As promised, the six winning designs from September’s costume contest have arrived at the Baron’s pop-up shop. Be sure to snag your Heart Witch, Pumpkin Punk, Will-O’-Wisp, Zombie Nerd, Midnight Kitten, and Phantom costumes for free, and while you’re here, consider the smiling and/or grimacing pumpkins (50 credits each) and Baby Jersey Devil plushie (300 credits) for your clubhouse. 🎃🎃
The Creators must be watching us, since Gentle Dolphin threw out the idea of a Jersey Devil plushie here just last week. But hey, while we’re punkin’ around, we’re still thrilled to see cool stuff in the game — whether it’s a clubhouse item or winning costume creation!
By the way, the Baron’s Red October makeover extends throughout Home Island! We know the Creators can’t resist polishing the dust off this rock from time to time, but we have to admit this fresh crimson paint is quite a mood. Even Amelia got in on the Halloween spirit with a unicorn headband that wasn’t there yesterday! 🦄🎃
The Red Baron and Red October atmosphere will be here all month. Enjoy the sinister spirit and playground aboard the Baron’s vessel!
The spooky vibes continue in Poptropica’s latest Instagram stories. In addition to Halloween-inspired fan art, Poptropica also promoted their Red October event and World Teacher’s Day. Are there teachers following Poptropica on Instagram? Now that may be a little eerie…
Anyway, that’s a wrap on this update. Happy (or should we say melancholic?) Red October! Pop on by Home Island and enjoy the Halloween vibes and costumes all through the month.
After two weeks of judging (and a questionably handled submission reel), the Creators finally announced the winners of the Red October Halloween Costume Contest. Without further ado, the six winning designs are Heart Witch by Big Rider, Zombie Nerd by Cheerful Boot, Pumpkin Punk by Gentle Dolphin (me! 😁), Midnight Kitten by Quiet Crumb, Phantom by Maroon Cloud, and Will-O’-Wisp by Sleepy Biker.
We look forward to seeing these spook-tacular costumes get brought to life this Halloween! ❤️🧟♀️🎃🐈⬛🎩🔥
After announcing the winners, the Creators’ Blog post goes on to say that the Red Baron will be on Home Island throughout the month of October! Not only is the Baron bringing the winning costumes, she’s also bringing some other spooky items from Poptropica’s past. Perhaps we’ll see a Count Bram costume or a Jersey Devil plushie?
While we wait for the Red Baron to arrive with her spooky bounty, Amelia’s Adventure Outfitters introduced a new outfit to celebrate skateboarding becoming an official Olympic sport. Members can purchase the radical Street Style outfit for 250 credits. Now avatars can at least look the part of a pro skater. 🛹
The Pop Creators don’t always post on Twitter. But when they do, it’s to like and share tweets promoting their game. This week, they’ve been engaging with a few fans who want to see Poptropica on the Nintendo Switch. Seems they like the idea:
The idea of Poptropica on the Switch isn’t too far off. Some of you may recall that there were two official Poptropica DS games: Poptropica Adventures and Poptropica: Forgotten Islands. While a Switch port would be cool, the Creators’ priorities should perhaps be to port the old islands to the base game, which is pretty lacking in its current state. But still, imagine Poptropica appearing in an upcoming Nintendo Direct!
Before I end this post, I want to talk about a new ad that has been turning heads. Some players have encountered videos ads for Venom: Let There Be Carnage playing in both the video bar below the game screen as well as in between scenes. It’s pretty shocking that a violent PG-13 movie is being advertised in a game aimed towards children. We’re not sure how much control the Creators have over these video ads, but let’s hope they are able to take these particular ads down.
That’s all I have for now! Are you looking forward to the Red Baron’s visit this October? Would you like to see a Poptropica Switch game? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay tuned for a background look into one of the upcoming Dream Island winners. We’re sure it will have you rolling on the floor with anticipation. 😜🏠
Hey Poptropicans! Are you ready to board the Baron’s boat? Because the Red Baron’s airship has returned to Home Island! But act now since the ship is only here until Friday, August 6th.
Like last time, enter the ship to find a common room on the flight deck, the Cabin of Curiosities shop to the left, and the mini-game to earn credits to the right. Everything is expectedly looking the same! But let’s check out the Cabin of Curiosities to see what’s new.
As promised, July’s costume contest winner is featured inside! Ice Cream Cat made by Silver Flame is available for free. How purr-fect! 🍦🐈
Aside from this sweet new get-up, there are a few other new goodies to scream for too. To the right, we have Gretchen Grimlock gear (50 credits), Retro Robot regalia (50 credits), a statue (600 credits), a Papa Pete’s Pizza box (50 credits), a floating aquarium set up (800 credits), and a suitcase/trunk (50 credits). Plus, that gold skull above the entrance is still available.
Both of those costumes are quite familiar to long-time players, huh? If you earned an extra 5000 credits this past week by logging in every day, you should be able to go on a fun spending spree today.
Again, Baron mind that the ship is only here until Friday, August 6th. That’s less than 5 days away! After that, we’ll have a bit of time to wait for its next docking and the next costume contest winner to be announced.
More stuff awaits in Adventure Outfitters (including that ribbeting Frog Bucket Hat being modeled in the pics above), so stay tuned for our update on that soon! ☀️🐸
Until next time, it’s time to spend those credits! Go! Go! Go! 🤑
Hello once again everyone! Spotted Dragon here bringing you the July recap for Community Creations! July’s theme was Fancy (and the featured work is not in any particular order). Be sure to check out all the featured artists!
Now, this elegant couple is in perfect attire for the Poppies, wouldn’t you agree? BrittScarlet captions the image on Instagram with “Breaking News: Smart Sinker a infamous adventure was seen at the 2021 Poppies with Binary Bard rocking out in their fancy outfits,” which adds all the more story to the scene. I can easily imagine all the flashing lights of cameras and pop-arazzi at this blue carpet event! And to think, a hero and villain couple? Scandalous! I love the smooth coloring, line art, and, of course, the fancy outfits. Find her Instagram here.
Awards Show by Midnightoilstudios
Another carpeted event (this one more red than blue) is quite the fancy setting. But what really stands out here is the villain-inspired clothing! Original character “Aria” is sporting a Dr. Hare inspired look while “Sean” showcases a Black Widow themed getup. I love that sort of creative design work, and, I gotta say, I’m a bit jealous of that spider-web suit jacket. You think I could pull it off? Either way, this is a fantastically fancy scene and I love the glitter texture added in many elements. Find her DeviantArt here.
Most Likely to Succeed by Barefoot Knuckle
Here we may have another carpeted awards show, but the awards themselves are a bit different. CJ from Shrink Ray Island is featured in this scene receiving a trophy for an invention. It’s a bit of a step up from first place at the local science fair, huh? I love how even in this fancier-than-average setting, CJ’s personality still shines through in her expression. And Barefoot Knuckle even researched science trophies and formal hairstyles/dresses when crafting their composition! Excellent work was put into this creation and it shows. Find the artist frequently in the comment section.
Getting Ready for the Poppies by Golden Heart
Ooo la la! This gown easily caught my attention. The shimmering blue dress paired with those elegant gloves just screams fancy! Or, perhaps politely whispers it? Let’s be mannerly here, of course. Anyway, I asked for glitter and I sure got it in this piece. But I also have to commend the pose of the character, as the closed eyes and bent arms seem to elevate the grace of the design. Simple, put certainly poised and well executed! Find her frequently in the comment section and the PHC Discord.
Month of Fancy Short Story by Shy Scorpion
The party that makes history, at least that’s what the invitation said. You look at the castle in awe. How did you get an invite into a fairy-tale ball on Fairy Tale Island do you ask? This ball is being held to celebrate the one year anniversary of We-Didn’t-Get-Out-Happy-Endings-Sucked-Away, and since you defeated Rumplestiltskin (the guy responsible for almost taking away all the happy endings) they invited you. That’s why you are walking up the red carpeted stairs in your fanciest, sparkliest, most expensive outfit you could find.
Wow, the place looks… Well, fancy! Massive chandeliers, bejeweled vases, and everything is shiny, right down to the people. Floor length gowns with so many flounces and pressed suits with expensive looking bow ties. But while all these things are nice to look at, you are really hoping to see your friends.
You look around and finally are able to spot Snow White looking stunning in a purple ball gown and an exquisite bun and tiara. “Hi Snow, how are you doing?” you say as you run over. “Adventurer Kid, hi, I’m doing great.” Then you notice the man standing next to her. Ringmaster Raven!
This story takes our suggestion of a Fairy Tale Island fanfiction and truly brings it to life. I always love seeing what you guys can do with written submissions. Revisiting these characters a year after the ending of the island is super fun, especially with the addition of other fan-favorite characters like Ringmaster Raven. Maybe we should listen to the fans about rewriting the ending to Fairy Tale Island after all… But anyway, it suits our fancy theme quite well. I can just imagine the sparkly dresses! Find Shy Scorpion frequently in the comments, and read another fanfiction of theirs here on the PHB.
Honorable Mentions
Olympian Gods Dinner by AdventurersNHunters
Fancy Nyah by Kid Whom Has a Hat
Popover Masked Singer by Smart Icicle
Poptropica Fancy Entry by 1234rose18
Princess Scheherazade by Barefoot Knuckle
Cute Outfit for the Poppies by Dangerous Dragon
SB Poppies by Sporty Boa
Fancy by Friendly Feather
My, my, everyone was quite fancy this month, indeed! I applaud all your dapper designs and chic creations. And I hope that everyone enjoyed the Poppies as much as I did!
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…
Flight!
With the arrival of the Baron’s airship on Home Island, the idea of flying (or piloting a huge airship) has been on my mind. The classic yellow blimp has been a trusted mode of transportation for all Poptropicans since the birth of Poptropica itself, so I’m sure you’re all familiar with it. But it isn’t the only mode of flight in-game, as we’ve seen!
Whether it be our blimp, or the Baron’s airship, or the hot air balloons, kites, planes, wings, and other devices that have been featured on different islands, or even… well, Balloon Boy himself! Flying is no strange feat in the world of Poptropica. So this month, I challenge you to use the power of flight in your creations. Perhaps design your own blimp or airship? Or write a story about the Baron piloting through the clouds? The sky is your limit! Literally!
Submit: Comment below with a link to whatever you’ve created, email it to the PHB team on our Contact page, OR share it with me (SydVC aka Spotted Dragon) on DeviantArt, Twitter, or Discord.
Results: Next month, I will feature 5 submissions that stood out to me the most as well as some honorable mentions.
Limitations: Just make sure you relate to both the theme and Poptropica (and nothing NSFW or otherwise inappropriate).
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!
As you may have gained from the title of this post, I’m here to discuss a Poptropica island that, although it had lots of great potential, is often overlooked by fans, and was even erased from the map altogether two years ago. Yes, I’m talking about Monkey Wrench.
Monkey Wrench was the tutorial island released in 2016.
It’s easy to see why this island is so frequently forgotten, as it was only a tutorial island; incomparable to greater classics such as Astro-Knights or Skullduggery. But, even though it was only invented to teach new Poptropicans how to play, I still felt that Monkey Wrench was quite a bit more than that. To better understand what I’m on to, take a look at the following reasons for why I think Monkey Wrench should be brought back.
One of the biggest things that made me get so attached to this short but sweet island is the lore it provided. You’re probably wondering what I mean; Monkey Wrench didn’t give us a full, thoughtful story to think over, unlike other islands that centered on their storytelling. But it did give us something I never expected to have a real answer for, least of all from a tutorial island; where the iconic Poptropica blimp came from.
Who knew that the great Poptropica blimp would come from a pack of monkeys?
I’m sure many of us wondered how one of Poptropica’s most well-known features, the golden blimp, came to sit on Home Island the moment we created our Poptropican avatars. And it was a big surprise when the answer to this longstanding question came in the form of a tutorial island! Besides, learning where your blimp comes from is a perfect introduction to Poptropica. In my opinion, Monkey Wrench succeeded all expectationsof what a tutorial should be.
You may still be slightly doubtful about how important Monkey Wrench really was. I know one thing that bothered a lot of players about this island was how many game controls were taught during it, interrupting the experience; but, after all, Monkey Wrench is a tutorial. If it didn’t teach you how to control your avatar, speed up the dialogue, and use items from your backpack, that would have ruined the whole point. (Although I do think it would be interesting to see Monkey Wrench expanded into a full island.)
Another reason why I think Monkey Wrench should return is the amount of design that went into it. The visual scenery, character design, and audio soundtracks were all amazing, and I don’t think such beautiful work should go to waste so quickly. A couple of my favorite scenes from Monkey Wrench include Amelia’s airplane soaring over the majestic Poptropican sea during the Flying Ace Race, as well as all of the lush tropical scenery on Crusoe’s island.
And the visual design isn’t the only ‘wow’ factor in this island; I truly mean it when I say Monkey Wrench’s soundtracks were some of the best in Poptropica. (You can listen to them on SoundCloud.) Each music piece sets the mood perfectly, with the right amount of action, calm, and fun. Not to mention that there were at least four separate soundtracks created all for this one smaller island!
And we haven’t even reached the character design yet. The Red Baroness, Monkey Wrench’s main villain, had a spectacular outfit going, and I was always very intrigued by her. If only Monkey Wrench could be returned to the map and possibly expanded on, it would give us a chance to delve deeper into her back story; and find out just where she got to when her plane crashed in the ocean! Does the great Red Baroness live on?
After all that, Poptropica’s current tutorial island, Snagglemast, pales in comparison to Monkey Wrench. While Monkey Wrench provides story, suspense, scenery, music, and even an explanation for Poptropica’s iconic blimp, Snagglemast gives us a much shorter quest of collecting coins from across the small island. Let’s not forget that the tutorial is also very important because it’s most new players’ first impressions of Poptropica. If the tutorial island is made carelessly, than new players probably won’t want to stay around for long.
Although I had already played Poptropica for a time before Monkey Wrench was released, I would have been glad if Monkey Wrench were my first impression of the game, because it truly shows what Poptropica is all about; storytelling. Even though Monkey Wrench’s story is short and doesn’t reach as deep as other, bigger islands, it still has a small amount of lore, and that’s what counts. Whereas if a new player plays Snagglemast as their first island, they would most likely think Poptropica was nothing more than several short fetch quests.
To conclude: if the Creators are reading this post, I hope you’ll take into consideration what I’ve said. Monkey Wrench will always hold a special place with me, and it would be all for the better if it returns someday.
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