Pelican Rock is the toughest prison ever built. And after you’re framed for a crime you didn’t commit, it’s your new home! Use your wits to devise an escape plan, and your nerve to pull it off. But getting out is just the beginning — because the real criminal is still out there!
Greetings Hawk-tropicans! This is Giant Hawk speaking, and today, I don’t actually have too much news to share with all of you. The little I have, though, is most certainly warranting of its own post.
First off, the Creators have announced, via the Creators’ Blog, that Escape from Pelican Rock Island will be out for everyone on Wednesday, December 30! You better get your digging spoons ready!
If you don’t want to wait, you can play Escape From Pelican Rock for free now on the mobile app!
Until next ti – Hold on a second… That’s not all!
On the Daily Pop, there seems to be a pattern – or should I say, air pattern – beginning to form. Could these sneak peeks hint towards an upcoming Poptropica Island encompassing the idea of aviation?
Deplane: It’s going down for real.
Plane Facts: On the wings of a dream.
Fly the Coop: Propelled to a whole new level.
Aces High: We’re baron our souls on this one.
Seems probable. The picture titled “Deplane” even suggests that this aviation theme is related to the jungle theme we’ve been seeing. We might need a bit more to go on, though. In the meantime, you can catch up on even more sneak peeks over at our Daily Pop Archive.
Whatever we’ll get from the Creators soon, though, we here on the Poptropica Help Blog will be ready to bring the news to you!
Welcome to my review on the latest Poptropica island: Escape from Pelican Rock! This review was first published on my site, Slippery Raptor’s Blog. Special thanks to Slanted Fish for letting me play EFPR Island on her account! And now, here we go…
Warning: This post contains spoilers.
With the release of Escape from Pelican Rock, Poptropica proved it could still make a solid island adventure with just the right amount of challenge. EFPR is not your cliché hero island with you chasing the villain – it’s a quest like no other.
We PHB authors were so excited about this island that we already knew it was coming months before its release! It was first known as Prison Break Island but later became known as Escape From Pelican Rock. EFPR also had an island preview similar to Timmy Failure Island’s a month before it released. We were also shocked (and incredibly honored) to find this interesting Easter egg on the island:
After weeks of free prizes and photo booth specials on the island preview, it finally came without warning on December 10, 2015 for members. And now, let’s see how it plays out!
Storyline
Pelican Rock is the toughest prison ever built. And after you’re framed for a crime you didn’t commit, it’s your new home! Use your wits to devise an escape plan, and your nerve to pull it off. But getting out is just the beginning — because the real criminal is still out there!
We’ve been through a lot of prisons in Poptropica.Brave Tomato stated that these prisons flopped and got destroyed— whether it was a missing ghost prisoner, glowing meteorites, obsessed rulers, or even Old West bandits! How would Pelican Rock stack up to the rest?
Pelican Rock is a treacherous place no one would dare to enter. Aside from it being secluded from the streets of Bay City, Pelican Rock prison is feared for being home to the most notorious criminals of Bay City. Now things turn upside down when you try to do something good – collar a thief – and instead end up framed behind the bars of Pelican Rock!
A question bugged me while reading the plot: “How will I find my way out of a prison of maximum security?” The story is intriguing indeed. You’re being framed for something you didn’t do — how harsh.
Overall, Poptropica gave us a fresh spin from the fallen prisons of past Poptropica islands, and Pelican Rock proved to be stronger than the rest.
Gameplay
The gameplay of this island is fairly good. Since it just released, it’s more prone to glitches, but that’ll probably get fixed over time. While I was playing, I got stuck on the first day of work, and the player slides while eating. Although I struggled with a few bugs at first, it was smoother as I progressed.
I also liked the idea of having the NPCs (non-player characters) designed to be the same gender as your player — definitely a Poptropica first. Both the prisoners and police come with male and female counterparts!
The mini-games were also quite enjoyable. I thought making license plates and earning gum was a clever idea, and the vent puzzles were a nice touch as well. What I didn’t like as much was the repetition of each day, going back and forth trying to make a little progress at each turn. But that was all part of the story, so in a way it worked out. It was also pretty helpful to have Marion, the inmate at the metal shop, offer some hints to keep us from getting too stuck.
In conclusion, Poptropica gave us some pretty great and challenging gameplay on this island. Keep it up, Creators!
Soundtrack
The music track above greets you when you enter the island. I believe it’s one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard on Poptropica. It’s very calm and sets a soothing tone. As for the other tracks playing in the prison, it’s creatively made and appropriate to the respective rooms. I like how detailed the sounds can go! The radio in the cell block is a good example.
Mr. Jeff Heim, once again, you’ve done a great job with composing!
Animations & Design
Moving along, Poptropica also improved on their animations. One of the best scenes on the island was the police holding back Big Tuna. Other good examples were the food fight part and the end scene of the island!
The character designs were also created well. I loved the little details, like Florian’s shiny hair, Big Tuna’s unusual body structure, the abs on Bert, the rollerskating kid’s outfit, and of course, the boots on the Booted Bandit, the only permanent shoe-wearing Poptropican! They certainly did a great job here.
Last but not the least, the rooms were created wonderfully. I like how they made the Main Street to look so friendly and calm with the color palette they used. As for the prison, I like how it made it quite realistic and detailed from the cracks and the rust on the galvanized iron sheets.
Verdict
Poptropica definitely ended the year on a high note with this excellent island. Compared to the other three islands of this year, this brought on the best challenge. Kudos to Poptropica! I would definitely recommend you to play it when it releases to all at the end of the month.
If I would rate this out of 10, I think Escape From Pelican Rock gets… an 8.2!
Escape From Pelican Rock got you grumbling like Big Tuna? Maybe you should stay away from angry criminals, but if you’re having trouble on Poptropica’s newest island, the PHB’s Escape From Pelican Rock Island Guide is now up! The written walkthrough is complete, and pics are coming soon.
Don’t worry, non-members, Poptropica’s Twitter says you’ll get to play EFPR Island by the end of December 2015! (For now, non-members can play a demo.)
@CreepyMoon10 End of the month for non-members. Not sure yet about the app, but stay tuned!
In other news, Week 3 of the Island Sweepstakes has just passed, and once again 5 lucky winners were selected to win a one-month membership from Poptropica! Congratulations to Cool Dragon, Cool Walker, Crazy Ant, Short Feather, and Super Dragon!
The new common room on EFPR Island is Bert’s Basement Gym, which should add one more chance to win if you can get the ticket, except the common room appears to not be working at the moment… We’ll be stalking that common room until it opens, I guess.
Update: The common room is now open, so be sure to grab your extra sweepstakes ticket! Also, looks like we’ll be awkwardly walking on air until they fix that. (Thanks to Hyper Gamer for the tip.)
And just a friendly forewarning to all our PHB readers – we have tons of posts planned for this final month of 2015, so keep your heads up! Here are a few we’ve released recently:
Hi guys! Slip here with an important announcement!
Escape from Pelican Rock Island is now released to members for Early Access! You heard it right, it’s now open! Non-members should not worry, though. Poptropica has an island demo in store for you – and don’t worry, the full island will probably be out to the public in a few weeks!
Poptropica has updated the homepage with some prisoners running along the screen, and Escapee Dr. Hare is even behind the pack! Also, the Dr. Hare hula-hooping animation loading screen has appeared in other places outside of Realms, including EFPR!
(EFPR Island is coming out today for members! Check out BT’s post below for details!)
Hey everyone, and welcome back to our BTS Overview & Theory series! This time, we’ll be covering Escape From Pelican Rock Island, written by the PHB team and organized by myself, SD. Be sure to check out our previous BTS posts, our most recent being for Timmy Failure.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW (but that’s what you want, isn’t it?)
Overview of evidence
As always, we will start out with the basics and lead up to the scenes, dialog, etc. Be sure to visit the Escape From Pelican Rock Tour Page for more info!
Pelican Rock is the toughest prison ever built. And after you’re framed for a crime you didn’t commit, it’s your new home! Use your wits to devise an escape plan, and your nerve to pull it off. But getting out is just the beginning — because the real criminal is still out there!
There is a printable poster available and members get a free costume in the store. Plus, there is currently a sneak preview and prizes if you visit the island!
Daily Pop Sneak Peeks
Judging from the art style and subjects of the following sneak peeks, we know that they are for Pelican Rock. 😉
Bay Bees Illegal rafting? That’s a paddling.
Joy of Painting Just a happy little skyline there.
Dossier: We’ve got a file on you.
Safe T: Crack the code.
The Digits: It’s all about proportionality.
In the Mix: But you are not going to want to lick the beater.
White Board: Inspiration happens online and off.
Flock of Seagulls: You’ll run. You’ll run so far away.
Flower Power: Sowing the seeds of revolution.
Spoon Man: Come together with your hands.
Tossing Seeds: I’m working, but I’m not working for you.
Pumping Iron: The hard part is doing it every day.
The Truth: Is it safe? Is it safe?
Lineup: That’s him, third from the left.
Like Emboss: That’s one way to make a good impression.
Free Bird: This bird you cannot change.
Ingredients: We’re cooking up something special.
Busted: Just call me Mr. Potato Head.
Grateness: Keep chipping away.
The Grind: Rock out to some heavy metal.
Timeline: Stick to the schedule.
Spotlight: One time you may not want to be center stage.
Mise En Place: We’ve got mouths to feed.
The Space Between: The question is, can you slip through the cracks?
From a Distance: Something new is on the horizon.
Roadblock: The traffic can be a killer.
Benched: Maybe sit out the next couple of plays.
Hooked: The hook brings you back.
Make Tracks: We have the barest outlines of a plan.
Drilldown: Find the right tools for the job.
Plate Armor: This job is a license to thrill.
Skylines: Keep running up that hill.
Hall Pass: Your mess is mine.
The Block: It will leave you in cinders.
Impressions: You’ll want to easel onto it.
The Watchtower: Two riders were approaching, and the wind began to howl.
For the Birds: We’ve got some nested tables.
Warehouse: There house.
Dog Paddle: Keep kicking those feet.
Ship Shape: We’re working in broad outlines here.
Nested: I know why the caged bird sings.
Tip Top: I can see my house from here.
Inmates: They look more like twinmates.
Pipe: The plan falls between the cracks.
Posted: This guard towers above the rest.
Too Many Cooks: A dash of me and a pinch of you.
Outhouse: When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Heavy Metal: Shop til you drop.
Pumping Iron: You’ve got to carry that weight a long time.
House Full: What ever happened to predictability?
Small Potatoes: The winds of change are coming.
Venting: Just gotta get something off our shoulders.
Fresh Fish: Now we’re on a roll.
Save Ferries: Hang with the Bay City rollers.
Top of the Heap: A silent sentinel keeps watch.
Pipe Dream: This corridor holds some utility for you.
On Your Plate: You’ve got a license to ill.
Supercell: Knock your block off.
Blocked: See you between the bars.
Wild Parrots: Looking for a bird on a wire.
Stinky: I hate these blurred lines.
Scenes & Dialog
Now we can get into the detailed stuff! Below are the image layers and dialog for each location on the island.
MainStreet:
Hill:
Tower:
Final Theory
Based on all this evidence and what we’ve seen in the preview for the island, we can predict the following for our quest. There is a robbery, but the thief gets away and your Poptropican is framed for the crime. You’re put behind bars and you have to use the items that you can get a hold of to escape. Once out, you have to make a plan to prove your innocence. Eventually the real thief shows up, the Booted Bandit, and the cops take him away. And for all your trouble, you get an island medallion!
Remember that Escape From Pelican Rock Island is going to be out for members today! 😀
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