Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Pop 5: Best-Dressed Characters in Poptropica II

Purple Paw

Heyo everybody! You may remember a post I wrote for the PHB back in September, highlighting my top favorite character outfits in Poptropica. Well, since then, after several more extensive tours of Poptropican fashion, I’ve realized that the five lucky characters I showcased last time barely scraped the surface!

There are over fifty islands on Poptropica’s map, and each of them displays equally unique and appealing style; so it seemed unfair that only five should be given a chance to shine! That’s why I decided to continue the fashion show with five more spotlight-worthy characters from across the islands. From the glamorous to the rugged, the old-fashioned to the outrageous, and everything in between, this new show’s sure to have something for everybody!

5: Mordred

Starting off the show, we have a taste of centuries-old apparel from the kingdom of Arturus! It’s clear that pre-robotized Mordred had an excellent sense of dress; right off the bat, the main purple-and-yellow color scheme is perfectly eye-catching, and the lace neck ruff, gleaming amulet, and neatly styled hair and beard add to the medieval aesthetics. The plume on top of the hat gives a satisfying flourish, making him an easy head to spot in the crowd! There’s no better example of old-fashioned yet likable style than from the genius Mordred himself!

4: Captain Slarx

Up next, let’s skip ahead a few hundred years to the much more modernized world of PoptropiCon! Captain Slarx, the master of Fremulon, doesn’t often receive a whole lot of attention, but I thought such an out-of-this-world costume definitely deserved a spotlight! The star of this style is, naturally, the purple alien mask, complete with shining red eyes and wildly waving tentacles; it’s no wonder that Poptropican in the bathroom line wanted one so badly. The red cropped top and skirt, with their sharp shoulder shapes (try saying that five times fast) and metal belt, add to the futuristic fashion look as well. May this fine Poptropican’s Zazzleblax be ever abundant.

3: Master of Ceremonies

In third place, we hop on over to Poptropolis Games Island, where the wonderfully dressed Master of Ceremonies waits to announce the Tribes! There are multiple pieces of this outfit that convinced me to award him a place on this list. Firstly, the blue-and-white toga echoes the styles of Ancient Greece, a place well-known for its competitive Olympic Games (which Poptropolis is based off of) and is therefore perfect for the Master of Ceremonies’ job. The microphone accessory is also another reminder of this Poptropican’s important position, as it’s not everybody who gets to announce the centennial Poptropolis Games! The green leaf crown follows the tropical rainforest scheme shown throughout the island, and also serves a double purpose to keep the neatly styled hair propped up! Once the Tribes have finished competing, it’s only fair to give our Master of Ceremonies a round of applause as well.

2: Persian Dancer(s)

Coming in second, here’s another Poptropican (or three, to be accurate) who deserve plenty more recognition than they got. These beautiful dancers from the Chicago World’s Fair were the very first Poptropicans to spin a full 360 degrees! Quite an accomplishment indeed. But, as this list isn’t about great Poptropican feats, we’ll skim over their physical abilities and take a look at those gorgeous outfits! Each dancer sports a semi-see-through sash of orange and pink colors; sashes that, in fact, twirl with them when they spin, creating a most beautiful effect. The striped, rustic colored skirts also show off splendid motion, and the gold band on their thick curly hair is echoed in the beaded necklaces. Overall, the color schemes, hairdos, and silk accessories combined create what (should have been) some of Poptropica’s most unforgettable looks!

1: Daphne Dreadnaught

And here is our first place winner…the little-known but extremely fashionable ghost-hunter, Daphne Dreadnaught! I’m not going to deny being a bit biased on this one, as she is one of my very top favorite characters. But I hope we can all agree that this is a spectacular style that deserved much more showtime than it got in the Spook Central mini quest alone! I’ll do my best not to rant about all that, though, so let’s dive on in to just why I love this outfit so much! The short black hair and its streaks of shocking white create an awesome hairstyle whose colors are copied nicely throughout the rest of the outfit, including in the black pants and white undershirt. The leather brown and shiny silver of the ghost-hunting goggles are also shown in other places, mainly on that fabulous vest and clasped collar, but also in the handheld hammer accessory! All in all, I’ll never get tired of looking at this one. 🖤

Well Poptropicans, that’s all this show’s got today! I hope you enjoyed examining some of these lesser-known fashionistas in the second part of my Poptropica-wide fashion tour. There are still many more amazing styles that I did not feature on this list, so let’s have one final round of applause for all those well-dressed Poptropicans who failed to make it into this post; and feel free to let us know down in the comments who you would choose for your own Poptropica fashion tour!

~Purple Paw 💜

Uncategorized

This year, give the gift of Grapple-Pap 🎁

Purple Paw

Heyo, Poptropicans! Big news: as promised, the festive Grapple-Pap side quest has appeared on Pop! After playing through it, I found it to be a very intriguing adventure. To begin, head across the wondrously snowy Home Island and speak to the man with a pile of presents.

He’ll ask you to deliver a gift to his sister. But before you accept the challenge, there’s one thing that needs to be set straight; what exactly is Grapple-Pap? According to the man, it’s ‘the time of year Poptropicans give gifts and merriment’. So it’s essentially the Poptropica version of Christmas! (I wonder what other holidays Poptropicans celebrate…)

If you’re feeling ready to go Grapple-Papping, respond with a ‘sure’ and you’ll be whisked off to start the adventure! Keep reading for a full guide with pictures below.

You’ll be in a very festive-looking town. Everybody’s dressed up in traditional Grapple-Pap apparel. Walk on up the road. You’ll pass by several townspeople getting ready for the holiday, including three jump-ropers and an ice-skater!

When asked where Clareta is, they all come up with generally the same answers. Nobody’s seen her for years, and they think that the Grapple-Pap got her. After all, if you don’t spread cheer, the great Grapple-Pap will get you for one whole year…very mysterious indeed. One will also tell you that the holiday is named after somebody called the Grapple-Pap! Finally, you’ll find a Poptropican who will give you a clue about Clareta. The baker up at the Salty Nugget tells you that Clareta lives in Cold Cliff Pass. An NPC wandering near the Salty Nugget will also warn you that Clareta has become ‘mean’ over the years…that can’t mean anything good.

Following the baker’s advice, go right to Cold Cliff Pass. There’s quite a bit of pretty winter scenery in this area.

It’s cold outside…

Keep walking down the hill until you reach a tunnel of ice with several floating platforms. There’s a stone block with an engraving on it; push it all the way against the far wall of the ice cave, and jump on it to reach the last platform. From there, climb onto the top slope and exit the ice tunnel.

Walk up a second hill and you’ll find yourself in front of a ledge with another stone block on top of it. Hop onto the ledge, and push the block off of it. Keep pushing it until you reach a very tall snowdrift. Using the block as a boost, climb up onto the snowdrift.

Go down another ice tunnel, and jump up onto a second tunnel above it, this one filled with snow and holly. There’s another stone block wedged in this tunnel, so you’ll have to push it out before you can proceed. From there, you’ll see a rope. Climb up it, and you’ll be in a blizzard; dangerous, yet beautiful. Walk against the blizzard down a hill–and, hey, there’s footprints in the snow here! Clareta must live nearby!

It sure is winter here.

Sure enough, at the bottom of the slope there’s a (rather rundown) house. Enter it.

Whoa, this house sure is creepy…just look at that huge, uh, whatever it is, hanging from the ceiling! But there’s a fire in the grate, so somebody must still live here. Walk through the house as far as you can go, past a huge bed with a bearskin on it, and you’ll see a piece of paper perched on a windowsill. Click on it, and you’ll see…

Aw, it’s Clareta and her brother (the man who sent you on the quest) at a Grapple-Pap years ago! Just look how young and happy they were…and it looks like Clareta is holding a Grapple-Pap gift not much different from the one you were sent to deliver to her. The two of them must have lived here together, at least when they were younger.

Once you’ve finished admiring that cute image, close it, and something quite frightening will happen. The bed behind you begins to shake…there’s a lump moving under the covers…and a very angry and bedraggled Clareta will burst out!! (Apologies for the horrible screenshot. I definitely wasn’t expecting something like that to happen!)

“I have a Grapple-Pap gift from your–“

Wow, somebody’s feeling nasty today. Clareta will scream at you to leave her house, which you, quite willingly, do. That Grapple-Pap’ll always get you if you’re not careful, as Clareta clearly demonstrated. But you can’t let it end like this…there must be something you can do to remind Clareta of the holiday spirit!

And, indeed, an opportunity presents itself! A very large pile of snow outside the house falls away to reveal a huge stone block with what must be the Grapple-Pap himself engraved upon it. Click on the block, and it’ll slide down the hill and crash straight into Clareta’s house! Oops…

Another scream will issue from the now-broken house, and Clareta will come outside and sprint away, promising that she’ll spread cheer. Run along after her.

Follow her back into the town, where she’ll be dancing (sudden change in mood, huh?) while holding a Grapple-Pop. She’ll thank you for reminding her what Grapple-Pap is all about, and gives you a Grapple-Pop as your reward. Congratulations, you’ve completed the Grapple-Pap quest!

Equip the Grapple-Pop and press space bar to turn everybody’s heads green.

Welp, that sure was a wild ride! Even though it’s not a full island, this side quest has really given us some insight on Poptropican lore and traditions. Overall, I think it’s pretty cool (pun may or may not be intended). But what do you think? Let us know in the comments down below! Merry Grapple-Pap!

~Purple Paw

Bonus Items, Member Gifts, Membership, Uncategorized

Winter coloring pages with ends of ages ❄️

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! It’s mid-December, which means several things: rounding off the flurry of member gifts, some dates to remember, and even a handful of coloring pages when you need a break. Let’s pop into it!

The last of the 12 Days of Member Gifts is here, and it’s a doozy: this Ice Wielder Power is the perfect overlay for a wintry look, reminiscent of the Electrify power but with an animated storm of snowflakes.

Take a look back on the previous 12 Days of Member Gifts here, here, here, and here, and remember, you can get all 12 gifts if you become a member at any point this month. It’s the best time for bonus items!

There’s winter fun for all in other ways too, and the latest comes in the form of these free winter coloring pages from the Creators’ Blog! In addition to Poptropicans dressed for the cold, we’ve also got snowmen (one melted) and a candy cane. Click the images to open in full size!

Once you’ve opened a coloring page image, you could save them to your device and color them with an art app, or print them out and color them the traditional way. Either way, the Pop Creators would love to see your creations — you can share them on social media with the tag #poptropicart for a chance to have your work featured!

Have you been cooking up an idea for the Design Your Dream Island Contest? Keep in mind that the last day for entries is this Friday, Dec 18 at 11:59 p.m. PST! The winner will be announced ten days later, Dec 28.

Intensifying panic notwithstanding, be sure to use Poptropica’s submission form here when you send off your ideas. And you can share it with us, too, although we can’t make your island real.

In the last contest, the PHB shared a closer look at a contest entry from one of the runners-up: House of Cards Island. In a similar vein, if you’d like to share your island idea with PHB readers, we’d love to share what you’ve come up if you send in a guest post!

Time’s ticking for one more thing, too—the end of Flash itself. The end of 2020 marks the end of the Flash era, and we’re sending it off with a bang of a Poptropica party!

Come join us this Saturday at 8 p.m. Eastern on the PHC and Poptropica for a memorial to Poptropica’s longtime engine, as well as festivities for the holidays. See the full invite for our “Gone in a Flash” Holiday Party!

🥳 Pro tip: You don’t have to wait till a party comes along to connect with Poptropicans on our Poptropica Help Chat (PHC) Discord server!

Uncategorized, Video of the Week

Gear up for a Christmas in Haxe 🎄

Purple Paw

Heyo, Poptropicans! Yet another week has gone by, and that means another store rotation. The holidays have reached Poptropica in this latest store stash!

Many items have remained the same, although there is a good assortment of new apparel as well. Let’s take a look at the newest fashion in stock:

  • Costumes: Glam Gamer Girl*, Comfy Vibes*, Boss Babe, Neon Rockstar, Pretty Tough, Aqua Rebel, Boho Beauty, Coolin, Cozy Coca, Elf Costume*, Little Candy Cane*, Crazy Candy Cane*, Pop Star, Angel, Robin Hood, Holiday Ball
  • Followers: Dolphin*, Mini Dr. Hare*, Chick, Atlantis Drone, Dryad, Charlie the Choco-Monkey*, Elephant, Deer
  • Powers: Binary Rain*, Bobblehead*, Torch, Cinnamon Fire PopGum, Spark Shower Wand, Electrify
  • Pranks: Sticky Notes, Sneezing Powder, 8-Bit Birthday Pixel Pig Power, Inside-Out Power*, Octo-Prank, Jellyfish Prank, Spitball Shooter

11 items out of the entire store are members-only, with 5 member-exclusive costumes.

Most of the Christmas costumes are for members only, but there’s nothing wrong with sporting a glam pop star look instead! After all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. 🎶

Going caroling on Home Island.

Apart from the store festivities, here’s a little reminder of the little time we have left with Flash came very recently. PHB staffers Gentle Dolphin, Sporty Boa, and Spotted Dragon reported logging onto Poptropica on their Flash accounts and finding themselves in Haxe instead. I logged on and didn’t experience the same issue, as I was still in Flash. Perhaps it has something to do with logging in on the mobile app before I logged in on a computer? Who knows?

The good news, however, is that whether you show up on Haxe or Flash, the old islands (for members only) will still be available until the end of the year! (And will hopefully be open for non-members too in the future.) Make the most of Flash before it’s gone for good!

Maybe the good old classics will be in Haxe one day…

A final tidbit of news is that the Creators, true to their promise, recently shared a second Video of the Week! This one has been dug up from the archives of 2016, and highlights Pop founder Jeff Kinney showing how to draw a Poptropican on Fox & Friends. (Check out the clip in their post.)

That’s the scoop for today! Has your account been mysteriously converted to Haxe? And whichever format you’re in, is your Poptropican avatar dressed for the winter holidays? Tell us in the comments, and I’ll see you soon!

~Purple Paw 💜

Uncategorized, Video of the Week

Arabian Nights and YouTube Spotlights 🧞‍♂️

Purple Paw

Heyo, Poptropicans! Big news: the Creators recently announced that Arabian Nights will be coming to Haxe in less than a week! And, unlike many islands before it, it’ll be available to all players—non-members included—right from the release! Pretty awesome, huh?

Arabian Nights was one of the most popular islands.

It’s not clear yet whether the Creators plan to remaster Arabian Nights (like they did with Mythology Island) or if they’re keeping it relatively the same as the Flash version. Most players, myself included, weren’t very happy with the lack of challenge in Haxe’s Mythology; but who knows what’ll happen with Arabian Nights? A new island port is progress in itself, and the most we can do is hope that the new version turns out as awesome as the original Arabian Nights!

Speaking of Arabian Nights, this fun island trilogy was the winner of the 2013/14 Create Your Dream Island Contest! It’s not a coincidence that the Creators decided to release Arabian Nights at this time, to commemorate the current Dream Island contest happening right now. (There’s still plenty of time left to submit your island entries!)

Arabian Nights (as seen on the mobile app)

In other news, a second Creators’ Blog post appeared not long after the Arabian Nights announcement, this one sharing a Halloween Poptropica fan video by Invisible Ring (inspired by the Zomberry Hero special event)! Though the post is quite late for Halloween, it’s never too late to be zombified. 🧟‍♀️ Check out the spooktacular video below:

There’s something in the title of the Creators’ post that caught my eye: “Video of the Week.” Hmm… is this another weekly promise? The store rotations that were planned to change every week don’t always live up to the promise, but it would be pretty great for the Creators to recognize their (very creative) fans with weekly videos. Between their showcasing of fan art in place of ads, social media spotlights, and now fan video features, the Creators have definitely been giving the Poptropica fandom lots of recognition lately!

Welp, that’s all for this one! What are your hopes for the new Arabian Nights? Thoughts on the Creators’ fan interactions? Let us know in the comments!

~Purple Paw 💜