Big Nate Island Guide

Synopsis

Get ready for a whole new type of online virtual world adventure on Poptropica. Enter the comic strip world of Big Nate – a wisecracking kid who holds the all-time record for detentions at this school. You’re on a mission to find a long-lost time capsule which, if found, can save the school from demolition. You’ll need help from Nate and his friends to complete your online virtual world quest!

For walkthroughs on Big Nate Island, scroll down.

nate
Released: February 12, 2009
Common Room: Cap’n Salty’s
Preceded by: Nabooti Island
Succeeded by: Astro-Knights Island

Resources on this page: Island Extras | Synopsis from Poptropica | Video Walkthrough | Written Walkthrough | Album Photos | Trivia

Island Extras: Map | Official Tour


Video Walkthrough

For a written walkthrough with pictures, scroll down on this page!


Written Walkthrough

Walkthrough written by Codien
Special thanks to Fierce Moon, PopBuddies, Lucky Joker, & Slanted Fish

Table of Contents

1) Comic Strip Frame Locations
2) Big Nate Island Guide

Comic Strip Frames

  1. Pop-In Shoppe – on the green couch, on the top floor.
  2. Klassic Komix – talk to the guy to receive the frame.
  3. Photo Studio – on top of the light, to the right.
  4. Main Street – on a telegraph pole, to the very right of the street.
  5. Inside the School – on a speaker, on the top floor.
  6. Science Lab – on the Planet Mobil, to the left.
  7. Outside the School – on the wooden scaffolding, to the right of the school.
  8. Playground – floating in the air, on top of the climbing wall.
  9. Puffin Point – on top of the lighthouse.

bignate comic

Big Nate Island Guide

With only a Lobster, a pack of Stale Gum, and some Peanut Butter Crackers, you can find a Time Capsule any day.

Main Street

When you arrive, you will be greeted by Big Nate. He’s on a search for a time capsule hidden a hundred years ago. Let’s join the hunt!

bignate4

Head to your right and enter the shop named “Pop-In Shoppe”, a store run by Nate’s dad. At your left there is a bulletin with some background information on the time capsule. If you go to the top floor, on the green couch there is a comic strip frame. There are nine of these frames hidden around Big Nate island and they all join up to make a comic strip that will help you later in the game.

Go back outside and go to your right. Enter the “Klassic Komix” building, which is full of comics and other cool stuff. Once inside talk to the guy. He is looking for a comic he lost, he will provide you with a comic frame for it. Exit the building.

Pass the “Cap’n Salty’s” building, which is the island’s multiplayer room, and then enter the Photo Studio (the large camera), a building run by the “School Picture Guy”. On the right there is a comic frame sitting on a light. Pick it up then go back outside. Now on the right of the “Photo Studio” there is a telegraph pole you can climb. Climb to the the top to obtain another comic frame. Jump back down and go right.

School

You are now outside the school, where there is a large bell on the top (more information can be found later on in the guide). Head to your right and go inside the school. Inside there is a science lab, some rundown lockers, a detention hall, and a secret room. Go to your right, jump up the stairs and grab the comic frame. Enter the door labeled “Science Lab” on your left.

Once inside the room, make your way next to the science geek, a boy named Francis. Click on the chemistry set next to him. Turn on the heater to 4, then pour half of the beaker with blue liquid and half with yellow, which will make a greenish color. This will produce a Stink Bomb. It will be useful later.

Go over to your left towards the Mr. Bones skeleton model and grab the comic frame on top of the planet mobile. Make your way out of the science lab and out of the school.

Climb up the wooden scaffolding on the right of the school. Grab the comic frame on it. Now go right to the Playground.

Playground & Kids’ Club House

Climb to the top of the playground and head left so you are on top of the climbing wall. Floating above you is a comic frame, so grab it. Go right and enter the ‘Kids Only’ house. Win the “Go To Jail” game to obtain the Peanut Butter Crackers.

gotojail bignate

If you want to, you can win at “Table Football” to obtain a book called Big Nate’s Pratical Jokes (note: You don’t have to play Table Football, but you do need to win Go To Jail). Go back outside and travel right to reach “Puffin Point”.

Puffin Point & Big Nate Comic

Go right and climb up the Lighthouse. On the very top of the light house is a comic frame, grab it. You now have collected all the comic frames. Click on your Inventory, then examine the Big Nate Comic. Arrange them so they spell: “Nine Three Zero Five” in between the strip.

bignate comicfull

This is the order they are in (going from left to right, top first, then the bottom):

  1. Uh… excuse me… | Hm?
  2. I’m new here, and… um… I’m sort of lost. | Ah! Nate Wright at your service, dude! Where do you need to go?
  3. I’m trying to find the art room. | Art room! Gotcha! Stand here!
  4. Uh… here? | Right there! And don’t move!
  5. But… | Klik!
  6. FOOOMM!
  7. Well? | You overshot. He reached the nurse’s office.
  8. Dang! | …Which is probably a good place for him to end up.

You have formed the Big Nate Comic! Now exit the comic strip. Ask Mr. Rosa, the man who is painting, if you can look through the telescope. Look through the telescope and you’ll see that to your right, there is a scroll under a rock. Exit the telescope.

To the left of the lighthouse is an old picture floating around in the wind. Try and grab it by jumping around starting at the lighthouse ladder. This may take a couple of tries.

Once you have collected the Old Photograph, head back to Main Street by going left.

Scuba Diving, Jet Skiing, & a Lobster

Keep going left, left, left, until you reach the Photo Studio building (the large camera). Enter the building. On the left you’ll find the ‘School Picture Guy’, who has a golden scuba suit he will trade for a photo. Swap the photo for the Scuba Gear.

Now leave the building. Walk left and enter the building “Klassic Komix”. Talk to Gordie (the shopkeeper) again, and tell him you found his comic. He will be so glad that he will let you keep the comic and let you have a Stale Pack of Gum as a prize.

Exit the building and go right. Make your way back to Puffin Point, so go right, right, right, right…until you reach it. Head right past the lighthouse and talk to Cap’n Salty. He needs your help to rescue the lobster trap from under the water. Go into your Inventory and put on the scuba gear.

Jump off the dock and dive down. Swim all the way to right until you can’t go any futher, then swim down until you reach the Lobster Trap. Pick it up and wait until your oxygen runs out.

Once you are back at the start, swim up. Talk to Cap’n Salty and tell him you have his trap.

He’ll let you have two items – the Lobster and Jet Ski Keys.

Jump on the skis on your right and ride away. Big Nate will challenge you to see who can get there first. The best way to beat him is to try keep your computer’s mouse as far to the right side as you can and to move farther and gain some distance from him. Be sure to jump over obstacles by clicking when you get near one!

bignate2

Once you arrive at the rocks (it’s called Sealsaw Rock on the Map) jump on the tilting, seesaw-like rock. Push both of the cute seals to the left side of the rock.

Now you can jump down and take the scroll. The scroll is the Map to Capsule. Ride back to Puffin Point. Climb back up the lighthouse to the light. Go to your Inventory, select the “Lobster” item card, and click “Use” to your lobster to turn the light around.

It will scare away the bird at the top of the school bell. Jump off the lighthouse and go left.

Nate’s Locker

Go left to the Playground. The capsule is here but it is guarded by the girls. Go left, enter the school building, and jump up to the second floor. Run left to the lockers and click on one spilling with papers. Enter the locker code found on the comic – 9305.

Once the locker empties itself, click on the papers again. You will find the School Blueprint. If you examine it you will see that there is a secret room. Now the only way to move the girls is to ring the bell, but the bell is missing its clapper. The bell clapper is hidden in the secret room.

Secret Room

To get to the secret room you have to go through the detention room. To enter the Detention room stand outside the detention room door and chew on the gum by going to your Inventory, selecting the item card “Pack of Stale Gum,” and clicking the “Use” button. The teacher, Mrs. Godfrey, will take you inside. The secret room is through the filing cabinets.

Use the stink bomb to move the teacher. Go to the right and click on the filing cabinets. It will reveal a hidden ladder. Then go down. Once you’re down at the bottom turn on the power by clicking on the power lever. On the right above the work bench should be a bronze bell clapper.

Jump up and grab it to obtain the Bell Clapper. Make your way back up the stairs and outside of the school. Go to the top of the school, use the bell clapper, and ring the bell. The girls will now leave their place.

Uncovering the Time Capsule

Go to the Playground and stand between the two posts, between the monkey bars and the logs. Open your items and use the Peanut Butter Crackers. The dog will then dig a hole, showing the time capsule hidden underneath.

Click on the hole and pull the capsule from it. Click the lock to open it. Watch the dialogue between Big Nate and his friend Jenny, who convinces Nate to use the valuable pearl inside the capsule to save the school even though he doesn’t really want to.

Once the newspaper (called “The Clam Courier”) appears, click close at the top-right corner of the gamescreen. You will then be confronted by the teacher who will award you with the Big Nate Island medallion and credits to spend at the Poptropica Store!

Congratulations! You’ve completed Big Nate Island. If you are looking for more things to do, take a ride in the blimp for a new adventure on another island. Or check out the multiplayer rooms located on Main Street, where you can chat and battle with other Poptropicans!

Looking for more walkthroughs? Check out our Island Help page! 🙂


Album Photos

These pictures are collected in your Poptropica photo album in the profile section. Click to enlarge.


Trivia

  • Big Nate Island is Poptropica’s 8th island, released on February 12, 2009.
  • As of July 10, 2015, the island became locked to members only, with a demo for non-members.
  • Big Nate is a comic strip by cartoonist Lincoln Peirce. You can check out more about it in the Klassic Komix building on Main Street. The characters on this island and the style of drawing are consistent with the comic. Also, that means none of the characters are customizable.
  • Common room: Cap’n Salty’s
  • In the school basement, Artur can be seen by the heater. However, when the lights are turned off, he is not there.
  • Cap’n Salty was created just for this Poptropica island; his character does not appear in the Big Nate comics. This is confirmed by Big Nate’s creator Lincoln Peirce in a comment on GoComics.
  • Peirce’s GoComics comment also explains, “Because all the environments on poptropica are islands, I created a world for Nate which resembles an island off the coast of Maine. Consequently, there are some details about Big Nate Island that aren’t 100% consistent with details from the comic strip.”
  • Artur never gets detention in the comics, so it’s strange that he’s in the secret room within the detention room.
  • Geography errors: In the detention room, the world map is missing Australia, Indonesia, the Caribbean islands, Greenland, and Siberia. Also, the continent of South America and Africa is shaped differently and Antarctica is smaller.

too cool for school

482 thoughts on “Big Nate Island Guide”

      1. i did it without the guide before, but i got stuck on the part where you had to move the girls. this helped a lot. i typed this right after i finished.

      2. I just looked at this with some help from my younger cousin who also plays Poptropica.I asked for help from him because in one the games he played,he ran into a problem while playing and used this site to help him!He still hasn’t figured out the answer and now he gets how I feel!

    1. How do you get the stink bomb?

      Slanted Fish: In the science lab, turn the heater to 4 and mix yellow with blue.

      1. really if anyone knows how to get past the crazzy seagul tell me

        Slanted Fish: Really, it’s in the guide. Use your Lobster on the top of the lighthouse.

      2. Once you get the lobster after returning the cage, go on top of the light house and use the lobster near the main light to scare the gull away!

      3. well you have to get a crab from Captain Salty and then use the crab he gives you to crank the light in the light house DUH thats what gets rid of the seagull if you already tried that then i dont know what to tell you SORRY
        😦 or 😀

    2. Finished too but I was low on credits so I tried replaying it and I thought it worked so I did it about 5 times but it didn’t work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

      Slanted Fish: Yeah, you only win credits for the first time you finish an island.

    3. awesome island! i just finished S.O.S island and big nate! thanks for both of the walkthroughs. ( even though i completed S.O.S island by myself!)

    4. I didn’t I can’t find the pink comic strip?, does anybody know where I can find it?:(

      Slanted Fish: The locations for all the comic strips are listed at the top of this guide.

  1. Oh wow!
    I should have come here earlier! I finished it all by myself, buti just checked this out…………I sort of think Nabooti is better………….no actually they are the same

  2. Big Nate island was not as hard as Nabooti. I want a challange, hopefully AstroKnights and RealityTV island will be more harder.
    PS- Cool site, I just found it.
    Hay guys I always check out poptropica daily if you see me let`s chat see ya soon

    1. i finished all the missions.i agree with you this was not as hard as nabooti.im sure too that astro-knights isldnad may be veryyyyyyyyy hard.thx if you see me around i want to battle you by playign hoops bye

    2. Yes, Astro Knights IS harder…MUCH harder…I haven’t played, but it looks REALLY hard…and it IS! Peoples told me!

      1. @ young flame you can check out the Astro knights island guide for help.

    3. trust me it is hard i couldnt go throug the FIRST level it is hard getting there so it must be hard to PLAY the levels

  3. how do you get rid of the sea gull?!

    Scary Tomato: It’s mentioned in the guide. You use the lobster to turn the light around, which scares the bird away. 😉

  4. Everyone keeps saying big nate was really easy, but I wouldn’t say that. you can’t really complete it in half an hour, trust me. it takes AT LEAST AN HOUR it usually takes me a loooooong time to do it because sometimes i just get stuck because i dunno what to do. for example i didn’t see the klassic komix shop lol! you can say its easy now you complted it (duh) but im sure that everyone thinks the same thing when trying to beat the island for the 1st time – “Big Nate is soooooo hard!!!” if it wasn’t no-one would come here (unless you love boasting for how “smart” you are).

    Scary Tomato: LOL – some people might find it hard at first, yes; but some don’t. Everyone’s different. 😉

      1. Okay, you guys aren’t the only ones. I mean, I know easy ones like Early Poptropica and Shark Tooth Island by heart, but other than that, I need this guide!!! This blog DOES help a lot! (PS, Does anyone else find it VERY irritating that Nate has to follow you?… EVERYWHERE!?!?)

  5. Thanks for all of your help! This really is the best poptropica guide on the web! I’m going to start visiting here everyday. You should see some of the other help blogs. They stink!
    -Mighty Fang

    Codien: Thank-You

  6. Scary tomato I don’t mean to brag but it was pretty simple for me.Plus I thought you had to beatthe football games. P.S I was 3rd to beat it

    Scary Tomato: You get a special book for winning Table Football but it’s not required. Also, no offense, but there’s no proof for who beats it 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. 😉

  7. I don’t get it. I gave the man the full comic 3 times and he said thank you but he didn’t give me anything in return.

    Scary Tomato: Check your inventory for the pack of stale gum, which is what he should have given you. 😉

  8. Um….. The Jet Ski guide thing doesn’t help for me 😦

    Codien: First try get to the lead, try keep ahead of him for as long as possible, to do this get to the front of the water, the objects will come at you in 2 second intervals so it should be easy to guess when they come.

    1. Nor did they include Nate’s sister.
      Oh, and 4 some reason, i feel like im the only one who reads the big nate comics.

  9. hey when i ty to get on the jet ski it says i dont see any reason to cruise around the open sea now

    Codien: You have to look throught the telescope on the lighthouse first, and look at the map under the rock.

  10. omg I cant click on the filing cabinet what do I do now????Oh ya how do you get the dog to follow you…I tried to get the dog with the penanut butter crackers but he just buries it…How do I get him/her to follow me???

    Codien: What do you mean you can’t click on them, is it that the teacher stops you, if so use the stink bomb.
    You dont need the dog to follow you, the dog is so you can dig up the capsule. Please Read!

  11. With the new “Save and Quit” button, do you have to press that every time you get off? Thanks for the guide! : D

    Codien: I don’t know but i think you do.

  12. I tryed to use the lobster to scare away the bird but it wouldn’t let me. So where do I have to stand to scare the bird away.

    Codien: Use the lobster to turn the light on top of the lighthouse at Puffin Point to scare the bird away.

  13. where do u get the gum from

    Codien: Once collected all comic peices and put together, talk to the guy in the klassic komix building to obtain the gum. Please READ the Guide!

  14. when i gave the salty guy the lobster thing he didnt give me the keys, just the lobster, so now i cant get them!

    Codien: Are you sure? Make sure the lobster cage isn’t in the water still, try use the jet skis.

  15. how do i get past the bird near the bell. Can someone tell me what to do? PLZ hury!

    Codien: Use the light on the light house to shine it at it. To move the light you need the lobster. Read the guide please.

  16. That was geat thanks 4 writing out the cheats/walkthrough!! If I didn’t us the guide I would epically fail at Big nate Island…Again thanks

  17. Started Big Nate yesterday. Came back today to finish and the stink bomb I had in my items was gone and can’t make new one in Science lab. Followed instructions in FAQ on missing items but no luck.

    (A14: Try going to [Tools] (it should be at the top, in your browser) – [Delete Browsing History] – Then delete the cookies and the temporary internet files. This is called clearing your cache.)

    It’s all I need to finish game – please help!!!

    Codien: You might of used it on the teacher, check. Otherwise i don’t know what to do.

  18. Great Guide! I finished before this was made, it was a bit hard. But, I must say, it is one of the easiest islands. 🙂

  19. help me please i cant find the map for threw the telescope i saw it but then it said what is that i want to go and this so i jumped and went to the ski beat nate but i pushed the seal on the right and clicked it but then it said got it hide it and threw it away please help me -your friend and soon to be a helper hamster lover

    Codien: Got it, Hide it, threw it away? Your supposed to push the seals to the very left so you can grab the map.

  20. ok i cant dig the hole to find the capsule help!!!!!!!!

    Scary Tomato: Follow all the instructions above, because you might have missed some parts. If you have, go back and do it. 😉

  21. where is the peanut butter crackers?

    Scary Tomato: It’s mentioned in the guide above. Win a game of Go-to-Jail hangman, which is in the Kids Only room on top of the Playground, and you’ll get the crackers. 😉

  22. y can’t i click on file cabinets ST?? it’s just giving me the arrow i use to move around!

    Scary Tomato: Click on the closed drawers at the bottom, not the opened one. 😉

  23. I’m sorry that happened. I don’t know what to do except this: make sure you have clicked on the bottom FILE cabnet! the one that is open WILL NOT HELP YOU!!!! If you did and it still does the exact same thing,Read the guide over and make sure you didn’t skip anything you need to do. People I want you guys if not started or finished PLEASE read the whole guide so you know what to do.

  24. my stink bomb disaperred before i got to use it does that mean i cant finish the game ?

    Scary Tomato: Is it sitting on the floor of the detention room? If it is, then don’t worry about it and just go on with the quest. If it isn’t, try making it again and re-doing that part (see the guide if you need help). 🙂

  25. the keys to the the map and the jet ski keys dissapeared out of my inventory so i can’t finish the quest!! What do i do?????

    Scary Tomato: Try to re-do that part of the quest to earn the items back. 😉

  26. when i ask the captain he just says “thanks matey” and there is no lobster trap underwater. I’m sorry.

    Scary Tomato: He only says thanks after you give him his lobster trap, which means you have already given it to him. You should now have a Lobster in your inventory. 😉

  27. I cannot ride on the boat because they say there is no reason to cruise in the open seas right now!Help me

    Codien: Please read the guide closely. You have to look through the telescope on top of the lighthouse and spot the map underneath the rock. Then you will have a reason to go boating.

  28. i do but i do not have the keys. i don’t get why though…

    Scary Tomato: Just try using the jet skis to see if you can do it without the keys. If you can, don’t worry about the keys. 😉

  29. Okay I got to the part where the dog digs and you can see the capsule but when I click on it it won’t come out! Do i need to do something first?

    Scary Tomato: No, you’re on the right track. After the dog digs a hole to reveal the capsule, it will bring a close-up of it. Click and hold the capsule chest to take it out, and click the lock to open it. 😉

  30. I finished it yesterday and the seagull part was hard so i had to go look up on google i finally got it but it took awhile so yipee PS wen does tht new island com out? i no it comes out in spring but i wanna know the real date

    Scary Tomato: Astro-Knights Island? Sorry, the closest we can tell you in “this spring” since that’s all we know, too. 😉

  31. Big Nate was short but very fun!Me and my friends couldn’t wait and then i showed one of them the blog and it said coming out tomorrow and we were jumping up and down!

  32. Dude!!!!! i wuz comeing bak from puffin point and it takes forever to load!!!!!

    Scary Tomato: It will load eventually. Be patient. 😉

  33. help codien! when i got the lobster trap he gave me a lobster and didn’t give me the keys!
    i tried clicking on him again but he only says thanks for your help matey. i cant get them. i feel like crying!!!!!!!!!!! i am right now.:(

    Codien: Have you tried using the skis, did you try logging out and logging in. This seems to be happening to alot of people. Hopefully Poptropica fix it.

  34. I sort of hate Big Nate island because it is proof that Poptropica is totally selling out. I have played Poptropica since it was new, and I have watched with horror as it slowly descended into the cavernous depths of the cheap, advertisment-gaming world.

    The guide was a big help though. Thnx 4 the good advice!

  35. dang!!! my wings!!!!!! there gone!!!!!! i put on the scuba diving suit and when i took it off the wings were not there!!!!! LOL

  36. yo! awsome site i just found it and thx to you i finished big nate island! compared to all the other sites that i went to for needing help they were bad explainers. but this site is awsome. i’m gonna come here more often thx again! you are a big help!
    i just can’t wait till astro-knights and reality tv island comes to poptropica. it’s gonna be awsome and challenging!
    p.s comment plz!

    Codien: Glad you like the site, I feel the same way. 😛

  37. I clicked on the bottom filing cabnet but it doesn’t do squat 4 me! Please help!!!!!!

    Codien: Send us your Poptropica details (User/Pass) to: [email protected]
    We will try get past your problem without doing anything to your costume.
    Your details will be kept safe.

  38. Also, I can’t get the locker to open. When I click on it, my person says “I don’t know the combination.” I do!!! It’s 9305! Please Help Me!!!!

    Codien: You need to get all the comic frames first, join them together, then on the comic it will show you the combination. It will let you open it now.

  39. Hi people!I feel REALLY dumb asking this, but how do you get the time capsule?I already tried the place you guys told me to in the guide, and I/the dog dug about 7 holes near/around/on the place.Please don`t tell me ‘to read the guide over again.’
    Appreciate the help,
    ~Jazz
    P.S.GREAT work Codien and Scary Tomato!!!

    Codien: Make sure you place the cracker on the ground where the girls were. The capsule is i little to the right though but in between the two poles.

  40. Hi,
    I have a problem. When I get to the lighthouse, I turned the light to the seagull & he went away. I went to the bell & put the bell clapper back in & I was supposed to just go right to the jet ski to get the map of the treasure capsule. Now when I try to get on the jet skis my Poptropican says “I don’t see any reason to cruise around the open seas right now”.. is there any way I can fix my mistake? Thanks– this is driving me nuts!

    Scary Tomato: Yes. All you have to do is climb up the lighthouse at Puffin Point and look through the telescope. Make sure your character notices something under a rock, which will give them a reason to go jet skiing. For more details read the guide up at the top. 😉

  41. hey thnx, but, u sorta messed up. your supposed to put the seals on the lefts side not the right ;p

    – Aicul434

    Scary Tomato: Thanks. 😉

  42. Scary Tomato, i saw someone at the secret room he said that he is finding the time capsule there when i off the light he is not there! 😮 is this a glich or the poptropica it self?

    -Angry Leopard

    Codien: Its just Poptropica

What's popping, Poptropicans?