Home Island – Page 2 – 🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺

Advertisements, Baron's Airship, Clubhouse, Home Island, Member Gifts, Monthly Costume Contests, Store

Grapple Gifts and Gear Galore 🎁🎁

December 2, 2021December 5, 2021 Gentle Dolphin

Happy Grapple-Pap, everyone! It’s time to celebrate Poptropica’s latest holiday tradition! Home Island is now a winter wonderland decked with colorful lights and crates, and the Baron is here with Grapple gear to spread some holiday cheer! ☃️❄️

The Baron’s Cabin of Curiosities is stocked with holiday décor and costumes galore! On your right, you’ll find some Grapple-Pap goodies such as a Grapple totem (150 credits), a stained glass chandelier (150 credits), a mistletoe garland (50 credits), a Grapple bust statue (150 credits), and a traditional Grapple-Garb outfit (50 credits).

Among these Grapple goods, you’ll find the three winning costumes from last month’s poll: Love Potion Demon, Ice Cream Cat, and Movie Geek. If you missed these costumes the first time around, now is your chance to get them for free! 💗🍨🍿

On your left, you’ll find Maroon Moon’s Dr. Hare outfit, the winning design of November’s costume contest. All players can sport this casual look inspired by Poptropica’s most iconic villain for free! 🐰🥕 The Baron can’t help highlighting her generosity if you talk to her.

Now that this hare-raising look is available in-game, the Pop Creators finally posted a video showcase of November’s costume contest entries.

Among last month’s submissions are awe-inspiring animals, Christmas costumes, and… Rick Astley. Now that’s one that’ll never let us down. Anyway, here are my favorite entries from this reel:

By the way, ask the Baron where her Grapple-wares are from, and she’ll mention a place we’ve never heard of: Kraghorn Island. The Baron says it’s not on our map, but might there be a future adventure there like the Baron’s Crusade? Maybe she’ll take us sometime; we’ll see!

In contrast to the Baron’s festive findings, Amelia added two spooky costumes to the Adventure Outfitters gallery: the bewitching Wicked Wizard outfit and the members-only Dark Wizard outfit. While these villainous vestments appear new to newer players, they actually debuted back in November 2019 during Home Island’s wizard makeover. New or not, both of these bewitching looks cost 350 credits.

Along with celebrating Grapple-Pap, members can celebrate the 12 Days of Member Gifts. On the first day, they received winter garland, snow globe, and deer decorations to deck their clubhouse halls. Then, on the second day, they received violet, gray, and blue beanies to keep their detachable heads warm.

Day 3’s gifts aren’t here at the time of writing this post, but a strange development occurred. While I was on Poptropica today, I discovered that Day 1’s member gifts disappeared from my inventory. It turns out that these initially free decorations can now be purchased from the clubhouse store for 100 credits each. What’s the reason for this happening?

To end off this extensive holiday post, we have a new ad for the Disney Channel original movie “Christmas… Again?!” Watching the short ad gifts you two prizes with special spacebar actions. You can ride around and rev your engine in Ro’s Race Car, then summon a snowstorm, err, flurry with the Mall Santa Suit. 🏎️🎅

This was a lot to cover, and there’s always more news popping into our feeds. Stay tuned to the Poptropica Help Blog for all the latest Poptropica news and more!

Thank you for reading, and have a good day!

—Gentle Dolphin 🐬

Baron's Airship, Fan Art Features, Home Island, Monthly Costume Contests

Red October sky from the Baron on high 🚁☁️

October 6, 2021October 6, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, Red October is upon us! 💥🌚🩸

The Baron has made her landing on Home Island and brought her blood red aura everywhere. Let’s get off that dusty rock and go see what’s new!

As promised, the six winning designs from September’s costume contest have arrived at the Baron’s pop-up shop. Be sure to snag your Heart Witch, Pumpkin Punk, Will-O’-Wisp, Zombie Nerd, Midnight Kitten, and Phantom costumes for free, and while you’re here, consider the smiling and/or grimacing pumpkins (50 credits each) and Baby Jersey Devil plushie (300 credits) for your clubhouse. 🎃🎃

The Creators must be watching us, since Gentle Dolphin threw out the idea of a Jersey Devil plushie here just last week. But hey, while we’re punkin’ around, we’re still thrilled to see cool stuff in the game — whether it’s a clubhouse item or winning costume creation!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jordyn Gowens (@phs_animations)

By the way, the Baron’s Red October makeover extends throughout Home Island! We know the Creators can’t resist polishing the dust off this rock from time to time, but we have to admit this fresh crimson paint is quite a mood. Even Amelia got in on the Halloween spirit with a unicorn headband that wasn’t there yesterday! 🦄🎃

The Red Baron and Red October atmosphere will be here all month. Enjoy the sinister spirit and playground aboard the Baron’s vessel!

The spooky vibes continue in Poptropica’s latest Instagram stories. In addition to Halloween-inspired fan art, Poptropica also promoted their Red October event and World Teacher’s Day. Are there teachers following Poptropica on Instagram? Now that may be a little eerie…

Anyway, that’s a wrap on this update. Happy (or should we say melancholic?) Red October! Pop on by Home Island and enjoy the Halloween vibes and costumes all through the month.

Keep popping on, Poptropicans! 👻

~🐠

Fan Art Features, Home Island

Red Baroness rebrands, shipping Cabin of Curiosities to Home Island 🚢🎈

June 24, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, you’ll never guess what Poptropica’s working on releasing next! It’s… wait for it… really, you’ll faint with shock…

Another Home Island makeover!!! (Or an extension of Home Island, to be more precise.) Because we totally needed more of those. (Not.)

Okay, at least it’s going to be more than a cosmetic change this time: according to the Pop Creators’ Blog, The Baron’s Cabin of Curiosities in the sneak peek will be a place for players to “check out exciting, new item inventories, enjoy a blast from the past by accessing previous store items that have been tucked away in Poptropica’s vaults, and purchase the winning outfits from each month’s costume contests for free!” So… lots of shopping and accessorizing ahead!

Do you recognize the Baron? Formerly known as the Red Baroness, she was a minor character in Monkey Wrench Island, where she had a much humbler aircraft, and was responsible for throwing a monkey wrench at you and Amelia. You can see her smaller plane in the sneak peek, though the design has been simplified.

Some players might even remember older rumors of a similar design known as Skydock Island, shared in Daily Pop sneak peeks as a possible upgrade to Home Island that never happened. Until now, perhaps? The floating airship is returning in new form!

Trading Post: Exotic treasures from all around the world.

You might’ve noticed some more curiosities around the Cabin of Curiosities, too. There are various casually dressed characters interacting with various poses, and one is even showing the starry-eyed emoji, suggesting this could also be a common room!

In fact, this is one of Poptropica’s “top-secret projects” launching “in the next few weeks.” The features include “an enhanced, communal space for players to interact amongst one another, play additional games to stock up on credits, and includes an exclusive, limited time storefront!” So, we’ve just seen the storefront, and it looks like we’re getting another Arcade. Or do they overlap? And will older games like Soupwords be returning?

Looks like the cruiser will be dropping by soon, although when exactly remains to be seen. The official blog curiously didn’t finish their thought when they wrote that “The visiting vessel will be accessible for a”…

Wait, aren’t the Creators neglecting something else? Sure, we could be playing more actual islands if they would focus on those instead of this Home “Island”… but let’s look toward more recent promises. The PHB’s Gentle Dolphin reached out on their Instagram post to ask about June’s costume design contest winners, and the Creators confirmed that they’ll be sharing about them this week!

Also on Instagram, the Pop Creators have continued to share the latest fan art on their story. Check out these fantastic features:

So, how do you feel about the Red Baroness’s rebranding? Is this what Poptropica needs? Does the Baron’s new role remind anyone else of Rockhopper from Club Penguin? Share your thoughts in the comments!

That’s it for this post, but we’ve got tons more piping hot tea you can read down below. ☕️ Keep on popping on, Poptropicans.

~🐠

Blast from the Past, Creators' Blog Guest Posts, Home Island, Monkey Wrench Island

A history of Home Island and mystery (and return) of Monkey Wrench 🐵🏠

April 4, 2021April 4, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! You’re familiar with Home Island, the perennial launchpad of your Poptropica adventures (and home to a brand new store interior!), but are you aware of its storied past?

An early iteration of Home Island in 2016. Yes, before DJ Saturday Nite was whitewashed, she dyed her hair blonde. Welcome to Poptropica.

This week on the Poptropica Creators’ Blog, guest writer Invisible Ring lays out a history of Home Island and how it connects to the disappearance of Monkey Wrench Island, released in 2016 as a tutorial for first-time players. Her main theory is that, as Home Island kept changing with seasonal makeovers, the connection to Monkey Wrench must have gotten cut off. “How could Amelia land her airplane on Home Island if Home Island won’t stay still?”

Monumental: You finally made a monkey out of me.

Ring also gives a shout-out to “Monkey Wrench posts on the PHB” which inspired her to contact the Pop Creators about bringing the island back. (One such post: Purple Paw’s Pop Petition: Bring Monkey Wrench back.) In response, the Creators have confirmed a return for Monkey Wrench, although no dates are set yet.

As for Home Island’s history, in addition to Ring’s guest post, the PHB has captured its evolving stories over the years as well. Before 2015, there was no Home Island — when you logged in, you’d find yourself wherever you last left off on whatever island you were on. Since its release (back when it was briefly known as Hub Island), it’s gone through a lot of cosmetic and functional changes in the past five years.

Did you know that in the first Home Island, you had to find a wrench for Amelia Earhart and medallion shards for an explorer, which was later disbanded into the separate islands of Snagglemast and Monkey Wrench? Anyway, we went through our archives and pieced together some pics from over the years! Do you remember these scenes?

Enjoyed the throwback? There’s much more in the PHB archives!

Anyway, how do you feel about Home Island? What changes do you want to see on it, or have you had enough of its constant facelifts? Do you miss Monkey Wrench, or is Snagglemast superior? Share your thoughts in the comments, and pop on, Poptropicans! ✌️

~🐠

Fairy Tale Island, Home Island, Membership, Sneak Peeks, Social Media, Store

It’s no fantasy… Adventure Outfitters is now open for business 👀

April 2, 2021April 4, 2021 LJ

Howdy Poptropicans, it’s LJ with lots of exciting news today!

First and foremost, a teaser image of what looks to be for the upcoming adventure and first winner of the Dream Island contest, Fairy Tale Island, was posted on Poptropica’s Instagram yesterday. Take a look!

Here we have a set of creepy eyeballs peeping through some prickly vines. It isn’t much, but Poptropica hasn’t been very good at providing us with sneak peeks in recent years, so it’s still enough to get me super hyped! Imagine, after 5+ years, finally getting an actual island with good substance. My hopes are high for this one since it was created by a fellow player. Fans often produce the best ideas for the games they love.

🧚‍♀️ Check out more sneak peeks for Fairy Tale Island »

In other fun news, the new store Adventure Outfitters we first saw a glimpse of in February’s Home Island revamp is now open for business!

I have to say I’m a big fan of the entire look and feel of the space. There’s a mix of modern and vintage vibes in the architecture which I love, and this is the first time in Poptropica’s history where we actually have a walk-in store as opposed to a page with cards.

(Disclaimer before I continue: All prices are subject to change as the update is VERY glitchy at this point. Thanks for understanding! Let’s continue…)

When you first enter, you’ll notice a large glassy ice skull (you might recognize it from the retired Pathfinders common room) mantled over the door; it’s available for purchase for 250 credits if you click it. Also, there’s a cute little friend to the right ready to sit atop your head. Honestly, I’m not sure whether it’s a hedgehog or a porcupine, but all the same, it’s 250 credits.

There are more items hanging around the walls on the left and right sides of the store, but we’ll get to those later.

If you head to the right towards Amelia (how did you get in here so fast?), you’ll notice “the gear section.” This is essentially the costumes section in the old store format, with arrows to flip through the offerings. There are currently 18 outfits available, with costs varying from 0 credits to 350 credits. 5 of the 18 outfits are members only.

Further to the right, there are two buttons marked “Gear” and “Pets,” so you can switch the inventory that’s displayed. If you click the pets button, the pets will appear along with their outfits and accessories.

Like before, the puppy and kitten are available for everyone, while the rest are members exclusive. For the pets section, there are also 18 pet garments in stock at 75 credits apiece. One-third of the items are members only. Now to the side sections…

All the way to the right of the store, you’ll see a selection of furniture items as well as a jetpack. The jetpack, clouds, and hammock are for 200 credits and the freezer is for 75.

On the very left, there are six various items for sale: a Golden Warrior costume, a vanity, a reversible octopus plush, an alicorn follower, and a rideable scarab beetle — all for 250 credits — and a lantern for 150. It’s unknown why these items don’t have their own display like the gear and pets. Perhaps for extra décor?

Something else that’s new in addition to the store itself is the cart and checkout system. Anyone who’s ever shopped online is familiar with this concept. Rather than clicking an item and buying it immediately, you now have to add it to your cart.

I should note that whenever I tried checking out with a plethora of items in my cart, it just simply wouldn’t budge. I believe you can only check out a few items at a time.

Also, you’re unable to leave the store without either checking out or emptying your cart completely — which means you can’t save what’s in your cart and come back later. Not so useful, in my opinion.

It’s a new month, and that means new member gifts! This month, members will see a Trick Board, a Flying Spinner, and a Mini Mister Pack (you know, like mist sprayer) added to their inventory. All appropriate for the tricky month of April.

(Speaking of April Fools’ tricks, we hope you enjoyed ours. 😜 )

UPDATE: The pop-up that appears when you first save an account has gotten a minor but nice refresh featuring two currently unreleased costumes: a red hoodie with yellow shades, and a bonnet with a black cat plus a banjo in hand. Also, the reward for making a new account has been upped to 1,500 credits!

Whew! Lots of things going on in Poptropica right now. What do you think of the news and the store update? I really appreciate the Poptropica creators trying to keep us entertained in between island releases and I always try to be optimistic, but how many Home Island makeovers do we really need? I believe if the creators halted the island makeovers (and other superficial updates for that matter) for a while and made extra time for porting the old islands — the integral part of the game — into Haxe, more players would be happier. I know I would.

Leave your opinions in the comments; I’d love to hear them. Thank you for reading and I’ll talk to you in the next one. Pop on!

– LJ 🍀