Wasssup, Poptropicans!!! This is Gentle Dolphin coming to you live from the hottest b-day party in Poptropica! The Early Poptropica Arcade is packed with peeps dripped out and ready to dance all nite!
Time to party like it’s 2007! 🥳🎂🪩🖥️📱
Man, that party was the bomb dot com!!! We blew last year’s Sweet 16 shindig out of the water with 34 artists bringing along 57 characters to celebrate Pop’s 17th birthday! Here’s everyone that showed up as well as the cool artists that made them:
2000s talk aside, a big thank you to the fans who contributed to this collab! You guys make these community events as fun as they are. And another thank you to the Poptropica Creators from 2007 and beyond who brought this game to life! Happy 17th birthday, Poptropica! 🥳🖥️
Thank you for coming to our party, and have a good day!
Howdy Poptropicanos, it’s LJ starting up a brand-new series here on the PHB called ImPOPtu!—a Poptropica version of Mad Libs. Longtime players and followers of Poptropica might recall Poptropica’s release of an official Mad Libs book over a decade ago. (You can check it out under the miscellaneous section on our merchandise page.) I’m here to revive this concept and to hopefully carry it on.
What are Mad Libs: Mad Libs is a well-known word-based game characterized by stories interspersed with multiple blank spaces. These blanks can be filled with various types of words, including adjectives, nouns, and names.
How to play: Players are tasked with filling in the blanks without any prior exposure to the story. Once filled, the final story is read aloud, often resulting in humorous and occasionally absurd outcomes. That’s it! Are you ready for a laugh?
Below, you will find three completely random (and incomplete) stories inspired by Poptropica, all thought up by me. As noted earlier, the arrangement of events and the selection of some characters are determined by you at random. So, what are you waiting for? Discover the entertaining tales you’ll come up with!
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Poptropica island
Poptropica character
Gadget/tool
Gerund (verb ending in “-ing”)
Adjective
Plural noun
2nd adjective
Abstract noun (e.g. strength, happiness, etc.)
3rd adjective
Number
Plural noun, living
2nd plural noun
Adjective
Noun
2nd adjective
2nd noun
3rd noun
3rd plural noun, living
simple past tense verb (verb ending in -ed)
Emotion
Superlative adjective (best, worst, etc. & adjective ending in “-est”)
Noun
2nd noun
Adjective
Career
Poptropica character
Gerund
Plural noun
Adverb(verb often ending in “ly”)
2nd adjective
Story 1: Betty Bites the Dust
After years of confinement in the infamous prison on [#1-Poptropica island], Betty Jetty finally managed to escape. With a burning desire for revenge against those who she felt had wronged her, she reached out to her old ally, [#2-Poptropica character]. Together, they devised a cunning scheme. [same character as before] arrived equipped with a remarkable [#3-gadget/tool] capable of [#4-gerund] anything in their path. As they made their way to the heart of the island, they created chaos to capture the authorities’ attention and set them into a [#5-adjective] trap. The island erupted into turmoil once the trap proved successful, with terrified citizens fleeing and [#6-plural noun] collapsing around them. Just when Betty and her accomplice believed victory was within their grasp, a formidable team of superheroes known as The [#7-2nd adjective] Action Force intervened. World Guy wielded the elements, Elf Archer showcased her incredible marksmanship, Gold Face unleashed his super [#8-abstract noun], and K-Man utilized his flight & telekinetic abilities. The ensuing battle was nothing short of [#9-adjective], with explosions and fierce collisions shaking the very ground. Ultimately, The [2nd adjective] Action Force triumphed, harnessing their enhanced powers to defeat the two evildoers. The citizens of [same island as before] erupted in cheers as the villains were escorted back to prison—sentenced to [#10-number] years behind bars. Once again, The [2nd adjective once more] Action Force had proven that, in any case, heroes would always rise to defend the innocent and that good would always win against evil.
Story 2: Comic Book Shop Flop
Ned Noodlehead, the owner of the comic book shop, couldn’t believe his bad luck. First, a group of [#1-plural noun, living] came in and accidentally knocked over a stack of rare [#2-2nd plural noun], causing a domino effect and turning his store into a chaotic mess. Then, a famous comic book artist, known for his [#3-adjective] personality, stopped by to sell his latest work. But instead of paying in cash, he offered to trade his artwork for a rare first edition [#4-noun]. Ned, being the [#5-2nd adjective] man he was, declined, causing the artist to throw a [#6-2nd noun] and storm out of the shop. To top it all off, a real-life [#7-3rd noun] convention was being held right outside his store, causing a traffic jam and deterring potential customers. But just when Ned thought his day couldn’t get any worse, a group of [#8-3rd plural noun, living] landed in front of his shop, claiming to be fans of his store and asking to take a picture with him. As Ned [#9-simple past tense verb] for the photo, he couldn’t help but smile, realizing that even with all the chaos, his comic book shop was still a place of [#10-emotion]and magic for people of all ages.
Story 3: The Concert Caper
Hip Hop, the [#1-superlative adjective] new teen popstar, was in a race against time. Due to a miscommunication with his [#2-noun], he was about to miss the final concert of his world tour on the other side of Poptropica. In a desperate attempt to make it on time, Hip Hop resorted to hitchhiking. He caught a ride on the back of a majestic [#3-2nd noun], but unfortunately, couldn’t communicate directly to give directions to the concert venue. After a long trip, the [2nd noun again] landed on Cryptids Island, where the majestic being’s destination awaited. Hip Hop, [#4-adjective] and running out of time, jumped off the anomaly and stumbled upon Harold Mews, a famous [#5- career] lurking about. After a brief chat, Harold, generously offered to take Hip Hop to his concert in his helicopter for free. As they flew over a couple of islands, they caught the attention of [#6-Poptropica character], a notorious villain who was hiding in the waters below. With a blast from a pyro bazooka, they brought down the helicopter, causing it to crash into the water before fleeing the scene while [#7-gerund]. But Harold, being a prepared adventurer, had survival supplies on hand, and together with Hip Hop, they made their way to the coast of the neighboring island, Monkey Wrench. There, Hip Hop met Amelia, a fearless adventurer who was taking a break from her thrilling escapades. With only one night left till the concert, Hip Hop begged Amelia to take him in her plane, as she was the only one who could get him there on time. After some convincing, Amelia agreed to help, but under the condition that she got free [#8-plural noun] and a front-row seat to the concert. Hip Hop, desperate and determined, agreed to her demands. With time to spare, they landed [#9-adverb], and Hip Hop made it to his concert on Backlot Island with a few hours to spare. And as he took the stage and performed for his adoring fans, Hip Hop couldn’t have made it without the help of his unlikely friends and their [#10-2nd adjective] abilities.
I think it would be really cool to have a comments section showcasing everyone’s diverse outcomes, so please share yours below! I just love imagining the game characters in a variety of scenarios.
Thank you all for reading, and I look forward to chatting with you again soon. Until then, pop on! 🍀
Howdy, Poptropicanos and welcome to a special edition of Pop Fan Artist Spotlight, featuring the works of our very own Gentle Dolphin!
I initially became aware of Gentle’s art in 2018, making this showcase a long-anticipated one; she’s actually been making Pop fanart on a regular basis since 2017. To begin, I would like to share one of my all-time favorite Poptropica fan videos—the iconic PHB parody of the “Who Broke It?” scene from Parks and Recreation. 🤣
Gentle Dolphin is consistently cooking up remarkable Poptropica artwork. Whether she’s illustrating her original character, designing costumes, or developing material for our April Fool’s pranks(which she has done a lot of btw!) her art creations are both charming and refined. Her artistic style has become quite distinctive to me, although she has explored various techniques on a few occasions. Take a moment to admire this beautiful gallery featuring some of her proudest creations from over the years. (Click for the full glory and titles!)
Alright, I just couldn’t help myself… Here are a couple of my personal favorites in addition if you weren’t done looking at great art yet. 😉
“Smash! Crackle! POP! Fighters Banner”“Angie And Demi”
I asked Gentle Dolphin to share her main sources of inspiration when designing her captivating pieces. Here is her response:
My normal art style takes inspiration from a few things: MLP G4, Dork Diaries, and anime. My Poptropica style mixes my usual coloring with Poptropica Worlds’ anatomy. When coming up with ideas, I like bouncing off of friends and family. Staying motivated can be a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with burnout. When I have low motivation to work on a piece, I’ll either work on a different piece or take a short break from creating (I’ll have a snack, clean up, play a game, or chat with someone).
I can certainly identify with some of those feelings about motivation, and it’s quite intriguing to witness how different fandoms influence the artwork she creates. Furthermore, Gentle Dolphin graciously offered some guidance for fellow artists. The floor is yours, GD!
Practice by knowing what and how to improve, experiment with new techniques, take 10-minute breaks every hour or so, search for constructive feedback, and have fun!
That’s some sound advice. Thanks to her for sharing that with us!
GD is active across a variety of platforms, including Instagram, DeviantArt, Tumblr, X, and her own website. Check out any of her pages to familiarize yourself even more with her work and consider the possibility of commissioning her. Seriously, each time I come across one of her artworks, I find myself in awe. It was quite a fun process to compile all of them as it allowed me to appreciate a wide array simultaneously. 🤩
It’s not just me though; even the creators of Poptropica have taken notice of GD’s impressive designs and stylish flair. In September 2021, her Pumpkin Punk costume design (pictured in the collage) won a contest and was added to the game the following month.
On top of that, former Poptropica creator Jonathan Pitcher (notice the banner on his LinkedIn & X profiles 😉), who we’ve highlighted and talked to before, mentioned that he once pitched the idea of creating an island inspired by her art style! Even though that idea didn’t come to fruition, it’s still an incredible recognition. 👏
On the topic of art and GD, I should highlight that she is currently hosting anart collaboration in celebration of Pop’s 17th birthday. Tomorrow is the final day for submitting your entry, so if you have not yet participated, I recommend that you do so as soon as possible. This is a party that you’ll certainly want to be a part of! (Edit: You have until the end of the 29th!)
And that’s a wrap! Do you have any favorite artists that we have yet to showcase on the blog? I encourage you to submit your suggestions in the comments section below. I hope you found this Pop Fan Artist Spotlight as enjoyable as I did. A big thank you for reading as always and I’ll talk to you again very soon, pop on! 🍀
Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Invisible Ring. Enjoy!
If you could have one wish, what would it be?
A) More Invisible Ring guest posts? B) The second half of my pirate movie? C) Poptropica to be revived in all its former glory: Monkey Wrench, Realms, classic common rooms, etc.
I wish! Don’t we all…
Unfortunately, I’m not a genie, so wish C is beyond my power to grant. I AM a poptropican with a magical craft table though! So, while I keep concocting the difficult spell of wish B, I shall now grant to you wish A.
From the scribe that brought you my comparison of the dream islandsFairytale Island and Goofball Island, comes the final dream island post, Jade Scarab vs. Arabian Nights– which are the first and last dream islands in Poptropica’s history!
Comparisons
Both of these islands are absolutely ✨magical✨, filled with magical secrets and deep-rooted legends from different parts of the world. They’re also both full of rich cultureand beauty while also being challenging and exciting like most popular Poptropica islands. They even share some of the same musical soundtracks!
There were only four episodic adventures ever made, and Arabian Nights is the last of its kind. Similarly, there were only four Dream Islands ever made, and Jade Scarab is also the last of its kind! Talk about a coincidence.
Contrasts
Jade Scarab was one of the three 2020 Dream Island winners that eventually launched in 2022, while Arabian Nights was the 2013 Dream Island winner that launched in 2014. While Jade Scarab is one complete island, Arabian Nights is an episodic adventure that is split between three parts.
Fun fact:Arabian Nights is the only dream Island with any common rooms in it! 🤓 Jade Scarab doesn’t have one, however.
The medals are all different too! All of the dream islands have a different medallion and a different story to tell.
The Fairytale medallion has a royal purple strap and an etching of the mysterious villain Rumpelstiltskin, which leads me to believe Rumpelstiltskin himself dropped the medallion when he turned into smoke and escaped the fairytale castle.
The Goofball medallion has an indigo strap and a picture of a piñata. With a dull color and a fun picture, this medallion embodies the balance of goofiness and dullness that is ultimately delivered on Goofball Island.
The Jade Scarab medallion has a jade green strap and an etching of the island’s magical mascot, the Scarab. Need I say more?
The Arabian Nights medallion shows up at the end of each of the three island episodes. Three medallions? That’s as many as the rest of the dream islands put together! All three Arabian Nights medallions all look exactly alike too. They each have a blood-red strap and a sword. Surely these bold and deadly medals were either worn by thieves, made for thieves, or even made BY thieves! Heck, they could’ve even been stolen by thieves too!
But enough about fun facts and medallions. How do the actual quests compare and contrast?
Each quest revolves around an expedition to find a special treasure; an archeological expedition to find the Jade Scarab and an infiltration expedition to finding the Arabian Nights genie lamp. Each treasure has its decoy, but only the one on Arabian Nights has a dangerous curse if you don’t find the real treasure.
There’s a curse on Jade Scarab Island, too, but it only happens to the bad guys who try to stage fake curses and lock people in caves. It’s really just the supernatural Jade Scarab guardian protecting the treasure and punishing the thieves for their shenanigans.
Arabian Nights has a supernatural being too, Samhal the genie. But he was no guardian. He was a dangerous trickster, granting wishes with cruel twists everywhere he went.
But what made the Arabian Nights quest even MORE dangerous were the villains. While Jade Scarab had one or two thieves, Arabian Nights had 40 of them! Among the thieves was the most ruthless one of all, Scheherazade: leader of the thieves and the infamous genie of destruction. Yes, Arabian Nights was one among many of the scary and suspenseful islands that were coming out from 2013-2015.
Jade Scarab, however, stayed true to the traditions of the first dozen or so islands from the early days of Poptropica. It’s a lighthearted, humorous, and not too serious island that has a fun quest and a museum where you can learn lots of cool stuff in the process!
So why is one island so serious and the other is not? In my opinion, it all comes back to the two treasures, the lamp and the Jade Scarab.
As you play these quests, you learn that the Jade Scarab is good and must be protected in the museum. But no good came from the Arabian Nights lamp. That treasure wasn’t going to any museum. It had to be eliminated.
And that brings us to the biggest (and best) comparison. There are happy endings to both islands! Curses are broken, towns are restored, amends are made, and all peoples have a chance to get a new start and a chance to be prosperous again.
Aww, what nice stories for both islands! Which one do you like better? Better yet, which of the four dream islands is your favorite one of all?
Feel free to leave a comment below, and if you want more dream island comparison posts, then you are welcome to share with me your own dream island adventures from the dream island contestsof long ago. (If I receive readers’ entries, I will try to be as fair as I was in my comparisons of the official dream island winners.)
Thank you for reading, and I hope to pop to you all again real soon!
Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Invisible Ring. If you did, you might also enjoy watching her full-length Poptropica fan movie, Battle Morale!
The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. Interested in writing for the PHB? We’d love to hear from you!
Howdy Poptropicanos, it’s LJ in your faces again! 🤪 To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Astro-Knights Island and Big Nate Island this year, I thought it’d be fun to conduct a comparison between the two where I evaluate the fundamental elements of each island to determine which one is the better option. (Pretend that the outcome isn’t obvious, alright?) Let’s begin!
For the gameplay discussion, my emphasis will not be on the plots as I intend to reserve that topic for the story portion that will come later. Instead, my focus here will be on the technical dimensions of the islands.
Big Nate Island
This island encompasses a plethora of key features that are emblematic of Poptropica islands such as locating a multitude of paper pieces scattered everywhere, piecing the papers together, swimming underwater, mixing liquids, and playing a few of minigames (racing an opponent, hangman and table football). I appreciate all of these elements, particularly the minigames. I wouldn’t have minded a few more to be honest. One negative thing I will say is that I was not a fan of Nate following my character around everywhere I went. Was that just me? So anyway, how does Big Nate compare to Astro-Knights?
Astro-Knights Island
The time required to complete Astro-Knights is about double that of its rival, which I find absolutely delightful! In the early stages, the gameplay is more or less similar to Big Nate involving the typical exploring and item collecting. However, upon reaching space, things really get exciting.
We get to build a custom spaceship, which, while not having a substantial impact on the island’s tactical gameplay, remains an entertaining feature. Navigating through space, avoiding asteroids, luring space sharks, and fighting against enemy ships were indeed challenging tasks, yet they were not overwhelmingly stressful.
The most challenging parts of Astro-Knights Island are the four significant battles that resemble “boss fights,” including the three misleading encounters (the Mother Phoenix, the Tigercopter, and the Dragotank) and the final showdown against Mordred. Besides the Mother Phoenix, I experienced a fair share of difficulties with all of these. Nonetheless, these battles greatly eclipse even the most engaging gameplay that Big Nate Island has to offer. Honestly, the absence of such difficulty is sorely missed. Any islands for that matter, but that ship has unfortunately passed.
Which one wins?
It seems I may have gone a little overboard in my discussion of the gameplay in Astro-Knights Island. 😅 There was just so much to unpack! It’s quite obvious which one I was more enthusiastic about and which island takes the first round: Astro-Knights!
The differences in the characteristics of these two islands are strikingly apparent. Let’s get into it.
Big Nate Island
Big Nate Island’s appearance presents a whimsical and joyful ambiance. As you walk through the island, your eyes are treated to or tortured byvivid, colorful illustrations, all accentuated by thick black outlines, which enhance the sensation of really being inside a comic book.
I find the comic book aesthetic highly appealing, and I’m someone who is very attracted to bright colors. Also, the school, the playground, and the klassic komix store bring back memories of my IRL childhood, creating a comforting atmosphere.
Astro-Knights Island
While traversing the landscapes of Astro-Knights, we come across an obliterated medieval kingdom,black holes, space sharks, lava-controlled platforms, a mechanical ecosystem, and an actual asteroid belt. The array of locations on this island is truly breathtaking.
The stark contrast between the setting reminiscent of the Middle Ages and the advanced, futuristic planets in outer space (with completely different climates from one another) contributes to the island’s diverse appeal, making it more captivating than many others.
Which one wins?
This round was somewhat more of a tossup. Each of these islands had a viable chance of winning, as I appreciate the styles and moods of both of them. Ultimately, I opted for Astro-Knights Island as the victor for this round, primarily because it offers a higher number of scenes—which can never be a bad thing in Poptropica!
Big Nate’s pivotal concern revolves around the possible destruction of a middle school—a cause certainly worth caring about. In Astro-Knights the story is much more out of the ordinary, however. Time to elaborate!
Big Nate Island
The plot of Big Nate is a bit lackluster. It seems to be a step back in terms of intricacy. In comparison to previous islands like Nabooti, 24 Carrot, and Spy, it feels excessively straightforward.
From my perspective, the characters within this island are not developed enough. The storyline is interesting; however, I don’t believe it was executed to its maximum potential in the plot we were offered. As a child, I found it okay, but looking back now, I am not as wowed as I am with Astro-Knights—which still holds up with the ageing fanbase in these more recent years.
Astro-Knights Island
It goes without saying that the lore and mission in this island are exceptional. A princess, intrigued by the vanishing of a scientist who has gone missing in space, finds herself abducted by aliens. Our job is to launch into orbit to rescue her. Additionally, the once noble scientist has transformed into a malevolent cyborg, and we are tasked with locating three knights who have vanished on various planets while in pursuit of the lost princess. This dramatic tale is filled with so many compelling elements, it’s unreal.
This island presents two noteworthy characters, Elyana and the more celebrated Binary Bard/Mordred. Heck, he took the gold in Pop’s villain showdown back in the day and has remained popular ever since! Since I was not aware of the Big Nate comics when the island was released, I had no insight into the characters. Their minimal development within the island led to them feeling somewhat forgettable to me. Astro-Knights has little to no issues with this.
It’s also worth noting that Astro-Knights demands a certain level of investigation to grasp the situation at play, unlike Big Nate, where the problem is presented immediately upon arrival.
Which one wins?
There is no question that Astro-Knightshas once again triumphed in this round. The story is just so exceptionally engaging, and when I reflect on its awesomeness, I envision its potential to be adapted into an outstanding feature length film! Wouldn’t that be epic?
Big Nate Island had a tough day being demolished by Astro-Knights Island with a score of 3-0. To be honest, it was a bit of a mismatch given that Astro-Knights is widely regarded as the favorite among the community.
I’d love to know your thoughts on both islands! How would you rate them overall? I’d say Big Nate deserves a 3 out of 5 peanut butter crackers, and I’d give Astro-Knights a perfect 5 out of 5 force shields! Thanks for reading and pop on folks. 🍀
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