On Holiday! (20.08.15 – 27.08.15)

Hello everyone!

As of tomorrow morning – 6:00am (BST) – I will be on holiday and it will last one week until next Thursday (27th August). So I am afraid that this Blog will be inactive while I am on holiday but I may still be active on Twitter now and then to tweet. I hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of the Summer and I can assure you that there will be more posts when I am back. Perhaps a return to ‘The Island Detective’ (hint, hint).

I apologise for my absence on this Blog and on RiffyCP however I will be back next week so stay tuned until then. Thank you for being amazing readers and I will see you next Thursday.

Waddle On!

-Blue

Island Discussion #19: August

Hey everyone!

In today’s Island Discussion, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about what we can expect this August seeing that we have only just started the month and it does seem to be an interesting one from what I have gathered so far. Megg – Community Manager of Club Penguin – has been experimenting with a few ways to reveal what players can expect with a particular month. In June, it started off with a calendar which was very revealing but many players wanted one of these every month. I felt that these weren’t the best technique so Megg tried something different in July: A few images, words and phrases. Funny enough, not even all of the listed things to look forward to happened so July was only well known for the Inside Out Party and the first #ProectSuperSecret sneak peek. For August, Megg decided to create anagrams of each phrase for a twist. In some ways, I respect this idea more than the others since it gives player a challenge to be able to find out what to expect and several of them were quite hard to solve. However with the on-going support from the community, we managed to find them out quite quickly! If you are not looking for spoilers on what to expect this August, then I am afraid that this post is not for you. Sorry!

1. idd uoy nitoec?!

2. nsfhiao ecaf off (senak epek)

3. nfiipdeshr day

4. epluff rhladne emte-up

5. attiilnrnnaeo cta ady

6. einntrtnoaila eshnlfdrate yad

7. sretrpeeepcousjrtc nekas eekp

8. igtsebg laoatgc rvee

9. teh safoinh elsavtif

10. emweraonlt ayd

11. tanu itccra eetm-pu

Above is the list of anagrams! In this post I am going to translate each one and discuss what these mean and explore what we can expect. The first one is ‘Did you notice?!’. At first I looked at this one and assumed that the following list of anagrams were related to this phrase however it was confirmed by Megg (via the comments section) that this is going to be an upcoming post on the Club Penguin Blog where the team are going to reveal some little changes that occurred to the Club Penguin app. I do believe that these changes have already occurred with the release of the Inside Out Party however I am not entirely sure if I am true. I know that one of the changes is that they have animated the bell on the reception desk within the lobby inside of the Puffle Hotel. Apparently if you walk next to it, it should automatically DING!

There must be other changes that are going to be revealed in this post. It makes me wonder why Club Penguin are paying attention to these little details on the app. What about the web version? Perhaps this posts says a lot more about the future of Club Penguin as well as what changes have occurred. With Club Penguin focusing on the app with these changes, does this confirm that the app is going to have some kind of priority over the web version in the future. What do you think?

Blue Reviews: Merry Walrus Party

Hello everyone!

Welcome to a ‘Blue Reviews’. I am going to comment on this month’s party as a critic. Within ‘Blue Reviews’, I categorise several aspects of the party. This month’s party is the Merry Walrus Party!

Just some information first, this is going to be an annual party from now on, therefore replacing the Holiday Party. This party was created to justify many different traditions that you can do for the holidays. It also promotes the ‘We Wish You A Merry Walrus’ animation by Club Penguin. It also introduces a new mascot, the Merry Walrus! The Merry Walrus is the equivalent to Father Christmas so Club Penguin thought it was time to spread some holiday cheer by conjuring up their own.

That was some background information of the party; now lets review it!

1. Story

It all started from a mysterious story book. Aunt Arctic was able to grasp onto a lost book found in the forest. Inside it told the tale of the Merry Walrus who rides a sleigh with Blue Crystal Puffles. Aunt Arctic read that he encourages everyone to spread the holiday cheer by giving presents to one another and coins for change. It was a week later until the Merry Walrus arrived on Club Penguin and sets quests for you to do. An example of one is decorating the tree in the Forest and each quest completed will donate 500 coins in your name. Everyday until the 21st you can come back for another tradition to enjoy.

The story of the Merry Walrus Party is okay. It is a shame that they never introduced the Merry Walrus an earlier year. This is because the Merry Walrus never visited before so it is unknown why he visited this year. However it is nice to see a new mascot added to Club Penguin as well as a different theme from past years. The story still has some loose ends but it is definitely enjoyable!

2. Visuals

The visuals in this party are – as always – amazing! Club Penguin have introduced a new theme this year but I would like to state that I do not think that they are as good as former years’. First of all some rooms have been slightly renovated from last years’. For example, here is a picture of the town in December 2013 and another one of the town in December 2014.

They are similar but I appreciate how Club Penguin has changed it slightly. It would be better if the rooms changed each year though. The visuals look more cartoon-like at the Merry Walrus Party whereas they were more sharp and sketchy in 2013. I prefer the enhancements to the overall graphics this year however the decorations from last year brings a festive atmosphere to the island. Especially the unique sky from last year made the Holiday Party much more cosier but unfortunately Club Penguin have not included this at the Merry Walrus Party. The atmosphere looks colder and crisp which I do not think captures the atmosphere of a true and a festive holiday.

Furthermore Club Penguin still have not supported all rooms on the island which is still disappointing. The Cove was not even decorated at all which surprised me a lot!

Visuals at the Merry Walrus Party are quite disappointing… It is a shame that Club Penguin have got rid of the starry sky that was used in former December parties. Also they still have not decorated the entire island which most people have complained about this year. Why are they not learning from this?

3. Content

Club Penguin have still supported Coins For Change which I think is entirely unique compared to other virtual world traditions. Since it is a time for giving, I think that Club Penguin are very wise for making Cons For Change possible! To make Coin For Change even more successful, Club Penguin accepts donations from buying items in the catalogue. Every item bought, donates a specific amount to Coins For Change which I think is very efficient. Also Club Penguin have plotted booths around the island which supports donations from 500 coins to 10,000 coins.

The quests in this party are very limited, however. I have looked at the Quest Manager and it turns out that there are only 4! Usually there are a range of quests to complete until a week of the party has passed however these ones last until Sunday the 21st! I must admit that they are very easy too. The only one that I think it creative is the first one where you have to decorate the tree by throwing snowballs at it. The following quest is kind of irrelevant and similar since you have to throw snowballs in order to start a food fight! I do not think Club Penguin have put much effort into this at all!

Even though there is a lack in daily quests, I like how they introduced the parade where Penguins can ride a float around the island. It is quite boring however since there is nothing to do except enjoy an on-going scene of trees. Perhaps Club Penguin could have adapted this more like they did with the trains last year. It would not follow the plot, however it would be nice to see something similar to last year where you have to throw snowballs at coin bags. It would also donate even more to Coins For Change. Or they could have made the trip more exciting by adding a few more details. What Club Penguin have done with the float is enough but I am sure others would agree that it could be more exciting.

Something I miss from former years is the sleigh ride. It is a shame that Club Penguin have not included any activities like this at the Merry Walrus Party. You could argue that the float was an equivalent to this but then again, Club Penguin could have made it more enjoyable. On the whole, the party is lacking enjoyable quests and activities to participate in… At least they added a new Puffle but then again, I think Club Penguin have introduced enough Puffles already!

Last of all, it is very pleasing to see that Club Penguin has been brought to Android Devices! I am thrilled that they have done this since I can now play on the go! I like how Club Penguin have brought the parties to devices since you could extend the fun a bit more. The app often includes exclusive content such as Sushi Drop however they have not added any exclusive content for the party. Anyway I appreciate their hard work for bringing Club Penguin onto Android Devices so fast; I was expecting another two months or so after the new year!

The content within the party is not the best, I have to admit. I generally find that parties this year have missed out on enjoyable elements that were included formerly. The quests are disappointing and the effort is not at its best. It is such as shame since I love the Holiday Parties and I thought it would be even better by introducing new traditions and a name but to be honest it has got worse. I have no idea why it is not improving but I really, really hope that 2015 parties will be the best. I am sure Club Penguin will eventually redeem their selves since a new year is approaching which means fresh starts!

4. Verdict

The Merry Walrus Party introduces a new theme to Club Penguin Holiday parties. The Merry Walrus is a new mascot on Club Penguin which adds onto the fun with giving and maintaining a festive spirit. This party – however – does not set a high standard, generally. I think Club Penguin have taken a step back with the whole idea of effort which has annoyed a lot of people this year. The fact that this is the last party of 2014, does not encourage people to look forward to next year because of its weak standard. Even though it is dropping back, Club Penguin are working on ways to develop Club Penguin onto devices such as android and I am sure that this was their main focus this year. There is probably a lot of secretive development being made to many aspects of Club Penguin. Overall it is a poor party but I hope Club Penguin will be able to redeem their weak efforts by making Club Penguin even better next year!

SCORE: 4/10

Pros

• A new theme added.
• Coins For Change has been developed.
• More platforms supported.

Cons

• Lack of effort in content.
• Limited quests.
• Only a few rooms have been decorated.
• Disappointing traditions.

-Blue 

Magazine Fun: Issue #37

Hello everyone!

Welcome to Magazine Fun. This is a topic where I show you some of the Magazine’s key features. You will also get the inside scoop on what will be happening on the island as well as a look at Penguin artwork from the UK! I hope you will enjoy!

This is the front page of the Magazine! As you can tell it is Holiday themed and the content inside evolves around the Holiday Party. The strange thing is, is that there will not be a Holiday Party this year, yet the Magazine gives us an impression that there is. Maybe Club Penguin thought it was too revealing to announce it since this Magazine was released in early November!

We get a little bit of an introduction for the next 2 pages however there was one thing that caught my eye! We have a little EPF Alert! Sometimes these kind of things are published as a little bit of a sneak peak for the coming weeks on Club Penguin. This one surprised me, though. It has a picture of Herbert P. Bear and the message (from the Director) reads:

“Herbert P. Bear is always up to something. We are watching him at clubherbert.com. It all seems a little too quiet, so stay sharp. The Director.“

Aside this message we have a little element that involves Magazine readers to get involved. The element is called ‘C.P.T.V!’ Moderators and the team spy on the community and pick a portion of Penguins who have been wearing an item that is exclusive to the CP Magazine. It is quite hard to get picked since you are not volunteering in any way. except wearing the appropriate item as much as you can. One top tip to succeed is to enter full servers and make that item your permanent outfit for the month. Also, try and attend events such as: Mod Meet-up or Mascot Sightings since there could be penguins from the team spying on you.

Anyway here is the image!

Special Mention to: Twilit2, Walkymoo, Xian06, Cheekygirls15, 007 Cool, Madeline124, Petulla, Dinosmith, Marzbarz16, Jake99320, Dionelis, BubblegumXD, Iron Man8896, Penghew, Goggs2, Firesensei, Pengwquinn, Purple00657, Eddie614, Yoshi99779, Hellokimmy, Sarah0611p, Frozen Bllrd and Mercury Polo.

These Penguins were lucky enough to get into the Magazine, therefore they would at least obtain the ‘Published Reader Trophy’ which is awarded to those who were published in the Magazine at least once. However people who have been published into the Magazine 3 times obtain the ‘Star Reader Trophy’ which is gold and quite rare to get hold of. These awards can be placed in your Igloo as décor. I have been able to get it so I rest it against the wall for me to look at and be proud of. If you haven’t already, try and get into that Magazine! It is worth it and the whole thing itself is fun to read!

A few more flicks through and we come across ‘Cadence’s Catwalk’! This is a page that involves readers to submit a “Penguin Style” for a particular theme. The Magazine gives you 4 themes to choose from. In this case we have:

SUPER STRIPES, WILD WEST, BUGGED OUT, UNDERWATER NINJA

Every picture shown wins 1000 coins plus the ‘Published Reader Trophy’. Every month they pick one theme from the 4 and thy pick the outfits which they think look unique and suitable for the theme. This month (November) they picked NEW SPECIES!

Well done to: z Orange3, Blacky67677, Xxxhelenxxx, Hornsby4, P249165005 and Starts68 for your awesome styles! Each style is judged by Cadence and is given a name so it is quite an honour to become a winner of this page. Furthermore there are some fashion tips issued out to those who want to try and win. The following are for “looking good on the water!”

The fisherman look is so hot right now!

Pair some cool accessories with your swim wear!

Get a slimy squid pet to complete the look!

Within the Magazine we also get a couple of activity tutorials. These are usually associated to a particular season or event so you can guess that the following activity involves some holiday spirit in it! This little activity is called ‘Puffle Tree Hangers!’ The purpose of this is to give your Christmas tree a puffle makeover with funky little decorations.

If you would like to see the full tutorial of this, click here! (LINK COMING SOON)

Next we have the Cool Cribs page where igloos are published to the magazine and 7 of them are featured every month. These can have any theme at all however you would want a unique one to obtain the ‘Igloo of the month’ title! Luckily I managed to get there with my ‘Vault of Villains’ igloo. Below is the image of the Cool Cribs page!

By the way I apologise for the blurriness in some of these images. I have to bloat them which makes it a little more difficult to read however I am happy to present you the lucky Penguins who made it! We have GeePeach! GeePeach is one of my buddies and their igloo was good enough for ‘Igloo of the month’! Their igloo is called ‘Fruity party’ and the CP Magazine go that much further and list key parts of the igloo. Well done again GeePeach!

Other winners are: Justabusta, Rose14899, Tobyp999, Ice29742, Jorge Fitch and Lillianlilly! Congrats and enjoy your trophies AND your 1000 coins!

Our next page is another activity! These activities are more to do with Science but in a fun and a crazy CP way. This is ‘Gary’s Experiments’ and the purpose of this experiment is to model how rocks dissolve and how you can adapt them to make little “treats” for your buddies and your family; ’tis the season…

For the full tutorial of this activity, click here! (LINK COMING SOON)

For people who love art and design, you have reached the Community Art topic! The next couple of images will spotlight Penguins who have submitted their artistic and creative imaginations to the Magazine. First we have Dot’s Doodles! These are drawings that are seen to be creative or stunning in a variety of ways.

Congratulations to Coolpengu5, Jessilovpip1, Danny 04089 and letinrelle for your amazing effort!

Our next people to congratulate are winners of the ‘Elite Puffle Power’ competition from Issue 34! This is presented in the ‘Idea Factory’ section where Penguins are set challenges to draw ideas for Club Penguin. These can range from silly and wacky Gary inventions to island-changing gear! This challenge was t create Puffle Gear for the EPF. I must say that a lot of the winners designs are amazing and I would love to see more involvement with elite Puffles in the future of Club Penguin!

The grand winner is awarded: a one year membership, 100,000 coins and a Puffle Plush Toy from Jakks Pacific. That grand winner is Ninjafive1! Well done for your amazing ideas!

Other winners win 20,000 coins and a Puffle Plush. These are our 10 runners-up: Frost949, Bongo3136, Jeremy1545, Epicbilly, Rydon7747, Cayapapaya, Chazzy508, Dustin459, MrPingoo89 and Waddles41083! Enjoy your prizes everyone!

For those who are EPF agents, you may want to read on! We have another ‘Danger Watch’ where The Director warns us about strange activity on the island of Club Penguin. This one is quite interesting…

“If you see this imposter coming down your chimney, call the EPF immediately. This crabby claws doesn’t leave presents, he takes them! The Director“

Interesting. The Pirate Party involved a lot of crabby attitude so this could refer to that. However this could be hinting towards the Holiday Season since the wanted crab seems like an imposter of Father Christmas! Could it be Klutzy?

Last but not least, we have the special Very Important Penguin Award! It is obviously quite rare to be awarded this since you win 20,000 coins! A lot of that could be donated to Coins For Change! Anyway the Penguins who want to become a V.I.P. have to: answer a set of questions and send their igloo + player card to the address.

A very well done to Busling who managed to be title V.I.P of issue #37 of the Club Penguin Magazine!

That is it for this month’s Magazine Fun! Fear not, since I will be back soon to analyse the next issue which comes out on the 11th December! I will post it after that date due to the Advent Calendars and other stuff happening on this Blog! I hope you all enjoyed this Magazine Fun and please comment your thoughts below in the comments section.

-Blue

 

Blue Reviews: Pirate Party 2014

Hello everyone!

Today I am going to reviewing this month’s party! It is the Pirate Party! A lot of you have been excited for this (including me) since this is the first time in quite a while since they have continued this party. In this review I am going to discuss several elements of the party and then round it up to a score out of 10. Please enjoy

First we have the plot. The plot of this party is that Rockhopper’s Migrator has been stolen by a crab army while he docked off at Swashbuckler Trading Post. They had taken over the ship and painted the sails; things were pretty bad. However it got even worse. The Migrator crashed ashore around the beach and the crabs are now stashing Rockhopper’s valuable treasure under “Xs” around the island. Our mission is to help Rockhopper and battle the crabs to be able to retrieve Rockhopper’s treasure. Throughout this party, players are able to engage with other fellow penguins – for practice –  as well as trying to defeat the crabs. Each day penguins can come back and fight for the X (where the treasure is buried) and along the way (with practice with other penguins) you can obtain a variety of swords with an extra special one at the end!

The story still continues until the end of the party but we have not heard much of Herbert. It is believed that Herbert will make an appearance during the party according to Club Herbert. However no evidence in the party has told us yet that Herbert will be around. Maybe he is going to be in a BOSS Battle near the end of your party…

My thoughts on this story is that it sounds convincing. I like the background story that has been added and it is nice to see an original plot. I still want to know more about the Migrator crashing, though. It seems as if that has moved away and it is not really the “heart” of the party. Maybe we may know more about it soon but I think that this plot is good enough to keep players engaged.

Second we have the effort. I think that the effort of making a party really counts towards the players since it is in control of the durability, how fun it is and whether it is original. I like how Club Penguin has now took room decorating into consideration and even though the whole island still is not decorated, I am happy that a few other rooms have been counted towards the party. For example the Cove, the Forest, the Beach but sadly not Ski Village/Hill. Also the décor is completely new and the style of each room really captures the life of a pirate. I love the look of the Forest!

Furthermore there is a whole bunch of items to eventually claim! Non-member or not, you can come back everyday, fight some crabs, and get some items. It is nice to see that Club Penguin has made an effort with items this year. The only con is that the items are not really fascinating. There is the odd prop that can fix up your penguins however I do not think that everyone cares much about them. Being a critic myself, I particularly appreciate every item so keep going!

Overall the effort is great! There could have been more rooms with decorations however the style of the rooms decorated is very unique and intriguing. Not like the Halloween Party ’14, Club Penguin has offered us a range of new styles which I really appreciate! Except for the Hotel, of course! That was good.

Lastly we have the compatibility! Since the Club Penguin App update, Club Penguin have tried hard to get parties on the go and we have had them for a bit now. This is handy since it offers a range of ways to play. Although the app still hasn’t come to Android yet, the web version is just as enjoyable or even more but Club Penguin has continued to bring it to the web!

This topic was quite simple. By no doubt, Club Penguin has been doing great with compatibility. Maybe in future there will be more updates to the app as well as bringing the format onto other devices. Club Penguin is currently working on Android and it will be launched any time this month or maybe by the end of the year.

So that was the review on the Pirate Party! I think it is very good with a few disappointments, however I have enjoyed it like most of you probably have. What are your thoughts on the Pirate Party? Please feel free to comment below and be sure to check out the verdict below this paragraph!

THE VERDICT:  6.6/10

-Blue