Hey Poptropicans! In this post, we’ve got another ad game, another challenge, and another guest post. Poptropica’s certainly been busy!
Let’s start off with the big green tree base on Home Island promoting the upcoming Netflix animated film Vivo. Head inside and you’ll find it’s even prettier within! You can also talk to the animals to start a game.
The goal of the mini-game is to make your way through the Cuban rainforest to reach the Sand Dollars girlband before time runs out. Along the way, you’ll have to dodge flies, crocs, and even a giant snake.
You’ll win two prizes at the end: Gabi’s Stylin’ Outfit (with a drum animation) and a Head Rider of Vivo, a kinkajou (honey bear).
Between Vivo and Kamp Koral Island 2, it’s cool to see Poptropica pulling in their ad dollars in more creative ways again. Let’s hope we’re on our way to getting rid of those pesky sidebar ads—and while we’re wishing, how about the return of bigger game screens?
Vivo releases on Netflix in two weeks on August 6, with songs by the legendary Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame). Stay tuned!
Next up, another official artsy challenge! While the past few weeks and months have seen fan art, fan fic, and costume design contests, the new Coloring Creation Challenge asks Poptropicans to create their own Pop-themed coloring page! The idea is to create an outline drawing (with black or blue marker) on a white page that can be colored in, like so:
Previously released coloring pages from the Pop Creators
To enter the challenge, snap a pic of your design and drop it into Poptropica’s submissions form no later than 8 p.m. PST on Monday, July 26. Doodle on!
Last but not least, there’s a new guest post on the Creators’ Blog by Invisible Ring on the gone-but-not-forgotten Tribes of Poptropica. As she explains, tribes were teams you could join in the Poptropolis Games and rep on your friends page or with custom hats you could make in the Twin Palms Mall of Night Watch Island. Plus, each tribe had their own themed common room!
Seraphim tribe common room
Creating a tribal hat on Night Watch Island
You can learn more over on the PHB’s Tribes page as well as the individual tribe pages linked there (thanks for the blog shout-out, Ring!).
Here on the PHB, we’ve enjoyed even more tribal fun with our 2016 and 2020 Tribal Tournaments, and we even host a series of epic “Tribal Tailorings” in our ASG collection. Here’s hoping for the return of the eight epic tribes!
“Seraphim for the Win” by happyclonetrooper
“PHB tribe reps” by Gentle Dolphin
idkNanobotsASG
That’s a wrap for this post. What did you think of the Vivo ad game, and will you be streaming this release? What ideas are brewing in your head for the Coloring Creations Challenge? And which tribe rules them all? Share with us in the comments, and stay popping!
Hey Poptropicans, lots of news incoming! We’ve got an island-sized treat for non-members, credit crazes, another ad game, and that’s not even all of it—but more for another post. Let’s POP into this one!
First up, Time Tangled Island is now available for all players! 🎉🕰 Although it has been free for most of Pop’s history, it was locked behind the paywall since it was first ported over to Haxe last September. Guess it was only a matter of time. (Thanks to Neat Peanut for the tip!)
Fun fact: This trailer video is so old that it was posted on the Poptropica Creators’ first YouTube channel, VladTheViking.
One downside: it’s been reported on the PHC that playing through islands no longer awards credits. But fear not, the Poptropica economy finds other ways to function…
As an acceleration of the daily login credit rewards, Poptropica is launching a credit craze campaign where, over the next 10 days, if you login to Pop every day, you’ll automatically receive a bonus 5,000 credits on July 31, good for spending sprees in the game’s various stores.
The campaign began Wednesday, July 21, so if you didn’t miss that day, you can keep your streak going till Friday, July 30 for your shot at the big prize! After all, the Creators make it sound so appealing with this absolutely golden quote from their post:
What comes to mind when you think of your favorite four letter F word? If you’re already thinking “FREE,” you’ve got the right idea!
Poptropica Creators’ Blog
If you know, you know. 👀
comic by Gentle Dolphin
Like the sketch? There’s always more on Instagram, so let’s round off this post with the latest fan art features on the Creators’ story:
Poptropica’s third SpongeBob Island comes with three limited time items which you can win from playing the various mini-games.
Find Kamp Koral on the map
The whole SpongeBob gang is here!
The first thing you’ll see on Kamp Koral Island 2 is SpongeBob standing by a house marked Obstacle Course and surrounded by balloons. Getting the game to activate was a real obstacle for me, but fortunately, Ammonite provided some pics. At the end of this sea-legged race, you’ll win Plankton’s Helicopter Pack.
The fun continues at the next house over, marked Jellyfish Meadows. This is the exact same game from last time — collect all the jellyfish before time runs out — though the prize is different. You’ll win a Wacky Pool Noodle, which has a thrust action accompanied by SpongeBob’s hilariously creepy laugh!
Nearby, talk to Plankton and he’ll tell you that SpongeBob borrowed his chips. Follow the chip trail up to the lookout at the top and pick up your very own purple Chip Bag! (Tap the space bar to take a bite.)
That’s all for the prizes, but there are a few more activities left on the island! Like the previous SpongeBob Islands, you can play three head-to-head arcade games: High Dive (Sky Dive), Star Link, and Bubble-loons (Balloons), all styled with SpongeBob graphics. Also like last time, you can pull a lever to make jellyfish rain.
Sandy’s got enough air to throw you three challenges
Squidward is not amused with your shenanigans
While it may be too late for this iteration of Kamp Koral to make it to the 2021 Poppies, there’s still time left to vote for the “Okay-est Ad Island” and other fan awards. Be sure to cast your votes before the poll closes this Thursday, and join us this Saturday for a poppin’ party (that’s got the Creators’ seal of approval) to hear the winners announced live! 🏆🏝
Hey Poptropicans, there’s a new store update at Adventure Outfitters, and bucket hats are in! With the new Sandy Beach costume, you can match with your pet by getting them a Bucket Hat — or Blue Shades to go with last week’s Water Battle outfit!
In other news, as you’re moving about Poptropica, you may notice a new sidebar ad from Infoplease which links to a Pop quiz of Pop characters! It’s not clear if the Pop Creators made this or if they’re just linking to anonymous fan-made content, but either way, it’s a fun little game that tests if you can name 10 classic Poptropica characters. Play it here »
That’s all for now, but we’ll have more news in other posts! Remember to vote in the Poppies if you haven’t already, and stay tuned for our guide to the new ad island. Keep on popping on!
This interview was originally published on the Poptropica Creators’ Blog along with a call to go vote in the 2021 Poppies. Enjoy!
1. How were you first introduced to Poptropica?
My younger brother found Poptropica on Funbrain and introduced it to me. Back then, we would go on Funbrain to read Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid before it became a printed book series!
2. Who do you think is the most underrated character? Overrated?
Most underrated character: Elf Queen from Twisted Thicket. She doesn’t seem to get mentioned much in the fandom, but her leafy design is absolutely magical, and her storyline very fitting for our modern climate crisis.
Most overrated character: Dr. Hare, who might just be the most marketed Pop character (he even had a whole LEGO campaign at one point!). But we love him anyway.
3. What are your favorite scenes, aesthetically and to play through?
It’s hard to pick a favorite scene as there are so many that are visually stunning! But to highlight a few, I love the aesthetics of the Imperial Garden on Red Dragon (especially the cherry blossom trees), and the various interactive puzzles on Nabooti, such as the mancala game and the fox-chicken-cornfeed conundrum.
4. What was your inspiration in creating and furthering the Poptropica Help Blog (PHB)?
I was inspired to create a blog after seeing lots of fan blogs for other online games I enjoyed at the time, especially Club Penguin (rip). I stumbled into a Poptropica focus somewhat accidentally when setting up the site on WordPress: while thinking about the URL, I discovered that poptropica.wordpress.com was untaken, and it felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up. So that was the PHB’s first URL, which illustrates the dearth of Poptropica fan sites at the time, and how we were able to fill that gap on the internet.
What inspired me to keep going was everything else that followed. I was amazed by how quickly the site grew in readership, fueled by all the amazing things Poptropica has been doing, especially in the heart and depth of storytelling through gameplay in its myriads of island adventures. Even as the game changes and people come and go, what I enjoy about the PHB is how it continues to be a space for Poptropicans to share their ideas, fan art, and friendships. If you’re interested, I’ve written more about this on the PHB’s Philosophy page.
Poptropica Creator Dr. Lange’s drawing of the PHB team (2014)
5. How has your PHB career surprised you?
As the previous Q&A touches on, I’ve been surprised by the rapid popularity of the PHB (it reached 1 million views in its first year, and 13 years later, has over 35 million). But I’m not too concerned about the statistics—I’m more interested in cultivating the quality of people’s visits, and to that end it’s been a blessing to hear from so many Poptropicans over the years who’ve enjoyed what the PHB offers.
Another surprise is the creativity and intensity of so many fans’ Pop-inspired passions, which help shape what the PHB brings to the fandom, from personal My Place in Poptropica stories to discoveries of Pop Places IRL. It’s definitely not a one-person operation—credit goes to the many, many Poptropicans who make it all possible!
Banner Day: Let your freak flag fly.
6. What does the Pop community mean to you?
To me, it’s as simple as a gathering of people who enjoy Poptropica. They can be of all ages — some are even in their twenties like me. Poptropica fans are creative (just look at all the fan art, blogs, and videos), clever (we enjoy solving puzzles and finding trivia), and concerned (we support each other and sometimes critique for the good of the game we love). Above all, we’re united in our passion for Pop!
7. From your perspective, how has the community changed over the past 12 years?
The biggest change I’ve noticed personally is that the kids have gotten older. Though Poptropica has always been aimed at kids, it’s fascinating to see how teens and young adults (myself included) still participate in the fandom, often returning from childhood nostalgia and sticking around for the community and inspired storytelling (perhaps even creating some of their own). Of course, young kids are still around. From my perspective, even children are capable of enjoying Poptropica’s more sophisticated stories, particularly those from the classic islands.
Friendly Folk: All so nice and polite, for a while at least.
8. How have your experiences with the community and Poptropica influenced you IRL?
Poptropica’s many whimsical worlds — from the medieval madness of Astro-Knights to the genie glamor of Arabian Nights — have inspired my art and writing, and widened my appreciation for digital storytelling and cultural connections.
As for the PHB, it has given me a space to write about something I care about, to carefully consider how to express ideas, and help the blog’s staff and guest writers do the same. Having our content read by so many fellow fans is a responsibility, privilege, and a great encouragement to keep building the blessing.
The skills, friendships, and passions developed over many years of playing and creating carry over to other areas of life too. For me, that has included earning my undergrad degree in English and pursuing a career in communications. With all the diversity in Poptropica and its community comes great potential for many more Poptropicans!
Fish Face: These ocean-dwellers are getting animated.
Favorites
Costume: Fish kimono from Red Dragon
Island: Shark Tooth
Backstory/Lore: How islands appear in the world of Poptropica through a central spot in the sea called the Nexus, as described in Poptropica graphic novel #4: The End of Time.
Hero: Max McGullicutty from Survival
Villain: Scheherazade
The Nexus, land of limitless time crystals
Shark Tooth: a nostalgic aesthetic
Max saves the day in Survival Island
Scheherazade’s life is quite the tale
Thank you, Poptropica Creators, for hosting this interview with me (and for calling the PHB “the leading fan-run Poptropica blog” in the original post 😁). Keep on popping on, Poptropicans! ✌️
🏝 Poptropica Help Blog 🗺 