Hey everyone! Today’s a big day regardless of your membership status, because there’s good news either way! Survival Island: Episode 1 is now out for members! No demo for non-members, though.
Non-members can now play Monster Carnival Island fully through! Be sure to check out our Monster Carnival Island Guide so the monsters don’t get you down.
After six years of rumors, the legendary carnival is finally in town for all Poptropicans! So non-members, is the Ferris wheel’s face creeping you out yet? And members, how’s your fire going? Take the poll below, and tell us what you think of these islands in the comments or on the PHC! 😀
Hey everyone! Just to be clear, I meant monstrous in a good way! xD As you can see, the Creators have finally put up a proper trailer video for Monster Carnival Island:
Overall, I thought it was a great trailer – it told us a bit about the island, but not too much. By calling the trailer “monstrous”, I mean “abnormal”: how often do you see the creators post a trailer for an island AFTER the island comes out? Is it just me, or is everything in Poptropica is becoming more and more monstrous? 😛 Anyway, tell me what you thought of the video in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out the PHB’s Monster Carnival Island Guide – whether you’re a member who needs help with the quest or a non-member who wants to see what the island is about before you play it, we hope you enjoy our written walkthrough with pictures! 🙂
The Monster Carnival is coming back to town — but is it as great as we remember it? Did it fulfill our dreams? Follow me on my Monster Carnival Island Review! 😀 Psst! If you are looking for the Monster Carnival Island Guide, it’s out now!
First of all, wanna notify all you peezles that I didn’t release Poptropican Portraits last week because of the MCI excitement. I’ll post them sometime this week. c;
The Costumizer is finally operational on all the SUIs! Hallelujah! (Credit to Tech Wizard)
Also, I’m slowly updating the Monster Carnival Files to the current information, so check back to the category daily for more. 🙂 And now back to the scheduled programming. 😛
Story
The story is continual and develops as you play through it. First, the carnival is coming to town that very day, but it isn’t ready to open! You have to solve multiple problems for the carnies in order to get it into tip top, big top shape. 😛 There are three stages to the environment — daytime, evening, and night. In the evening, you learn that all of the booths are shams, and you have to fool the carnies. And as the plot thickens, and the night grows closer… well, I’m considering that “Spoiler Material”. You can see what happens next in the Spoilers tab of the review.
There is one thing that I really have to mention, and it’s not quite a spoiler. Most everyone, member and non-member, can tell that Ringmaster Raven is the bad guy. 😛 Anyway, he has a lot of potential to be a classic villain, and… they really didn’t do much with him. Sure, he has a sad backstory, and he is pretty evil, but they didn’t expand him enough to be a really great villain. He could have been the best… he still is good, but not as good as he could have been.
Gameplay
One word: smooth. This island runs so much better than Mocktropica, and other than a couple minor glitches, it was a straight shooter when you’re talking about gameplay.
Although it’s not as gag filled as Mocktropica, there still are little things to giggle at, as well as many subtle messages that we have yet to decipher. Islands have evolved into something new, with a lot more attention to detail — the replayability has gone up tremendously. Running gags are part of the islands, and you will only get the gags if you replay the island. Also, there are so many moments where characters say something like, “After all these years, the carnival is finally coming back to town!”, which are golden. 😛
Some say it was too easy — Monster Carnival was planned to be the fourth island before being deleted, and islands back then were not very hard. They probably made it easy because it was going to be the fourth island — why not make it like was the fourth island? It just makes it feel like you are playing a classic Pop game, which is a great thing. You also need to keep in mind that Poptropica is a kids game. The islands these days have really become rocket scientist studies, and that’s not really a good thing for young kids.
Visuals
I’m talking the backgrounds, the animations, and everything that makes up the island that you can see. This island is one of the best when it comes to visuals. The backgrounds are so detailed, and everything about the environment is perfect. The transformation from day to night is so nicely and subtly done, with little things changing as the sun goes down. You may not catch everything at once, but gradually, the environment seems more and more evil as the day goes on. And that is really amazing. There’s nothing really more to add to it.
There are some islands where they make lots of quality animation (E.G. Ghost Story Island), and this is one of them. Something you may not know about me is that I am a huge animation geek. The animation was very nicely done. I enjoyed it. 🙂
Some people are saying that Poptropica is running out of characters, but this island proves them wrong. The variety of colorful characters and clothes are just overwhelming. In fact, I made a little combination of the best male clothing from the island, that is nearly completely customizable for nonmembers! You can find it in my closet @ “puterpop”. 😉
Soundtrack
This soundtrack is… well… I would be lying if I said it wasn’t AMAZING, AWESOME, AND APPROPRIATELY CREEPY! The soundtrack is very extensive, and fitting as well. What else can I say? Jeff Heim is a genius. 😛 My favorite track from the island was the Carnival Theme at Dusk. What was yours?
Monster Carnival’s soundtrack is the best one yet. As I said above, it’s very extensive (many different tracks), and it really shows what Jeff Heim can do. I’m excited to hear more of his work! 😀
You can listen to the full soundtrack on our Behind the Scenes page! 😀 A trip there will definitely be worth your while.
Spoilers!
The reason why I could only tell you half of the story up there is because the rest of it is spoilers. If you don’t want to know, skip this section of the review! 😛
After you solve the last problem for a carnie, all of the carnies disappear mysteriously into the woods. You go and check it out. When you finally find them, they all get hypnotized and turned into monsters by a mysterious cloaked person. When you return to the carnival, everything has been monsterized! From the carnies, to the music, to the scary Ferris Wheel face — and you have to get to the bottom of it! Ringmaster Raven sends you on a quest, and while you are completing it for him, you find multiple old newspapers. Read them below —
If you didn’t gather the story from above, here it is: the carnival had come to town before, this time with a strange attraction — the Bird Boy. He is the only Poptropican to have a nose. When the carnival leaves, Bird Boy is forgotten, and left at the town. No one wants him. Then, a fire burns down an auto repair store, Honest Gabes! The supposed culprit is found– Bird Boy. There is evidence that someone else did it, but the towns people wants him to leave. They drive him out of the village.
Bird Boy, as you may have guessed, is Ringmaster Raven. His plan is to hypnotize the whole town in order to get revenge. And, well, you have to stop him.
Bonus Quest
This quest is surprising, since all of the islands up until now have released their bonus quests the day that the island is released to all. The story goes like this;
Dr. Dan has gone missing in the woods, and you have to go find him. When you do find him, he runs away. When you finally catch up, he reveals his secret — he’s a monster too! He is scared that the townspeople will drive him away like they did with Ringmaster Raven. In all reality, the townspeople actually want him to stay, as he has been a great help to them — during their illnesses, and supplying many things. Good story, put across nicely.
What I’m really frustrated about is the prize you win after you complete the quest. He gives you the potion that turned him into a monster. When you use it, you turn into a monster! But the annoying part is that the costume is temporary, and it leaves after you go to the next screen. You can’t even save it to your costume closet. I give this bonus quest only 3 stars.
—
I still can’t believe that MCI is now on the map… but I give this island only 3 stars out of 5… WHY?
I tried to be optimistic in the review above, but if I’m really honest — this island disappoints me. I liked the island, but… I just have mixed feelings about it. 😦
On one hand, the island has many great things about it — the backgrounds, the story, and the music– but on the other hand, there are many things that are missing.
Ringmaster Raven is not focused on enough, and neither are the monsters. All they do is bat at you when you get close, and you can easily jump over them. It’s like they focused too much on the glamor and special effects to be able to expand the island more in character development, etc.
I enjoyed the island, but it did not meet my expectation. Below is a list of minor things that need to be done to the island that will make it incredibly better:
Make the monsters do something. They need to chase you for longer periods of time.
Make the Chemical X costume from the Bonus Quest able to be saved to your closet.
That said, what do you think of the island? Tell me in the poll below. 🙂 And Non-members, what do you think about the island after reading my review? Tell me in the comments. 🙂
Quick post — Monster Carnival Island is now out for members! I am overwhelmed with the great magic boom boom joy of it! 😆 Also, non-members can play a demo of the island! Let’s go! 😀
update #2: Looks like the public access date for non-members will be March 20, 2014 – this is seen at the end of the demo, though the 2 is likely a typo since that day would’ve already passed:
update #1: Sam and I have finished the Monster Carnival Island Guide, as well as a walkthrough for the bonus quest! You can find it here on the PHB. 😀 If you want to listen to the full island soundtrack, check it out on the Behind the Scenes page! Also, I was the #10 finisher of the island:
UPDATE: Considering how late it’s getting in this time zone, I don’t believe that MCI is releasing Thursday anymore. Instead, I think it’s coming Friday.
UPDATE #2: Samwow5 here! I just wanted to let everyone know that the members-only Raven Swarm item is in the store! Use this to call up a swarm of birds at your will!
Now back to BT’s post!
~~~~~
Once upon a Friday dreary, while you pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious island of wonderous lore, While you nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at your bedroom door.
“‘Tis some visitor,” you muttered, “tapping at my bedroom door-
Only this, and nothing more.”
Ah, distinctly you remember it was two months past December,
And each separate dying minute wrought its tick upon your mind.
Eagerly you wished the evening;- vainly you had sought to dreaming
From your islands surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Monster Carnival –
For the rare and radiant island whom the Creators named Monster Carnival-
Thought nameless here for evermore.
_________
Open here you flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the circus days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched beside your bedroom door-
Perched upon the desktop just beside your bedroom door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
__________
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
“You remind me,” you said, “of an old Island I dreamt to explore,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the islands’ shore-
Tell me if I should wait for Monster Carnival anymore!”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
__________
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the very desktop just beside your bedroom door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a ringmaster’s that’s dreaming,
And the spotlight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And the island we have long so waited for
Shall be hidden- nevermore!
_______________________________________________
Hey guys, BT here. Yeah, I just parodized a few stanzas from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”. Hey, the Ringmaster’s based off a raven, so why not? Now before this island comes out, I’d like to say a few words. Who’s excited for this island?!
…
Well, I’ll take it some of you just said or thought that you are. Now, I’m gonna guide you to the posts and places to check out before the island finally comes out…
To get up to speed on the ins and outs of this long-coming island, check out HPuterpop’s Monster Carnival Files:
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 