Poptropica
Encyclopedia
Poptropica is an online game
Online game
An online game is a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems...

, role-playing
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...

 game made by Jeff Kinney
Jeff Kinney (writer)
Jeffrey "Jeff" Kinney is an American game designer, cartoonist, producer, and author of children's books including the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. He is also attributed to be the creator of the children-oriented website Poptropica...

 targeted at children ages 6 to 15, where players can travel
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...

, play games
Games
The term games is the plural of gameIt may refer to:* GamesTM magazine* Games * Games, an electronic music album by Larry Fast* Games , an album by Leo Ku* Games * "Games" , an episode of the TV series House...

, compete in head-to-head competition, and communicate safely with each other. Players are given several quests, called islands, which they are encouraged to complete.
Poptropica was developed by the Family Education Network, a division of Pearson
Pearson Education
Pearson Education is an international educational publishing and technology company providing textbooks and other educational material, such as multimedia learning tools...

, which also owns kids’ site FunBrain.com
FunBrain.com
FunBrain.com is an educational browser game website for children and adults. The website was founded in May 1992 and is owned by Family Education Network, a division of Pearson Education. The current publisher is Jess Brallier...

.

Popularity

As of 13 September 2011, Poptropica has an Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet, Inc. is a California-based subsidiary company of Amazon.com that is known for its toolbar and Web site. Once installed, the toolbar collects data on browsing behavior which is transmitted to the Web site where it is stored and analyzed and is the basis for the company's Web traffic...

 rating of 1,215 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and a ranking of 5,022 in the world. Its official launch date was in September 2007. It now has over 75 million registered users, 35 million of whom are in the 15–25 age group. The game entertains over 10 million kids each month.

Poptropica on the 2010 Google Zeitgeist

In 2010, Poptropica was the 5th most searched for video game on Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

 according to the 2010 Goggle Zeitgeist. In the United States, it was most searched for in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 and least searched for in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

. The city it was most searched for in was Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...

, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

.

Characters

When players first arrive at Poptropica, they create a character avatar
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....

 that can be customized immediately, or modified while playing. Such modifications include changing hair color
Hair color
Hair color is the pigmentation of hair follicles due to two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Generally, if more melanin is present, the color of the hair is darker; if less melanin is present, the hair is lighter...

, clothes, eyes hair style, and skin color. Characters' names are automatically generated from lists of nouns and adjectives, in the interest of user safety (i.e. Fierce Paw, Magic Hippo, etc.)

Multiplayer Rooms

Players can interact with other players through scripted chat in special "multiplayer" rooms. Players can also interact with NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...

 as part of their current island quest.

Clothes

Most of the clothes found in Poptropican characters (both players and NPCs) are obtainable by players with a tool called the Costumizer. Such clothes include hats
Hats
Hats can refer to:*Hat, an item of clothing worn on a person's head.*de Bono Hats, the six thinking strategies*Hats , a political faction in Sweden, during the 18th century*Hats , an album by British group The Blue Nile...

, hair
Hair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....

, mouth
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....

s (i.e. if and how the character smiles), neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...

 items (jewelry, scarf, ties), shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...

s, belts
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...

, skirts, dress
Dress
A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...

es and pants
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...

. The Costumizer is represented by a green T-shirt icon.

Additional clothes may be obtained from the Poptropica Store. Some costumes from the Poptropica store allow special actions (i.e. the Pop Star costume makes a character sing when the space bar is pressed).

Handheld items are usually not Costumizable. However, they can be purchased from the Poptropica Store, as part of costumes. An exception to this is in the Haunted House, where most of the Halloween costume items can be copied.

Items

In Poptropica, a backpack icon is used to represent the inventory
Inventory
Inventory means a list compiled for some formal purpose, such as the details of an estate going to probate, or the contents of a house let furnished. This remains the prime meaning in British English...

 of a player. By clicking on it the player can view the items they have acquired. Items are obtained from quests on different islands, many of which allow special actions on the associated island. Players are awarded a special medal each time they solve a quest. Some items picked up on one island cannot be used on other islands.

Players can also "buy" items from the Poptropica Store such as special costumes and gold cards that allow various actions like turning smaller (Minimizer) and chewing bubble gum (Bubble Gum).

Store

On May 30, 2009, the Poptropica Store opened. In the Poptropica Store, special items can be bought with "credits", including costumes(non-costumizable)and special gold item cards with certain abilities, such as the ability to change the player's character's hair or skin color quickly. Credits are earned through completing island quests or through purchases.

Daily Pop

On Monday, November 22, 2010, the Daily Pop was released. In the Daily Pop, a player is able to read comics, play games from Miniclip.com, read stories about the lives of the Poptropica Creators, and see previews of upcoming islands.

Toys

Poptropica began selling Toys in the summer of 2011. They are currently available through Toys "R" Us.

Islands

Poptropica consists of several islands between which the character can travel. Each island has its own quest, which players are encouraged to complete. If a player completes an island's quest, he or she receives an island medallion as well as 100 credits to spend in the Poptropica Store. Starting July 6, 2011, Poptropica started allowing players to replay islands, while keeping all the Island Medallions they had already earned.

Current islands

Players can currently travel between twenty-two islands, but more are added every year.

Early Poptropica

Early Poptropica was the first island created for Poptropica. Players encounter the original settlers of Early Poptropica who are in distress. They are 8 bit arcade characters much like pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...

 who are missing items from their village, including a water bucket and a signal flag. While finding the various objects, the player encounters a large spider and a purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....

 giant. On Main Street, there is an art museum with works by artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...

, Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...

, and Georges-Pierre Seurat
Georges-Pierre Seurat
Georges-Pierre Seurat was a French Post-Impressionist painter and draftsman. He is noted for his innovative use of drawing media and for devising a technique of painting known as pointillism...

. Before the second Poptropica island, Shark Tooth Island, came out it was possible to enter the side where there were two buttons: Start Over or Play. This was the pilot island of July 2007. The description on the island's information page is, "Poptropica's oldest inhabitants have a problem: someone's been stealing their stuff! To return what's rightfully theirs, you'll explore creepy sewers, pitch-black caverns, and even a giant's garden in the clouds. See how it all began with the very first Poptropica Island: Early Poptropica!"

Shark Tooth Island

Shark Tooth Island was the second island released on Poptropica. The scenario revolves around the inhabitants of the island who are being troubled by a fierce shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....

 by the name of "the Booga". The player must help the citizens by exploring the island's ancient temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...

 ruins and subduing the Booga with a special concoction inside of a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...

. The player then must rescue a boy
Boy
A boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...

 and a professor from an island where they were marooned by the Booga. This island came two months after Early Poptropica Island, making Early Poptropica an official island. The description on the island's information page is, "Shark Tooth Island is online and ready to be explored! The citizens of the virtual world Island for kids are having BIG shark trouble. Only you can save the day by discovering the many secrets of the online virtual world, Shark Tooth Island."

Time Tangled Island

Time Tangled Island was the third island released on Poptropica. The scenario revolves around a malfunctioning time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...

 made by a scientist named Professor Peter P. Pendulum that has distorted history. It is the player’s job to go back in time and set things right. During the quest, users encounter major historical figures such as Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...

, Lewis and Clark, and Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...

. Once the player has restored the future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...

, they can go forward in time to see what the future holds, and visit themselves 50 years older. This island was created in conjunction with the editors of Fact Monster
Fact Monster
Fact Monster is a website geared towards children. It is owned by Infoplease and, like the Infoplease site, it contains several reference works under one umbrella, including the Columbia Encyclopedia, Random House Dictionary, an atlas and an almanac. It also features quizzes, flashcards, a homework...

 to maintain historical accuracy. Professor Pendulum can also be found on vacation on Shark Tooth Island in the Tourist Center. The island was initially called Time Lapse Island, then later, Time Twisted Island. The description on the island's information page is, "A malfunctioning time machine has messed up history! It's your job to go back in time and set things right in this online virtual world. Because if you don't, who knows what the future will hold?"

24 Carrot Island

24 Carrot Island was the fourth island released on Poptropica. The citizens of 24 Carrot Island are in trouble. Someone has stolen all their carrots; four citizens named Shy Sky, Crazy Comet, Sleepy Bird, and Magic Socks have disappeared; and the economy, which appears to be based on carrots, is in ruins. The player must face an antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...

 named Dr. Hare, who built a giant robot bunny
Bunny
Bunny is a colloquial name for rabbits.Bunny may also refer to:-People:* Allu Arjun , Telugu film star, nicknamed Bunny* Andrew "bunnie" Huang , American hacker* Bunny Ahearne , British ice hockey promoter...

 inside what was formerly a carrot cake
Carrot cake
Carrot cake is a cake which consists of grated carrots mixed with batter. The carrot softens in the cooking process, and the cake usually has a soft, dense texture...

 factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...

. Dr. Hare is apparently using the carrots to make fuel for a rocket that will send his giant robot into space, from where he can control everyone's mind
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...

 from space. The character must free the kidnapped citizens from Dr. Hare's mind control and stop his plot. The island has a sequel minigame called Dr. Hare's Secret Lab, which can be purchased in the Poptropica store for 250 credits. The description on the island's information page is, "Something strange is happening on 24 Carrot Island. People are going missing, and the virtual world's carrots are disappearing as well. It's up to you to get to the bottom of the mystery and to bring the Island back to its former splendor!"

Super Power Island

Super Power Island was the fifth island released on Poptropica. A giant radioactive meteor
METEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...

 has crashed into Super Power Island's county prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...

, freeing six criminals and giving them super powers. Now they are wreaking havoc on the island, committing various crimes, including robbing a bank and destroying the city park. The player must defeat five villains, so that a retired super-hero will give him or her the power to fly. The final "boss" villain, Betty Jetty, can only be defeated by flying after her. The island was opened on July 26, 2008. The description on the island's information page is, "A giant meteor has crashed into the virtual world's prison, freeing hardened criminals and giving them super powers. Now they are wreaking havoc on the Island. Only a true superhero can stop them and save the day."

Spy Island

Spy Island was the sixth island released on Poptropica. In this plot, a new threat to the residents of Poptropica has been discovered by Poptropica's top three spies, but the spies have been captured by an evil group called B.A.D. (Bald and Dangerous). The residents of Spy Island are losing their hair due to a B.A.D. plot. The player must use top-secret spy devices including a laser pen and a chameleon suit to rescue the three spies and infiltrate the B.A.D. fortress. The island was opened on 10 September 2008. The description on the island's information page is, "A new sinister menace has been discovered by Poptropica's three top spies, but now the spies have vanished! You will need the skills of a cunning spy to rescue them and discover all the clues of the online virtual world, Spy Island. Get ready for gadgets, sneaky moves, and hair-raising adventures!"

Nabooti Island

Nabooti Island was the seventh island released on Poptropica. This island was made in conjunction with the publishers of Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome. The series was based on a...

 books. The Nabooti tribe is looking for five missing jewels from the mysterious Nabooti totem. The player flies to various locales across Africa including The Pyramids of Giza and Diamond mines in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 in an aeroplane to find the jewels and return them. The island was opened on December 10, 2008. The description on the island's information page was, "For centuries, the Nabooti tribe has been protected by the power of seven sacred jewels. But now, the jewels are missing! Trek across Africa to find the missing jewels and return them to the Nabooti tribe. You'll visit pyramids, ancient mines, and giant waterfalls on your online virtual world quest."

Big Nate Island

Big Nate Island was the eighth island released on Poptropica. This island is based on the comic strip Big Nate
Big Nate
Big Nate is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce. The strip is about a boy named Nate Wright, a rebellious and energetic sixth-grader, and his classmates and teachers. Nate is portrayed as a boy with little interest in studies or conforming to standards. Because of...

, written by cartoonist Lincoln Peirce
Lincoln Peirce
Lincoln Peirce is a mexican cartoonist who writes the comic strip Big Nate. Peirce is from Portland, Maine, lives with his wife and two children, and occasionally gives lectures to students about cartoon creating....

. The player is on a mission to find a long-lost time capsule containing a large pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...

 which, if found, can save the school from demolition with the money from selling the pearl. The player will need help from Nate and his friends to complete the quest. Unlike other islands, Big Nate Island is drawn in the style of the comic strip by Peirce. The island was opened on February 12, 2009. The description on the island's information page is, "Get ready for a whole new type of online virtual world adventure on Poptropica. Enter the comic strip world of Big Nate – a wisecracking kid who holds the all-time record for detentions at this school. You're on a mission to find a long-lost time capsule which, if found, can save the school from demolition. You'll need help from Nate and his friends to complete your online virtual world quest!"

Astro-Knights Island

Astro-Knights Island was the ninth island released on Poptropica. The princess of the Kingdom of Arturus has been kidnapped by an evil inventor named Mordred (now under the alias of The Binary Bard), and taken somewhere into space. The player must build and customize a spacecraft and use it to rescue her. The player will visit several planets in his quest and fight a variety of mechanical beasts. The island contains numerous allusions to Arthurian legend, such as the kingdom being named "Arturus", three knights being named Cador
Cador
Cador was a legendary Duke of Cornwall, known chiefly through Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudo-historical History of the Kings of Britain and previous manuscript sources such as Vita Sanctus Carantoci circa 1100 from Cotton Vespasian xiv...

, Peleas
Pelleas
Pelleas is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. His story first appears in the Post-Vulgate Cycle. There, Pellias is the son of a poor vavasour who seeks the love of the high-born maiden, Arcade or Archade...

, and Gawain
Gawain
Gawain is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...

, and the villain's name being Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...

. The island was opened to early access on June 3, 2009, and to Non-Members on June 10, 2009. This was the first Island where Early Access was available. The description on the island's information page is, "Launch thyself into a new online virtual world adventure on Poptropica! The princess hath been kidnapped and taken to the far reaches of space. Thou must assemble a space vessel and fly among the stars on an intergalactic quest to rescue her and save the kingdom of Arturus is the online virtual world, Astro-Knights Island."
Astro-Knights Guide

An Astro-Knights Guide was released on 10 August 2011 by the Poptropica Creators. It can be acquired by clicking on the Poptropica Store kiosk on Main Street of Astro-Knights Island. The guide gives a step-by-step walk-through of the entire island as well as instructions on how to find important inventory items. The guide was released because Astro-Knights island is Poptropica's island with the fewest number of completions.

Counterfeit Island

Counterfeit Island was the tenth island released on Poptropica. It is a detective quest involving a museum called the Museum Fantastique, which houses some of the world's most famous paintings, namely The Starry Night
The Starry Night
The Starry Night is a painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. The painting depicts the view outside his sanitarium room window at night, although it was painted from memory during the day. Since 1941 it has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New...

by Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...

 and The Scream
The Scream
Scream is the title of Expressionist paintings and prints in a series by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, showing an agonized figure against a blood red sky...

, by Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...

. There is an art thief named the Black Widow who is trying to steal the museum's most prized painting, The Scream. It is up to the player to capture the Black Widow and recover The Scream
The Scream
Scream is the title of Expressionist paintings and prints in a series by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, showing an agonized figure against a blood red sky...

. The island was opened to early access on December 21, 2009, and to Non-Members on January 4, 2010. This island was the first island where when the player enters an area which does not appear on the map, such a multi-player room the map says you are here in the area the player came from. The description on the island's information page is, "Some of the world's most famous artwork is on display at the Island's museum, but rumour has it someone's out to steal it. Can you explore the dark and dangerous side of the online virtual world Counterfeit Island and save the day in the cracking canvas caper?"

Reality TV Island

Reality TV Island was the eleventh island released on Poptropica and is based on the hit reality TV show Survivor
Survivor (TV series)
Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...

. The player has to compete in challenges against seven other characters, including antagonists from the first ten islands, to avoid being "voted off" a reality TV show called Reality TV Island. The island was released to Poptropica members on February 24, 2010 and was open to Non-Members on March 24, 2010. The description on the island's information page is, "Have you ever wanted to be the star of a reality TV show? Well, now's your chance! Duke it out with your fellow contestants and avoid elimination to win the show's grand prize and become a hero to your hometown in the online virtual world, Reality TV Island."

Mythology Island

Mythology Island was the twelfth island released on Poptropica. It features the gods from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

, such as Zeus and Aphrodite. The player meets mythical gods and creatures and must locate five items for Zeus in a quest for immortality. However, Zeus cannot be trusted, as he plans to rule all of Poptropica. Players must use the powers of his brothers and rivals, the gods of the underworld and of the seas (Hades and Poseidon, respectively) to defeat Zeus. The island was released to Poptropica Members on April 1, 2010 and was opened to Non-Members on April 29, 2010. The description on the island's information page is, "Mighty Zeus, king of the gods, needs a hero – and he wants you! To satisfy Zeus, you'll need to battle monsters, swim the depths of the ocean, and descend into the mysterious underworld. Will you emerge a hero like Hercules, or face the fiery wrath of Zeus and his thunderbolts?"

Skullduggery Island

Skullduggery Island was the thirteenth island released on Poptropica. It is a pirate quest involving sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...

, trading, and sea battles on several small island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

s. A cruel pirate foe named Captain Crawfish is raiding the small port of Fort Ridley. The player must earn wealth, acquiring a powerful ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

 and skilled crew to defeat Captain Crawfish, and recover five pieces of a treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...

 map for the islanders at Fort Ridley. The island was released to Poptropica members on May 20, 2010 and was opened to the public on June 17, 2010. The island's description on its information page is: "Set sail for adventure! Outwit cunning pirates and battle fierce sea monsters in the biggest Poptropica online virtual world quest yet. Build your ship. Assemble your crew. Rule the sea!"

Steamworks Island

Steamworks Island was the fourteenth island released on Poptropica. The island is a mechanical civilization using steam power. However, there are initially no inhabitants whatsoever, and the quest is to locate them. The player acquires a robot helper named Sprocket to investigate the mystery, which involves reactivating various machines that have been unused for over two hundred years. Most of the city area is now overgrown by huge plants, some of which prove to be hostile. The island was released to Poptropica members on August 12, 2010 and was released to the public on September 9, 2010. The description on the island's information page is, "The silence of empty streets welcomes you. Metal and machines fill the lonely halls, and a growing mystery lurks behind a shroud of steam. Can you uncover what happened to the inhabitants of this ancient online virtual world? Gear up for a steam-powered adventure you will never forget."

Great Pumpkin Island

Great Pumpkin Island was the fifteenth island released on Poptropica. It is set with a Peanuts theme, using characters created by Charles Schulz. Poptropica members had access on September 30, 2010, and it was opened to the public on October 14 of the same year. The description on the islands's Information page is, "Halloween is here, but not all of the PEANUTS kids are celebrating – not when Charlie Brown keeps getting tricks instead of treats, Snoopy is attacked by the infamous Red Baron, and Linus waits all night for the Great Pumpkin. Can you set things right in this online virtual world and save Halloween?"

Cryptids Island

Cryptids Island was the sixteenth island released on Poptropica. An eccentric billionaire named Harold Mews is promising a big reward to whoever can prove the existence of cryptids – hidden creatures. The hunt is on for cryptids like Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...

 and Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....

. However, the million dollar reward has attracted many other fortune-hunters, namely Gretchen Grimlock who will lie, steal, and cheat to find the Cryptids. It was made available to members Monday, December 20, 2010 and it was released to Non-Members on January 18, 2011. The description on the island's information page is, "An eccentric billionaire is promising a big reward to whoever can prove the existence of cryptids – hidden creatures. The hunt is on for Bigfoot, Nessie, and other legendary beasts. But watch out: you're not the only one in search of these monsters in this online virtual world – and your competitors will stop at nothing to find them!"

Wild West Island

Wild West Island was the seventeenth island released on Poptropica. It takes place in an area with a American Old West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...

 theme, including cowboys, banditos, horses and a train robbery. It was made available to Poptropica Members on February 14, 2011 and was released to the public on March 11, 2011. In Wild West Island, the player's goal is to capture the notorious bandit El Mustachio Grande and his gang. The description on the island's information page is, "A shadow is creeping across the frontier, and its name is El Mustachio Grande. He's the meanest, nastiest outlaw in the land, and he's terrorizing the good folks of the online virtual world Wild West Island. With your trusty horse by your side, only you stand between the Mustachio gang and total anarchy. Can you bring Mustachio to justice, once and for all?"

Wimpy Wonderland

Wimpy Wonderland was the eighteenth island released on Poptropica. It is based on the popular graphic novel series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a realistic fiction novel by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book is about a middle-school child named Greg Heffley and his struggles in middle school. Greg also had problems with his best friend, Rowley Jefferson. The books focuses...

. It was made available to members on March 14, 2011 and was released to the public on March 17, 2011. Many of the elements in the island are based upon the novels, including decorations and characters. This was a surprise public release timed to coincide with the release of the movie in theatres that same month. Normally, Non-Members must wait approximately four weeks for islands to be available after members-only early access. The description on the island's information page is, "The kids in town are enjoying a snow day – all except for Greg Heffley, whose little brother Manny has gone missing! It's up to you to find Manny, but before you do, you'll have to contend with surly teenagers, crabby senior citizens, and those rotten Whirley Street kids. Join Greg, Rowley, Rodrick, and the rest of the Wimpy Kid characters for a snow-capped adventure you'll never forget!"

Red Dragon Island

Red Dragon Island was the nineteenth island released on Poptropica. It takes place in ancient Japan and feature characters and storyline from the popular Magic Tree House book series. The title of the video preview was "Kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...

 Secret". Kanji is Chinese characters used in Japanese writing. The video description of the YouTube video states "A new island is coming to Poptropica! What will the name of this new island be? The kanji holds the answer!" The kanji in the video is 赤竜, also known as Red Dragon. The island became available for Poptropica Members in May 2011 and available to Non-Members on June 2, 2011. The description on the island's information page is, "The Magic Tree House has landed on Poptropica! Join Jack and Annie on a journey back in time to a world of samurai warriors, sumo wrestlers, and even greater dangers that lurk in the clouds. When trouble strikes, it's up to you to master a set of elite ninja skills and undertake a dangerous rescue mission. Can you find your way back home, or will you be stuck in the virtual world of old Japan forever?"

Shrink Ray Island

Shrink Ray Island was the twentieth island released on Poptropica. It was announced as the twentieth island on Poptropica on June 2, 2011 and released on July 13, 2011 for Poptropica Members and a demo for Non-Members. Shrink Ray Island was released on July 28, 2011 to Non-Members. "A young genius has invented a ray gun that shrinks anything it touches – including you! But when the scientist and her invention go missing, you'll have to keep the shrink ray from falling into the wrong hands, and find a way to bring yourself back to normal size. To solve a problem this big, you've got to think small!"

Mystery Train Island

Mystery Train Island was the twenty-first island released on Poptropica. It was announced on July 28, 2011 and released October 7, 2011 2011 for all members It features the Chicago World's fair Columbian exposition of 1893
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...

. This island was first shown on the Poptropica map on July 28, 2011. The preview for the island, a game called D.C. Diner which is a management game similar to the popular game Diner Dash
Diner Dash
Diner Dash is a strategy video game and time management game initially developed by New York City-based American game development studio GameLab and published by San Francisco-based PlayFirst. It is now owned and published by PlayFirst...

, has been available since 11 August 2011. In D.C. Diner, players must seat the guests, take orders, serve food and drink, and wash the dishes all under a specific time limit. The description on the island's information page is, "How do you solve a mystery when everyone is a suspect? It's 1893, and some of the world's brightest minds are travelling by train to the World's Fair in Chicago. But after a dastardly crime puts the fate of the Fair in peril, only you can piece together the clues and collar the criminal. All aboard for a whodunit that will keep you guessing until the last twist of the tracks!"

Game Show Island

Game Show Island was the twenty-second island released on Poptropica. It was announced on September 23, 2011 and was released for Poptropica Members on October 27, 2011. In order to complete the island, the player must win several game shows, then defeat a super-computer called Holmes. The description on the island's information page is, "Welcome to a future where robots rule. Building computers to compete on TV game shows seemed like a funny idea - until the machines wanted more. Now, after years of robotic dominance, Poptropica needs a savior. Are you clever enough to beat the robots at their own games, and restore the dignity of all Poptropicans?" It was released for everybody on November 22, 2011.

Ghost Story Island

Ghost Story Island will be the twenty-third island on Poptropica. It was announced on November 10, 2011 and its release date is currently unknown Description: Hemlock Harbor is a town with a secret. Restless spirits are said to haunt its shores, but no one knows who they are, what they want -- or how to get rid of them. Can you hunt the ghosts of Hemlock Harbor and uncover the mystery that will set them free? A ghost hunter suit was released for Poptropica members on November 21, 2011.

Failed Islands

One island that was announced was never completed.

Monster Carnival Island

This island was replaced by 24 Carrot Island. It showed Monster Carnival Island: Coming Soon one the Poptropica map, but before the public had any information on it, it was changed to 24 Carrot. Someday, the creators might finish the uncompleted island, until it awaits. Also an early sketch of Monster Carnival Island, appeared in the Daily Pop some time back.

User safety

Poptropica uses pre-scripted chat which allows players to communicate without sharing personal information. This also keeps the communication profanity free.

Character names (such as "Fierce Hippo" or "Magic Feather") are also pre-constructed to prevent any profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...

 or personal information from entering the virtual world. Players can only interact with each other in special multi-player rooms.

Synopsis

Once a player enters Poptropica, he or she chooses an island to explore; as noted before, each island has a central mission. To travel between islands, the user boards a blimp with the Poptropica logo, which shuttles between the Main Streets of the various islands.

Haunted House

This purchasable game, which was free when it was released, then changed to a purchasable item for 350 credits in September
September
September is the 9th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.September in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Northern Hemisphere....

 2010, in the Poptropica Store was added to Poptropica for Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

 2009, and the game was later moved to the Poptropica Store. For the Halloween of 2011, it became free to everybody again. The player enters a haunted mansion and finds the "treasures" sought by the local supernatural entities under the direction of a cat's ghost. Completion of the quest rewards the players with 50 credits.

Dr. Hare's Secret Lab

This is a purchasable game with the cost of 250 credits in the Poptropica Store, added on March 10, 2010. It is based on the villain from 24 Carrot Island, and involves a key-card game previously used on ad-games. Completion of the game provides a costume item of a robot bunny and 50 Poptropica credits.

Earth Day

This is a free mini-game within the store, and was released for Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...

, April
April
April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...

 22, 2010. The player turns off various household items that are wasting electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...

. Completion of the game awards 50 Poptropica credits.

Blimp Adventure

One June 2, 2011, the Poptropica Creators announced that they were making a toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...

 blimp
Blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is a floating airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag...

 based on the Poptropica blimp that comes with an in-game adventure that is unlocked when you enter the code that comes with the toy. On 6 October 2011, it became available at Toys R Us.. There are five levels in the game, where the player must beat a villain named Dr. Cumulo Nimbus who is trying to destroy several islands in Poptropica with his weather balloon.

Legendary Swords

Legendary Swords became available in the Poptropica store on November 11, 2011. The description on the action quest's information page is, "On a distant planet, a hero explores a strange land to discover a race of aggressive and bizarre robots who are planning an invasion of Planet Poptropica! The only way the hero can stop this invading force is by using a series of hidden mystical swords that are scattered throughout the planet. Driven by courage (and a little fear), the hero must stop the invading robots and their diabolical master; the mysterious E. Vile! Non members can only battle the first boss. "

Temporary Ad-Games

In addition to the available island quests, advertisers contract for temporary games that appear on the site, sometimes targeted to players of a certain age group or gender. Regular advertisers have included Disney
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

, Kellogg's Froot Loops
Kellogg Company
Kellogg Company , is a producer of cereal and convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, fruit-flavored snacks, frozen waffles, and vegetarian foods...

, Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...

 toys, and various animated movies and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 releases. Games normally appear only during a two-week
Fortnight
The fortnight is a unit of time equal to fourteen days, or two weeks. The word derives from the Old English fēowertyne niht, meaning "fourteen nights"....

 period.

Games

  • Twisted Wizard: Build a wall to protect your wizard. Use magic to defeat the ogres by smiting them with lightning bolts. At first it was only mentioned in Wimpy Wonderland island, but is now required in order to complete the quest. It is also available in the games menu.

  • Switch: A 60-second game similar to Bejeweled
    Bejeweled
    Bejeweled is a puzzle game by PopCap Games, first developed for browsers in 2001. Three follow-ups to this game have been released. More than 75 million copies of Bejeweled have been sold, and the game has been downloaded more than 500 million times....

     in which the player groups three or more fruits in a row to earn points. This is the only game available exclusively in the games menu.

  • Sudoku
    Sudoku
    is a logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9...

    : A game of Sudoku. This is the only game the player can play alone form the game menu or with another player in the multiplayer rooms.

  • Hoops: The player shoots basketball
    Basketball
    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

    s into the net. The first player to get 5 points wins.

  • Sky Dive: When the signal is given, the player's character has to land on the ground safely by clicking on their parachute
    Parachute
    A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...

    , which is in a brown backpack.

  • Paint War: The player needs to blast seven paint
    Paint
    Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...

    -filled balls with their cannon to win.

  • Star Link: Link stars together using a line to form a square. A player earns a point by filling a box with four lines.

  • Balloons: This game is similar to Connect 4 but using balloons. The first player who connects four in a row wins the game.

  • Soupwords: Spell words by connecting three or more letters in a bowl of alphabet soup. The player's goal is to find as many words as he or she can before the soup
    Soup
    Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...

     gets cold. This game is similar to Boggle
    Boggle
    Boggle is a word game designed by Allan Turoff and trademarked by Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro. The game is played using a plastic grid of lettered dice, in which players attempt to find words in sequences of adjacent letters.-Rules:...

    .

  • Pathwise: The player who must make a connection by clicking on a hexagon each turn on a rhombus
    Rhombus
    In Euclidean geometry, a rhombus or rhomb is a convex quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length. The rhombus is often called a diamond, after the diamonds suit in playing cards, or a lozenge, though the latter sometimes refers specifically to a rhombus with a 45° angle.Every...

    -shaped board in order to bridge their way across and win.

Merchandise

Poptropica began selling products via the internet in March 2009, starting with T-shirts through Zazzle
Zazzle
Zazzle is an online retailer that allows users to upload images and create their own merchandise , or buy merchandise created by other users, as well as use images from participating companies...

. Poptropica also started selling wall prints with various Poptropica characters a few days later through Larger Than Life prints.

On May 30, 2009, Poptropica began selling "Poptropica credits" online. Credits are used in the game to "buy" special costumes and abilities. However, players can also obtain credits through the completion of islands.

Membership

In early 2010, Poptropica began offering premium use of the site through the payment of a monthly membership fee. Paid monthly members have the use (but not ownership) of items from the Poptropica Store. Early Access to new islands is now restricted to paid members and has been set at 4 weeks prior to free general use.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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