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The Islands of 2010 – Ranked 15 Years Later 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣0️⃣

February 23, 2025February 24, 2025 LJ

Howdy Poptropicanos! 🤟 This is LJ, and today I will be ranking the islands from 2010, which are celebrating their 15th anniversary this year. It’s crazy to realize how long ago these were released, isn’t it? I believe that the islands from 2010 highlight some of Poptropica’s best work, and I can’t wait to get into it. Let’s begin!

Please note that this is not a comprehensive review of each island; therefore, the analysis will be concise.

#7: Steamworks Island ⚙️

(Released for members on August 12 & all players on September 9)

Placing Steamworks Island in the last position may attract some flack as it seems to be pretty popular among many players. In all honesty, though, my recollection of this island is rather limited. 😬 I believe I’ve only played Steamworks on two occasions: once shortly after its initial release and another time during Poptropica’s Hall of Fame competition.

I can recall a few elements, however, such as Sprocket being a supportive companion and the very challenging boss battle, both of which I like looking back. Still, I wasn’t fond of the lonesome experience throughout most of the gameplay, but I’m willing to admit I was probably just too young to fully appreciate the intricacies of this island at the time. Perhaps I should’ve played it more, but ultimately, Steamworks Island stands at seventh place on this list. 3/10 mech cranks. (I’m so sorry y’all.) 🫣

#6: Great Pumpkin Island 🎃

(Released for members on September 30 & all players on October 14)

The Peanuts franchise is a source of comfort for me, as I’ve enjoyed several of its television specials and feature films repeatedly over the years. 😊 Great Pumpkin Island effectively mirrors the classic “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” special, and I sincerely appreciate the TLC the creators put into bringing the wonderful world of Peanuts into Poptropica.

The gameplay is brief, but it’s packed with various games and engaging moments that make for a very enjoyable time. I would like to rank it higher (compared to its placement in the Halloween ranking), but the competition is strong this year. 6/10 great pumpkins! 🙂

#5: Skullduggery Island 🏴‍☠️

(Released for members on May 20 & all players on June 17)

The next entry on this list is the unique adventure that is Skullduggery Island. I feel like Skullduggery tends to divide opinions sharply; players either love it or hate it. Personally, I find myself firmly in the camp of those who like it. 😀

Much of the gameplay involves traversing the seas, trading various goods, recruiting crew members and upgrading ship models. While this process requires some patience that sometimes I don’t even have, upgrading to a new ship gave me a rush like no other, haha. 😁

Encountering storms, enemy ships, and sea creatures while sailing around was somewhat nerve-wracking but overall remained fun. Plus, the trading aspect was enjoyable and educational for me. The diversity of the landscapes was also impressive, as each mini-island seemed to represent a different region of the real world. There are a lot of things I like about this one! 7/10 doubloons!

#4: Cryptids Island 👣

(Cryptids Island was released for members on December 20, 2010 & all players on January 18, 2011. For the sake of ranking all of the islands as quickly as I can, I’ll be including it in this list as opposed to waiting to tackle the year 2011.)

Like Steamworks Island, this island is one that I surprisingly neglected during my childhood, which is pretty baffling to me given that its premise seems like something I would’ve instantly gravitated towards. The pursuit of the world’s most popular cryptids in order to prove their existence seems to be a perfect concept for a Poptropica island.

I’m very glad that I made the decision to revisit this one a couple of times in 2020 because I really took a liking to it. 👍 The mini-games were entertaining, the landscapes were appealing, and the Jersey Devil jump scare remains memorable to this day. 8/10 footprints for Cryptids Island!

#3: Reality TV Island 📺

(Released for members on February 24, 2010 & all players on March 24, 2010)

Reality TV Island had me hooked right from the trailer. The idea of being on a TV show and becoming a star was so cool to me back then. 🌟 I remember investing in a considerable amount of time to make sure my application was flawless in order to secure a spot on the show. (Spoiler: you always get accepted, lol)

The island was packed with a fun cast of eccentric characters that I personally fell in love with. (I even made paper dolls of them so I could play RTV irl with my cousins!) While a majority of them weren’t super fleshed out, each had their own little quirks that became apparent by reading their dialogue if you decided to click on them.😜 We also got a handful of guest appearances from fan favorite villains like Betty Jetty and Dr. Hare to pick up any slack.

I thought most of the games on the island were a total blast! While some, such as Water Run and Coconut Catch, could be somewhat irritating, overall, it was a fun and thrilling experience. (I actually got pretty decent at Water Run eventually.) The worst part about this island, though, was if you ever got trapped in a relentless cycle of being voted off the show, like I did – especially if you were super close to winning. GAHHH. 😂 Regardless, I give Reality TV Island 9/10 coconuts!

#2: Counterfeit Island 🎨

(Released for members on December 21, 2009 & all players on January 4, 2010. For the same reason as with Cryptids Island, I’m including it here.)

In contrast to Reality TV, Counterfeit Island introduced a couple of unforgettable characters, such as the devious art thief Black Widow and the pitiable, ever-drifting Balloon Boy. Talk about Poptropica icons! 👌

Moments I found enjoyable include analyzing the art in the museum, utilizing the x-ray device, and the scooter chase with the shady cop. I also found the plot twist surprising and well executed. (This was before I spoke French and could understand that “Veuve Noire” means “Black Widow”.)

Fun Fact: Counterfeit Island marked the first instance where you needed to travel to another island in order to complete it. It wouldn’t be until Rumpel’s side quest, which came more than a decade later, that we’d see this again. 🤓 That aspect always made Counterfeit interesting to me, alone. I was simply blown away.

Counterfeit Island is indeed a masterpiece. 9.5/10 paint palettes!

#1: Mythology Island 🌩️

(Released for members on April 1 & all players on April 29)

Where do I even begin with Mythology Island? This was the first island I ever played on its release day as a member which contributes a bit to my fond memories of this one. Mythology Main Theme is also one of my favorite soundtracks in the game which adds a few bonus points. 😏

As a kid, I developed a profound fascination with Greek mythology, entirely because of my playthrough of Mythology Island! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the various deities and encountering them (such as Hades, Athena, Aphrodite, etc.) was even cooler. The narrative was compelling, the characters were memorable, the scenery was exquisite, and the gameplay provided a meaningful educational component without being excessive. In essence, everything was perfect in my opinion. 😄

I, like almost everybody I knew, felt really disappointed when Poptropica transferred Mythology over to Haxe. It’s as if numerous elements that made the island truly remarkable were discarded in favor of a more simple, straightforward experience. (Not my Poptropica! 😤) Nonetheless, the original version will forever hold a special place in my heart as one of my all-time favorite islands, not just in 2010, but across the entirety of the game. 💚 10/10 starfish!

Wowie, what a year! In tandem with 2011 and 2012, it definitely represents a peak period for Poptropica. I can’t wait to do those upcoming years later…

Were you able to play any of these islands? I’m curious to know which one you liked best and which one you liked the least. Please share your opinions in the comments down below. ⬇️

Also, check out my other rankings of the Poptropica Islands if you’re interested: 2008, 2009, 2013 & 2014. Until next time, pop on! 🍀

Counterfeit Island, PHB Specials, Super Villain Island

Interpreting the Main Four’s dreams, pt. 3: Black Widow 🖌

October 28, 2021October 28, 2021 Purple Paw

Hello and welcome to a third dream interpretation! (If you haven’t already, you can check out the previous installments in this series here and here.)

In this post, I’ll be exploring the dream world of the crafty art thief Black Widow. Let’s pop into it!

Overall, there’s not a ton of material to work with in this dream. While the player enters stolen paintings and cleans up graffiti, the Black Widow herself mostly stands around and watches. The setting isn’t particularly interesting either, seeing as she spends a good deal of her waking life inside art museums; it’s likely just a reflection of her life and isn’t meant to represent anything.

With that being said, this dream isn’t useless. Not at all. For one thing, it gives us a new look into Black Widow’s shining personality, something we didn’t get to see much of in Counterfeit Island alone.

Her dream suggests that she’s a bold, fierce villain with a fiery temper and a disregard for hesitation, as shown when she chases and attacks you with nothing but her own two fists! (In a dream, attacking someone might represent confrontation against a threat or a defensive attitude.) And when she’s called out for her villainy, Black Widow refuses to listen and keeps focusing on her goals–traits she might share with the Binary Bard.

Another key part of this dream is the destruction of Black Widow’s own portrait. Dreams about any sort of damage and destruction could represent a number of things: guilt, failed expectations, hopelessness, or, most interestingly, a ruined relationship.

Remind you of anything?

The Strange Man (also known as the Brown Recluse) fits this interpretation perfectly. Throughout the happenings of Counterfeit Island, the Strange Man works as Black Widow’s right-hand man; until for reasons best known to herself, Black Widow betrays him, leaving him tied to a chair alongside the player in her underground lair. The Strange Man proceeds to side with the player and ends the Black Widow’s art-stealing career once and for all.

Could it be that Black Widow’s reflecting on this dismissal? From what I can tell, her betraying the Strange Man was entirely unprovoked, but then again, they don’t call her the Black Widow for nothing…

Looking closer at Black Widow’s attack, a final point I’ll bring up is her chasing the player to reach them, which could represent an attempt to be in control or get ahold of something.

Here’s what I’ve gathered based off of these hints: Black Widow is missing her right-hand man, but is trying to act as though she isn’t, hence the defensiveness suggested by her attacking the player. After all, she’s a solitary being akin to the spider she’s named for; she uses someone for what she needs them for and then lets them go. She’s the opposite of loyal.

But why? Pretending to trust someone only to betray them will only turn them against her, as shown when her entire villainous career slips down the drain thanks to the Strange Man. Wouldn’t it be more useful to have kept her servant instead of creating another enemy? The confrontation against a threat also suggested by her attack could add to this. As for trying to assert control over a situation, well, maybe she’s just frustrated that she’s hopelessly trapped inside a cryotube in Erewhon Prison instead of out resurrecting her art-stealing life. 🕷️

That’s it for today, everyone. I’ll see you for my next but possibly not last post in this series, highlighting the Binary Bard and his spectacular dream! Pop on,

~💜

Counterfeit Island, Fan Art Features, Home Island, Social Media

Moved by Pride: drawing easel coming to Home Island

June 12, 2019June 6, 2021 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

Poptropica is promoting the LGBTQ spirit with their latest Instagram post, featuring a Pride-themed fan art piece made with Poptropica’s drawing easel.

View this post on Instagram

@otheraccidk WOWed us with their Pride painting from the in-game drawing minigame! We're gonna move the drawing easel to Home Island so that it's easier for players to access.

A post shared by Official Poptropica (@poptropicacreators) on Jun 12, 2019 at 6:59am PDT

In fact, they were so impressed by the fan drawing of the happy Poptropican at a rainbow parade that they’re promising to move the easel to Home Island for easier access. Comments on their post indicate that they’re considering adding a save button to the easel as well.

Right now, the drawing easel can only be accessed on Counterfeit Island, in front of the Moldy Baguette Inn on Main Street. But based on Poptropica’s post, it seems that’s about to change!

The artist, who’s also known as CraftyPoptropican elsewhere in the Poptropica fandom, has created other great pieces of fan art as well. We featured his work with a Pop Fan Artist Spotlight last year on the PHB, and you can also find more of his stuff on DeviantArt and Instagram.

In fact, here’s another piece from Crafty on Instagram, also made with the drawing easel! This one’s a parody of the 18th-century rococo painting The Swing, featuring Poptropica villain Binary Bard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXx8LvHVdg/

In addition to all of this, our theme for Community Creations this month here on the PHB is “Pride”! Hopefully this inspires you to create something—and maybe you could give it a try on Poptropica’s drawing easel! Ours isn’t just about sexual orientation, though. You’re welcome to share anything you’re proud of… more details here.

That’s all for this post! Share your thoughts in the comments, and as always, stay popping, Poptropicans. May your pride shine in the right places. 🌈

~/🐠

Counterfeit Island, Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Counterfeit

August 21, 2018August 22, 2018 Spotted Dragon

Pop Places IRL Header

Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! You read the title: SD here to compare scenes from Counterfeit Island to the places in real life (IRL) that it was inspired by. Enjoying the series? Be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.

It may be pretty obvious, but Counterfeit Island is supposed to take place in real life France. Many scenes, including Main Street, were made to resemble France’s aesthetic environment—in particular, the country’s parks and natural landscape.

photo: Paris Park (mothernaturenetwork)

Aside from nature, we can’t forget about Downtown Counterfeit, and the more man-made features of the island! There’s the internet cafe, jazz cafe, and more. Mmmmm, if only there were more bakeries, like real-life Paris!

photo: Downtown France (expedia.com)

Moving back into nature, the Countryside was also a significant location in Counterfeit. Home of the Inspector (or should I say, *spoiler* Black Widow), as well as the last place where Balloon Boy’s feet touched the ground. Aren’t both cottages cute?

photo: France Countryside (travellerspoint.com)

On the opposite side of the island, we visit the Docks. I wouldn’t go so far as to say France is known for its docks, but that doesn’t mean its without them! I’m sure they reek of fish, just like any other place where fishing boats sit (no offense, Fishy!).

screenshot: Counterfeit Island Docks (Thinknoodles on youtube)

photo: Sainte-Maxime (autoeurope.com)

“What else could there be???” you ask. Well, we got everything above land, so time to head below! The underground tunnels we venture through in game may well be based on very real Catacombs of Paris. These famous catacombs include a series of tunnels underground the city that contain human remains. Spooky!

photo: Catacombs of Paris (europe1.fr)

Lastly, we can’t forget about all the artwork! I mean, this is Counterfeit Island after all, home of our friendly neighborhood art thief. In the Museum Fantastique, we see many well known paintings, including (but not limited to) The Scream, Starry Night, and Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies. And that’s not even mentioning the (spoiler alert) paintings in the secret room at the end of the quest!

Did you know that Edvard Munch created four versions of The Scream, two in paint and two in pastels? One of the painted ones is in The National Gallery in Norway, and the other is in The Munch Museum.

photo: The Scream (nationmultimedia.com)

It would be quite a hassle to include all the artwork in this post, but be sure to check out our Ancient Artworks of the Counterfeit Island Museum tour for a closer look at them all if you’re interested!

While not all the displayed paintings correspond, I think it’s safe to assume that this museum was inspired by France’s most famous museum: The Louvre. In fact, this art museum is the largest in the world and displays such pieces as the Mona Lisa! However, the museum in Poptropica is certainly not as grand as the real thing.

photo: Louvre (eghamat24.com)

I hope you enjoyed this post, because that just about wraps up our real-life tour of Counterfeit Island! I kinda want to visit France now…

What did you think? Have you ever seen these famous paintings in person, or been to any art museum? How about France? Be sure to let us know which island you want us to feature next in this series, as well as what places you think other islands resemble!

Au revoir!

~SD

Advertisements, Counterfeit Island, Labs (Land), Sneak Peeks, Social Media

Return of Balloon Boy, Tweets on Tumblr, Monster High ad, Best of Land Villages, & more!

October 26, 2014October 26, 2014 Spotted Dragon

Hey guys! There are a lot of recent tweets and posts to cover, so let’s get started! First off, I want to emphasize this new video that has been added to the Creator’s “Inside Poptropica” YouTube playlist:

…Does this mean that Balloon Boy, who has been floating aimlessly since the release of Counterfeit Island, may be returning soon? Part of me is thrilled and part of me is sad that we may not be able to look in the sky and find him there any longer. Here is what has been said on the subject:

As you can see, Balloon Boy may soon become a Balloon Man…

In other news, Poptropica is still buzzing about Tumblr! The awesomeness has even spread to classrooms, and look, even the PHB’s 1D costumes are in the mix! (Click to view full images!)

Ugh, I hate it when I’m stuck on the loading page with a ton of vines across my screen. 😛

Plus, some more concept art has been released! The first two shown in the gallery are for the current Monster High: Freaky Fusion ad (see below). There’s also a just-for-fun sketch captioned “tongue tied” where a Poptropica artist experiments with crazy tongues on characters, and another of a boy Poptropican shooting hoops on the moon (and here they link to the Lunar Colony trailer).

For girls only, a Monster High: Freaky Fusion ad is available on Night Watch Island (there’s even an icon on the Map you can use to get there). Inside, along with a quiz game and the promo posters, there’s a freaky portal on the right – it doesn’t have a purpose, but it does look cool.

You’ll find two prizes on the top floor: Sirena Follower and Fusion Power (see below for images – thanks to Scary Plug of PWSP for the pics and insight!).

The Poptropica mobile app has gotten a couple of updates: first, Survival: Escape! (episode 5) is now available for 99 cents. (Although, of course, you can just play it for free online! Plus, if you need help, check out our Survival Island Guide.) Also, 3 free Halloween costume packs have been added to the Shop on your home island, and the app icon has even gotten a Halloween makeover! Cute.

The Best of the Land: Villages have also been announced! Check them out:

“From Cool Sponge, an old-fashioned village that looks like the perfect place to hold the inaugural constitutional convention. (Cool Sponge also made it into Monday’s Dream Homes!)”

“From Creepy Goose, how clever is this? She zoomed way out for a blimp’s-eye view of her village.”

“From Friendly Heart, imagine waking up to that giant shrubbery every morning. It wouldn’t be terrifying at all.”

“From Ice Age, an intricate desert setting. Unfortunately, Ice Age wasn’t a registered user so we can’t share their avatar with you! Always a good idea to save your game.”

“From Mad Comet, here’s a medieval village that seems to be struggling with a dragon problem. (Mad Comet, too, was featured on Monday!)”

“From Neat Tiger, we can see why they needed to build this village above the flood plain. Looks like they’ve got everything up there!”

“From Popular Shadow, it’s another dragon! Let’s hope this one is a protector. If not, we know exactly what to do (Red Dragon Island reference).”

“From Serious Bird, you don’t have to go far for a bite to eat in this town. Does the building on the right shake in an earthquake?”

“From Silver Lightning, another underwater-themed world! We’ll take the raft, thank you very much.”

“From White Flyer, it looks like a Poptropica Main Street! Even without the blimp it’s a dead ringer. Well done.”

Click here to go vote for your favorite! The poll, from now until Monday, should be to the right of the page. As of now, these are the results:

Cool Sponge (14%)
Creepy Goose (4%)
Friendly Heart (9%)
Ice Age (6%)
Mad Comet (8%)
Neat Tiger (13%)
Popular Shadow (3%)
Serious Bird (23%)
Silver Lightning (7%)
White Flyer (7%)

The next theme in the contest, which runs from October 24 to 26, is Obstacle Course. Check out our Poptropica Labs (Land) walkthrough for help. Good luck everyone!

As for The Best of the Land: Dream Houses, Zany Clown’s treehouse ended up as the best of the best according to readers’ votes. Congrats, Zany Clown! 😀