Islands of the Month, Mystery of the Map Island, Nabooti Island

May We Bring *Fourth* the IOTM…

Hello, everyone! May the 4th be with you!

The last of the April showers have brought in… May showers?? Well at least it’s also raining in two new Islands of the Month, now playable for extra credits. This month’s featured islands are… Mystery of the Map Island and Nabooti Island!

Poptropica May Islands of the Month Nabooti and Mystery of the Map

Mystery of the Map Island

Mystery of the Map makes its second appearance as an IOTM, honoring the recent release of Poptropica: The Secret Society, book 3 of the Poptropica graphic novel series. Fun fact: MOTM Island was one of the first IOTMs back in September. Also, if you haven’t read the book yet, you totally should – it’s even been a New York Times bestseller!

Captain Crawfish has made a video walkthrough for the island, if you’d like to use it:

If you’d prefer to use a written guide, however, we’ve got one right here on the PHB.

Nabooti Island

Yep, that’s right – Nabooti won the recent IOTM poll on the Creators’ Blog with about two-thirds of the votes! This is especially great news for non-members, because although Nabooti is usually members only (as of July 2015), for this month of May, it will be open to everyone!

May_Vote Island of the Month

Captain Crawfish is currently making a video walkthrough for the island, and it’ll be uploaded soon. The official video walkthrough is now here! Plus, the PHB’s written guide has got you covered as well, if you prefer words and pictures.

Remember, first-time finishers will receive 500 credits and re-players will earn 300 credits, so make sure to take advantage of the credit boost while you can!

And, as per the tradition, stay tuned for some behind-the-scenes sketches of the making of these two islands later this month!

Also, remember Skinny Moon’s Worlds-ified avatar from yesterday’s post? Well, over on Tumblr, she’s included the full version of the picture! Check out the green socks:

tumblr_inline_ope2tzjbOW1t3jntb_540

Alright, that’s all for now. May the Force be with you, Poptropicans.

–Lucky Joker

Islands of the Month, Wimpy Boardwalk Island

Behind-The-Scenes: Wimpy Sketches For Your Favorite Boardwalk!

Howdy, good players of Poptropica!

It’s me, Purple Claw, with some behind the scenes info about – you guessed it – Wimpy Boardwalk! This exciting little Island, along with Wimpy Wonderland are April’s Islands of the Month, which means everyone gets extra credits! Yup, even non-members!

Wimpy Kid gif

As you probably know, if you complete one of these islands for the very first time, you’ll get 500 credits! And if you’re a pro on the Wimpy islands and you’ve already beaten them; no worries, you’ll be getting 300 credits for re-playing them! Enjoy the credits and as well as the sketches you’re about to see below, searched by the lovely Skinny Moon. 😛

Skinny Moon was kind enough to show us a couple of early sketches about the beach and the arcade of this boardwalk. Let’s check them out!

The first image might be uncolored, but it looks a LOT like the current beach. The arcade had quite a makeover, since the roof, font, and the inside of the arcade changed. Also, a little shirt stand was added, named ”TeeTime”. First designs aren’t always final designs, and the second and third image (and some other sketches you’re about to see) can confirm that.

Hmm, the images below showcase the early design of each game stand, and how much they changed during the production of this island. I personally prefer the current design, but the early ones aren’t bad at all!

The first image looks more like a carnival, the second one looks medieval time-themed, and the third one seems to be a mix of both. 😛

And last but not least, I’d like to show some sketches about the fun (and dangerous) rides of Wimpy Boardwalk:

The early sketch is really stunning in my opinion, by looking how complicated and filled it is. The background is what amuses me the most. Again, the ”Fun House” hasn’t changed a lot, but it’s nice to see all these awesome sketches and see the differences between early and finished designs!

Well, what do you think? Which place changed the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below! I’ll see you soon, and don’t forget to earn these extra credits! Keep poppin’!

🐾 Purple Claw 🐾
:mrgreen:🌊

Clubhouse, Crisis Caverns Island, Poptropica Worlds

New Pop Drop: Cavern Chases, Pretty Places, and Many a House Prop

Hey Poptropicans! Slanted Fish here with some CAVERNOUS news.

Prepare to be amazed… we’ve got a LOT of Poptropica Worlds sneak peeks today, featuring the rumored (now confirmed) Crisis Caverns Island, the new animated running style, and some furniture/decor for the upcoming player houses!

Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge that the pictures below come straight from the official Creators, who recently contacted many bloggers in the Poptropica community with a Pre-Beta Worlds Kit and invited them to share its contents with everyone. While we can’t give away the kit itself, we can show you the amazing artistry within it, which you’ll find below. Click the images to view them in full size.

Among the sneak peeks is this look at a chase scene in Crisis Caverns, with elements like a relentless boulder and worm pits – the monster worm from an earlier sneak peek!

TheChase

At some point in the caves, you’ll encounter a pit of magma – and more of those spaghetti worm creatures! (Also, what is that nose-shaped light spot on the character’s face? The new avatar doesn’t show any noses, but did he get his ripped off or is he just weirdly sunburnt? 😛 In any case, I’m digging the new running animation.)

TheChase2

But Crisis Caverns isn’t all danger and running-for-your-life madness. Check out this gorgeous, serene palace area – possibly the lair of the Mole King from a much earlier sneak peek, though it was mentioned that that character idea was scrapped. (This island has been in development for years!)

ThePalace

Looking on the brighter side, we also see this exterior of Crisis Caverns, possibly the Main Street area (first scene). Signposts label this as Caldera State Park, possibly named after the Valles Caldera National Preserve in New Mexico, or simply after a caldera, which is a large volcanic crater usually formed by a major eruption.

In this picture, we see some bison, a cabin, the entrance to an underground mine, the visitor’s center with some park flags, wax pots (whatever that is), and a signpost to a geyser named Old Reliable (most likely named after Old Faithful in Yellowstone).

CrisisCaverns

Last of the sneak peek pictures, and unrelated to the rest, we have a look at some decorative items for player houses. From a Booga shark statue to at least twelve different styles of chairs (not all pictured), and even wallpaper designs, there’s a ton to select from. Which ones will you put in your home?

HouseStoreItems

The Poptropica Creator Captain Crawfish also included a letter to recipients of the Pre-Beta Kit, which talks about what we can look forward to in Poptropica Worlds:

Poptropica Worlds is an all-new game, built from the ground up to give you the Poptropica you’ve dreamed of. That means a seamless gameplay experience between your web and mobile devices, with a single account. A re-imagined interface that ensures the smoothest controls possible no matter where you’re playing. Even richer customization options for your Poptropican. All this and still the same humor, adventure, and fun that you expect from Poptropica.

Want examples? How about…

  • Your very own house! Decorate your space to be as unique and creative as you are.
  • Deeper options to customize your Poptropican’s look, and new choices arriving all the time.
  • Crisis Caverns: our grandest island adventure yet, with astonishing underground mysteries and creatures you have to see to believe.
  • Enjoy new gameplay mechanics, and feast your eyes on jaw-dropping art and animation.
  • Keep your account! Your classic Poptropica login will automatically work on Poptropica Worlds.

All in all, I think this #NewPopDrop is looking and sounding spectacular, and I’m excited to get to play Poptropica Worlds this spring! Are you??

characters-header2

Looks like these guys are!

What other features would you love to see on the new and upcoming Poptropica Worlds? Leave your feedback in the comments, on blog posts, or on social media (and be sure to tag Poptropica) – the Creators are really interested in hearing your thoughts! 😁

Stay popping, Poptropicans!

–🐠

Books, Membership, Wimpy Boardwalk Island, Wimpy Wonderland Island

Today Only: Wimpy Kid / Poptropica Flash Giveaway!

Hey guys! SD here with some flashy news!

giveaway

Today and today only, Poptropica has teamed up with Abrams, the publishing house of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, to bring a cool giveaway to us.

As you may know, the Wimpy Kid inspired islands are April’s Islands of the Month and that of course is because April is Wimpy Kid Month! Right now, these islands are open to everyone, not just members as they usually are the rest of the year – so take advantage of that while you can! 😉

But more on this giveaway, right? By entering on WimpyKid.com today (April 12), you might just be able to win a Poptropica-Wimpy Kid prize pack! In this pack, you’ll get:

  • A 6-month membership to Poptropica.
  • Copies of Cabin Fever and Dog Days, the books that inspired the Wimpy Kid Poptropica games.
  • The first three books of the NYT bestselling Poptropica graphic novel series: Mystery of the Map, The Lost Expedition, and The Secret Society.
  • A Dr. Hare plush toy.

To enter, go to the Wimpy Kid Giveaway page and click on the 12, which is today’s date. Just fill in the information, and you’ve entered! But if you’re under the age of 18, remember to get a parent or guardian’s permission first. 😛

If you’re a huge Wimpy Kid fan, the site is having other giveaways this month too, but this one is currently the only Poptropica-related one, so you better act fast, Poptropicans! Good luck to everyone! 😀

In other news, the PHB is sad to announce the departure of one of our staff writers, Perfect Sky. PS leaves us with a brief word, posted below:

The main reason I made this decision is because I just don’t have enough time to keep up with blogging and everything that’s going on in the community. With other priorities in real life, I don’t think I’ll have time for everything here, nor will I have the time to start my own blog.

I haven’t necessarily lost interest in Poptropica itself – while there are definitely recent updates with the game that I’ve been disappointed by, I’m sure I’ll still log on to Pop occasionally and replay classic islands in the future. After all, it’s hard to immediately totally forget about a game you’ve had over 9 years of memories with.

For now, you can still find me on Discord and Twitter, and I’ll continue to read and support blogs in the Poptropica community.

In addition to her blogging endeavors, PS is also known among the community for her super creative Poptropica movies, which you can find on her YouTube channel, PoptropicaPerfectSky. You will be missed around here, Perfect Sky! ✨

~ the PHB ~

Galactic Hot Dogs Island

Grilled Cheese for Galactic Hot Dogs Island

Hey Poptropicans, it’s Slanted Fish, and today’s menu brings us grilled cheese and neon wieners! That’s right… it’s time for some Galactic Hot Dogs.

This weekend on the Creators’ Blog, while we were busy with our April Fools prank, Poptropica shared some behind-the-scenes goodies for Galactic Hot Dogs Island, as it was one of March’s Islands of the Month. Let’s take a look.

First, as they do with every island, the artists working on GHD Island had to follow a style guide to keep the overall look consistent as they created their creepy monsters and planetary paradises. As you can see below, this included using a thick black 2-point line on foreground objects (unique among the Poptropica islands), and a suggested font by the name of Grilled Cheese! Yum. Check it out below (click to enlarge):

Also, if you look closely at the stand-in character, he’s carrying an unused green bag that says “P-Con 2014,” along with a badge to match it. Probably an early prototype. What other interesting things did you find in there?

Anyway, after finalizing their designs, the next step for the artists was to test out the animations. We’re not able to embed them here on the PHB, but you can check out the little videos over on the Creators’ Blog post.

We also get to see this delightfully disgusting drawing of the zombie space pirate:

Neat-o. Well, that’s about all for the Earthly Cool Cats – uh, I mean Galactic Hot Dogs. GHD is no longer an Island of the Month – yes, we know we’re a little late on this news, but hey… so were the Creators. 😉

Anyway, as it’s Wimpy Kid Month, the current IOTMs are Wimpy Wonderland and Wimpy Boardwalk – which will be open to everyone for the month of April, so get on it!

Stay popping, Poptropicans!

–🐠