Poptropica

Poptropica
File:Poptropica Spy.jpg
Developer(s)	Family Education Network
Publisher(s)	Family Education Network
Platform(s)	PC and Mac
Release	It was made available online July 2007, but its official launch date was September 2007.
Genre(s)	Massively Multiplayer online game, Single, Educational

Poptropica is a massively multiplayer online game and virtual world in which children ages 6 to 15 can travel, play games, compete in head-to-head competition, communicate safely with each other, and complete "island missions" and get medallions after completing them. Poptropica was developed by the Family Education Network , a division of Pearson, which also owns kids’ site funbrain.com. Poptropica has a traffic rank of 2,633 by Alexa Internet. Its official launch date was in September 2007.

Characters / Citizens / Poptropicans

When players first arrive at Poptropica, they are given a character avatar they can either customize immediately, or modify while playing.. Such modifications include changing hair colour, clothes, hair style, and skin colour.

Names for the characters are preconstructed to prevent any profanity or personal information from leaking into the virtual world. See User Safety for more information.

Items

In Poptropica, the player starts off with clothes he/she chooses in the beginning. The player can then get various items and outfits from quests on different islands. Players will get a special medal each time they solve an island's problem. A backpack icon is used as an inventory; some items picked up on an island cannot be used on another.

Players can switch their clothes around with the Costumizer tool which allows the player to copy clothes, various accessories such as jewellry, hairstyles, and mouths (e.g. whether they smile and how) from other citizens of Poptropica: the non-playing characters on the island as well as other human players. A backpack icon serves as an inventory. The player uses the Costumizer tool on his/her character by finding a character who has clothes he/she desires, clicking on the Costumizer icon, then clicking on that character. Once the player is in the Costumizer tool, he/she simply clicks on the clothes he/she wants to put on their character to replace what they already have. Clothes are not usually part of the inventory except when crucial to finishing the island (e.g. the Chamelon Suit in Spy Island is clothing and is in the inventory).

Some items, sometimes including ones essential to the "mission" in a particular island, have to be earned (e.g. In Spy Island, the player has to earn a chef's hat by playing a game similar to Simon.). These are not available in other island except the ones earned in.

User Safety

Poptropica uses safe, kid-friendly, pre-scripted chat, which allows players to communicate without sharing personal information . Therefore, it also keeps the communication free from profanity.

Character names are also pre-constructed to prevent any profanity or personal information from entering the virtual world. An example of one of these names would be "Fierce Hippo".

Island Synopsis

Once a player enters Poptropica, they choose an island to explore. Each island needs help. On every island players can visit multiplayer buildings to chat or play games with other human players. Players win a medallion each time after solving the problem on an island.

To travel between islands, the user boards a blimp with the Poptropica logo found in all the main streets of the various islands.

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 80’s style characters who are missing items from their village. While finding the various objects, the player encounters, among other characters, a giant and a very large spider. On Main Street, there is an art museum with works by artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, and Georges-Pierre Seurat.

Shark Tooth Island

Shark Tooth Island was the second island released in Poptropica. The scenario revolves around the inhabitants of the island that are being troubled by a fierce shark. The player must help the citizens by exploring within the island's ancient temple ruins and subduing the giant shark, called Booga, with a special concoction. The player then has to rescue a boy and a professor from an island formerly separated from the mainland by Booga.

Time Tangled Island

Time Tangled Island is the third island released for Poptropica. The scenario revolves around a malfunctioning time machine made by 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, Lewis and Clark, Leonardo Da Vinci and more. Once the player has restored the future, they can go forward in time to see what the future holds as well as a version of themselves 50 years older. This island was created in conjunction with the editors of Fact Monster to maintain historical accuracy Professor Pendulum can be found on Shark Tooth Island in the Tourist Center.

24 Carrot Island

24 Carrot Island is the fourth island released on Poptropica. The Poptropicans on 24 Carrot Island are in trouble. Someone has stolen all their carrots, citizens are disappearing, and the economy, which appears to be based on carrots, is in ruins. The player has to face an antagonist named Dr Hare and his giant robot bunny inside what was formerly a carrot cake factory. Dr Hare is apparently using the carrots as fuel for a rocket that he will send into space and then use to control everyone's mind. When the user gets to the base, they must type in a code (fuzzybunny), launch the rabbot (a robot that looks like a bunny) and bash it against asteroids/meteors. The user then solves the mystery of the missing carrots and citizens in order to restore the island to its former greatness.

Super Power Island

Super Power Island is the fifth Island released for Poptropica. A giant meteor has crashed into Super Power Island's county prison freeing six criminals from the prison and giving them super powers. Now they are wreaking havoc on the island, such as stealing from the bank or occupying spaces such as the dump site, the park, a train, or a room in the sewer system. The player then gets the power to fly on Super Power Island after defeating every villain except for Betty Jetty, who can only be defeated in this manner. Unfortunately, the player is not recognized as the hero of the day by the town, who favours a Ned Noddlehead, who in the beginning, introduces the player to the concept of being a superhero and runs a comic shop, as he delivers the final punch to Betty Jetty, the last villain, after the player is exhausted and needs help.

Spy Island

Spy Island is the sixth island released for 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 vanished in the beginning of the island mission. The residents of Spy Island are losing their hair, apparently due to an organization called BAD. The player/agent starts out with a suit that makes then invisible, called a Chameleon Suit, which helps them rescue the first spy. After rescuing each spy, the respective spy gives the player a new tool to help with the next rescue. The first spy gives them a laser pen that can cut open iron bars. The second spy gives them a grappling bow tie. The third spy gives them goggles that can enable the player to see lasers in the enemy HQ. The player then infiltrates the enemy headquarters as they learn that BAD is planning to launch a satellite into space that will make the residents of Poptropica lose their hair. A confrontation with Director D, who is in charge of the spy agency but actually a double agent for BAD, ensues. After destroying Director D's vehicle probably intended to launch the satellite, the agent (the player) becomes the new director of the spy agency, as Director D has now been ousted.

Nabooti Island

Choose Your Own Adventure: Nabooti Island is the seventh island released on Poptropica. This island was made in conjunction with the publishers of Choose Your Own Adventure books. The Nabooti tribe is looking for five out of seven jewels in the Nabooti totem, and the player helps. The player needs to trek across Africa to find the missing jewels and return them to the Nabooti tribe. The player will visit pyramids, ancient mines, and giant waterfalls on his/her quest. After the five jewels are obtained, they must be placed in the totem in a certain way (purple, green, red, white, blue), and the totem then launches into space.

Big Nate Island

Big Nate Island is the eighth island released on Poptropica. This island is based on the comic strip Big Nate, written by cartoonist Lincoln Peirce. Enter the comic strip world of Big Nate – a wisecracking kid who holds the all-time record for detentions at his school. The player is on a mission to find a long-lost time capsule which, if found, can save the school from demolition. The player will need help from Nate and his friends to complete the quest.

Astro-Knights

Astro-Knights will be the ninth island released on Poptropica. The king and queen of the island have been kidnapped and taken somewhere into space. The player must assemble a space vessel and use it to rescue the monarchs. The release of this island is set for Spring 2009 and is planned to come before Reality TV Island.

Reality TV Island

Reality TV Island will be the tenth island released on Poptropica. This island will be roughly based on CBS's TV show "Survivor". According to the Poptropica blog, "You'll [the player] get a chance to appear as a star on a reality TV show, on a faraway deserted island. You'll have to battle it out with your tribe members, avoid elimination, and become a hero to all of the people in your home town!". The release date of this island is unknown.

Islands Awaiting Release

• Reality TV Island
• Astro-Knights
• There are possibly a few awaiting islands that the Poptropica Blog has not yet confirmed names for.

Games

• Switch: A 60-second game where the player groups three or more fruits in a row to earn points.

• Sudoku: This is the only game the player can both play this game alone or another player.

• Hoops: Basically a game of basketball; the player shoots basketballs in a goal. 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, which is on their backpack. There is no time limit.

• Paint War: The player needs to blast 7 paint filled balls with their cannon to win.

• Star Link: Link stars together via 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, except balloons are used. The first player who does this 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 gets cold. This game is similar to Boggle.

References

• "24 Carrot Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[13]
• "Big Nate Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[14]
• "Official Poptropica Blog." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[15]
• "Nabooti Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[16]
• "Poptropica." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[17]
• "Poptropica FAQ." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[18]
• "Shark Tooth Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[19]
• "Spy Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[20]
• "Time Tangled Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[21]
• "Big Nate Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network.[22]
• "Astro Knights Island." Poptropica. Family Education Network. [23]

External links

• Poptropica website
• Official blog