKA Silver Raptor, AKA The Popping Poptropican, AKA The Gamer Gal, AKA 6 other entry names she wanted me to write, asked me to do a clubhouse tour for her. Here goes!

Here I am at her house! This is where her pets live. She has every single pet in the shop, so it gets kind of cramped in there. 😂 It also serves as a yoga space. Just above is her beach area, where she can relax on a chilly day, while still sitting in the sun!

To the left is another room. Apparently, she just likes to watch the fire and look at dinosaurs. Did I mention she’s obsessed with dinosaurs? Above are her plants, and a green balloon. Don’t ask me why that’s there. I have no clue.

Next up is Shy Popper’s bedroom. As you can see, it’s pretty crowded here. There’s the bed, with a little stuffed penguin sitting there to comfort her. The chocolate fountain, the pom-pom wreath, the LED flamingo, and the TV surround this area. Off to the left is the hoop she uses to practice for the Ephraim University basketball team. There is also a tiny blimp, a popsicle poster, and a gamer sign.

And finally, we see Shy Popper herself up in her recording studio, where she plays her guitar and sings for all Poptropicans on the channel Pop-Tube (that doesn’t actually exist; don’t try to search it up). A little farther down, her magic area. A phoenix and crystal ball sits here, plus some LED moon… I have no idea why that is there.

Well, there it is! I hope you enjoyed seeing Shy Popper’s clubhouse! If you want to check out the space for yourself, her username is babysharkdododo#1 — add her as a friend!

Peace,
White Fox

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by White Fox. If you did, you might also enjoy other clubhouse tours she’s shared, from her home on Poptropica to Poptropica Worlds. Consider sharing yours, too!

Popular Poptropicans

Popular Poptropican: Lucky Joker

April 18, 2021April 17, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, we’re back with another Popular Poptropican!

Popular Poptropican is a series where we get to know members of the Poptropica fandom. We have a number of interviews lined up with staff writers of the PHB, and in this one, we’ll be talking with Lucky Joker!

Lucky Joker has been playing Poptropica since 2008 and joined the PHB team in 2016. Since then, he’s written over 200 posts for the PHB, including Poptropica specials like 100 Years of Fashion and fun games like Guess That Poptropican! Without further ado, hello LJ!

1. What do you enjoy about blogging with the PHB?

What I love most about blogging on the PHB is having the privilege to share my love for Poptropica with a wide audience of fans who are just as passionate about the game as I am. Sharing news, critiques, artwork, and having discussions with every one of our readers for nearly 5 years has been, and always will be, a highlight in my life. Also, parties! As a matter of fact, it was a party invitation that brought me into the community in the first place. I really enjoyed hosting the Tribal Tournament last year especially. That was a lot of fun! Basically what it comes down to is that I’m super grateful for the readers. None of this would be possible without them, so I appreciate them for keeping the blog alive.

2. What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers or writers in general that you wish you had starting out?

My advice to all the aspiring bloggers out there is to try to stay as active with posting as much as your personal life allows. Find time to frequently post and engage with your readers while granting yourself some breaks as to not overwhelm yourself with too many responsibilities. There have been times I’ve put too much pressure on myself which leaves me feeling like a failure when I don’t meet my (sometimes strenuous) expectations. Just do the best you can, be authentic, and have fun!

3. What is your favorite island and villain?

My favorite island and villain don’t correlate, but they’re both very popular picks from what I’ve seen in the fandom. Mythology Island (the Flash version) has always been my favorite since its release back in 2010. It’s the first island I ever played with early access as a member and it eminently ignited my interest in Greek mythology. As for my favorite villain, Ringmaster Raven would be my choice for a couple of reasons. His backstory is pitiful and his ending is unjust which makes me root for him in a way I wouldn’t for any other villain. Plus, I think his design is one of the best of any Poptropica character in general.

4. What challenge in the game has been the hardest to complete in your opinion?

For all of you OG Poptropicans out there, you may remember a time when a simple effort like returning to your blimp after finishing an island was no walk in the park. Poptropica has made some tweaks over the years to make tasks like this more convenient, but one of the toughest challenges I remember having to pull off was getting Whiskers to her bowl of milk at the Funny Bunny Carrot Farm on 24 Carrot Island. Having to guide the darn cat around with your cursor was so time-consuming and stressful, to say the least.

5. What is your favorite feature (still here or gone) from the many years of Poptropica?

There are a plethora of great features that make this beloved game so special. For me, it has to be the multiverse feature that takes the cake though. Being able to meet with specific Poptropican friends to go head-to-head in games was a nice change from the single-player world that is Poptropica. It made partying a lot easier for the PHB, and you just don’t get the same feeling in the regular old common rooms. The creators should really consider bringing this feature back to the game as soon as possible — perhaps after a few island releases — as it’s one of the single most enjoyable facets of the game for many of us. (Honorable mention: the Photo Booth!)

6. What is your favorite Poptropica item?

Wow, favorite item! This one is tough to answer because of all the possibilities there are, but I’ll have to go with the swirly goggles from the Hypnotic outfit. I remember feeling like such a Poptropica master when I found the secret item hidden on Early Poptropica back in the day. They’ve been a part of my signature look for quite a while now, and I only change out of them for special occasions like Halloween when I get into costume. I mean, really, who would LJ be without his goggles?

7. What is your favorite Poptropica Easter egg/secret/reference?

This may be a cop-out since it technically isn’t one single answer, but I thought the meta-references on Mocktropica Island were pure gold. There were numerous callbacks and humorous self-deprecating jokes scattered throughout the island. Some of the more notable ones can all be seen in the Poptropica headquarters trash can alone. An Afro Guy figurine, a scrapped Monster Carnival file, and the concept of the iconic Dr. Beev are among the gags brought to us by this otherwise (in my opinion) forgettable island.

🌟 Would you like to be the next Popular Poptropican? 🌟

To nominate yourself or someone you know, send Lucky Joker an email at [email protected] or a private message on Discord with the following:

the name of your nominee (a Poptropica name or other screen name)
a reason why your nomination should be the next Popular Poptropican

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one! Pop on, Poptropicans!

Author: Slanted Fish

My Dream Island: Cherryfall Island by Smart Icicle 🌸