🏝️ Poptropica Help Blog 🗺️

Hello, everyone!

Lucky Joker here, featuring another Poptropica Portfolio! The artist in the spotlight this time around is Geoff Hassing. You can find a sample of his artwork for Poptropica and more on his portfolio site here.

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the previous portfolios we’ve showcased, featuring Poptropica artists Nate Greenwall, Chris Goodwin, Abraham Evensen Tena, Jordan Leary, Lance Fry, Nasan Hardcastle, and Ashley Lange.

As stated on his LinkedIn page, Hassing no longer works for Poptropica, and though his time with them was short-lived, he still left us with some amazing background scenes and in-game assets from some of the newer islands, including Monkey Wrench and Escape From Pelican Rock. There are also a couple of Poptropica-like scenes here that were made for practice and not for anything in-game. Check them out:

Monkey Wrench Island

Colt Tower

Prison Kitchen/Mess Halls

Escape From Pelican Rock promo poster

Weight Room common room

Red Baron plane objects

Practice city scene

Practice living room scene

Pretty cool stuff, Geoff!

These days, Hassing illustrates children’s books for GrapeCity, a corporation that provides learning materials, tools, and methods for kids learning English through their oral language acquisition and critical listening program. We really like his Poptropica work, and we wish him the best in everything does going forward.

Speaking of art pieces, be sure to join in on the PHB’s Community Creations this month! September ends soon, so you’ve got until the end of this week to enter. The theme for this month is “school.”

I hope you found this popping portfolio enjoyable! We’ll talk soon…

Lucky Joker sign off

Bonus Items, Contests, Livestreams, Social Media

Contest-winning and 10th Birthday Costumes, plus a Pop Worlds Livestream!

September 24, 2017December 1, 2017 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! Looks like things are popping on Pop again. 😉

It may have taken a good seven months, but it looks like the Poptropica Creators are finally about to bring the winning designs of the #MyPoptropicaCostume contest to the game, with confirmation that that means both Poptropica Worlds and Original! Check out the awesome sneak peek, featuring mermaids and letterman jackets:

They haven’t given an exact release date, only “soon,” but it’s a comfort to know they’re at least being worked on (it is rather long overdue). Maybe my earlier nudging helped – but in any case, it is nice to see a glimpse of what they’re working on (we’ve been pretty starved for regular sneak peeks lately!).

Here we see the grand prize winning designs, “Ocean Princess” designed by Creepy Peanut and “Hip Hop Boy” by Speedy Toes. The 6-month memberships they won have probably expired by now, but at least they’re finally going to see their costumes for real, and with designs for more than one gender, expanding upon their original entries! Hopefully, the top 10 runner-up costumes will soon follow.

Speaking of costumes, the 10th Birthday Costume has finally been added to Worlds, this time glitch-free! You can find it in the store for free. Get it while it’s here!

If you’re playing on mobile, be sure to update your app so you’ll see this costume in the store, along with the all-new Ye Olde Shop building!

worlds 10th bday — pic credit: Young Hippo & Yujo_Jacy_the_Jumpy_Coyotekans

(And it only took an extra week compared to Pop Original…)

In other news, Poptropica had their first ever livestream this weekend: specifically, this past Friday (Sept 22) at about 4:40 p.m. EST. It was completely out of the blue, not having been announced on any of Poptropica’s social media channels except YouTube. You can catch the entire 22 minutes of video here:

The livestream is hosted by one Creator, a young lady in the corner of the screen who introduces herself as Stephanie. Her game username is later revealed as PopTrop_Steph. A quick look-up in the Avatar Studio shows that she has never played Pop Original (at least not on her account), since Worlds accounts that have never played Original (like hers) will have the “Afro Guy” appearance (as she does – so it looks like she’s probably a new Creator). (Personally, I’d like to see some livestreams for Pop Original too, though I guess the closest we have are Captain Crawfish’s walkthroughs!)

Indeed, the whole video focuses on Poptropica Worlds, from creating an account to landing on Home Island to – well, that’s about it, really. What Stephanie goes through will probably be familiar if you’re not completely new, but if you want to watch a Poptropica Creator narrate an exploration of Worlds while eating a bunch of gummy bears, this is the video for you. Oh, and we’re promised there’s more to come in the future.

We’ve never met Steph before, but she seems pretty friendly and excitable. It looks like we’ll be seeing more of her on future YouTube livestreams – the next episode, she says, will be about what you can get with membership in the store. That might get some kids interested in membership, but we hope Poptropica will remember to keep up the love for the free players as well.

It’s not clear whether or not Steph is responsible for the rest of Pop’s social media these days, although I would guess not, since the mystery blogger on the Creators’ Blog has previously used a yellow-haired male character. Regardless, it’s nice to finally know at least one face and name – and if there are other social media staff working for Pop, we hope they’ll introduce themselves as well!

What did you think of the livestream video? What would you like to see in a future video from Poptropica? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

<・)))><<

My Place in Poptropica

My Place in Poptropica: Striped Cactus

September 23, 2017September 23, 2017 Slanted Fish

This is the My Place in Poptropica story of Striped Cactus, a writer who likes to play Poptropica Islands for story inspiration. See below for how to send in your MPIP!

mpip stripedcactus

Now there are about ten million and one ways I could start this, but I need something that’s going to hook my readers, so, um–

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

How I Discovered Poptropica

It must’ve been like 2009 when I first heard about Poptropica. I don’t remember where I first heard the name of it, exactly. But I remember that back then, when I was in elementary school, Poptropica was like “the cool thing.”

The kids I knew wore Poptropica t-shirts on a daily basis. They bragged about how they passed Astro-Knights Island by themselves to their friends (meaning they probably used the PHB, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t?). They showed off their memberships and bought ye olde Poptropica guide book.

guide

Now, I was a very cautionary child growing up. I felt superior to any and all people who played video games of any kind. Pokemon was popular, and so was Call of Duty (yes, even amongst mere third graders!). I warned the boys in my grade (the ones playing the video games) about the dangers of gaming: how it was bad for the eyes, the body, and the mind. And then…

Well, one day at school I was on Funbrain, very obviously doing important school things, when I scrolled to the bottom, probably on accident, and saw a small blue link that said Poptropica. Instantly, I began freaking out. It’s that thing all the cool kids are talking about! Omigosh I found it!!!

Needless to say, that was the beginning of an obsession that hasn’t yet died out – which, for me, is extremely rare, considering that my other obsessions at one time or another haven’t lasted quite as long.

My Only Source of Computer Entertainment

The first island I played was Spy Island. Advanced for a third grader? Probably. But man, I did not stop talking about it for weeks. I told all of my friends that I was a real spy, that I had defeated Director D, and that they should all be calling me by my Poptropica name, “Striped Cactus,” now. Poptropica was literally one of the only things I did when I opened my computer.

Then, I got stuck on Wild West Island, and I was so frustrated. But then an idea came to my fun brain and I thought, I wonder if the Internet has the answer? Lo and behold… PHB had the answer. PHB had all the answers, in fact, to the next thirty or so islands I completed.

My dad and I played Mythology Island together, talking about Greek mythology as we did so (we’re both really big history nerds). He also helped me conquer Astro-Knights Island. People could brag about finishing it all by themselves to their hearts’ content, but I took pride in telling people that I completed it with my dad.

A Source of Inspiration

Something I didn’t mention, but perhaps you’ve picked up on it: I am… a writer. I write short stories, novelettes, articles, the occasional MUSICAL (that was a big one), and mini plays that get performed every other year at my local theater. As a writer, I get this virus every so often known as “writer’s block.” And yes, it sucks. But the only way to hunt said virus (see what I did there? okay, so it was a bit of a stretch) is to distract myself with something mindless and entertaining, but has the potential to punch me in the face with a fistful of inspiration. Sounds a whole lot like Poptropica if you ask me.

Whenever I’m stuck in a story and want to get out (see what I did there, musical theater superfans? ), I play the Poptropica Island that most resembles the theme of the story I’m writing. While writing a novelette retelling of Snow White, I spent a bunch of time on Twisted Thicket. While struggling in the middle of a Star Wars tale I was itching to tell but couldn’t quite figure out how, I slashed and stabbed my way through Legendary Swords. And when I was working on an intense but complicated story where the narrator gets kidnapped by the villain and has to be rescued, I continuously played Mocktropica. I swear, there’s a Poptropica Island for every story idea that comes to mind.

An Awkward Conclusion

Well, that’s my story. I know self-promotion is overrated, but follow me on Wattpad anyway (please?) or at least give one of my stories a nice big yellow star! 🙂 I’m @booky_wookiee.

Poptropica’s a great place, PHB is pretty awesome, and stay safe out there, everybody.

Hope you enjoyed this “My Place in Poptropica” story!

If you haven’t already, we invite you to send in your own. Please include your username and a minimum of 550 words, typed with good spelling and grammar, and divided into labeled sections. If you send in your story, we will continue to post new community MPIPs!

~the Poptropica Help Blog

Pop 5

Pop 5: Most Educational Islands

September 21, 2017September 19, 2017 Purple Claw

This post originally appeared on Clawtropica and is being shared on the PHB courtesy of the author, Purple Claw. If you’re interested, you too can write for the PHB!

Hey Poptropicans, it’s Purple Claw, and today I’ve got a Pop 5 list for Poptropica’s most educational islands! Previously, I made a post asking which Poptropica (Original or Worlds) was more educational, and [spoiler alert] Original won that round.

So now, I’ve made a list of top 5 educational islands, all from Pop Original! Keep in mind that this list is just my opinion, and it may contain spoilers. That said, let’s get into it!

#5: COUNTERFEIT ISLAND

counter_pic

Counterfeit Island is really well-made, with lots and lots of art, a really exciting mystery, and a super cool villain (#BlackWidowFTW). Also the Balloon Boy long-running gag started on this very island, so you can blame Counterfeit Island for the whole “dearest Balloon Boy” thing in new Poptropica Worlds trailer.

The most educational thing about this island were, of course, the art pieces at the art museum. That’ll probably help you a bit in class, in case a teacher ~~that lame~~ asks you about a painting and who made it, and if you know it because you saw it on Poptropica, you’re in luck! If you didn’t get that info from Pop, well… kudos to you. If you didn’t know the answer at all… then… you’re on your own.

I’m getting off track here… so let’s continue on, shall we?

#4: VIRUS HUNTER ISLAND

Hear me out on this one. I’m aware that this island is hated by, like, most of the community because of its glitches and its overall grossness, but it can still be educational.

Basically, on this island you travel through a person’s body to kill a deadly virus. In your adventures, you travel through different parts of a human’s body, such as the heart and brain, plus you learn how dangerous deadly viruses can be. It could be more informative, but it’s a decent start.

Still, I must say, this island isn’t really that well made. The bright colors sometimes hurt my eyes, plus the difficulty is extremely hard and a bit annoying at times. But overall, it’s not half bad.

#3: RED DRAGON ISLAND

reddragon_pic

Red Dragon Island is one of Poptropica’s most popular islands, and for good reason. It’s visually great, the story is really interesting (though it’s inspired by a non-Poptropica book), the platforming is fun and not too frustrating, and it’s also pretty educational.

It’s a really beautiful island which introduces us to good ol’ ancient Japan and its culture. From sumo wrestling, to helping random strangers, writing Japanese characters, catching mythical river demons, snipping meticulously at bonsai trees (that’s sorta educational, right?), to fighting Japanese dragons – this island is full of interesting tidbits!

#2: TIME TANGLED ISLAND

While I think Time Tangled is a bit, well, overrated, there’s no denying it’s one of Poptropica’s most educational islands. I mean, when you go back in time to various periods of history, there’s just so much to see.

You go to Mount Everest, to Ancient Greece, to all sorts of places to repair the future, but while you’re doing that, you actually learn something. The new SUI version doesn’t have those Fact Monster bubbles I mentioned in a previous post (thankfully), but even still, you might pick up a new fact or two as you explore these historical environments.

However, there’s a glitch to play the non-SUI version of Time Tangled, with all the Fact Monster bubbles. To activate it, make sure you have the time device given to you by your older self, then go into the Party Time Tower common room, use the device to go to any time period, and voila! The whole island will be a non-SUI! (Special thanks to Tall Melon for reminding me about it!)

#1: MYTHOLOGY ISLAND

Ah, Mythology Island! This island intrigued me, not just because of the wonderful storyline and the visually great graphics, but because I learned a whole lot about Greek mythology too!

As some of you might know, I was born in Greece. I learned a little about Greek mythology in third grade, but not much, so it was really cool to explore it more in Poptropica.

Everything about this island is educational, and really fun at the same time. There’s the museum of Olympus (which has info about various Greek gods and goddesses), Aphrodite’s minigame where you’re supposed to guess the deities’ names, and all the mythical creatures you get to meet. The whole island is really well thought-out!

I congratulate Poptropica for making islands that are both educational and really fun at the same time. They really can appeal to everyone!

If you enjoyed reading this post, check out the original post on Clawtropica, and browse the blog for even more cool content.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

🐾 Purple Claw 🐾
🌊

Advertisements, Home Island

Tra-la-la, Ye Olde Shop has docked on Home Island!

September 19, 2017September 19, 2017 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! Look what showed up on Home Island on Poptropica Worlds…

A pirate ship! No, wait, it’s just the exterior of a new building that’s decorated like a ship – and a small tower with a blimp weathervane. And according to the sign, it’s Ye Olde Shop! Which, really, just brings up the clothing shop panel. But now it has a physical building on Worlds, so that’s pretty neat. There was going to be new clothing, but…

Earlier today, the promised 10th birthday costume (which came on Friday for Pop Original) finally made its way to Worlds, but the excitement was short-lived. The costume soon encountered glitches like backwards-facing caps, disappearing heads for those wearing it, and downwards-facing fireworks.

Not too long later, the costume was deleted from Worlds. Hopefully it’ll be back soon – we’ll let you know when it returns.

10thbirthdayworlds — pic credit: Young Hippo & idk

Although new clothing on Worlds is still a work in progress, you can still pick up something new for your avatar on Poptropica Original!

On Pop Original’s Home Island, there’s an ad for Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (coming to DVD and Blu-ray), and inside the building is a common room, so you can meet and battle with other players. A “don’t touch” button, when touched, will bring up an animation of Captain Underpants zooming on your screen. If you go all the way to the end, you can costumize a red spotted billowing cape for your avatar.

captunderpants ad

Back to Worlds: you can also find the Captain Underpants Movie ad on your TV screen inside your house, but no prizes.

It’s interesting to note that when it comes to updates for Pop Original and Worlds, Original continues to get better (or faster) ones. For the 10th birthday costume, Pop Original got the update right on time, but we’re still waiting for the one on Worlds to be ready. For recent ads such as the Captain Underpants one, the offering on Pop Original is more complex and interesting than what appears on Worlds.

It seems like the Creators are still figuring things out with building on Unity, which is the engine Worlds runs on. Pop Original continues to be more familiar, hence the quality updates we’ve been used to over the years continuing to appear in-game without a hitch.

Considering that the Creators are willing to update Pop Original with them when they had originally said they wouldn’t be updating it, it seems the issue is not that they don’t want to keep up with these cool ad buildings, but rather that it’s taking time to figure out how to do it on Worlds. After all, on Worlds, they still aren’t ready for multiplayer functions like a common room, and even adding a new costume is proving to be a struggle.

Still, because the big reason Poptropica decided it needed to create Worlds was to adapt to new technologies, it looks like this is just the way things are for now, and it’s something we should keep remembering. For our part, let’s keep trying to enjoy both Poptropicas, knowing the Creators are still striving to make them fun for all.

Well, that’s all for now! Enjoy the New Olde Shop and the Captain Underpants cape! And, if you missed the events of this past weekend, be sure to check out our party recap and birthday news post below. Keep on poppin’ on, Poptropicans. 😉

<・)))><<