Island Flash-backs

Island Flash-back: Poptropolis Games 🏅

The COVID-19 pandemic may have cancelled many events, but better late than never on the recent 2020 Tokyo Olympics! Its return makes this next Island Flash-back quite appropriate for the sportful season…

Poptropolis Games!!

An official poster made for the island’s re-release

From a fandom standpoint, this island doesn’t seem to be as well-known or well-loved on the surface. There’s little fanart of characters or scenes compared to others such as Counterfeit or Monster Carnival. But look a little deeper and you will see how much this island has incorporated itself into fandom culture and events!

Even after disappearing from the official game, fans continue to identify themselves by the Poptropolis Tribes. A year ago, the PHB hosted the 2020 Tribal Tournament, in which community members could win points for their respective tribes!

Another noteworthy thing is the music: the Poptropolis theme is easily one of my favorites from the game. Hear it below, and more on the PHB’s Behind the Scenes page! (You can also hear it on composer Jeff Heim’s “Poptropica Demo Reel 1” starting at about 43 seconds.)

A bit of trivia for those who were not playing during or before 2012: This island was originally released as a “classic” island with no sound, and came out in June of that year, timed near the London Olympics. To many a player’s surprise, the island “sank” and was removed in early 2013, but eventually was “risen” after an event that encouraged players to help “dig up the games.”

“PHB Poptropolis Games Banner” by Gentle Dolphin on DeviantArt

So let’s dig up the games again! Poptropolis Games and other classic islands were rendered unplayable in the Flash-Haxe transition, but it should not go to waste! Let the Creators know what you appreciate about the island to encourage them to preserve it!

Until September (and Poptropica’s birthday)!

Castori honorem ~ Maryann/Smart Bubbles

Ask Poptropica Siri

Ask Poptropica Siri #3: Flashbacks, favorite sports, and finest names

Ask Poptropica Siri is a Q&A segment here on the PHB where you, dear readers, are invited to send in your Poptropica questions to have them answered with all the wisdom you can expect from a Smart Icicle.

Hello fellow Poptropicans! Ever since I started Poptropica Siri, my dream of being part of the PHB came true. I’m excited that this series has been a hit so far. I had a lot of questions last time, so keep them up! Let’s start.

What do you miss most from when Poptropica was on Flash? ~Dangerous Dragon

I miss playing all the old islands. Back then, when I was only a starter, I played all the islands a lot and became an expert at a few. Now since Flash is gone, more islands are gone, and there have been huge changes to the game. The only thing that has really kept going was the PHB. Good thing the PHB held an honorary end of Flash party!

What is your favorite sport from the Poptropolis Games? ~Friendly Shell

My favorite sport had to be weight lifting. I just like to watch our Poptropican struggle to lift weights. My second favorite would be volleyball because who doesn’t want to play with a giant squid! 😂 Can’t wait to participate in the next PHB Tribal Tournament!

What are some of the best and worst Poptropica names? ~Slanted Fish 🐠

Some of the best would be Spotted Dragon, Friendly Fish, Lucky Joker, etc. In my opinion, the worst would be Muddy Puddle, Dirty Socks, Chilly Bones, and Super Heart.

How can you send in your questions to Ask Poptropica Siri?

That’s a great question! You can use the following methods:

  • 📧 Send an email to askpoptropicasiri (at) gmail (dot) com. This way, you’ll get to keep your questions a surprise when they get answered on the blog.
  • 💬 Comment on the latest Ask Poptropica Siri post. Your questions will be publicly visible before they appear in a Q&A post, but this allows others to interact with your question if they so choose. If you don’t have an email address, you can enter a fake one in the email field when you post your comment.

Thank you everyone! See you in the next one! ~📚❄️

Community Creations

Community Creations: August 2020

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Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the August recap for Community Creations! August’s theme was Poptropolis Games Tribes (and the featured work is not in any particular order). Be sure to check out all the featured artists!

No clue what’s going on? Go see our intro post.

Top 5 Picks

PHB Poptropolis Games Banner by Gentle Dolphin

Hey!!! I’m in this one!!! *ahem* Potential biases aside, this banner design totally rocks. Featuring each one of the Tribe Representatives from our recent Tribal Tournament (which included current PHB authors as well as other community members), a display of pride for each tribe is shown in this piece. I love the respective color schemes, with each section containing a unique style (background, posing, expression, etc.). Insane detail and variety in such seemingly simple color blocking! Find her DeviantArt here.

Seraphim for the Win by happyclonetrooper

Oooh, this one is practically glowing! Practically… flying? The subtle lighting of the sun behind Maroon Ring, as well as the misty layering of the clouds, creates such an immersive environment. The colors and lineart are super clean, and I love seeing how the texture of the rock differs from the grass and trees. Plus, the square framing is quite unexpected! And yet the Poptropican is still able to feel as if they are leaping out at the viewer. Seraphim is lucky to have this artist on their team! Find her DeviantArt here or her Instagram here.

Wild Fire by Fierce Flyer

This submission has some pretty stunning lighting as well, wouldn’t you say? A simple composition, but effectively bold in its execution! The smooth movement and bright colors of the flames are quite an excellent display of Wildfire pride. And the jacket really makes FF look… well, fierce! The expression and setting make him appear ready for competition! Flameo! Find his DeviantArt here or chat with him on Discord.

Black Flags Costume by Greedy Shadow

Nice, I love a costume submission! We certainly saw an outstanding amount of Black Flags representation this year, huh? And for good reason! This outfit perfectly matches the dark/mysterious, yet powerful aesthetic of the tribe. And the setting of this overcast overhang just adds to that brooding theme! This costume was without a doubt well put together. Find them in the comment section!

The Poptropolis Games by Celeste (Purple Paw)

Another cool representation of all the tribes! Though we each are steadfast with pride for our individual teams, it is nice to see them come together in creations such as this. The composition features so many classic Poptropolis Games, er, games, but which one is your favorite? I love the diversity yet simultaneous unity among these scenes, along with the energy that they display. A fantastic submission! Find them in the comments section or on Discord as Purple Paw (and congratulate them on being the MVP for Round 2 of the tournament!).


Honorable Mentions

Going hand in hand with the PHB’s Tribal Tournament, this month was so much fun! From artwork, to trivia, to poems, and games, wasn’t it a blast? For the results of the tournament, along with a ton of other amazing Poptropolis Games Tribal artwork, be sure to check out our recap post.


September: How Do I Participate?

Community Creations is a cool series for anyone in the Poptropica community to join in on. To sum up what it’s about, it’s basically a chance to show off your artwork, creepy fan-fics, Pop clubhouses, costumes, and anything else that pops into your mind.

If we really like the piece you submit, we will feature it here on the PHB! As long as it relates to that month’s theme. So what is September’s theme? September’s theme is…

Masks!

During times like these, it is super important to wear masks and try our best to keep one another safe. But masks aren’t just hassle! They can be creative, fashionable, and fun to wear too. So why not bring something we all have in common to this month’s theme, and spread a little awareness along the way? This month is for all those super creative minds out there!

Poptropica has already gifted us with some in-store face masks (both fun and friendly), but do you have any cool mask designs for our Poptropicans to wear? In fact, your creations can really bend the limits on what “mask” really means. Maybe you want to take inspiration from Super Power Island and PoptropiCon and design your own masked Poptropican superhero! Maybe the masked Medicine Man from Shark Tooth Island deserves more fan art? Or maybe you could even design some DIY Poptropica themed masks for yourself IRL!

  • Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArtTwitter, or Discord.
  • Results: I will feature 5 of the submissions as well as some honorable mentions.
  • Limitations: Nothing NSFW, and make sure you relate to the theme.
  • Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!

I will be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. While quality counts, I’m mainly looking for something to simply catch my eye, so don’t be afraid to join in!

So what are you waiting for? Go make something awesome!

~SD

Contests, Poptropolis Games Island, Reality TV Island, Reality TV: Wild Safari Island

PHB Tribal Tournament: Gamers’ Gauntlet 🏅🏃‍♂️

The time has come, Poptropicans… welcome to the final round of the 2020 PHB Tribal Tournament. Allow us to introduce the Gamers’ Gauntlet!

In this round, you’ll need to put your Olympic energy to the ultimate test, and you’ll be doing it in the most competitive Poptropica way: completing islands. But not just any islands! For these Games, the challenge is to beat Poptropolis GamesReality TV, and/or Reality TV: Wild Safari Island. As much as you can.

Once you’ve finished one of the aforementioned islands, take a screenshot of the result and make sure to include the date and time in the corner of your screen. Then, share the screenshots with us either on your tribe’s channel on the PHC or by sending us an email. Let us know which tribe you’re repping!

Here’s an example of a screenshot with the time and date included to help us verify that the island was completed during the time of this round. Your computer may display the time in a different corner of the screen.

Every island completion earns 10 points for your tribe. You can replay any of the islands as many times as you want — and the more you do, the more points you’ll earn for your tribe. And a few other notes…

  1. Here’s a guide on how to take a screenshot.
  2. For Poptropolis Games, you are only eligible for points in the tournament if you place in the top 3.
  3. Poptropolis Games is only on the Flash version of Poptropica, not Haxe. You can use the Format Loader to switch from one to the other.
  4. The original Reality TV Island is currently officially available to members only, but non-members can try accessing it via the Old Island Directory.
  5. Out of the 3 islands, only Reality TV: Wild Safari is available on mobile, but your device may not show the time when in the game app. However, your progress will sync to your computer, so you can log in on your computer and take a screenshot there if you’re playing on mobile.

By the way, it’s more fun on Discord. Join us on the PHC to play alongside other Poptropicans and share your victories with your team! 😄🏅


For anyone curious, here are the answers to last week’s tricky games. How many were you able to get?

Tricky Trivia: Answer Key

  1. Who created Poptropica? Jeff Kinney
  2. What was the 32nd island released? Zomberry Island
  3. Poptropica’s in-game currency is called what? Credits
  4. What year was the Friends feature implemented? 2012
  5. How many islands have a bonus quest? 14
  6. When was Early Poptropica (the pilgrims’ settlement) founded? 1982
  7. Who was CJ’s role model on Shrink Ray Island? Marie Curie
  8. Why is Crusher wanted in prison? For smashing bugs
  9. What are the nine flavor variations of PopGum that exist? Classic, Cinnamon Fire, Spooktacular, Grape, Vampire Bat, Lucky Shamrock, Winter Blast, Helio, and Psychedelic
  10. Which iconic character had their name changed due to legal issues? Shark Boy/Guy (check out our article on the Mystery of Shark Boy!)
  11. What event, on Mystery Train Island, is the train headed to? 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
  12. Where did Flambe, the prison chef, receive his/her culinary training? Le Cordon Bleu
  13. What weight does the weight guesser incorrectly predict your Poptropican to be on Monster Carnival Island? 115 pounds
  14. On Counterfeit Island, how long was the museum security guard’s break from his Monday night shift? 12 minutes
  15. How much does an ECO-Bike cost at Twin Palms Mall? $3599.99
  16. How could one originally gain access to play the Blimp Adventure mini-quest? By purchasing the blimp toy and using the code that comes with it to unlock it
  17. Who is buried in the plot A42 at Hemlock cemetery? Humility Goodman or Percy Brewster
  18. What are Zeke Weke’s three favorite musical artists? The Banana Heads, Popzart, and The Roaches
  19. On which island is the Grease Monkey building located? Spy Island
  20. How many islands has Smokey Chinchilla completed? 18

Trace That Place: Answer Key (see labels)


Presenting the Genius Games MVP

It’s time to crown another MVP (Most Valuable Poptropican)! This person swarmed in with an immense amount of team spirit by taking on almost every possible method of earning points. Congratulations to Celeste (Purple Paw) of the Nightcrawlers — you’ve done your tribe proud!

Will you be the next MVP? Are you willing to accept the challenge and contend for victory in the medallion marathon of the Gamers’ Gauntlet? This round ends next Tuesday, August 25, so get going!

🏃🏾‍♀️ On your marks, get set, go! 🏃‍♂️

– the PHB tribe reps –

Noveen (Black Flags), Sporty Boa (Flying Squid), Spotted Dragon (Nanobots), Slanted Fish (Nightcrawlers), Lucky Joker (Pathfinders), Gentle Dolphin (Seraphim), Fierce Flyer (Wildfire), & Silver Wolf (Yellowjackets)

Join us for more fun on the PHC Discord!

Community Creations

Community Creations: July 2020

community-creations-logo

Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the July recap for Community Creations! July’s theme was Classic Islands (and the featured work is not in any particular order). Be sure to check out all the featured artists!

No clue what’s going on? Go see our intro post.

TOP 5 PICKS

Cowgirl Return by Nongmind

Though this piece was not made in time for our Wild West theme, it certainly still fits among the classic islands! The blurry effect adds a lot of hilarious motion to the scene, perfectly capturing a great photo from the island. It has a lovely composition and demonstrates wonderful craftsmanship! Very well made! Find her DeviantArt here.

The 4 Knights by BlazingAngel123

Wowza, what a heroic looking scene! Astro-Knights won “OG Island We’ll Miss the Most” in the Poppies this year, so it is obviously a fan favorite adventure. The symmetrical composition is excellent and I love the strong contrast between colors. Each knight is showing off their unique set of powers, but certainly remaining strong and unified. It really captures the atmosphere of the island! Find her DeviantArt here.

Here Comes a Giant Fist by WitchyArtistGal

Although Shrink Ray eventually got its own sound update, I think it’s fair to say that it’s still a classic considering its initial release. So this submission deserves a spotlight all the same! Comics are always a refreshing format, and a challenging one at that. Luckily, the framing and humor in this one turned out excellent! The dialogue and build up are great, bringing together the perfect little story. Keep up the great work! Find her DeviantArt here.

Spy Island by MissEligon

Oooh, another very interesting composition! Though busy, all the figures are portrayed in such a way that they are not lost within the frame. I love the subtle effect of Director D.’s hair, the incorporation of background scenery, and even the inclusion of the spy in the trashcan! This piece really acts as a summary of the whole island without giving too much away. There’s a great variety of emotion, poses, shades within a unified color scheme, and a wonderful sense of mystery! Find her Twitter here (where she has also recently posted art of some other classics).

Game Show Island by AdventurersNHunters

Hmmm, intriguing! As I previously mentioned, the format of a comic is always refreshing! And the added challenge of having no dialogue is very interesting. This long visual story really builds a world, and draws the viewer’s eye all down the page. The detail is fantastic, the shading is quite dramatic, and the diagonal lines of the frames create a great sense of action! You can really see the effort poured into the work. Find her DeviantArt here.


HONORABLE MENTIONS

Gosh guys, all this amazing work is really making miss the classics! These adventures have really been immortalized by your submissions this month.


AUGUST: HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?

Community Creations is a cool series for anyone in the Poptropica community to join in on. To sum up what it’s about, it’s basically a chance to show off your artwork, creepy fan-fics, Pop clubhouses, costumes, and anything else that pops into your mind.

If we really like the piece you submit, we will feature it here on the PHB! As long as it relates to that month’s theme. So what is August’s theme? August’s theme is…

Poptropolis Games Tribes!

Although the summer Olympics have been postponed until next year, why can’t we still celebrate with some fun “athletic” competition, right? That’s why we have the internet in times like these! We all have witnessed the sinking of Poptropolis and the mystery that surrounds it, but we have also gotten to experience the excitement of the games! Let’s revisit those games in this month’s theme, shall we?

No matter what tribe you’re a part of, we want to see your artwork! We want to see your stories! Your costumes! And all the crafts in between! So show us your tribal pride this month, and I promise that I won’t be biased in favor of the Nanobots (or at least I’ll try).

  • Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArtTwitter, or Discord.
  • Results: I will feature 5 of the submissions as well as 3 honorable mentions.
  • Limitations: Nothing NSFW, and make sure you relate to the theme.
  • Due Date: I will take any entries before the end of this month. Submit as many things as you’d like!

I will be sure to let you know I have seen your creation. While quality counts, I’m mainly looking for something to simply catch my eye, so don’t be afraid to join in!

So what are you waiting for? Go make something awesome!

~SD