Slanted Fish

Pop Petition: Tone down the ads

April 21, 2021April 20, 2021 Slanted Fish

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

Hi, guys! Today I want to talk about the ads in Poptropica.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I totally understand that Poptropica isn’t making as much money as it used to, and advertisements bring in tons of cash, but things have been getting out of hand.

Remember Survival Island? The creators didn’t put a lot of ads there, because they wanted you to feel like you are stranded, and you don’t usually find advertisements for Rolex watches in the middle of the woods. Not having ads helped set the mood of the place.

Now, I find ads everywhere, and I don’t feel that stranded-in-the-forest vibe at all. Then there’s the matter of all the ads in your inventory.

I didn’t even watch the ad videos for these items! I just logged on one day, and I got a ton of stuff that I didn’t want. And it really fills up your inventory space! I wish Poptropica didn’t give you ad items without a choice, because it makes you scroll through a bunch of stuff just to get something you need for an island, and sometimes, you might not even like the stuff you get.

Even for people who do like the advertisement prizes, not keeping it separate from the items you need on an island is maddening. I can’t speak for everyone, but I really wish the creators would give you a choice, instead of stuffing random ad prizes into your inventory, where it takes up space and pushes your important items to the back.

Mega Fighting Bots took over on Mocktropica Island

As Slanted Fish noted in the 2019 PHB post “Is Poptropica turning into Mocktropica Island?,” the game has been falling into the traps of user-unfriendliness the island warned about in its cautionary tale. In Mocktropica, ads for Mega Fighting Bots popped up everywhere, and recently, when I was playing through 24 Carrot Island, Dr. Hare’s face was covered by an ad.

It’s upsetting that such an important part of the story — one of the most famous villains in Poptropica — was hidden because an advertisement for clothing had popped up. This could really make it hard to win islands, because I couldn’t see what he was saying. Even though I’d played the island before and knew what to do, it was still annoying.

At one point, Poptropica was wrapped in banner ads on all sides—promoting Poptropica!

Anyway, that just about wraps up this post! I hope the creators were reading this, because all this advertising stuff is really getting overwhelming. Thanks for reading!

Peace,
White Fox

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by White Fox. If you did, you might also enjoy another guest post of hers: Popspiracy: What happens to Poptropica villains after “the end”?

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! 📰✨

My Dream Island

My Dream Island: Cherryfall Island by Smart Icicle 🌸

April 21, 2021April 23, 2021 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!

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!