Boo, Poptropicans! 👻 Coming at you with a little Rumpel, another Halloween store update, and hints of something to come. Let’s pop in!
Poptropica just dropped a video walkthrough for Rumpel’s Challenge, the members-only sequel to Fairytale Island released last month. In the vid, Pop Creator Silent Frog mentions “other Halloween surprises coming later this month” — what could they be? Read on for a guess…
And if you’re interested in an even quicker way to solve Rumpel’s riddle in the treasury, check out our Rumpel’s Challenge Side Quest Guide!
Red October still reigns on Home Island and Amelia-the-unicorn’s got some creepy stuff in store to rival the Baron! Head on over and find new Headless Man and Egyptian Mummy costumes — it’s their first appearance on Haxe, though they were born from the Flash days, like the repurposed clubhouse décor here to haunt your house.
Back to the question of upcoming Halloween treats — Poptropica’s latest Instagram story may offer a clue for what might be brewing. Pop posted a pop quiz asking, “What antidote cures the Zomberries?” and if you know your stuff, the answer is pineapple slime. 🍍
The IG story is referring to Zomberry Hero, a special event from last year’s Halloween, based on the classic Zomberry Island. This mini-game involved sneaking around town to turn Zomberries back into people and previously promised more to come. Could we be coming face-to-face with zombie alligators in a sequel? Only slime will tell!
That’s a wrap for this update. Have you decked out your clubhouse (or your costume) for spooky times? What are your guesses for Poptropica’s Halloween surprises? Trick or treat yo’self, Poptropicans! 🎃✨
Hey Poptropicans, we have a very special guest with us! Thirsty Flame (aka Blank Slayte, or BigMarioFan99 on DeviantArt) is one of the winners of Poptropica’s 2020 Design Your Dream Island Contest. In this post, he’ll be sharing about his winning idea, Goofball Island. Smile and wave!
The first glimpses of Goofball Island were revealed in September 2021.
Hello, this is Thirsty Flame, and I’m glad you asked me for an inside look about my island idea: “Goofball Island.”
I want to get this out of the way first, to those Poptropicans who are aged 13+ and seen some of the NSFW stuff I post on Twitter or DeviantArt, this island will have none of that. I mostly try to be safe for all ages, and most of the stuff I post is alright.
Crazy Club concept for Goofball Island from the Poptropica Creators
Now onto the island! To be honest, I haven’t really thought about how the island will be played, like levels and all that. All that I submitted was a visual (see below), and the basic plot of the island:
In a colorful and bizarre-looking town populated by joke-loving and silly citizens, the evil scientist, Dr. Blandston, has invented a device to take away the town’s color and goofiness. It’s up to you to defeat Dr. Blandston and destroy his machine before he can turn the entire island into a dull, gray, land.
Still, I can tell you how I came up with the idea for Goofball Island. It was around the time the first Dream Island contest was happening in 2013, and I had gotten the Poptropica Island Creator Kit book to help me draw and write ideas that I had. My only problem was that I didn’t know how to send it, so I never entered my original idea.
See what other books Poptropica has released in our Merchandise Guide.
My original island was called “Toon Island,” and the plot was mostly the same one I used for Goofball Island, except someone was stealing Poptropicans’ sense of humor and you would find who’s doing it and stop them. I came up with ideas for the visuals, such as what the island would look like on the map…
Concepts for Toon Island, which later evolved into Goofball Island.
…as well as the medallion, two versions of the villain, and how Poptropicans look before and after their sense of humor is taken. Basically, for Goofball Island, I reworked my “Toon Island” idea and renamed it to “Goofball Island,” since I doubt they would’ve accepted an island named “Toon Island.”
Toon Island medallion
Sad villain concepts
Citizen and Clown before and after losing their color and humor
Shortly after it was announced that my island won, I came with ideas on what I thought the logo for island would look like and reworked the medallion idea as well. I hope I’m close to being right with what Poptropica ends up creating.
With the official sneak peek of the island that was shown recently (and at the top of this post), I can say that it was exactly what I was hoping for, and I’m excited to play it when it comes out.
I do want to point out something in that sneak peek, specifically the building labeled “Bosko’s Car Fixing & Embroidery.” Coincidentally, I have an original character named Bosko, who is a mechanic. I made this character well before the second contest was announced. I’m not sure if this was a coincidence, or if they found my DeviantArt page and are using some of my characters.
“Bosko is Toon City’s best toon auto mechanic and can fix any toon car that rolls into his garage. Sometimes he’ll have some strange cases, but he will always get the job done.”
Either way, thank you for your interest in how I came up with Goofball Island! I hope it will be one of Poptropica’s memorable islands.
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you! 📰✨
Hey Poptropicans, a classic island is making a comeback!
Poptropica recently dropped a new YouTube video offering a quick glimpse at something to come. It’s got bubbles and submarine pods — can you guess what it is? (Oops, the title of this post gave it away.)
If you’ve been around a while, you’ll probably recognize the beginnings of Mission Atlantis Island in this clip. Oddly, the original trailer video has disappeared, but you can watch the full clip in this old video from Thinknoodles, which also has Daily Pop sneak peeks:
Mission Atlantis originally released in 2014 and had three episodes, all of which disappeared in the transition to Haxe in 2020. (You can still play it on the Poptropica app, though.) In this island, players discover something amazing at the bottom of the sea… if only you can get inside and figure out how it works.
While Mission Atlantis may not have been as popular as other past islands, it’s nevertheless exciting to see that we’re getting closer to another classic returning to the Poptropica map! 🏝
Although the Haxe map currently contains only the first episode for other episodic adventures like Survival and Arabian Nights, we’re hoping that the rest of the story eventually comes along, too. And while we wait, join us in jamming to “Backspace,” our anthem for the old islands!
Concept art for Mission Atlantis Island
Also on the Creators’ Blog is another video from guest writer Invisible Ring, who picks up from her last post where she spotlighted Perfect Sky, a Poptropica fan movie creator on YouTube who is no longer active. This time, Ring shares how Poptropicans have been hoping for someone to continue Sky’s legacy, and how she could be that person.
So, inspired by Perfect Sky, Invisible Ring announces that she’s working on a “full-length movie,” and drops a trailer for her upcoming creation. “Poptropica: Battle Morale” tells the story of one little girl standing up to the winds of change in the Poptropica universe. Where others are pessimistic on Pop’s future, she’s optimistic, refusing to let naysayers have the final word. Watch it here:
The world of Poptropica could certainly use more hope, and “Poptropica: Battle Morale” might just be able to offer that light to the fandom. Best of luck on the movie, Ring!
Across the fandom, other stories are being told in still yet spectacular pictures. Just take a look at the latest fan art of haunting characters and places on Poptropica’s Instagram stories!
That’s a wrap for this update. Are you hyped for the return of Mission Atlantis? What about the upcoming fan-made movie? Have you started putting together your outfit for our Halloween costume contest? (It was retweeted by the Pop Creators!) Let us know what’s popping with you!
Hey Poptropicans! We’re not goofing around with this announcement — we’ve got sneak peeks for the next Poptropica island!
Poptropica’s been busy lately with side quests and other specials, but they haven’t forgotten about making islands. The latest one in the works is Goofball Island, which was announced as a winner of the 2020 Dream Island contest. Take a look at their wavy wonders!
As we see in this first ever sneak peek, the “land of Goof” is lined with curving everything, from trees to lampposts — and even slanted fish on the Crazy Club? We’re not sure what this grinning building is all about, but we get another look at it through this sketch (sans “Toof”-paste):
Are the dancing creatures and poofy trees giving anyone else Dr. Seuss storybook vibes? In any case, that silly energy fits in here, as the plot is all about an unusually cheery town that’s about to have all its color wiped out by mad scientist Dr. Blandston.
Back to that first picture, we find some curious things of note, like the fact that our boy Ned Noodlehead from Super Power Island is hanging out by the Crazy Club, likely just as a stand-in for scale. We also see a building for Boskos Car Fixing and Embroidery, which seems a strange combo. And wacky faces are everywhere, from the clouds to the gate gnomes and birds (real and inflatable). 🤓🤪
Besides the announcement of this winning island idea back in January, this is the first time we’re hearing about Goofball Island, and it seems to be shaping up to be quite the adventure! Stay tuned for the latest news on this upcoming island, and let’s hope they (don’t) goof it up!
Poptropica’s Instagram story has been busy too, with last calls to enjoy Hoptropica birthday goodies and a slew of fan art, including a couple of drawing process videos. Hippity hop before they drop!
That’s it for this update! How hyped are you for Goofball Island? Have you made the most of Hoptropica’s birthday visit? Share with us in the comments, and keep on popping on, Poptropicans! ✌️
Hey there, everyone! At long last, it’s time to continue the abruptly ended story of Fairytale Island with the new “side quest” Rumpel’s Challenge… which was once locked behind a paywall, but is now available for all who have completed the main island quest!
Video Walkthrough
For a written walkthrough with pictures, scroll down on this page.
Written Walkthrough
To begin, find Rumpelstiltskin himself waiting on Home Island. If you don’t see him here, you can also look for the magic man on Fairytale Island after you’ve earned your medallion.
Thanks to HeartOfEnder for the pic!
You’re (naturally) startled at the sight of a known villain hanging around as though he owns this place, and immediately call for Amelia to tie him up with a rope. But Rumpel doesn’t have time for your threats. He tells you that he knows where the real Fairy Tale king is imprisoned, and gives you a riddle, all for his amusement.
Accepting the side quest will cause Rumpel to vanish in a puff of purple smoke. Now, time to find the king…
The instructions on the riddle point to Mythology Island; specifically, the Museum of Olympus with its statues of gods. Once inside the museum, you’ll find a second riddle hovering in front of Zeus’s statue; whose head has now been replaced by Rumpel’s.
Terrifying.
Pick up the second riddle. “Vikings”… “time”… this riddle clearly references Time TangledIsland!
If you’ve already completed Time Tangled, you should have a time travel device ready and waiting in the lower-left corner of your screen once on the island. If you don’t see the device, follow the first part of our Time Tangled Island walkthrough to acquire it.
Now click on the image of the Viking at 2 o’clock on the time device. You’ll be transported back to the year 831 AD. Climb up the rocks as high as you can go, past the cave. A third and final riddle will be waiting for you beneath another horrible stone bust of Rumpel.
“Weep and cry”…who else fits this description but the disheartened Fairy Tale prince himself! Follow the riddle to Fairy Tale Island and enter the castle area, where you’ll find the prince sitting on the flight of steps, continuing to lament the loss of his real father.
He’ll perk up when you share the clue with him. He knows what “golden troves” is referring to: the castle’s treasury! And luckily, he’s got a key.
Left: the treasury in Rumpel’s Challenge. Right: the last place Rumpel was seen in Fairy Tale Island. Look familiar?
Inside the treasury, jump up onto a platform at the far right, where a gate hides a small trove. Pulling the lever on the wall beside it will raise the gate and reveal a gold mermaid with — you guessed it — Rumpel’s head in place of the original.
Moving on from this cursed image… jump down from the platform on the opposite side, and descend the stairs onto a lower level. Pull the lever set into the side of the stairs, which will raise a gate up ahead. Go through it and jump all the way down. Here, you’ll find your path blocked by another gate; pull another lever on the wall just behind you to open it.
You know what they say: never tickle a sleeping dragon.
There’s a new challenge beyond this gate: a giant, snoozing dragon, guarding its treasure. To avoid waking it and activating its fire-breathing abilities, jump over the heaps of gold until you reach the opposite side of the scene. Whew — you’ve made it pretty far!
Finally, you’ve reached what you came for. As you’ll see, there are six troves behind gates: three on a bottom floor, and three on a top floor. Each trove has a pink panel beneath it. And trapped behind the bottom middle gate is the king!
Upon seeing his father, the prince cries (at least this time it’s out of relief). His tears change the panel below him from pink to gray, and the adjacent gates surrounding the king’s cell will be lifted.
The key to freeing the king lies in the prince’s “fragile crybaby disposition,” to quote the king. In other words, you’re supposed to throw various insults at the prince to make him cry on the panels to activate the movement of the adjacent trove gates.
The Pop Creators knew what’s up when they wrote these sarcastic lines.
The key to opening the king’s cell is to get all of the gates open at once. This can be done a number of ways, although the simplest way may be this: bottom middle (done automatically), then top middle. (Thanks for the tip, Ammonite.)
Hurrah, you’ve freed the king! That’s all there is to this mystery, right?
…Right?
Aw geez.
That’s that for Rumpel’s Challenge, everyone. What did you think of this side quest? Personally, I’m finding it a bit odd how fragmented Fairytale Island is turning out to be (plus the frequent use of the term “side quest” — what is that, really?). I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see how this all wraps up in the end.
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