Hey Poptropicans! Some follow-up updates have occurred since our earlier post this week on member gifts, Time Tangled on Haxe, and more. And we’re back with another little scavenger hunt on Paradise Island! Let’s pop in.
Members have an extra member gift waiting for them in their inventory: a Denim Jacket. Here’s me modelling it in the Party Time Tower on the Haxe version of Time Tangled Island, where lo and behold, Quippy has arrived in an Aztec mask!
Check out the wares in this common room store to represent the ages: you can dress like Pharaoh (King of Egypt), the Queen of Egypt, a Templar Knight*, and Joan of Arc*. By the way, that Templar Knight costume is currently available to all in the latest store update, despite being for members only here.
Coming up from where we last left off on Paradise Island, the next part isn’t too exciting. It’s a sunny day for “free time on the beach,” but you do get one task: collect 5 sand dollars. They’re gray circles on the shore so small it’s easy to miss them, but don’t forget to jump into the water to reach the one near the kayak.
A message on your smartphone does hint at a talent show on the horizon, with a new mini-game on the way. Stay tuned (and in tune) for that!
That’s it for this post, but don’t miss out on all the fun things happening lately in the Poptropica community! From Poptropica Month to a revisit to Mystery Train Island, there’s plenty to read and see in the posts below.
And of course, you can always join the PHC Discord to connect with more Poptropicans. The place has gotten more active lately, so why not join the fun? 😄
Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans, and all aboard! For this post, let’s chug on over to Mystery Train Island, shall we? And if you’re liking the series, be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.
Though we spend most of this island on—can you guess?—a train, we do still visit some very important stops along our adventure. And, truth be told, Mystery Train is certainly one of the more historically founded islands! From the train, to the cities, and even to the passengers, Mystery Train features very real people, places, and things (however we’ll focus more on locations today, not figures). So… full steam ahead!
On Main Street, before we even board the train and begin the mystery, we find ourselves in none other than Washington, DC. We can see the US Capitol Building in the background, but we aren’t staying for long!
photo: Washington DC (thetelegraph)
But beyond the very real cities, even the train itself is historically accurate! The John Bull locomotive, which is named on our ticket, is the main location of our adventure but is also an IRL train that journeyed to the IRL Columbian Exposition in 1893. Yes sir, all the way from DC to Chicago!
photo: John Bull Locomotive (wikipedia)
Our next stop is Chicago, but before we pull into the station, let’s take a very quick look at our train’s interior first. The train in Poptropica had large individual rooms for its passengers, which is quite fancy if you ask me. But hey, traveling back in the day seemed to be quite the luxurious feat! Can you believe those big cushy seats?
Whodunit: Who, indeed.
Train Attraction: Ride the rails in style.
photo: Pullman Palace Car (thevintagenews)
photo: Pullman Parlor Car (thegoodolddays)
Alright, now let’s pull into the great city of Chicago, Illinois. The station has obviously grown and changed a lot since 1893, hasn’t it? Well, we can’t stay long anyhow! Mademoiselle Moreau is getting away!
All Is Fair: Let’s skip all the exposition, shall we?
photo: Train Travel in the 1800s (oldphotoarchive)
photo: Chicago (visittheusa)
It’s time to chase Moreau into the Chicago World’s Fair. Though one can’t help but stop and stare at that huge Ferris Wheel!
Stealers Wheel: One thing this wheel needs is an effective “spokes”-person.
And with that, it looks like we’ve finally reached the end of the line. It was quite an adventure! Considering Mystery Train is one of Poptropica’s more historically founded islands, just how well do you think it holds up to its IRL counterparts? Did it seem on track, or was it a full on train wreck? What other islands do you want us to compare in this series? Comment your thoughts below!
Hey Poptropicans, here’s the latest tea… *slow sip* ☕️ Here we go!
It’s a new month—hello September!—which means new member gifts! Members who log in this month will receive Earbuds (basically AirPods), Roller Skates, and three shades of Boba Tea. No special actions this time—not even on the skates.
This stuff’s pretty cool, but the name “boba tea” doesn’t hit quite right: it’s usually either “boba” or “bubble tea.” Bubble tea (or boba), in case you haven’t had the pleasure yet, is a tea-based drink invented in Taiwan with chewy tapioca “bubbles” and comes in many delicious flavors. Try it sometime!
Update: Unlike other Haxe islands, there’s no Quippy in the common room on the Haxe version of Time Tangled, which means no store of exclusive items. 😟 Will the Creators add it in the future? We’ll have to see…
September is a special month on Poptropica because it’s the game’s birthday month! You may recall a guest post on the PHB about a “Poptropica Month” of videos hosted by Dimension Bros on YouTube. The Poptropica Creators’ Blog has joined in the fun by spotlighting the event’s kickoff video! Watch it here:
It’s not often the Poptropica Creators give a shout-out to fan creators on the official blog, but it’s always a nice surprise when they do! They’ve shared some fan art from the community (some for their official contests, and others just for fun), but the last time a fan video was highlighted might’ve been back in 2017 with Thinknoodles’ Poptropica Worlds videos.
Anyway, the Creators’ Blog post promises more festivities to come, saying, “Check back here for more from the Poptropica Creators to celebrate our birthday month!” There’s something to look forward to! 🎉
Whether or not you’ve ever made a Poptropica video before, you’re super welcome to join in on Poptropica Month. And stay tuned for more birthday celebrations!
Last but not least, the Pop Creators put out a question on their Instagram story this week, asking, “Do you play more games on your phone or on your computer?” If you’re on Instagram, you can let them know before the story disappears!
That’s all the tea we’ve got for you! Will you join us for Poptropica Month? Or Community Creations? (Our latest theme is “Masks”! 😷) What island do you want to see ported over to Haxe next? And have you tried bubble tea? Share your thoughts with us on the PHC Discord or in the comments below!
Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! SD here to take you on a trip to Game Show Island, which coincidentally takes place all over the world! Liking this series? Be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.
Even though Game Show Island primarily consists of, well, game shows, each competition does take place in a distinct, very real city. So, despite the constant immersion in mini games, pay closer attention and you’ll notice some world destinations!
Let’s start off with Tokyo, home to the big baddie of the adventure: Mr. Yoshi’s Game Show. The city, located in Japan, is actually one we’ve visited before in this series! Remember Red Dragon Island? Familiarity aside, however, Game Show Island takes place in a much more modern version of the city. We can clearly see the inspiration for this location as far back as the concept art! The city is clearly known for its bright advertisements, technology, animation, and much more!
Oh No: There goes Tokyo.
photo: Where to Stay in Tokyo (livejapan)
photo: Where to Stay in Tokyo (hostelworld)
Moving on, why don’t we head to Miami next? Located in Florida (USA), this city is home to the Spin for Riches Game Show. While the state does have a lot of retirement homes, I think the area is more well known for its bustling beaches! I think the coastal colors translate well in-game.
A Retirement Community: Old circuits never fry, they just fade away.
photo: Downtown Miami Views (miamiandbeaches)
What’s next, you may ask? None other than Istanbul (not Constantinople)! In Poptropica, this is where we get to play the Scaredy Pants Game Show, but fear not! IRL, we’re just taking a trip to Turkey. Look at that remarkable architecture!
Still Not Constantinople: Why they changed it, I can’t say.
photo: Istanbul Guide (thetelegraph)
Next up on our list, Moscow! Here we will find the Brainiacs Game Show, in the capital of Russia! Isn’t it kinda cool that you can even see the resemblance of the city in the simplest of concept art? It’s pretty interesting to see the unique architecture of each city translated into Poptropica, that’s for sure.
See the Motherland: Necessity is, of course, the mother of invention.
photo: Moscow (awomoscow)
Turning back round to our last big city, we have Buenos Aires! This one is the capital of Argentina, but in Poptropica it’s known for the Kerplunk Game Show! Perhaps not as flashy as some of the other tourism hot-spots on our list, but noteworthy nonetheless.
The Air Is Good: The robots, well, they’re not so good.
photo: Buenos Aires (lonelyplanet)
Wow, who knew you traveled so much on Game Show Island? It’s like trying to fit the whole globe into one island! And that’s not even considering Main Street, Club Nouveau Riche, the Factory, Holmes’ Lair, and—oh! The Museum!
Before I adjourn our travels for the day, I will leave you with one more fun comparison from the Museum we see on Main Street. Remember that robot statue? Fun fact: it’s based on “The Thinker,” a sculpture by Auguste Rodin.
Deep Thought: Putting processing power to good use.
photo: The Thinker (wikipedia)
And with that, I think our trip is just about coming to an end. What did you think of the journey? Do you think Poptropica captured the real nature of these cities? What other islands do you want to see in this series? Be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts below!
Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! Miss the series? I know I did! This time around, we’ll be traveling to Arabian Nights Island! Like this series? Be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.
As you might already know, Arabian Nights was the winning idea from Poptropica’s “Create Your Dream Island” contest back in 2013. The pitch? “On Arabian Nights Island, Poptropicans go on a quest across the desert to rescue a sultan’s genie from the Forty Thieves.” And it turned out to be quite the tale!
The adventure, like Disney’s “Aladdin,” takes place in Arabia (hence the name). This Middle Eastern peninsula is certainly a distinct location, and it definitely shines through in the island! Don’t believe me? Let’s take a closer look.
Right away on our Poptropicans’ adventure, we are greeted with “Episode 1: How Bazaar.” The title itself is a pun, playing off the term “bazaar” to sound like “how bizarre.” A bazaar, if you were unaware, is a type of Middle Eastern marketplace, which (not coincidentally) is a prominent location on the island.
photo: The Souk – A Middle Eastern Bazaar (zoharproductions)
Pretty cool, right? The colorful fabrics, clothing, and items for sale certainly catch the eye. But perhaps even more impressive, we have the palace to visit!
photo: Arabian Palace (werxj’s flickr)
I personally find the architecture of the Middle East to be a particularly remarkable characteristic of the area, but maybe that’s just my inner art history nerd coming out? Either way, the design in Poptropica seems to match up pretty well to its inspiration, so let’s take a look on the inside as well!
Poptropica’s palace atrium (left) is busier than our reference photo (right), but it sure does add interest to the adventure! I think that the game really did stay true to its inspiration, even with their color/detail additions. What do you think?
Stepping further away from the bustling market, however, we could also take a look at the less populated areas of the island. Even if a huge Lair of Thieves is tough to find IRL, there are definitely still cave systems we could investigate. And, like in Poptropica, maybe we can find some salt and other minerals to trade!
photo: Caving Vacations in Africa & the Middle East (iexplore)
Why don’t we take a camel and keep traveling away from the market, further into the desert next? And now we happen upon an oasis!
photo: Oasis (wikipedia)
Even in this largely desert landscape, it’s cool to see the pops of color that show up. The Poptropica Creators really took advantage of their inspiration when designing this island, huh?
But what do you guys think? Have you ever been to the Middle East? Does the comparison match up to your expectations? What other islands do you want to see in this series? Be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts below!
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