Hey Poptropicans, here’s the latest tea… *slow sip* ☕️ Here we go!
It’s a new month—hello September!—which means new member gifts! Members who log in this month will receive Earbuds (basically AirPods), Roller Skates, and three shades of Boba Tea. No special actions this time—not even on the skates.
This stuff’s pretty cool, but the name “boba tea” doesn’t hit quite right: it’s usually either “boba” or “bubble tea.” Bubble tea (or boba), in case you haven’t had the pleasure yet, is a tea-based drink invented in Taiwan with chewy tapioca “bubbles” and comes in many delicious flavors. Try it sometime!
Update: Unlike other Haxe islands, there’s no Quippy in the common room on the Haxe version of Time Tangled, which means no store of exclusive items. 😟 Will the Creators add it in the future? We’ll have to see…
September is a special month on Poptropica because it’s the game’s birthday month! You may recall a guest post on the PHB about a “Poptropica Month” of videos hosted by Dimension Bros on YouTube. The Poptropica Creators’ Blog has joined in the fun by spotlighting the event’s kickoff video! Watch it here:
It’s not often the Poptropica Creators give a shout-out to fan creators on the official blog, but it’s always a nice surprise when they do! They’ve shared some fan art from the community (some for their official contests, and others just for fun), but the last time a fan video was highlighted might’ve been back in 2017 with Thinknoodles’ Poptropica Worlds videos.
Anyway, the Creators’ Blog post promises more festivities to come, saying, “Check back here for more from the Poptropica Creators to celebrate our birthday month!” There’s something to look forward to! 🎉
Whether or not you’ve ever made a Poptropica video before, you’re super welcome to join in on Poptropica Month. And stay tuned for more birthday celebrations!
Last but not least, the Pop Creators put out a question on their Instagram story this week, asking, “Do you play more games on your phone or on your computer?” If you’re on Instagram, you can let them know before the story disappears!
That’s all the tea we’ve got for you! Will you join us for Poptropica Month? Or Community Creations? (Our latest theme is “Masks”! 😷) What island do you want to see ported over to Haxe next? And have you tried bubble tea? Share your thoughts with us on the PHC Discord or in the comments below!
Hey Poptropicans, you need look no further for the news—and this time, it’s all about the looks. Let’s pop in.
First, new store items are here! Poptropica actually missed last week, which is the first time that’s happened since they made the store rotations weekly.
The non-costume categories haven’t changed since the last rotation, so only the store’s costumes are pictured above. This week’s items are:
Costumes: Lumberjerk (male and female), Boho Chic*, Furry Monster 4 (two different versions)*, Magician (male and female)*, Friendly Face Masks, Mud Pie, Rockstar, Mech Pilot*, Clown, Pig#, Bottle Cap#, Ringmaster*, Cool Boy Plush#, Shark Plush*, Milk Box#
Followers: Deer, Dryad, Dolphin*, Mini Astroknight*
As is the norm these days, about half of the store stock is for members only. Still, both non-members and members have the chance to snag some great deals with several items at 75 credits (marked with #): the Pig, Bottle Cap, and Milk Box costumes, plus the Cool Boy Plush and Coconut Drink.
Interesting detail: the handheld plushie of the Shark Tooth Island character previously known as Shark Boy before his erasure is not called “Shark Guy” as he later came to be known, but now, the item is simply “Shark Plush” despite not being a shark but rather a dude in a shark suit. 🦈
If you’re playing in Haxe, you may also notice that a couple of NPCs have gotten makeovers! The person in front of the store is now a golden-haired girl, and the lady by the New You building has gotten a glow-up.
That’s not all that’s new in looks. If you head over to the home page to create a new character with one of the default picks, you’ll be taken to a screen where you can further customize your character before diving into the game.
We’ve seen this orange customization screen before, back before “pick a character” became a thing. And new players can still access it by speaking to Amelia, the girl on the Home Island bridge. But it’s interesting to now have it show up right after picking a default character design, when it seemed the whole point of that was to skip the step of customization from the beginning.
However, when the “pick a character” update first rolled out, players had commented on how it took away from the fun of carefully crafting one’s character right from the get-go. For them, this reversion may be a welcome update. But having both a simplified selection screen and a customization screen seems odd—what about the new player who carefully selects a default character only to realize it could’ve been altered all along? Will this inclusion of both features be temporary?
Speaking of customization, there’s been a startling development: the beloved Costumizer tool—the green shirt button which allows you to “steal” clothing parts from other characters—has disappeared from most areas in Haxe. Will it return, or are the Creators sabotaging the fun in yet another way? We can only hope this is temporary, but it’s hard to tell…
No more Costumizer in Haxe!
Except in common rooms like the arcade…
…and on PoptropiCon Island, where it’s essential.
That’s all for this post. Be sure to check out our previous posts to catch up on other Poptropica news, and see you at the Poppies this weekend! 🏆
Hey Poptropicans—we’re taking another look into Poptropica’s post-Flash future. In case you missed it, we took a deep dive on the subject back in January, and again in February when Poptropica put out their own State of the Game address. And, of course, we’ve been following along with the latest developments in Poptropica’s Haxe Javascript build.
The Haxe engine is the future of Poptropica. It looks a lot like the old Flash engine, but it’s kind of starting over from scratch.
Ever since the Haxe build launched earlier this year, there’s been at least one glaring issue: Poptropica accounts on Haxe are separate from the accounts used in the Flash version. So in this post, we’re asking the big question: What will happen to our Poptropica accounts post-Flash? Here’s what we know so far.
Why are Flash and Haxe accounts separate?
Adobe Flash and Haxe Javascript are separate technologies. Flash is the older engine that’s about to have its plug pulled, while Haxe is the newer platform where Poptropica is working on moving the game. So far, Poptropica hasn’t made a way to connect accounts from Haxe and Flash together, perhaps due to tech limitations. So each account can only play in either Flash or Haxe.
However, there does seem to be some continuity available between the two. When Poptropica made the classic islands available to members in June*, players logging in from their accounts in Haxe could (and still can) head over to Early Poptropica to play the old islands in Flash. (*Non-members: check out the Old Island Directory to play the classics.)
Players have to log in again through the old Flash login screen, but once they do, they may notice that their Haxe character’s outfit will transfer over (for the most part). So perhaps a connection is possible… at least for one’s #OOTD.
My character in Haxe. The hummingbird’s wings don’t flap like they used to in Flash.
My character on an old island in Flash, after hopping on the blimp in Haxe!
How do I know if I’m in Flash or Haxe?
If your account was made before early 2020 when Haxe launched, it would be a Flash account, meaning that when you log in, your account would be in the Flash version of Poptropica.
You can tell based on a couple things: (1) there are more islands on the map (stretching back to islands released in 2013, when they were first made with sound and a newer version of Flash), and (2) there’s a daily spin wheel for credits on Home Island. As a bonus, you may also have some items or (especially rare) clothing parts that haven’t appeared in Haxe yet (though many store items have been converted to Haxe by now).
Daily spin wheel in Flash
Daily login rewards in Haxe
If your account was made after Haxe launched in early 2020, chances are, you’re on a Haxe account. As with Flash, you can tell by (1) seeing how few islands there are on the map (as of this writing, Mythology Island is coming soon), and (2) instead of the daily spin wheel, you’ll see a pop-up for daily login rewards of incremental credits. But there is a possibility for a Haxe-made account to enter the Flash dimension…
Can you switch from a Flash account to Haxe, and vice versa?
You can turn a Haxe account into a Flash account by logging in to the Poptropica mobile app. However, you can’t reverse this, and so, on the flip side: if yours is a Flash account, it can’t switch over to Haxe. Unless…
There is a way around this, but the method isn’t from Poptropica: you can idk’s unofficial Old Island Directory’s Format Loader to switch between the two.
How do you create a Flash account? And a Haxe account?
As mentioned above, you can convert an account to Flash just by logging into the Poptropica app. After that, Flash accounts will stay in Flash no matter what platform you use to log in.
When you create a new account via desktop computer on Poptropica.com, it will be in Haxe. Right now, Haxe accounts can only be made on a computer.
Will I keep my username and player name from Flash?
There’s no guarantee we’ll get to keep our usernames or player names from Flash after it’s gone. However, if you try to create an account on Haxe with a username that’s already taken by a Flash account, you won’t be able to. So it seems the collection of unique usernames between both platforms is shared. This could mean that as Flash nears its end, Poptropica may automatically switch all accounts to Haxe, or they may simply purge all Flash accounts (and usernames). Just speculating, though.
As for player names, we’ve previously noted how, with Haxe, player names don’t seem to be an important feature. Unlike the many combinational name possibilities we had on Flash, with Haxe there is only the small selection from the default characters on the home page—at least for now. But right now, there’s no indication Flash player names will transfer.
Picking one’s player name was a standard feature in Flash.
Another detail worth noting is that with Haxe, you can’t save usernames with punctuation marks. It might not feel like a big deal, but some Flash players may recall this as a method to claim an account with an otherwise common name without having to resort to adding a string of numbers.
So, what will happen to our Poptropica accounts after Flash is gone?
The short answer is: we don’t know for sure yet. Maybe we’ll get to keep our usernames, and as mentioned, there is some indication that at least our current outfits can be connected from Flash to Haxe.
As for the other stuff from our Flash days—like lists of friends, island medallions, costume closets—there’s no guarantee they’ll carry over.
The old friends page in Flash, showing off player medallions, costume closets, album photos, other friends’ pages, and more.Its redesign isn’t quite the same.
Poptropica hasn’t commented about this issue yet. But they’re working hard to bring a lot of the items we know and love from Flash to Haxe. Even if they’re not able to get everything (there have been a TON of items and customization options in the past decade, spanning many islands and characters), there’ll be plenty to play with. And they own all their artwork, so with more time, even after Flash, they may keep bringing things back.
Classic store items from the Flash era, like the Hot Dog costume, have recently resurfaced in Haxe.
So if you have a Flash account with years of energy put into it, enjoy what you’ve built while it lasts, and maybe save some pictures for the memories.
And if you’re planning to keep playing after 2020, consider starting a Haxe account now to build up your collection of items, credits, and more — just be careful to avoid the app, which would switch it to a Flash account.
What comes next? Stay tuned and join us for the ride. May the Poptropica spirit stay alive in the years to come. ✨
Hey, Poptropicans! This is Gentle Dolphin bringing the latest Poptropica news.
The Creators have been hard at work moving the game and its many islands to the Haxe platform. There’s been exciting development: Escape from Pelican Rock Island is now playable on Poptropica’s Haxe build!
The island is currently in early access, so only members can play it right now. On the bright side, it’s available to all players on the Flash version of the game. (Thanks to PERCY JACKSON1010 for the tip.)
Looking at the map, the next islands coming to the Haxe build will be Mythology Island, followed by Shrink Ray Island, as we previously reported.
Before you start your prison-break escapades, make sure to stop by Bert’s Basement Gym and check out its common room store with your a-droid-able friend Quippy. If cuteness is a crime, then Quippy is guilty as charged. You’ll find them accompanied by a pelican on their head and dressed in a classic striped prison uniform.
Three of the four items—Prisoner Costume, Pet Bird Follower, and Escapee Dr. Hare—were originally made to promote Escape from Pelican Rock’s release, but the Handcuff Toss is new! Equip it and press the spacebar to throw your handcuffs in the air like you just don’t care.
Are you guys excited to return to the near-impenetrable walls of Pelican Rock? If you need help at any point during your stay, check out our Escape From Pelican Rock guide for tips, tricks, and trivia.
Common rooms aren’t the only stores receiving updates. The three other in-game stores received some updates as well.
This week’s Poptropica store lineup is mostly the same as last week’s, but a few items were swapped. In costumes, Dangerous Waters and Mech Pilot have been replaced with Clown and Fierce Lion*. Also, the creepy Zombify ability was swapped with the lovely Love Potion* in the pranks section.
The Pet Barn also boasts a lineup of new and old accessories for your precious pets. Our returning items this time around are Sorcerer Hat*, Flower Headband, Black Pointed Bangs, Round Glasses, Hero Mask, Grey Beard, Zomberry Eyes, Yellow Dead Eyes, Cute Blue Eyes*, and Big Brown Eyes*. We also have five new items: Reading Glasses, Green Cloak, Fairy Wings, Bat Wings, and Bandana.
Finally, the clubhouse store has a new array of familiar furniture and wallpapers. This time around, the decor store features 21 items, 12 of which are members-only.
Don’t forget that the Poppies 2020 nomination round ends tonight, so make sure to fill out our survey and let us know who/what you feel deserves to win an award. Maybe you want to nominate some of the new pet items for Best Pet Accessory, or your favorite furniture items for Best Clubhouse Decor. Get nominating before time runs out!
Hey Poptropicans, how’s it hanging? With Poptropica’s post-Flash developments, things have been changing on Haxe, but if you’re not a new player, you might not have noticed because they’re designed for newbies. And if you are a new player, well, you might not be aware of what’s different!
At least one eagle-eyed player, though, has been keeping track: PHB reader Perfect Fish reported some developments seen in Poptropica’s Haxe build over the past week. Last Monday, for example, new players would get a tutorial pop-up screen explaining the basics of the game’s mechanics:
That’s now gone, though, along with this character naming screenwe’ve seen before in Flash (albeit in different colors) and more recently in Haxe. Perfect Fish says he was able to keep his customized pre-scripted name (“Lucky Jumper”) on Haxe in this short-lived experiment that could’ve freed us from the names assigned to pre-made characters. Will it ever return?
While the naming option didn’t stay long — perhaps the Creators are still fine-tuning it? — the second step of character customization does remain, and new players can find it by talking to Amelia (that’s the girl by the blimp) on Home Island and saying, “Customize how I look!”
By the way, notice that new pop-up in the lower right corner nudging you to create an account? Looks like the Creators are putting a lot of energy into showing the ropes to new players.
Anyway, after you choose that customization option with Amelia—and remember, it only shows up for newbies—you’ll be greeted with this “Choose Your Style” screen. We’ve seen this appearance editor screen before too, back in 2019, although it used to show up before you even made it to Home Island.
With all these subtle changes on Haxe, it seems the Creators are still trying to figure out the best way forward when it comes to the new player’s experience on this new platform, and it’s possible different features will keep moving around as the Creators keep experimenting.
What suggestions do you have for the future of character customization and newbie tutorials? Leave them in the comments below — maybe they’ll inspire the Poptropica Creators!
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