Mini Quests – 🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺

Ghost Story Island, Great Pumpkin Island, Islands, Mini Quests, Monster Carnival Island, Uncategorized, Vampire's Curse Island, Zomberry Island

Ranking the Halloween-Adjacent Islands 🦇

November 2, 2024November 2, 2024 LJ

Howdy, spooptropicans! Halloween may be behind us, but I’m here to prolong the excitement for just a little longer as today I’m going to rank all of the Halloween-related islands in Poptropica.

There are six islands that I believe fit the bill perfectly due to their spoopy nature; a couple of them are even directly themed around Halloween, such as the beloved Haunted House mini-quest, which will also be included in this list albeit not a full-fledged island. (Because duh, right? 😄) Now let’s get started! (Spoilers warning)

#6) Haunted House 🪦

I feel a bit guilty including this one only to put it at the end, but it just doesn’t stack up against the rest. It lacks a lot of substance which makes sense since it is a mini-island after all. That said, Haunted House definitely gives off those lovely OG Poptropica vibes that I appreciate, especially since it’s from 2009. I enjoyed riding around on the broomstick, solving a few puzzles, and seeing all the classic monster costumes at the party too.

#5) Great Pumpkin 🎃

I really like the “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” special and the island is no different. The cartoon was greatly adapted into the world of Poptropica. It’s short and sweet, but effective in its plot and depicting the characters accurately. Great Pumpkin is a cute, light-hearted island filled with many games and tidbits that make for a very fun play. My favorite parts were the ones with Snoopy. There’s also a Halloween party in this one as well some trick-or-treating involved. Perfect!

#4) Vampire’s Curse 🧛

(I felt really proud of myself after completing this one and memorizing exactly how to do it with every subsequent playthrough. 🤓) Although Vampire’s Curse might not be the most thrilling experience, it is quite complex—and being alone in Bram’s secluded castle definitely cranks up the scare factor. The artists really outdid themselves with this gorgeous island. The largely monochromatic color scheme is oddly satisfying, and the gothic buildings paired with the ominous thunder and rain create a lot of visual appeal. There’s also a romance plot that is both dramatic and sentimental woven here. However, I think the next island tells a romance story that is even better…

#3) Ghost Story 👻

There are so many eerie places on Ghost Story that keep you on your toes as if you’re just waiting for a jump scare—especially the cemetery. And let’s be real, hearing Fiona’s voice from behind you was startling. While the setting itself is cool, it isn’t anything extraordinary; That’s not always a bad thing though. The true highlight of this island is its storytelling. The emotional love triangle storyline and the topic of death set this island apart from the others in a really cool way. It’s very mature for Poptropica standards. This would’ve been a great island for the creators to bring back considering the aging fanbase, but alas, this dream will never come true. RIP 😔

#2) Zomberry 🧟

This one brings back a lot of fond memories for me, so I’m aware I might be a little biased here. Zomberry is my second favorite island from 2013, and it’s claiming the silver spot in my rankings once again. Like the previous two islands, the setting is dark and scary, but this time with our character wandering through a city taken over by zombies. I find the zombies’ blueberry designs pretty amusing, and they’re not really a threat in the end; still, it’s a pretty horrific scenario. Zomberry is a pretty awesome island for introducing us to memorable characters like DJ Saturday Nite and Gamer Guy, along with plenty of action when you’re battling those zomberries.

#1) Monster Carnival 🎪

I realize this pick might come off as a bit obvious since this island was my top choice in my recent 2014 islands ranking, but I can’t help that I love it so much! The 6-year mystery leading up to its release still gets me excited like a total geek. Monster Carnival does a wonderful job of combining the playful atmosphere of a carnival with the elements of a horror movie. The soundtrack, the monsters, and Ringmaster Raven—who’s one of the best villains and characters in the game—really elevate this island to another level and make it truly special to me.

And there it is! How many of these islands have you played, and what does your ranking look like? Also, how did you celebrate Halloween? Let’s talk about it in the comments.

I’m grateful to all of you for reading, and I look forward to our next conversation. Until then, stay awesome and pop on! 🍀

Membership, Mini Quests, Roblox, Store

All Members’ Content Now Free 🥳🫣

December 6, 2023December 9, 2023 Slanted Fish

You read that right: All members-only content is now free to play!

Releasing right on the heels of Poptropica’s sudden removal of membership, all islands and store items that were previously for members are now available to all. This includes Survival Ep. 4, Arabian Nights Ep. 2, Mission Atlantis Ep. 2, and PoptropiCon Ep. 3. Enjoy! 🙌

However, the members-only side quests — Rumpel’s Challenge after Fairy Tale, and Blitz on the Fritz after Goofball — are now nowhere to be seen. But perhaps it’s a small price to pay for everything else now being accessible to all. This essentially means membership is now obsolete.

Well, almost — the clubhouse appears to be the last holdout. Non-members who pull the switch to access the multiple rooms (a members-only feature) will be greeted with the message that first popped up last week about how memberships are no longer offered.

It’s amazing to see Poptropica dropping their paywalls, but we still haven’t heard them give any sort of official statement as to why. As exciting as it is for more players to gain access to previously limited content, the lack of updates in general seems to further confirm the lack of priority being given to the game. 🫣

Meanwhile, Suit Up Games — the Roblox studio spun out of Poptropica since last year — has continued to release new Roblox games. This year, instead of Pop, they’ve been working with clients like Hasbro’s Nerf toys.

And the resources being diverted from Poptropica to Roblox are most evident in the profiles of the people behind them. For example, while Suit Up Games’ Managing Director, Ross Targett, was also Poptropica’s General Manager last year, this year he’s taken the Poptropica role off his LinkedIn profile entirely. Meanwhile, Poptropica’s full-time Art Director, Jon Pitcher, is also now Suit Up Games’ full-time Art Manager and Lead Animator as of August 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.

But hey — no more Poptropica membership. Go enjoy it while you can! 🥳 And if you want to do it in community, drop by the PHC, our Discord server for Poptropica fans ages 13+. Keep on poppin’ on!

~🐠

Candy Crazed, Creators' Blog Guest Posts

Return of the Pop Quizzes and Candy Crazed

February 23, 2023February 23, 2023 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, pop in for quizzical and historical craziness! 🤯🍭

This past week, players have noticed an interesting feature popping up upon login: daily questions! It’s reminiscent of the former Pop Quizzes feature from the Flash days, though without cute accompanying illustrations nor a place to show off your answers on your profile.

The “daily questions” don’t seem to show up for everyone or all the time. So far, unlike previous Pop Quizzes, they’ve been preoccupied with pop culture, asking about preferences on social media platforms (TikTok or Instagram?) and TV shows (Wednesday or Stranger Things?). Curiously, these topics beckon towards a demographic of ages 13+, older than Poptropica’s purported audience of pre-teens. 🤔

Despite leaning towards older players with the new pop quizzes, however, it seems the gameplay is still gearing towards much younger kids! The Candy Crazed Mini Quest from 2021 has returned to offer credits for replays of the gumdrop-grabbing game. Find it on the map or via Master Huggles on Home Island, and check out our guide here! 🍭🍬

Speaking of Home Island, though, there’s still no sign of the Baron’s airship this month. Curiouser and curiouser…

It hasn’t escaped our notice that the Pop Creators have been quieter than usual this month. Only days away from the end of February, we’re finally seeing the month’s first post on the Creators’ Blog — and it’s a guest post, on the heels of a previous one by the same writer.

This time, guest blogger Invisible Ring takes a look back at the original cast of Creators that would post on the official blog. Though there were aliases aplenty, her Field Trip Files focus on a few, analyzing their roles with links to old posts: Vlad the Viking as Photographer, Comic Kid as Cartoonist and Investigator, Binary Bard as Spy… and she’d be remiss not to make a mention of herself — Possible Infiltrator indeed! 👀

If you enjoyed this peek into a more personable past, you might also like our Poptropica Creators Database, where we matched up some of the former Pop team’s real identities with their alter egos.

Veteran players everywhere reminisce about the work ethic, experience, and punctuality of this team, talking about the old days of how these ancient masters would run the island world like a well-oiled machine.
Invisible Ring (guest post here)

How ironic to have this shared by the current team, hmm? 😜 Yet Ring concludes with hope: “Sensational moments were possible for them, and they’re possible for us, too.” Let’s hope so!

~🐠

Baron's Airship, Fan Art Features, Mini Quests, Monthly Costume Contests, Store

Has Grapple-Pap Got the Baron? 👹🎁

December 21, 2022December 21, 2022 Slanted Fish

Happy Grapple-Pap, Poptropicans! 🎄💝☃️

We may be well into December by now, but the Pop winter tradition is officially on for the third year in a row. All players can find the old man on Home Island to play the Grapple-Gift Side Quest! Here’s our guide.

Just like before, you’ll be asked to deliver a gift to the shut-in, Clareta, in a short journey across a cold cliff. At the end, you’ll win a Grapple-Pop treat that can turn people sickly green! 🤢 Check out our review of The Grapple-Gift here. Cheers — we wouldn’t want ol’ GP to get us for a year!

You may have seen the winter wonderland of Home Island topped with Christmas garlands, but there’s another arrival on the homebase as well: the Baron’s airship! Except, well, the Baron’s still missing…

…and taking the throne inside the Cabin of Curiosities is her nemesis Amelia! Though maybe frenemy is a better word for their curious relationship, as the storekeeper comes with a peace offering of Grapple-Pops for her absent archrival, as she apparently does every year.

Also in the cabin, you can pick up a plethora of gifts, including half a year’s worth of the monthly player-designed costumes for free! The returning outfits were determined by popular vote last month, bringing us the Rockette, Jester, Spa Day (with slippers), The Hair, De-Man, and Boxing Barb (with shoes and gloves).

To the right, you can also purchase Grapple-Pap goodies: a tri-color lamp, totem pole, Christmas garland, gargoyle, and villager outfit.

But back to the case of the disappearing sky pirate. Talk to the detective Amelia, and she’ll share that the Baron’s ship just drifted in on its own.

She’ll also tie in worry for the Baron with the legend of Grapple-Pap, which states that if you don’t spread cheer, the fearsome monster (who shares a name with the holiday) “will get you for one whole year.”

We know the Baron is notoriously un-cheery, so does that mean they’ve encountered Grapple-Pap… whatever that means? Will we not see them for an entire year? Or is Rumpelstiltskin in on this too?

While the plot is only getting thicker up in the skies, down at Adventure Outfitters, Amelia is back to her smiley self with new gear for the holidays. In addition to the wintry wonders on the shop floor introduced earlier, don’t miss the fine fits for players and pets, including the Polar Bear, Slice of Pie, and Ornament costumes for the latter littles!

Last but certainly not least, enjoy these fan art features Poptropica shared on their Instagram stories last week! Feeling inspired? Share something “Grapple-Pap” for our Community Creations this month! ✨

Have a merry holiday season, however you celebrate. Come back before the end of the year for our annual rewind and let’s put a bow on 2022! 💝

~🐠

Mini Quests, Zomberry Island

Zomberry Hero: Back a Second Slime 🍍🧟

October 26, 2022 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropican heroes — the limited time special event Zomberry Hero is back with a similar dose of infected zombies to cure!

To get started with this mini-game inspired by the classic Zomberry Island, talk to the school bus driver on Home Island or find its map icon.

Almost exactly like the version that debuted in 2020, your task is to search for zombies among the dark cityscapes and blast them with your gun filled with pineapple slime antidote to rid them of their disease. But if you get too close, your fear meter will go up — too high and you’ll have to restart the level. After three levels, you’ll win 1,000 credits!

To see how it’s done, check out this official playthrough video or our Zomberry Hero Guide from when the game first released. When in Poptropica, Covid’s got nothing on tainted blueberries!

While the latest Zomberry outbreak appears pretty similar to the previous, PHB reader Silver Horse noticed that some of the infected Poptropicans from the original game in 2020 are merely scene assets in 2022, making the game much easier with fewer actual zombies this time around. Some characters were also switched up, with new additions like Burt Diamond and Black Widow replacing others like Shark Boy. And as Dizzy Feather notes, some NPCs have had their dialogue cut.

Despite the two years that have elapsed since the first Zomberry Hero event, which promised a sequel, no new levels were added. Once again, upon completion, players will simply see “To be continued…”

Besides the return of this special event, we’ve got a few spooky season shindigs here on the PHB too: be sure to enter our Halloween costume contest and make some art for Community Creations and Poptober.

🧟‍♀️ Now go be a Zomberry Hero! 🧟‍♂️

~🐠