PHB Sneak Peeks, Zomberry Island

PHB Sneak Peeks: Zomberry Mini-Games?

Hey Poptropicans, ready for a peek into what’s going on behind the curtains of Poptropica HQ?

Many of us have noticed that Poptropica has been so busy behind-the-scenes that they haven’t delivered much lately. Whatever big updates they’re working on, they’re not divulging – we’re barely getting any sneak peeks on the Daily Pop, and even Poptropica’s own Skinny Moon has mentioned she’d love to say more, but can’t reveal anything yet.

But thanks to a brief tip sent in by PHB reader Hyper SW, we just might have some clue of what’s going on and what’s to come! This is the heads-up that was given to the PHB:

“A new game called Game Jam is coming soon! In the game you defend yourself from zomberries using different musical instruments. Due to legal matters, I’m going to keep this update short.”

zomberry2

Well, that’s interesting! Zomberry 2.0? Another sneak peek, this one from an anonymous PHC glitcher, is of another upcoming game called Zomberry Catapult:

zomberrycatapult

Despite the Zomberry Main Street scenery, we’re not sure if this is an island in itself – it looks like Poptropica is working on a series of mini-games to keep us entertained (as we await the next island!). You may remember a few Daily Pop sneak peeks from February where we saw zombie characters in what appeared to be platformer games and other mini-games. They seem to be related:

What could all this mean? Will we get to play these Poptropica original games on Home Island? Will Zomberry Island be getting an update? Or will Poptropica release a mobile app containing several these little games? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Stay popping, Poptropicans.

–🐠🐠

Guest Posts, PHB Sneak Peeks

Behind the Scenes: Development Testing Rooms

(Hey Poptropicans! This is a guest post by PHC glitcher TechWizard, here to share with us some pictures he grabbed behind-the-scenes, with commentary from Brave Tomato. Enjoy!)

What’s up Poptropicans? TechWizard here and.. wait, who is this clown?! Don’t worry, I’m just guest posting. Don’t get used to me and my charms. I’m here to discuss some inside info on Poptropica that will leave you saying “woah.” The method used here is a secret, so don’t ask Uncle Tech here to leak it.

Our first image is of a SUI (sound-updated island) Back Lot! The way you can tell is that not only does the screen appear to be bigger, but also, the menu icon is on the top right instead of the top left (as the classic islands have it formatted). We’ve also had hints way back when that other islands were about to get the same treatment, yet we haven’t heard anything since. Whether this island is being re-released sooner or later, it’s interesting to say the least.

suibacklot

Our next room is a multiplayer room with emote mechanics like the ones used in the mobile Poptropica app! In common rooms online, you’ve normally got 8 emotions (with four categories that picks one out of two emotions at random): proud, small cheer, cry, shock, frustrated, head-popping mad, laugh, and jump for joy).  The mobile version has only 6, however: three old (cry, head-popping mad, and laugh), and three new (faint, dance, and greet). How this would affect the future of emoting is up in the air, but only time can tell.

multiplayer room

This next room has some interesting dialogue referring to bugs. It seems like the room itself is a debug room, and one of the buttons leads to a halting crash. This might be one of the line of defenses for glitches, and the crash feature could very well be used in case of emergency. Who knows?

debug room

This next one has multiple NPCs, one capable of changing size. This was most likely for creating larger Poptropican models, like the gods, and a few brute characters such as the large Viking in Mystery of the Map, as well as the tinier ones like Mr. Silva and what the Minimizer store card does. Strangely enough, to do this, you’d have to click on the mohawked Poptropican. That’s… interesting.  This one can also test multiple dialogue options.

change size

This one I like to call “Tetris Land”. Not a lot is in here, besides the odd floor, space background, and three handsome Poptropicans. If you try to speak to the first of the three, he’ll say a line of dialogue, and the other two next to him say, “What he said.” The main purpose of the room, however, is to explore certain special abilities in the game.

special abilities

This one here is a sound testing room, and even the Afro Guy here serves as a test! There can be a lot of different types of grounds a Poptropican can walk and jump on, as well as object sounds, music, and even the rarer voice acting snippet. Seeing that this is a sound-testing area, this probably ensures that there isn’t glitchiness, sound skipping, or other issues. These kinds of rooms, therefore, would be perfect for this kind of quality testing.

sound testing room

Lastly, check out this cool item card I found! Psychedelic flavor PopGum – if only they had released this. Looks like it might bring more happiness to the world.

psychodelicgum

Well, I hope you enjoyed this peek behind closed doors. Now I’m off to stalk what you guys will say in the comments section!

TechWizard

App, Graphic Novels, Monkey Wrench Island, Red Dragon Island, Uncategorized

The Monkey, the Map and the Dragon!

hiagain

Hey, guys. Slip here, and I’m back!

We have some real-life updates today, starting with Monkey Wrench! Good news for Android users, because it’s finally released on Android devices (and recently iOS)! If you need a guide on the island, check it out here!

monkey

We also have great news! The  Mystery of the Map graphic novel was added to the list of New York Times’ bestsellers! It was recently ranked  4th on the list, but when I checked it again, it is now placed 5th. Congratulations to Kory and Jack Chabert! Buy the graphic novel here or read BT’s analysis here!

Some players are experiencing some difficulties in the newly-reopened Red Dragon Island. Is Red Dragon a prank all along? Well, the answer is no. Well, you could try clearing your cache or try playing on a different browser. If it doesn’t work, try to email Poptropica about it.

…and that concludes today’s updates! What do you think? Leave a comment!

byeagain

-Slippery 💦

Uncategorized

Top 5 Most Poppin’ Costumizables in Poptropica

Hey folks, Cobalt here!

Today, I’ll be counting down the top five most extraordinary, poppin’ customizable items in the fascinating world of Poptropica! Before we start, I’d like to add a disclaimer: These are all just my opinion.

2016-04-05.png

Of course, there are also really cool items that aren’t customizable, but considering not everyone enjoys glitching, I feel it’s safer to go focus on customizables. But if popular demand demands a glitch based version of this, I’m definitely up for it. In the meantime, our ASG page does have lots of glitchable outfits.

Anyway, without further ado… here are my top five favorite extraordinary costume pieces on Poptropica!

#5 Dr. Hare’s Secret Lair: The Customizable Beard

Besides Cryptids, this is the only costumizable beard in Poptropica, and it looks super awesome. It also kind of looks like the Bat Man logo. Regardless, a cool item, and definitely deserves to be on this list!

Screenshot at Apr 04 20-12-49

#4 S.O.S. Island: The Money Hat

Honestly dudes, this hat is totally cash. I actually really like it a lot, and it’s free of charge, ironically. 😉

Screenshot at Apr 04 20-47-10

#3 Haunted House: The Witch Nose

Not only is it the only actual customizable nose in Poptropica (besides the goofy glasses, or fake noses from the Store), it also looks super cool around Halloween, and is constantly used in costume contests here on the PHB! Try dying your skin green and wearing it. Spooky! 😉

Screenshot at Apr 04 20-50-39

#2 PoptropiCon Episode 1: Cyclops Night Vision Goggles

This gives me really awesome sci-fi vibes. I’m a huge fan either these as laser goggles, night vision goggles, whatever the heck they are! They are definitely a sight for sore eyes. 😉

Screenshot at Apr 04 20-54-55

#1 Mythology Island: The Minotaur Outfit

This looks like something you just shouldn’t be able to customize. The fact it is customizable amazes me, and I really like minotaurs! Dye yourself white, black, brown, whatever – it looks beast! 😉

Screenshot at Apr 04 21-07-03

That concludes my opinions on the top five best customizable items! Do you agree with me? What are your favorite customizable items? Comment below! 😛

Until next time Poptropicanos!

-Cobalt

Magazines

POPCORN, the PHB magazine: Spring 2016 issue!

Hey Poptropicans, the butter is back!😀

As you may recall from our last POPCORN announcement, our PHB magazines are now being published seasonally. The spring 2016 issue, #30 of our Poptropica fan magazine, is now ready for viewing. Check out the spring 2016 issue now! (Or download it to read offline!)

These issues are still available as downloadable PDFs, but you may notice a few small stylistic changes – most notably, the Featured Poptropican on the cover! In the past, I’ve just used my (Slanted Fish’s) Poptropican, but that’s boring after a while. This season’s issue features Cobalt Spinner, our newest PHB author and longtime Poptropican (you can read his story here). A couple of selected artworks in this issue are of his character’s impeccable design.

popcorn cover30

Henceforth, like many magazines, each new cover will feature a different Poptropican from the community! They will be selected by me, the editor of this magazine, on the grounds that this Poptropican has had a significant role in the community, preferably with some connection to the issue of the magazine they are featured on. Please understand that there are many wonderful individuals out there, far more than there are issues of The POPCORN, so don’t take it personally if you aren’t featured on the cover. You can have your chance to be featured within the magazine by submitting stories, art, and more to our subreddit and DeviantArt!

Which brings us to another point of change: in the past, we have pretty much admitted any work that was sent to us into the magazine. Sometimes, however, this would make the magazines rather long, and the quality of work varied. In order to be more consistent with length and quality, we are now limiting the amount of work that makes the final cut. Again, please don’t take it too hard if your work isn’t chosen – with our subreddit and DeviantArt sharing platforms, it is easier than ever to have your work publicized, even if it doesn’t make it into the magazine.

There’s another new section as well: Fansite Spotlight! We’ll be using The POPCORN to highlight notable works that other Poptropicans in this community are doing, to help them reach a wider audience for all the good work they’re up to. This spotlight isn’t necessarily limited to fansites, and may include other projects as well. You’ll have to peek into this issue to see where the first spotlight shines!

Anyway, enjoy this spring issue of The POPCORN! To read past issues, check out the PHB’s Magazines page. Stay popping, Poptropicans! 🐠🐠