PHB Series, Pop Fan Artist Spotlights

Pop Fan Artist Spotlight: Gentle Dolphin 🐬

LJ

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 an art 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! 🍀

Arabian Nights Island, Guest Posts, Jade Scarab Island

Comparing Dream Islands: Jade Scarab VS Arabian Nights 🪲🧞

LJ

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 islands Fairytale 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 culture and 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 contests of 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!

Astro-Knights Island, Big Nate Island, Islands, Reviews

2009 Island Showdown: Astro-Knights VS Big Nate

LJ

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 by vivid, 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.

The Life of Mordred: A Cautionary Tale

Which one wins?

There is no question that Astro-Knights has 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. 🍀

Uncategorized

Ranking the Poptropica Tribes’ Common Rooms 🚪🌴

Purple Paw

Hey Poptropicans, Purple here! (It’s been an embarrassingly long while…). While the PHB’s Tribal Tournament wrapped up at the end of August, alongside some sobering news regarding Poptropica’s future, it’s never too late to revisit one of the old game’s classic features: the Tribes, and their respective common rooms!

Back in Pop’s glory days, joining any of the eight Poptropolis Tribes granted access to a special themed common room open only to fellow Tribe members. The common rooms served as a fun way to boost tribal spirit and meet like-minded players. Today, I’ll be ranking each Tribe’s common room based on aesthetic, creativity, and how well it represents its Tribe! (Note: these rankings are just my personal opinions, and have nothing to do with the Tribes themselves!)

8: Flying Squid

Diving right in, the Flying Squid common room doesn’t make a big enough splash to swim (fly?) past 8th place. Honestly, it was difficult ranking this room at the bottom. The interactive tub of squid ink and the captured sea monster (a sweet reference to Cryptids Island!) are nice touches, but the rest feels somewhat bland to me. The poster warning “beware the Flying Squid” is the only element referencing the ‘Flying’ half of this Tribe’s name. I think it’d be interesting to see more of that incorporated into their room alongside the underwater theme. 🦑

7: Yellowjackets

Buzzing into 7th place, we’ve got the secret hive of the Yellowjackets! I’m giving this common room a bonus point for having a very cool concept. A mechanical beehive with a wasp-themed helicopter? That’s an awesome hangout spot! Unfortunately, while the idea is recognizable, I feel it could’ve been executed better. The blue-and-white skyline background doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the mood, and other than honeycomb shapes, the interior doesn’t really lean into the beehive vibe. If only it came together a little better, it could climb a little higher…🐝

6: Nanobots

Coming in at 6th, the robotic fortress of the Nanobots may just take the cake for coolest interactive feature! That huge beatmaker machine, complete with options to change volume, tempo, and add various percussion sounds, definitely makes the Nanobots room a place to spend a lot of time messing around in. The silhouetted robotic arms and instruments make for a nice background as well. Who knew the Nanobots were such a musically-inclined Tribe! I would’ve given this common room a higher ranking, but other than the awesome beatmaker, there’s not too much else to explore. 🤖

5: Pathfinders

With their elegant, stately hideout, the Pathfinders common room finds its way to 5th place! I adore the amount of details put into every floor in this room: glass shelves of skulls, spyglasses, and microscopes, wall maps, an enormous spinning diamond. There’s always more to see! It’s also a very accurate representation of its Tribe’s aesthetic. All the maps, compasses and paraphernalia nicely reflect the Pathfinders’ title as adventurers of the Islands. While it isn’t as flashy as others in terms of interactivity, in my opinion, it makes up for that with its amazing design! 🧭

4: Wildfire

Marking the halfway point, it’s the red-hot boiler room of the Wildfire! This common room screams tribal pride. The symbol of the Wildfire flag, leaping orange flames, decorates a burning furnace connected to branching pipes. I quite enjoy the mechanical steampunk vibe going on in here. The various steam-powered birds, especially the center one with wings spread, are reminiscent of the Mother Phoenix and her chicks from Astro-Knights Island! The hazy orange gradient scheme works well, and the exit, a ladder leading up through the floor rather than doors, is a creative way to match the mood. 🔥

3: Nightcrawlers

Now, I promise I’m not biased by worming the underground den of my own Tribe, the Nightcrawlers, into the 3rd place slot. Although it may have a tendency to freak out arachnophobics, it’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing common rooms around! The progression of light to dark purple throughout the three floors, the softly glowing crystals, the hanging jars of fireflies. Even the spiderweb and egg sacs don’t detract from the magical aura this room gives off. I’d be enchanted to work at that charming little desk, or drift off in one of those cozy wall-crevice beds. Just don’t provoke the creepy crawlers! 🪱

2: Black Flags

Just shy of the top spot is the glorious treasure trove of the Black Flags! The Black Flags common room (is it a room, or a ship?) may just be the most creative design-wise. It captures the Tribe’s dark pirate aesthetic perfectly, with its ship deck floors, teetering crow’s nest, and piles of plundered gold. And instead of being boxed in by walls, it lets its flags fly free in the open stormy sky over rough seas! The smaller details of the mermaid statue, caged bird skeleton, and multiple cannons add the icing to the cake…err, the figurehead to the prow. All in all, a mighty meeting place for these fine sea-goers! ☠️ Which leaves…

1: Seraphim

…in 1st place, the angelic abode of the Seraphim! This common room is absolutely breathtaking, and personally, I can’t find anything to dislike about it. The center piece, a hooded Poptropican seraph floating in a stained glass window, is hauntingly beautiful and sets the tone for the rest of the room. The lowest floor’s flickering fireplace gives just enough light so as not to overshadow the stars visible through the crumbling walls in the night sky, and the telescope, candlelight, and distantly floating turrets all beautifully represent the celestial Seraphim name. This common room is well deserving of its number one spot! 🪽

And with that, the ranking is complete! Do you agree with each common room’s placement? Let me know how you’d rank them in the comments down below! Pop on,

~💜

Uncategorized

The Multiplayer Room Games: My Least Favorite to Favorite 🕹️

LJ

Howdy, Poptropicanos! I’m pleased to present yet another ranking, this time focusing on the eight classic multiplayer room mini-games.

While many of the games were removed with the introduction of the Blast-Off Arcade in 2018, a select few have remained. I found that the multiplayer games contributed to a heightened sense of interactivity with fellow Poptropicans, making our parties all the more enjoyable.

Without wasting any more time, let us delve into this ranking, shall we?

#8: Balloons 🎈

In the unfortunate position of last place, we have Balloons. *sad trombone* The premise of this game is not very innovative, as it essentially replicates the mechanics of Connect 4, failing to offer a sufficient enjoyable challenge for me. While I do not wish to sound overly critical, I believe this one could easily have been among the five games that were removed, and its absence would not have been greatly felt. Also, I’ve noticed that a significant number of my games tend to conclude in draws, which I find somewhat unsatisfying. 😬

#7: Pathwise 💧

It’s quite ironic that I’ve placed Pathwise so low on my list, given that it was my very first favorite multiplayer room game a long time ago, if my memory serves me right. Pathwise is not a terrible game by any means; however, I tend to feel a bit bored during my goes at it. I do not find myself particularly eager to play again immediately after completing a round with another player. Consequently, it will remain at 7th place. 😛

#6: Hoops 🏀

Hoops is ranked 6th on the court, as I majorly stink at this game! 😀 While I certainly value a good challenge, I get a bit annoyed with consistently losing around 80% of the time. However, I do relish the dynamic and fast-paced nature of this one, particularly in contrast to games like Balloons and Pathwise (shots fired). Therefore, I feel that its placement in the lower-mid tier is appropriate.

#5: Sky Dive 🪂

Next on the list is a game that appears to be a popular choice among players: Sky Dive. In my opinion, this game lacks substance and could use an extended gameplay; however, I can’t deny its addictive nature. The rush of adrenaline I experience right after landing encourages me to immediately replay the game. Remember when it was possible to fall through the floor? That was iconic. I’m going to have to remove some points for the change of that detail.

I could easily make around 20 dives from the clouds before I decide to exit the game, unless my opponent becomes disinterested and leaves first. As I said before, I do wish that each round could be longer and feature obstacles, though ─ similar to many of the ad games we saw in the past.

#4: Paint War 🖌️

We now arrive at the games that have more of an umph factor. Paint War takes its place at 4th, for its fun and competitive essence. The vibrant mess left in the wake of the game only enhances its allure. Although Paint War is comparable to Hoops, I experience a much higher level of joy while playing this game. The idea of operating a paint gun is far more appealing to me than basketball or any other sport for that matter. Am I alone in experiencing a peculiar sense of satisfaction when the paint bubbles burst? 😄

#3: Star Link 🌠

The top trio of games I have picked are those that have always been enjoyable to me. The first among these remarkable selections is Star Link, a game that remains accessible to us even today. It’s always my go-to option for PHC parties nowadays (which we may or may not be having soon 😉). Not to toot my own horn, but I can confidently say that I do quite well in this game. Although I have experienced a few pathetic defeats ahem, thanks for that Smart Icicle, my overall win-to-loss ratio remains pretty impressive. Additionally, I appreciate the game’s visually appealing celestial setting, which adds to its charm. 🌌

#2: Sudoku 🔢

My selection for the 2nd place position may raise some eyebrows, given the opinions I’ve seen expressed by various community members; that being Sudoku. Sudoku ranks among my favorite games to occupy myself with both on and off Poptropica, since I’m a huge nerd. 🤓

The thrill of competing against an opponent to fill the grid as efficiently as possible can be somewhat anxiety-inducing, yet it mostly served as a super fun experience for me. I often found myself pleasantly surprised when I surpassed my own previous high scores. 😁 Without a doubt, this was the common room game in which I excelled the most during its time in Poptropica. Good times…

#1: Soupwords 🍲

Soupwords has claimed the 1st place spot as my favorite multiplayer game, just barely surpassing Sudoku. Although it is fundamentally similar to Boggle, the game does not need to be unique, as its entertainment value is really that great. I have a fondness for games that engage the mind and promote mental sharpness, and Soupwords effectively does just that. I found the concept of using alphabet soup as the game board to be quite clever too! While I may not have been an expert at this game, I’d say I performed decently and thoroughly had fun every time I played, which is what is most important.

I really miss the feeling of winning at Sudoku and Soupwords! Sure, I had my fair share of losses too, but honestly, I would gladly lose over and over just to have the opportunity to play those games again.

Which game did you enjoy the most? Feel free to share your own rankings and memories of these games in the comments section! I appreciate you reading, and I’ll catch you in the next one. Pop on! 🍀