Have you ever thought about writing for the PHB, the biggest Poptropica fansite? Well guess what: you can! Many have done it, and we’re always looking for more voices from this community to showcase the diversity of thoughtful Pop players out there – like YOU!
Under our About tab, you’ll find a new page titled Write for the PHB. From guest posting to aspiring to join our staff team, right on this new guide, we’ll go over how you can get involved in producing content for the biggest Poptropica fansite there is. You have things to say, and we have readers who will hear you out. So learn how you can write for us!
In other blogging developments, we recently contacted Skinny Moon to ask about the recent VIP program, which the PHB team was invited to join, making the PHB one of Poptropica’s official fansites. There hasn’t been a lot of detail to the whole program yet, so we reached out for some comments and here’s what she had to say:
So, while being VIP is currently just a title with nice graphics to display, it will expand in the future to include some interesting possibilities, such as VIP sites being linked from the official Poptropica website and maybe even an in-game costume.
Also, if you are a fan who actively blogs or posts about Pop on social media, you should contact Skinny Moon on social media about becoming a VIP! For a list of current VIPs, check out our Poptropica Fandom Community Directory.
Don’t forget to check out our other posts for what’s been going on lately! In particular, we recently wrote some in-depth reviews on various topics, which we hope you’ll check out – plus, we’d love to hear what you think down in the comments:
Hey Poptropicans – get ready for some secrets to be spilled to society!
In this post, the PHB takes on the latest Poptropica graphic novel release, The Secret Society, which came out this April. You can get this book – the third in the series – on Amazon and some bookstores. This review will discuss the storyline, presentation, characters, and more – so be prepared for some (but not all) spoilers if you read on.
If you aren’t quite caught up with the plot, be sure to check out Mystery of the Map (the first in the series) both as an island you can play on Poptropica right now or read in graphic novel format (either on our Comics page or in the print version as a book). Following that is The Lost Expedition (the second book), for which we recently published a review here (and of course, you should check out the book as well).
And now, let’s get into the review!
Storyline
The story picks up where The Lost Expedition left off, with the kids trapped on board the mysterious Secret Society’s hovercraft. They finally reach their destination, the headquarters of the Secret Society, where they meet the leader Spencer Albright, who explains just enough of what’s going on for the kids to catch up. Here’s where we get the interesting knowledge of how exactly the Poptropica timeline works. Ready?
As Spencer Albright explains, Poptropica is a unique holding place for islands throughout the timeline of history to just chill, but interfering with their events could have major consequences, which is why the Protectors are there to stop such meddling. As we know from the previous books, Octavian has a time device and is doing some unlawful meddling – and it’s starting to have some negative side effects on history.
So, as Albright and the Protectors scramble to undo the damage – which isn’t going very well – the kids take it upon themselves to help. As worse comes to worse, tensions rise, and each character finds themselves struggling to work together, with personal reasons getting in the way.
Eventually, we get to face Octavian up close, who is seen ferrying the people he cares about, including a lover – the ones he is willing to destroy history to save. And with some explosive encounters, the kids – in particular, Oliver – finally figures out what he must do to put a stop to Octavian’s out-of-control attempts at control. But even still, they’re not out in the clear just yet… and that’s where we wait for book 4 to wrap up the tale.
Presentation
As with the other books, illustrator Kory Merritt brings a very distinct style to the pages, characterized by thin lines, gradient coloring, and comical details.
Although the art style is different from what we see in the Poptropica game, it fits into the comics. Often, facial expressions are exaggerated, sometimes to a point where they look a little odd, but that’s the way it goes. Personally, I find the textures and simple lines to be a bit hit-or-miss: while they can work quite well in some scenes (such as the depictions of the Aegis and volcanic lava), at other times they feel incomplete, with shapes merely given a little color.
Something that the illustrations do well in are the sweeping larger-scale panels, which depict whole scenes but also include little details, such as in the spread above of the hovercraft and its whimsical path and frightened seabirds. We also get to visit a couple of exciting places from history: ancient Egypt and Mount Vesuvius.
In addition, this book’s illustrations has some interesting little details embedded within! For example, there is a reference to the meme of Joseph Ducruex (Archaic Rap) hanging on one of Albright’s walls. Later, you can also catch Jorge reading a magazine with Dr. Hare’s portrait on it. What other tidbits did you catch?
Even the inside covers are cleverly done with maps, like the previous two books. This one is especially interesting, because unlike the other two books, they start and end with the same magical map – except with changes reflecting the beginning and end! In both, you can see that we’ve started and ended similarly – flying just above a certain island in the hovercraft.
Characters & Conflicts
In our review of book 2, The Lost Expedition, author Mitch Krpata left a comment about one of the main characters in book 3: “The Secret Society focuses a little more on Oliver, and his conflict about what leadership to follow.”
And indeed, Oliver is often faced with challenges with others. But he’s very determined about his convictions, even in the face of disagreements. There are a few times in the story when he’s conflicted with his sister Mya about the right thing to do. But the bigger question for him is, are his decisions any better than the villainous Octavian’s?
Mya, for her part, is unafraid of diving headfirst into places where she sees a possibility of saving people, sometimes ignoring the dangers that come with those options. Oliver adamantly opposes, but as things heat up (quite literally), he begins to realize that interference can be in his hands (again, quite literally).
Meanwhile, Jorge continues to be the self-concerned comic relief of the series, his mind often thinking more of food than the mission at hand. Still, as he continues to see his friends so invested in the issues surrounding them, he starts to care a little more as the story progresses. Perhaps we’ll see even more development from Jorge in the final book.
Early in this installment, we’re introduced to a new character, Spencer Albright, the leader of the Secret Society. Despite kidnapping our favorite trio, the Secret Society of Protectors turn out to be the good guys – at least as far as we can tell. As Spencer explains, their goal is to prevent people from meddling with history, protecting the strange timeline of islands of various time periods that randomly stop by in the realm of Poptropica. Nobody is allowed to intervene with the course of history.
The Secret Society headquarters houses an impressive collection of ancient artifacts from history, some of which later get erased. As dangers rise, Spencer – who we learn is descended from Egyptian nobility – finds his very existence a point of conflict as well.
We also meet Jonas, Spencer’s trusty right-hand man. He seems at first to be an easy-going fellow, happy to play his part in helping the Secret Society. However, as worse comes to worse, things get very personal for the protégé – and his actions become fraught with emotion, making his character’s development also an interesting one.
Finally, of course, there is Octavian, who brought the kids into this mess back in book 1. And now we see the reason he’s causing all this madness in the first place: he has a lover, and he’ll stop at nothing to get her back. We don’t know their story just yet, but we do know Octavian won’t stop bending history until they’re reunited.
Octavian also seems to have some history with Spencer Albright, and it’s clear the two don’t agree on the right approach for handling the power they have for controlling the timeline of history. So far, things have only turned into a real hot mess, leaving us to wonder how things will play out in the end.
Consumed by his intentions, Octavian forgets he erases others’ good in history for the sake of his own desires.
Closing Thoughts: 4.5/5
On the whole, The Secret Society is an excellent continuation of the trio’s adventures from the earlier Poptropica graphic novels. While we had some questions answered, such as what exactly Octavian and the Secret Society was up to, we were opened up to new questions, like how Octavian and Spencer came to such drastically different views for operating the timeline. Because of the deeper insights into how Poptropica islands worked, I thought that this book contained more meat than the others so far.
I also was intrigued by the whole history-alteration plot, and the book raised interesting questions about how we might act towards things we could control, as well as things we couldn’t control. It brings up conflicts about systems put in place for protection, and about following our own gut versus listening to others. Though the story is fiction, it depicts a reality in our own world: we don’t get to choose the way everything is, but we do get to decide how we respond. And how we respond, of course, has ripples.
Oliver asks the very thought-provoking question, “Do we stop every bad thing that’s ever happened? Why do we get to decide?” Unless we have a time device like these characters do – and even for them, it is limited – we don’t get to undo everything we don’t like. We see these characters realizing that some things are within their control while recognizing that other things are not. And that’s something every one of us has to deal with, too.
The story contains both comedic moments and serious ones, and overall, it’s a fun book for any Poptropica fan. It’ll leave you hanging on for what comes next as we await the final book, The End of Time, coming out this fall of 2017…
Have you read The Secret Society yet? What do you think of the story, particularly with regard to what it says about the structure of the Poptropica universe? And would you change the course of history for any ulterior motive?
Share your thoughts, concerns, and criticisms in the comments below!
Hey Poptropicans! It’s been a few weeks since Poptropica Worlds released – and with it, Crisis Caverns Island. We’ve shared our thoughts about Worlds, and now, it’s time for us to delve into its first and only island adventure. Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Anyway, with that out of the way, let’s pop right in…
Storyline & Characters
Let’s begin with a simplified summary: You arrive at Caldera State Park and soon find out there’s a supervolcano here that’s on the verge of eruption. Being the nosy curious Poptropican you are, you poke around and eventually find yourself going deeper and deeper into the caves until at last you are captured by “mole people” who live underground. You also encounter the chthonians, monsters who have declared war on the mole people and are causing the tremors that may soon lead to a volcanic eruption. However, you help make things right, and by the time you pop back up to the surface, all is right with the world again. Well, sort of…
It’s really cool how Poptropica seemed to be inspired by subterranean fiction as a plot to this island, with vibes kind of like Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Subterranean fiction could offer a lot of ideas for a Poptropica island, like a lost world of dinosaurs, Middle-Earth, or even Wonderland! So… it’s a bit baffling that of all the possibilities, they would go with… mole people?
For those who’ve played this island, perhaps you’ll resonate with the thought that, although the premise is interesting, the way it all plays out feels somewhat lacking. There were many opportunities for further exploration of ideas, yet on the whole, the story felt rather rushed from one plot point to the next. The plot leading up to the mole people was okay, but it all went downhill after that. At that point, it was like trying to achieve the climax without first putting on a good foundation.
Looking at a few curious characters, here are some of our questions:
Who, really, are the mole people? Are they human – and whether the answer is yes or no, why do they look so strange, with greenish skin? Is the civilization above aware of their existence? If so, what do they think about them, especially now that they are aware after the quest? How did they get here? Even the first time we see the term “mole people,” it’s just a casual mention by one of the mole people. We also only see a few mole people – king, queen, guards. Where is the rest of the civilization? They are noticeably absent throughout the rest of the caverns.
Also, why chthonians? Their introduction is quite abrupt. You’ve barely met the mole king and queen when they start bombarding you about the chthonians, and we have no idea what they are. Plus, “chthonians” is a long word, and not one many of us are familiar with. Perhaps it would’ve been better to refer to them in simpler terms (beast, worm, creature). And we only had to perform one easy task to appease them, which seems less challenging than a typical Poptropica quest.
And at the visitor’s center, we learn of the missing Dr. Vincent Crispin, founder of Crispin Cave, who had spoken of an underground civilization (the mole people) that no one else believed in. He went too far in his investigations and never returned – but we never do find out what happened to him. Why didn’t we meet him in the mole people’s lair? Did he die – and if so, where is his skeleton? So many questions.
Each character had an interesting design; however, most characters in the park didn’t get as much screen time. Perhaps the park ranger could’ve given a tour deeper into the caves, and it would’ve been nice to see more tourists around the state park.
Despite these confusions, however, meeting the other characters along the way was pretty fun, both in their designs and witty lines. Standouts include the frenemy feud between Hazel and Beatrice, the two old ladies stuck in the cave (“Let’s go somewhere even more depressing: your house”) and the tourist boy who decries the big geyser as “Old Unreliable.” If only we could customize clothing from our new friends!
Gameplay
Something this island didn’t have, for better or for worse, was a good amount of going back and forth. Given the plot, it makes sense to keep going downward deeper into the caves, but it felt like it needed more exploring and going around.
The mechanics of this island also feel quite repetitive. Having the magnetic belt do the job for almost half the island seems too much. Also, the block-the-geyser mechanism gets repeated twice.
As far as game bugs, there definitely were a few. Some players have experienced bugs like not being able to grab the chthonian egg, the scientists at the park not giving the reward after the second island play-through, and more. Although Poptropica continues to work on fixing these glitches, they could have eliminated more of these issues prior to releasing the island to allow for a smoother player experience.
However, there were some high points as well. The room with the traps, like the statue that squishes you, evoked some Indiana Jones-esque feelings. Also, the slider mini-game is commendable. It really added a bit of a challenge to the island, and it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a slider game from Poptropica!
Overall, it feels as though the bugs and the repetitive aspects overweigh the positive parts of this island experience. Thus, the overall gameplay is so-so.
Visuals
There’s no doubt about it: the visual style of Crisis Caverns is absolutely stunning. From the captivating crystals to the refined rock carvings, there is so much delightful detail to surround yourself in. The scenery is definitely a highlight of the island.
But despite the beauty, there’s one more crisis that can’t go unmentioned: all the gorgeous designs that were scrapped in the making of this island. It probably happens to every island during the creative process, but it seems this one was especially affected!
We’ve been seeing sneak peeks for this island since 2013, and the island was even declared canceled at one point, so it’s a miracle it’s finally made it onto the big screen of Poptropica Worlds. Along the way, however, a lot of cool ideas didn’t make the cut, but they’re definitely worth admiration:
Pooled Resources: Value is in the eye of the beholder, of course.
Can You Canoe: Hang around a while and you may get a chance.
Spelunky: Gear up before you go down.
Rustic: Central heat is overrated, if you ask us.
The concept art…
…and the final production piece!
So grand. Such a waste that these scenes never made it to the game!
Verdict
All things considered, our final verdict for Crisis Caverns Island is…
We’ve been waiting a long time for Crisis Caverns, and with all the dazzling previews we saw as well as amazing experiences from past islands on Poptropica Original, our expectations were pretty high for the first Worlds island.
It’s clear, however, that the hype and anticipation from players led to a rushed production from the Creators – who had at one point decided not to work on this island due to ideas not quite working out. Although we are grateful that popular demand brought it back, the overall experience still felt somewhat lacking.
While it wasn’t a complete flop – indeed, the art direction continues to be beautiful as ever – other aspects of the island (plot, character, mechanics, bugs) leave quite a bit to be desired. So, we’ve decided to award it a 2.5 out of 5 crystals.
Thanks for reading our review of Crisis Caverns Island! What did you think of the island and this review? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
The Poptropica fandom is full of talented artists, fun YouTubers, bloggers, and more! Although we’re proud of what we have here on the PHB, we think you’d be missing out if you didn’t also check out all the other awesome creative work that goes on in the Poptropica community. So, in this post, we’re going to show you how you can discover many of these Poptropica fan creators!
In the past few months, so many blogs were created in this community that we simply had to do something about it. Thus, the Poptropica Bloggers Network was created by Hyper Gamer and me, and it’s been going strong for several months now. Check it out here!
Our goal with the PBN is to help smaller Poptropica blogs, even those that are just starting out, to grow and become more popular. If you’re interested in seeing what else goes on in the Poptropica community outside of the PHB, check out the list below of all our current PBN partners:
As you can see, there are a lot of blogs that have joined the PBN, and I’m really glad about that. Smaller Poptropica blogs deserve a chance to shine and become more well-known in the community, and the PBN is here to help you on that journey.
Blogging is a fun hobby, and if you have a Poptropica blog yourself, you might consider joining our network. Or if you’re not a blogger yet, but you want to give it a chance, guess what? Starting is easy! You can build a free blog by using WordPress.com, Blogger, or another website creation tool.
If you’re interested in joining the PBN, head over to this page to review our guidelines, then leave a comment with the required info. We’ll get back to you!
There are many benefits to joining our network, including:
Get listed in the Our Popping Sites page along with your blog’s slogan.
Have your blog’s RSS feed added to the PBN Blog page so people can see your posts.
Get your events, contests, or parties advertised in the Community Events page.
Have a personal emoji of your blog on the PBC.
Join our awesome events, polls and contests!
The PHB isn’t the only Poptropica blog around – you might want to read more than one! Each blogger has a unique style and fun ideas and I hope you’ll be willing to give their awesome content a chance!
At the beginning of this post, I mentioned artists and YouTubers along with bloggers. While the PBN is just for blogs, there is a lot more Poptropica content waiting to be discovered in those other realms as well – which you can discover in our newly-revamped Poptropica Fandom Community Directory right here on the PHB!
The PHB’s Directory is organized by multiple categories for you to explore: PHB-owned sites, the Creators on social media, VIP fans handpicked by the Creators, active fan sites – and you can add yours too! Check it out under the PHB’s Community tab!
Thanks for your time! I hope this proves to you that neither I nor the blogging community are dead. Go check out a new blog today!
Lucky Joker here, with a range of customization-related tips and updates from Poptropica Worlds. Let’s get into it!
Earlier, Skinny Moon posted on the Creators’ Blog some ways in which you can customize your character on Worlds. Also included was this quick new video giving an overview of customization and more in Worlds:
As we said in our Poptropica Worlds review, you can now buy clothing items individually, which really makes customization convenient. For example, you can buy shoes from one outfit, a pair of glasses from another and create a look that’s totally unique! Even better, in Poptropica Words, we have access to all costumes and all various parts regardless of our Poptropican’s gender.
While we’re looking at outfits, there are several new ones in the store, including: a ninja, orange-and-blue (American) football player, gothic cheerleader, and red-and-blue cheerleader!
As you can see, Skinny Moon’s definitely taking advantage of Poptropica Worlds’ customization options – what a difference! To share how you customized your Poptropican, use the hashtag #MyPoptropican on social media so the Creators can see and possibly re-post it!
Speaking of appearances, have you noticed that, as of last week, Cliff Housebuff on Home Island had a bit of a makeover? Hmm, when will we get to change our skin tones too? 😛
Also, another little update you might’ve seen in the pics above: there’s a little arrow in the corners of speech bubbles, so you can now click them to speed up dialogue!
Transferring your account now also allows you to create your look and award you 750 coins for starting a new account on Worlds.
There were other minor updates from last week as well, including: fixing Bleachy Boy/Girl (avatars missing their style and coloring), music added to the login screen, more sound effects, etc. The Creators continue to work hard to keep making Worlds better!
Well, that’s all for today. What do you think of these customization options? I personally think that being able to buy individual items is a great new feature. Sound off your opinions in the comments section.
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