Pop Princess
by Jamplo
Pop Princess is a side scrolling platformer built to the shape of a classic eight world platformer, except the girl is the one doing the rescuing. Bora is a pop idol with a magic microphone; Lord Discord has stolen Prince Jun and is draining the music out of the kingdom so his Hush demons can sleep in silence. Thirty two levels across eight worlds carry her from the cherry trees of Blossom Boulevard through Neon Alley, Sugar Coast, Moonlit Grove, Frost Runway, Cloud Studio and Crystal Caverns to Discord's Domain, four stages a world: an overworld, an underground, a run over open pits and a castle with a boss on a bridge. Stomp a Mopey, stomp a Sulker into a sulk ball and kick it down a corridor, bump Crystal Bricks for Gems, and open Gift Boxes for a Glow Heart that makes you tall, a Star Mic that throws notes, or an Encore Star that makes you untouchable for ten seconds. Ordinary levels end on a small stage in a rising spotlight, and the higher you cross the beam the better your Encore rating, up to Platinum. Castles end on a bridge over lava with Discord's Decoy at the far end and a Mute Switch behind him, and seven of the eight finish with a demon in a paper crown telling you the prince is in another tower. Your world, your stars and your best score are saved on your device. Endless Encore keeps the adventure going with fresh tours through the kingdom, Chill, Spicy and Chaos difficulties, and a separate saved stage for each difficulty.
Controls
- Phone or tablet
- Four buttons on the glass: ◀ and ▶ on the left, B to run and throw and A to jump on the right. A thumb can slide from ◀ to ▶ without lifting, and the other thumb can hold B while it taps A. Swipe down on the left pad to crouch or drop into a speaker stack, swipe up to climb a ribbon.
- Desktop
- Arrows or WASD to move, up and down for speaker stacks and ribbons. Space, Z, W or up to jump. X or Shift to run, and to throw notes once you have the Star Mic. Escape or P pauses. The touch buttons disappear the moment you press a key.
Tips for Pop Princess
- Running changes what the level is. A walking jump clears four tiles of wall or four tiles of gap; a running one clears five and seven. The speed you leave the ground with is the speed you keep in the air, so hold the run button through the whole approach rather than stabbing it at the edge.
- The spotlight at the end of a level is banded, and the band you cross it in is your Encore rating: Bronze at the bottom, then Silver, Gold, and Platinum in the top tenth for 5,000 points. Arrive at run speed and jump from the highest thing in front of the stage. The rating is saved per level, which is what makes an easy level worth replaying.
- There are two ways past Discord's Decoy. Hit the Mute Switch behind him and the bridge falls away under him, which is worth Gold. Land five notes on him as the Mic Idol instead and the castle is Platinum.
- One hundred Gems is a life, and a brick that pays ten of them only pays for five seconds from the first bump. Stand under it and keep hitting it. The clock starts whether you collect them or not.
FAQ
Is Pop Princess free to play?
Yes. It runs in your browser on phones, tablets and desktops, with nothing to install and no account to create. There is nothing to buy either. Lives come from Gems and Fan Letters you find in the levels.
How many levels are there?
Story has thirty two stages across eight worlds. Endless Encore keeps going through shuffled tours of those stages, with different enemy pace and time limits for Chill, Spicy and Chaos. Each difficulty saves its own progress.
What do the power ups do?
A Glow Heart turns small Bora into the Star Idol: taller, hair glowing, able to smash Crystal Bricks and to take one hit before she shrinks back. A Star Mic turns the Star Idol into the Mic Idol, who throws bouncing notes that kill almost everything. An Encore Star makes her untouchable for ten seconds, kills whatever she runs into, and brings its own music with it. A Fan Letter is a life. All four come out of Gift Boxes, and some of the boxes are invisible until you jump into them.
What is the Encore Stage at the end of a level?
It is the finish line, and it is a performance rather than a flag. A spotlight beam rises ten tiles above a small stage; cross its column in the air and the light catches Bora at the height she entered, then floats her down to pose in front of a wall of waving lightsticks while the leftover time counts into your score. The band she entered in is the level's rating, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum, and it is kept per level and shown as stars on the world select.
What happens when I run out of lives?
Continues are unlimited. Story restarts the current world with three lives and a score of zero. Endless Encore restarts your saved stage with fresh lives, so you can keep practising that challenge.
Are there secrets?
Yes. Two of the underground levels hide a lane above their exit. Run along the ceiling past the door and you reach a room of labelled warp speakers that skip you forward several worlds. Three of the castles hide a loop room where every path but one puts you quietly back at the start, with a lightstick in the decoration pointing at the way out. There are hidden Gem rooms behind ribbons, and invisible boxes with Fan Letters in them.
Is there anything after the last castle?
Finishing Story unlocks hard mode with faster enemies and trickier platforms. You can also choose Endless Encore from the title screen at any time. It continues through new tours of the kingdom after each final castle.
Is my progress saved?
Yes. Story saves your furthest world, stars, best score and hard mode unlock. Endless Encore saves your current stage separately for Chill, Spicy and Chaos. Clearing your browser data starts you over.
