Hello, boys and ghouls! This is Gentle Dolphin bringing you the latest Poptropica news.
Ever since the big island purge last summer, we have been wondering when the classic islands would return to Poptropica. Just a few weeks ago, a “Flashback Friday” post gave us a glimmer of hope for one of Poptropica’s spookiest adventures. Now, a recent post by Blue Tooth has confirmed what we have been suspecting:
Zomberry Island will be coming back!!!
QUARANTINE BREACH, POPTROPICANS!!
This is your EXCLUSIVE FIRST ALERT that Zomberry Island will be coming back with an all-new experience later this year!! Keep your eyes right here on the blog for upcoming previews, artwork, and more as our team works on a totally new level based on the classic Zomberry Island!
Awesome, right? After months of anticipation, we finally have our first returning island! There is quite a bit to unpack in this post, so let’s take it bit by bit so we can know what to expect.
Although the release date has not been confirmed, the post says that Zomberry Island will be coming back sometime later this year. It might not be October like we were all hoping, but the island will definitely be back before the end of 2019.
The most intriguing statement is that there will be a brand new level based on the classic island. Does this mean that the Creators are adding more content to Zomberry Island? If so, then this would be the first sound-updated island (SUI) to not be a straightforward adaptation of the original. (Unless you count 24 Carrot Island, which was redone for Poptropica Worlds.) Will other classic islands be given more content, as well? There’s a lot to think about here.
This whole idea to make more Zomberry content is not entirely new. Back in 2016, the Daily Pop showcased some concept art for a few possible Zomberry Island-themed minigames; you can read more about them in these “PHB Sneak Peeks” posts righthere. Anyway, could this new level be inspired by one of these unfinished minigames? We’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case.
Before the outbreak strikes again, you can prepare yourself by playing the original Zomberry Island via idk’s Old Island Directory. Don’t forget to check out our Zomberry Island Guide if you need help finding key clues and avoiding pesky zomberries.
Are you excited to stop the Zomberry plague a second time? How do you feel about the idea of the Creators adding more content to the old islands? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Greetings, Earthlings– I mean, Poptropicans! Today we have some news stories to make you go wild and fly out of your seat! Let’s start off with a dream that finally became a reality.
After being made members-only almost two months ago, Reality TV: Wild Safari is finally available for all players! Now, non-members can join in on the fun and compete against a slew of celebrity cameos in death-defying challenges for a chance to win the island medallion!
If you’re confused by a challenge or curious about your fellow competitors, then come check out our Reality TV: Wild Safari guide! There, you’ll find tips and tricks to help you earn the coveted first place title! Good luck, contestants!
In other news, we have some ads that would intrigue the most dedicated space travelers. The Toy Story 4 ad is back to promote the film’s home and digital release. Like last time, players can watch the trailer to get the Buzz Wings Power! Act fast and claim those wings before the ad disappears to infinity and beyond.
Blue Tooth certainly thinks this power is amazing! She took to social media and posted a video of herself being yeeted into the night sky then falling stylishly back onto the ground. Check it out:
There’s also a new ad for the Disney Channel series “Gabby Duran & the Unsittables”. Watch the short trailer to earn two out-of-this-world prizes: the Space Bubble and the Jeremy Follower.
Curious about the angel costume I’m wearing in the photos? Well, I’ll be representing Team Heavenly for this year’s PHB Halloween Costume Contest! Our theme this year is “Heavenly and Hellish”, so be sure to send in your cute and/or devilish costumes. Check out the original contest post for full instructions on how to submit your costumes!
Are you excited to revisit Reality TV: Wild Safari Island? Which outer space ad prize is your favorite? Will you be entering the PHB Halloween Costume Contest? Are you on Team Heavenly or Team Hellish? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Hey Poptropicans, it’s Slanted Fish popping in with what’s new. In this post, we’ve got the latest island no longer in beta, a Poptropolis Games fix, and a Realms highlight. Let’s get to it!
First, there’s Reality TV: Wild Safari Island, which was released last month on CoolMathGames as a beta for all players, including non-members. It’s now officially on the map on Poptropica.com, but currently only open to members (even on CoolMathGames).
Whether or not you’ve had the chance to play it yet, you can check out what the PHB team thought of it over on our Reality TV: Wild Safari Island Review, and look forward to the island being officially released for all soon!
The Pop Creators also recently announced that they fixed a bug on the pole vault game on Poptropolis Games Island. Now you can actually, you know, vault the pole. Hooray!
And Blue Tooth really rocks that little baby shark beanie well, don’t you think? 🦈 (That hat was one of the July member gifts, by the way.)
Blue Tooth also recently highlighted a Realm on Poptropica’s social media. Once you enter through the Realms portal on Home Island, Smart Bones’ “Labyrinth” can be accessed via the code 9rw56.
Though there is Poptanium to be found along the way, be warned: the Realm is more labyrinthine challenges than Poptanium vault. Still, if you like a good platforming struggle, this place is worth checking out. (If you prefer the Poptanium, though, we feature some good vaults in our Realms Guide.)
While it’s nice to see Realms featured by Poptropica, which hasn’t happened in a while, I can’t help but wonder whatever happened to the Look of the Week series and the yet-to-be-realized Clubhouse of the Week. Hmmm? 😛
That’s all for the latest in Poptropica! Share your thoughts in the comments, and keep it awesome, Poptropicans. ✌️
Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL!” Miss the series? Today I’ll be taking you to Red Dragon Island and comparing it to its counterparts in real life. And if you like the sound of that, be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.
So… where in the real world is Red Dragon based off of? Well, we already know that the island is based on the Magic Tree House books, so where is that based off of? The answer to that question is right in the novel’s description!
“Jack and Annie are headed to a land of fierce samurai and great beauty, the capital city of Edo (now the city of Tokyo), in ancient Japan in the 1600s. They bring only a research book to guide them and a magic wand with three special rules.”
Japan it is, Poptropicans! Wait, wait, wait, hold on… what about Main Street? What about Jack and Annie’s hometown? Well, “Frog Creek, Pennsylvania” is sadly a fictional city, but Pennsylvania’s neighborhoods match up pretty well anyway!
photo: Shadyside Pittsburgh (wikipedia.org)
Okay, now we can head over to Old Japan. We have many sites to see here, foremost being the imperial garden that our Poptropicans come across during our adventure. Basho’s Garden, which we visit later in the game, offers a similar setting. At both locations, we see beautiful Japanese trees, flowers, and huts over water. Looking at the IRL version of the scene, things seem pretty accurate!
photo: Best of Old and New Japan (kimkim.com)
photo: Exteriors of Japanese Houses (pinterest)
Moving on, we come across the Great Bridge before truly entering Edo! The resemblance of the bridge is uncanny to the Shin-kyo Bridge in Nikko Japan, which demonstrates very similar architecture and color.
photo: Nature & Nikko (tokyocheapo.com)
Next we have East and West Edo, which then lead to the fortress and the secluded lake. Red Dragon shows us a marketplace, paired with a stunning landscape, bonsai shop, and more. Though times have greatly changed since the days of Ancient Japan, its rich history can still be seen in the distinct architecture and environment.
photo: Sawara (japan-guide.com)
photo: Old Edo (muza-chan.net)
Even the Fortress in game mimics the classic Japanese architecture used in palaces and castles. Perhaps some stylistic choices were taken in Poptropica to add some more pops of color?
photo: Himeji Castle (japantoday.com)
photo: Imperial Palace Tokyo (japanvisitor.com)
Before we wrap up our trip through Tokyo, who could forget about the unique apparel and characters that we come across on the island? Geishas, sumo wrestlers, and ninjas alike are memorably encountered.
photo: Culture of the Kimono (tsunagujapan.com)
photo: Geisha in Kyoto (pinterest)
photo: Sumo Legend (asianews.it)
photo: Ninja (jpninfo.com)
Pretty cool, right? Many people in the community agree that Red Dragon Island has some of the most beautiful scenes in Poptropica. Makes me want to go visit Japan! 🙂
That wraps up our post, so what do you guys think of the comparison? Does Poptropica accurately capture Japanese culture?
It’s been three years since Poptropica Original has gotten an island, and a year since Poptropica Worlds did. But we’re pleased to finally welcome Reality TV: Wild Safari to the Poptropica map, and to share our thoughts on this latest adventure that’s a sequel to the original Reality TV Island released in 2010. From people to places to plot, we’re going to cover it all. Let’s go!
Be warned: This review contains spoilers!
Storyline & Characters
As far as the story goes… well, there really wasn’t much on that front. You arrive on the set of the reality TV show and immediately get to jump into the games. Unlike the original Reality TV Island, there’s no build-up to get you there: no washed-up TV star to deliver pizza to, no dreaming about making it out of a rundown town—really, no story, conflict, or scandal about what has transpired between the last season from nine years ago to now.
But the TV set itself has some fun elements, too. There’s a base camp for the show crew that doubles as a common room, monkeys handling cameras, and even the iconic bonfire from the original RTV — and set in a wild safari that looks a little different from the previous season.
The challengers you compete with are really where the island shines most. In addition to a handful of familiar characters from various Poptropica islands (Ringmaster Raven, Scherazade, and Omegon among them), we also meet lots of new celebrity parodies with hilarious names.
Some of our favorites are Shett and Blinked, based on YouTube comedians Rhett and Link; Baby Googoo, based on singer Lady Gaga; and Mandy Screams, based on YouTube personality Miranda Sings. Read more about who’s who in our Reality TV: Wild Safari Island Guide trivia!
Gameplay
As far as gameplay, we basically have three mini-games to look at: Spear Throw, Deep Dive, and Cheetah Run, all of which make up the majority of the island experience.
Though placed in new settings, each of these challenges are actually quite familiar, sharing similarities to other island or ad mini-games. For example, the spear throw borrows mechanisms from Poptropolis Games’ archery event. A bit unoriginal, but fun nonetheless.
That being said, a unique gameplay element that Wild Safari brings to the table is the option to change the difficulty level. This isn’t always an option for us, and is actually quite useful to those players who may struggle with certain gameplay challenges. In fact, selecting your difficulty level has been built seamlessly into the island’s dialogue, aiding in our immersion to the whole experience. You can also win about 5–60 credits for playing all the games, depending on the level you selected and your performance!
One other thing that’s different from the original RTV is that no matter the end results, you’ll win the island medallion. You could come in dead last and TV show host Jim Probably will still give it to you with the assurance that “it’s a Poptropica thing.” While it’s nice not to have the frustration of being voted off the show when you’re down to the final round, as can happen in the original, this new setup feels too easy — after all, you’re literally receiving a participation trophy (or medallion, as it were).
Visuals
As usual, Poptropica’s scenery is beautiful. The safari setting meets our visual expectations, despite there not being a whole lot of scenery to begin with. Perhaps this island isn’t as breathtaking as others, but we’ve got no clear complaints about the aesthetics. Plus, how can we resist some cute animals?
“Washed Up” newspaper references old Reality TV hero Bucky Lucas.
Monkeys on the camera crew are a new fixture on this sequel island.
The interactable elements at our base camp are pretty fun, too. From spooking a camera-woman to, well, spooking a zebra, there are many clickable objects and easter eggs to discover. In particular, we enjoyed the small tribute to old Reality TV hero Bucky Lucas on the beach shore, and the monkeys managing cameras and celebrating winners with drums.
Little additions to an island such as these bring a bit of life to the experience, even though they may not have a huge impact on the gameplay.
Verdict
Considering all of these elements that the island has to offer, our final rating for Reality TV: Wild Safari Island is…
Does this Reality TV experience live up to its predecessor? Maybe not… Was it still enjoyable? Sure thing! Sequels often fall short of expectations, and are commonly labeled as unoriginal. Then again, Greek Sea Odyssey Island successfully brought new Mythology features to the table, and we think the Creators could have delivered better story here, too. Wild Safari simply lacked the substance found in the original.
Still, the island had its charming components. The safari had excellent humor, visuals, references, and dialogue to say the least. Even the mini-games were pretty fun! And that’s why this island gets a 2 out of 5 baby hippos from us.
Thanks for reading our review of Reality TV: Wild Safari Island! How does this adventure compare to the preceding Reality TV Island? Do you agree with our verdict? Share your opinions in the comments below!
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