Category: Pop Places IRL

Ever wondered what a Poptropica island might look like in real life? From Mystery Train to Arabian Nights, we compare virtual reality with actual reality.

Back Lot Island, Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Back Lot

LJ

Pop Places IRL Header

Hey, how’s it going, Poptropicans? Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL”! Today we’ll be touring the super stellar streets of Back Lot Island. Let’s pop into it!

Sunset Boulevard (model for Sunrise Street in Poptropica) is a 22-mile street in Los Angeles, California that stretches all the way from downtown L.A. to Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It has many restaurants, parks, and attractions such as the Cinerama Dome and Will Rogers State Historic Park. I think Poptropica depicts the pizzazz of this famous street pretty well, although there may not be a rabble of crazed paparazzi following you around everywhere you go in real life.

flickr.com/photos/pattirichmond/

It’s safe to say that Queequeg’s Coffeehouse is based off of Starbucks. You can tell pretty much at first glance. Yes, I know—Starbucks isn’t exclusive to L.A. or anything but hey, there are a whopping 105 locations in the city, so it’s not hard to find one. I wonder if the creators took the number of locations in L.A. into account being that there are two different Queequeg’s on the same street. Seems feasible, don’t you think?

eater.com

The TCL Chinese Theatre, formerly known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, is the world’s largest IMAX theatre and is a grail destination for tourists, located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Poptropica portrayal looks very similar to the one IRL!

sideshowtoy.com

The newly opened DreamWorks Theatre in the Universal City community of L.A. is already a popular attraction that plays the latest DreamWorks films in 4D! How cool is that? You can see that Poptropica mimicked the DreamWorks logo with the boy on the moon; however, instead of him holding a fishing pole, he’s on a laptop. Maybe playing Poptropica? I have to say I like Poptropica’s parody a little better, hehe.

dreamworks.wikia.com/wiki/DreamWorks_Wiki

Madame Tussauds is a very famous tourist attraction in Hollywood that contains over a hundred wax figures of various celebrities from different eras. Among them are Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe. Monroe is one of several figures standing in the lobby, alluring onlooking pedestrians to enter the famous museum.

Audrey Hepburn: philanthropicpeople.com, Elvis Presley: contactmusic.net, Marilyn Monroe: flickr.com/photos/22179009@N05/

Well, that about wraps up today’s tour! I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at the comparisons of these marvelous Poptropica scenes as well as their equally marvelous IRL counterparts while learning some things about them.

So, have you visited any of these places? Share your experience in the comments section below. Also, be sure to check out our previous Pop Places IRL posts if you haven’t already! Thanks for reading as always and I’ll talk to you in the next one… pop on!

– Lucky Joker 🍀

Pop Places IRL, Time Tangled Island

Pop Places IRL: Time Tangled

Spotted Dragon

Pop Places IRL Header

Welcome back to “Pop Places IRL” everyone! SD here with a Time Tangled Island edition, where I’ll be taking you through some scenes from the island and matching them up with scenes in real life (IRL). Since you literally travel through time in the quest, we actually visit a lot of famous places! Of which many have changed over, well, time.

Let’s kick things off with Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world (above sea level) and odd location of the Statue of Liberty model in game! We also get to meet Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in Poptropica, the first confirmed climbers of Everest in 1953. Sadly, our Poptropicans probably wouldn’t have been able to climb it as easily IRL. Would you want to visit the Himalayas someday?

screenshot: Poptropica Mount Everest (poptropicasecrets.com)
photo: Mount Everest (financialtribune.com)

Next up, let’s take a look at the Statue of Liberty! It was built in France, but today resides in the New York Harbor on Ellis Island (which is technically also a part of New Jersey!). In Poptropica, we get to return the statue to 1882’s France. The model is, well, a bit smaller to say the least.

photo: Statue of Liberty (messynessychic.com)
photo: Statue of Liberty, NY (commons.wikimedia.org)

After returning the statue, your Poptropican ventures to the Graff House in 1776. Also known as the Declaration House, this was the home of Jacob Graff and the place in Philadelphia where Thomas Jefferson wrote America’s Declaration of Independence. The resemblance is uncanny, huh?

screenshot: The Graff House (wikihow.com)
photo: Declaration House (ushistory.org)

If you’ve played though Time Tangled Island, you know we’re just getting started! In 1387, our Poptropicans visit Timbuktu during the Mali Empire, which occurred in West Africa from c. 1230 to 1670. You may recall returning some salt rocks, visiting the Timbuktu Inn, and repairing a puzzle of King Mansa Musa while here! Doesn’t the architecture look familiar?

photo: Mali Empire (edu.glogster.com)

After visiting the Mali Empire, Edison’s Workshop in 1877’s New Jersey is next. We primarily get to help Edison out with his phonograph in game, but he’s famous for inventing many other items as well! Today, a Memorial Tower and Museum is up in Menlo Park to honor the inventor. What do you think is his best invention?

screenshot: Edison’s Workshop (wikihow.com)
photo: Edison’s Workshop (theatlantic.com)

Following the workshop, we have the Aztec Empire of 1519’s Mexico. Like the Mali Empire, the Aztec culture had great influence on its area. The Poptropica Creators seem to have implemented their architecture pretty well into the game!

screenshot: Time Tangled Island (sea25ful on youtube)
illustration: The Aztec Capital (uncyclopedia.wikia.com)

Next, let’s visit Leonardo da Vinci in 1516’s Italy! As an artist and inventor, one of da Vinci’s most famous paintings was the Mona Lisa, which we got to see in Poptropican form! Which of his works do you admire?

model: Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop (Krisztian Palmai on youtube)

Later, we get to peek at Lewis and Clark’s 1805 Expedition. Like some other time periods our Poptropicans visit, it’s not like we have a whole lot of photos to compare with the actual event. Still, the expedition had a big impact on how today’s United States of America came to be!

illustration: The Lewis and Clark Expedition (myinterestingfacts.com)

Afterwards, we stop be a tourist destination that I’m sure we’re all aware of: the Great Wall of China. Our Poptropicans get to check it out in 1593, but it’s still up today! Have you ever walked along the Great Wall?

photo: The Great Wall of China (travelandleisure.com)

One of the last stops we have is the Vikings in 831. Other than in Time Tangled Island, we also get a glimpse into the world of Vikings in Mystery of the Map Island!

illustration: Viking Ship (snopes.com)

Finally, we have Ancient Greece in 328 BC. You’ve probably learned about this time period in school, but that doesn’t make it uninteresting! What are your favorite tales from Greek or Roman mythology?

photo: Facts About Ancient Greece (natgeokids.com)

Well, I think that’s it for our real-life tour through time! Did you stick around this long? Maybe one day, we can add the dystopian future to this post! 😉

What did you think? Have you been to any places that show monuments related to these time periods? Where would you like to go next on “Pop Places IRL”?

Until next time!

~SD

Nabooti Island, Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Nabooti

LJ

Pop Places IRL Header

Hello, Poptropicans! It’s Lucky Joker here with another “Pop Places IRL” tour!

Though Nabooti Island is a fictional place, all of the other locations we visit in our Nabooti adventure are very real-life places in Africa! Get ready to fly as we take a look at some of them and see how they compare to Poptropica’s versions. 🛩️

At one point in the island, we tour the temples of the Great Sphinx. The 66-foot tall statue is located in Giza, Egypt and is a symbol of strength and wisdom. It’s theorized that the face on the Sphinx is a representation of Pharaoh Khafra—the fourth king of the fourth dynasty. (The more you know!) Poptropica nailed it with this one, in my opinion. The only real difference would be the little hole of light at the top, of course.

unknown source

When you land in Blue Nile Falls (also known as the smoky waterfall), you can see a large number of rocks and a surplus amount of lush vegetation surrounding the massive spectacle, just like in real life.

ethiopiavoyage.com

And now we’re off to the Kaya Forests! Kaya is a forest located in Kenya inhabited by the Mijikenda people (a group of closely related, but distinct tribes), and includes an array of fortified villages which are considered to be their sacred, ancestral homes. Poptropica portrayed the forest villages quite well, don’t you think?

weloveyatours.blogspot.com

To the place where you encounter a mancala master and collect a costume-giving cell phone, we now arrive at The Rwenzori Mountains! Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, these mountains are the source of the second largest river in the world—the Nile River. They’re known as Mountains of the Moon in Poptropica because that was what the legendary mountain range was referred to by ancient peoples.

rwenzorimountainsnationalpark.com

In this last comparison, we see a variety of beautiful wild animals in the safari and they’re equally as captivating in Poptropica as they are IRL. Wouldn’t you agree?

nathab.com

And that’s it! Thanks for coming along for the tour of Nabooti and the places that inspired it’s being! What do you think of all of these beautiful destinations? Would you like to visit any someday? If you liked this post, be sure to explore the other Poptropica places we’ve tour guided. And with that…

Where would you like to go next on “Pop Places IRL”?

– Lucky Joker 🍀

Escape from Pelican Rock Island, Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Escape From Pelican Rock

Spotted Dragon

Pop Places IRL Header

Hey Poptropicans, and welcome back to our new “Pop Places IRL” series! Here, I’ll be walking you through some of Escape From Pelican Rock Island’s most notable scenes and comparing them to those scenes in real life (IRL).

You may already know this if you’re very familiar with California (or have read our trivia on the Escape From Pelican Rock Island Guide), but Pelican Rock is based on San Francisco (or “Bay City”), and more specifically, its famous Alcatraz island prison.

Even though the prison is no longer up and running IRL today, visitors can still take a tour of the island located in San Francisco Bay (if you can withstand the strong smell of pelican feces). When it was still in operation, the facility was well known for being impossible to break out of, though I guess our Poptropicans proved that wrong!

photo: Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay (travelingwithmj.com)

Once you’re arrested, you get to visit many important places inside the prison, including the yard. If you thought it was a pretty dull way to spend your time in game, I’m sorry to tell you that the IRL prison recreation yard isn’t any more dazzling.

Impressions: You’ll want to easel onto it.
photo: Alcatraz Cell Block From Rec Yard (Andrew Brown)

Aside from your recreation time behind bars, meal time makes up a big portion of our Poptropicans’ adventures. While photos of Pelican Rock’s cafeteria aren’t in black and white, the IRL prison cafeteria may just have better food!

Mise En Place: We’ve got mouths to feed.
photo: Alcatraz 2 (bonappetit.com)

The last main location you often visit while at Pelican Rock (besides the plate making room, which shows a very common jail trope) is, of course, your cell. Poptropicans may have it a bit better space wise, but it’s cool to see that even the green walls match up with the IRL prison cells.

photo: Alcatraz Prison Cell (artstation.com)

Another big landmark on the island in game was the “Colt Tower” that you chase Booted Bandit up. IRL, this location was based on San Fran’s Coit Tower, a tourist destination aside from Alcatraz!

photo: Coit Tower (tommygirard.wordpress.com)

A spot that I’m obligated to mention is of course San Fran’s famous Golden Gate Bridge! Though not a huge destination in game, the bridge can be seen in the background multiple times along your adventure and is a staple in the city’s skyline.

From a Distance: Something new is on the horizon.
photo: Golden Gate Bridge (franks-travelbox.com)

Well, that wraps up our tour of real-life Escape From Pelican Rock! What did you think?

Have you been to San Francisco? How does it compare to Poptropica’s interpretation? I’ve actually been on an Alcatraz tour and think the resemblance is pretty cool! What other places do you want us to cover in this series?

If you liked this post, be sure to smash that like button check out our real-life tour of Crisis Caverns Island too! 🙂

~SD

Pop Places IRL

Pop Places IRL: Crisis Caverns

Slanted Fish

Pop Places IRL Header

Hey Poptropicans, and welcome to a new series called “Pop Places IRL”! Here, you’ll be taken through a Poptropica island… but side-by-side with scenes in real life (“IRL”). You know, like the reality that exists outside of the internet?

Anyway. To kick off the series, our first tour will be of the first island that debuted on Poptropica Worlds: Crisis Caverns Island. (Check out our guide here!)

Caldera State Park, the fictional area where this island takes place, is inspired by a real-life location in Wyoming, USA: Yellowstone National Park, which is centered around North America’s largest caldera, or supervolcano. Try not to get blown up!

photo: National Park Service (nps.gov)

One of the first places you’ll find on Crisis Caverns is the Visitor’s Center, which is full of displays about wildlife. But did you know that the design of the building is modeled after Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn?

photo: Old Faithful Inn (yellowstonegate.com)

Wander a bit further and you’ll find the wax pots. They’re not very exciting on Poptropica, considering there’s no movement, but if you visit the fountain paint pots at Yellowstone, you’ll find them constantly bubbling from the ground.

gif: fountain paint pots (ccortes182.wixsite.com)

Head right and you’ll find the termite rocks. You won’t find these in Yellowstone, but you can see mound-building termites in Africa, Australia, and South America.

photo: termite mounds in the Democratic Republic of Congo (bbc.com)

Just past the termite rocks is Old Reliable — the name itself is inspired by Yellowstone’s most predictable geyser, Old Faithful. Poptropica’s version is hardly a showstopper, but if you wait for the eruptions IRL, Old Faithful can really blow!

gif: Old Faithful (giphy.com)

On Crisis Caverns, we get to dive into some red-hot magma chambers. That probably wouldn’t go over so well IRL, but we can get glimpses of lava (magma at the surface) flowing out from underground.

This park tour wouldn’t be complete without some cute animals, and what could be grander than this great American bison in the Visitor’s Center? At Yellowstone, it’s even better: the park is home to thousands of bison that all roam freely.

gif: bison in Yellowstone (giphy.com)

The Visitor’s Center also offers a display of an elk, an animal that also roams freely at Yellowstone. Like bison, they sometimes block the traffic too. Don’t get too close, though — they can be injurious!

gif: elk (giphy.com)

And that concludes our tour of real-life Crisis Caverns!

What did you think? Have you been to Yellowstone or other national parks, and how does it compare? What other Poptropica islands resemble locations you’ve visited or hope to visit? Where would you like to go next on “Pop Places IRL”?

Thanks for joining us on this journey, and see you next time! 💎