Pop Places IRL – Page 2 – 🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺

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!

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!

photo: Middle Eastern Palace (worldarchitecturenews)

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!

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!

Farewell, fellow travelers, and good night!

~SD

Pop Places IRL, Red Dragon Island

Pop Places IRL: Red Dragon

August 4, 2019July 31, 2019 Spotted Dragon

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?

Sayonara, Poptropicans!

~SD

Pop Places IRL, Vampire's Curse Island

Pop Places IRL: Vampire’s Curse

October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 Spotted Dragon

Pop Places IRL Header

Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! Today, I’m bringing you an extra spoOOOooOoky setting. This time around, we’ll be traveling to Vampire’s Curse Island! Enjoying the series? Be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.

So, first things first… where exactly does Vampire’s Curse take place? Though the setting is never directly stated, it is implied that the island is heavily influenced by the classic tale of Dracula. In fact, Count Bram is named after its author, Bram Stoker.

And, dear readers, the castle featured in Dracula is none other than the Bran Castle. Eerily similar to “Bram’s Castle,” don’t you think? The creepy tale made the IRL castle pretty famous, because you can even take tours of it today!

photo: Bran Castle Transylvania (vagrantsoftheworld.com)

I suppose this castle comparison leads us to another question… where is the castle located? If you haven’t already guessed, the infamous Bran Castle is located in Romania, a country in Europe. Specifically, the towering construction is near Transylvania, a region especially known for vampire lore. Though the towns in the area are much more modern today, you can definitely still see the remains of older architecture.

photo: Saxon Village (lonelyplanet.com)

However, when you begin to stray away from civilization on Vampire’s Curse Island, you’re sure to wind up deep in the woods (on your way to Bram’s castle, of course). A bit of a maze in game, I’m thinking IRL Romanian forests aren’t much easier to navigate at night. Though they might be less vampire-infested, Romania’s woods always seem to come with their own creepy lore either way.

photo: Hoia Baciu Forest (dailystar.co.uk)

Finally, I think it’s important to touch on the graveyards of Romania, considering their own spooky connotation in-game, where the grand Mausoleum has Latin that reads “meminervnt omnia amantes,” translating to “remember all the lovers.”

This sure adds to the island’s spooky aesthetic, but how does its appearance hold up to its counterparts in real life? It turns out that Romania has a pretty famous grave site called The Merry Cemetery, filled with surprisingly colorful gravestones. What a contrast!

photo: The Merry Cemetery (thecultureist.com)

Welp, that wraps up our IRL tour of Vampire’s Curse! Did it live up to your Halloween-y expectations? Hope we didn’t spook you too much this year. 😉

But I’m curious… what do you think? Have you ever been to Romania? How do our comparisons to the game hold up? What other islands do you want to see in this series? Be sure to leave a comment with your thoughts below!

La revedere! Don’t let the vampire bats bite!

~SD

Counterfeit Island, Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Counterfeit

August 21, 2018August 22, 2018 Spotted Dragon

Pop Places IRL Header

Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL,” Poptropicans! You read the title: SD here to compare scenes from Counterfeit Island to the places in real life (IRL) that it was inspired by. Enjoying the series? Be sure to check out other Pop Places IRL posts.

It may be pretty obvious, but Counterfeit Island is supposed to take place in real life France. Many scenes, including Main Street, were made to resemble France’s aesthetic environment—in particular, the country’s parks and natural landscape.

photo: Paris Park (mothernaturenetwork)

Aside from nature, we can’t forget about Downtown Counterfeit, and the more man-made features of the island! There’s the internet cafe, jazz cafe, and more. Mmmmm, if only there were more bakeries, like real-life Paris!

photo: Downtown France (expedia.com)

Moving back into nature, the Countryside was also a significant location in Counterfeit. Home of the Inspector (or should I say, *spoiler* Black Widow), as well as the last place where Balloon Boy’s feet touched the ground. Aren’t both cottages cute?

photo: France Countryside (travellerspoint.com)

On the opposite side of the island, we visit the Docks. I wouldn’t go so far as to say France is known for its docks, but that doesn’t mean its without them! I’m sure they reek of fish, just like any other place where fishing boats sit (no offense, Fishy!).

screenshot: Counterfeit Island Docks (Thinknoodles on youtube)

photo: Sainte-Maxime (autoeurope.com)

“What else could there be???” you ask. Well, we got everything above land, so time to head below! The underground tunnels we venture through in game may well be based on very real Catacombs of Paris. These famous catacombs include a series of tunnels underground the city that contain human remains. Spooky!

photo: Catacombs of Paris (europe1.fr)

Lastly, we can’t forget about all the artwork! I mean, this is Counterfeit Island after all, home of our friendly neighborhood art thief. In the Museum Fantastique, we see many well known paintings, including (but not limited to) The Scream, Starry Night, and Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies. And that’s not even mentioning the (spoiler alert) paintings in the secret room at the end of the quest!

Did you know that Edvard Munch created four versions of The Scream, two in paint and two in pastels? One of the painted ones is in The National Gallery in Norway, and the other is in The Munch Museum.

photo: The Scream (nationmultimedia.com)

It would be quite a hassle to include all the artwork in this post, but be sure to check out our Ancient Artworks of the Counterfeit Island Museum tour for a closer look at them all if you’re interested!

While not all the displayed paintings correspond, I think it’s safe to assume that this museum was inspired by France’s most famous museum: The Louvre. In fact, this art museum is the largest in the world and displays such pieces as the Mona Lisa! However, the museum in Poptropica is certainly not as grand as the real thing.

photo: Louvre (eghamat24.com)

I hope you enjoyed this post, because that just about wraps up our real-life tour of Counterfeit Island! I kinda want to visit France now…

What did you think? Have you ever seen these famous paintings in person, or been to any art museum? How about France? Be sure to let us know which island you want us to feature next in this series, as well as what places you think other islands resemble!

Au revoir!

~SD

Cryptids Island, Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Cryptids

August 16, 2018August 10, 2018 Spotted Dragon

Pop Places IRL Header

SD here with another “Pop Places IRL” post, everyone! Are you sick of me yet? This time around, I will be comparing scenes from Cryptids Island with the scenes it was inspired by in real life (IRL). Check out our official guide for the island here.

Even though Main Street seems pretty ordinary, you actually end up visiting many real places in Cryptids Island! In fact, I’m sure you’ve heard of many of these locations.

Let’s start off with what may be the star of the quest… Nessie! The Loch Ness Monster is from, well, Loch Ness. If you were unaware, it’s a large body of freshwater in Scotland. As one would expect, it’s famous for its aquatic monster sightings!

Whoa, Nessie!

photo: Loch Ness (viator.com)

Other than Nessie, we also search for the Yeti in the Himalayas, a huge mountain range in Asia. Like in game, there sure are monasteries in the IRL mountains! We also visit the Himalayan Mountains, particularly Mount Everest, in Time Tangled Island.

photo: Ki Monastery (thehikinglife.com)

After the mountains, our Poptropicans attempt to capture the infamous Chupacabra in Puerto Rico! Sorry goats, but I don’t think you could pay me enough money to go face that beast IRL…

photo: Puerto Rico Mountains (kevin on flickr)

Talking about beasts, up next is New Jersey! And that means the Jersey Devil. Am I bringing up bad memories for anyone? If you ever visit, maybe you should stay closer to the city, just to be safe…

On the outside looking in.

photo: New Jersey (businessinsider.com)

Finally, we visit the Pacific Northwest in pursuit of Big Foot. This location may be a bit broad, but roughly includes states like Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in the US. They are known for having the most frequent Big Foot sightings!

photo: Pacific Northwest (kenmoreair.com)

I think that’s it for the real-life Cryptids Island tour! Have you been to any of the places we listed? Or better yet, have you think you spotted any of these cryptids IRL?

Where would you like us to go next time for this series?

~SD