Spooky Rarities: Unconverted Petpets

      Christine: Hi! This Halloween, my pets and I have something interesting to show you. It’s of historical---

     Walda: BOOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!

     Christine: Walda, that’s not very nice. Anyway, most Neopians have heard of unconverted Neopets, but some may not know that there are unconverted Petpets, too, that come in both old (UC) and new versions. Any UC Petpet that was not attached to a Neopet at the time of conversion was changed to the newer version, but any UC Petpet that was attached to a Neopet remained in its UC form. This article will focus on the Spooky Petpets, since it’s Halloween.

     There are both Aquatic and Halloween UC Petpets. Aquatic Petpets were changed on August 29th, 2001, and Spooky Petpets were changed on October 21st, 2002. (Thank you to the recommended fansite SunnyNeo for this information.) Why were they changed? For the Aquatic Petpets, the backstory is that a pirate destroyed Maraqua, and the Petpets, their home destroyed, swam toward Mystery Island. They were found by the Rock Pool shopkeeper, who began selling them on the island. These Petpets no longer had their fishbowls, since they lost them in the destruction, so they had to be redrawn. The Spooky Petpets were changed because they weren’t very popular, and they weren’t scary enough, according to New Features.

     While most Petpets can be bought with Neopoints, you can no longer buy the UC Petpets, whether Aquatic or Spooky, anywhere. If you want one, the only way to get one is to obtain a pet which already has a UC Petpet attached. If a UC Petpet is removed, it will convert to the new form, which is why there are no UC Petpets for sale. Some converted Aquatic Petpets restock at the Rock Pool (which is a Petpet shop on Mystery Island), while others do not. All can be bought from other users. Some are inexpensive, and others are rarer. Converted Spooky Petpets, with the exception of the Candy Vampire, are r180, and thus don’t restock in the Spooky Petpet shop. However, they can be bought from other users. They’re not horrendously expensive, though the Meowclops costs a lot more because it can be used to obtain an avatar.

     Walda: ARE YOU DONE with your monologue already?!

     Ella: Walda, that’s not very nice.

     Christine: Sorry. I just have to explain everything to the readers who are unfamiliar with these Petpets. Anyway, onto the Petpets!

     Angie: They had better not bite.

      ---Baby Vampire/Snorlkin---

      ^^^Baby Vampire (old)^^^

      ^^^Snorlkin (new)^^^

     Angie: *stares at Baby Vampire* Get that thing away from me! I’ll bet it bites!

     Ella: Angie, why do you have an obsessive fear of Petpets biting you?

     Angie: Because a Spyder bit me once...

     Ella: I remember. That wasn’t fun.

     Walda: *picks up Baby Vampire* Hey, look, Angie! It’s a cute little Petpet for you! *waves Baby Vampire in Angie’s face*

     Angie: STOP IT!!!

     Christine: Walda, stop! That’s really mean.

     Walda: *mocking tone* Don’t you wanna be friends with a Baby---AUGGGHHH!!!

     Angie: Let me guess. It bit you instead.

     Walda: WAAAAHHHHH!!!! This thing is MEAN!!! *throws tantrum*

     Christine: Then maybe you’ll like the Snorlkin instead. The Baby Vampire is basically a little vampire, but the Snorlkin is a dark purple monster with bright yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Snorlkins are enemies in the game “Hot Dog Hero.”

     Walda: Snorlkins probably bite, too! WAAAAHHHH!!!!

     Christine: Actually, they turn invisible when scared instead of biting.

     Walda: What if it gets angry?

     Christine: I don’t know. Don’t make it angry, I guess...

      ---Cyclopian/Meowclops---

      ^^^Cyclopian (old) ^^^

      ^^^Meowclops (new) ^^^

     Angie: Yay! Petpets that don’t bite.

     Walda: *wiping tears* Good...

     Ella: The Cyclopian’s hair looks like a big flame.

     Angie: I think the Meowclops is cooler. *pets Meowclops*

     Ella: Be careful. It might scratch you.

     Christine: Actually, the Meowclops is very friendly. Featured in the game “Sophie’s Stew,” its fur is surprisingly soft. Furthermore, if you attach any colour Meowclops to your pet and visit the Quick Reference page, you’ll get this avatar:

      Christine: Pretty cool, am I right? The Meowclops would be a great choice of Petpet. It costs around 7 million Neopoints at the time of writing, so keep that in mind.

      ---Fat Cat/Baraga---

      ^^^Fat Cat (old)^^^

      ^^^Baraga (new)^^^

     Christine: I would say that you could get a Fat Cat instead of the Meowclops, but the Fat Cat is unconverted and therefore no longer purchasable. Anyway, it boasts a handsome bow tie and has a tendency to spend all your Neopet’s money while they’re not looking. So keep those hard-earned Neopoints in the bank...

     Walda: It’s taking a nap right now... BOOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!!!

     Fat Cat: *opens eyes upon hearing Walda whining*

     Angie: It looks like you woke it up.

     Fat Cat: *rolls over and goes back to sleep*

     Ella: Not for long, anyway.

      Christine: Anyway, I’d rather have a Petpet which sleeps a lot than the Baraga, which will hide under your bed and try to scare you. Not to mention that those fangs must have one wicked bite...

     Angie: *shudders* I don’t want to find out exactly how bad it is... Next set of Petpets, please!

      ---Grackle Trap/Gremble---

      ^^^Grackle Trap (old)^^^

      ^^^Gremble (new)^^^

     Angie: *stares at Grackle Trap* ANOTHER biter?!

     Ella: Well, these are Spooky Petpets, straight out of the Haunted Woods. What did you expect?

     Angie: *backs away from Grackle Trap*

     Ella: I remember seeing the Grackle Trap in the game “Fetch!”

     Angie: Then remind me never to play that game.

     Christine: Maybe you’ll like the Gremble a bit more. It reminds me of a scarecrow sewn together with giant feet, or giant shoes, at least. It looks very interesting, to say the least!

     Walda: It looks creepy...

     Angie: As long as it doesn’t bite. Don’t judge a book by its cover!

      ---Redtail/Candy Vampire---

      ^^^Redtail (old)^^^

      ^^^Candy Vampire (new)^^^

     Angie: The Redtail is described as such: “Your pet will love a little devil to look after.”

     Ella: I already have one. Her name is Walda.

     Walda: YOU BIG MEANIE!!! WAAAAHHHH!!!

     Christine: Ella, please try not to get her upset. Anyway, the Redtail is a baby and actually pretty cute.

     Angie: I want one now... Too bad it’s unavailable.

     Christine: Well, there’s always its replacement, the Candy Vampire, which, unlike the other Spooky Petpets in this article, restocks at the Spooky Petpet shop. Alternatively, you can buy it from another user, since it restocks rarely, being r99.

     Walda: *stops crying* Candy?! *chases Candy Vampire around*

     Ella: Walda! *grabs Walda* Petpets are NOT food!

     Angie: I’m calling the PPL!

      ---Rotten Egg/Furwitch---

      ^^^Rotten Egg (old)^^^

      ^^^Furwitch (new)^^^

      Walda: A ROTTEN EGG?! EWWW!!! IT STINKS!!! *throws tantrum*

     Angie: Who would want a Rotten Egg for a Petpet?!

     Ella: I don’t know. Mutants, maybe.

     Angie: It belongs in the “Gross Food” category. Then those Alien Aishas can enjoy it...

     Ella: Petpets are NOT food! I just told Walda that!

     Angie: This one can be gross food. Yuck!

     Christine: Well, maybe you’ll like the Furwitch better---

     Angie: FANGS?! That’s even worse!

      Ella: Well, at any rate, it has a cool-looking witch’s hat and fluffy, soft fur.

     Angie: No thanks...

      ---Scary Jack/Snomorg---

      ^^^Scary Jack (old)^^^

      ^^^Snomorg (new)^^^

     Walda: I like the Scary Jack. It looks like a toy!

     Angie: The jack from a jack-in-the-box, apparently.

     Ella: Where’d the box go?

     Christine: According to the description, it broke. I like the big grin and bright colours on this little guy.

     Ella: Agreed. The Snomorg isn’t as nice.

     Angie: Remember when I said not to judge a book by its cover? I hear that the Snomorg is very loyal.

     Christine: At any rate, its bright green fur is an interesting sight.

      ---Skeleton Pirate/Goulblee---

      ^^^Skeleton Pirate (old)^^^

      ^^^Goulblee (new)^^^

     Angie: *gazes at Skeleton Pirate* This one looks better suited for Krawk Island.

     Ella: I agree.

     Walda: It looks mean...

     Ella: Well, pirates aren’t known from their manners.

     Walda: You can say that again. I waited on tables at the Golden Dubloon for ONE DAY before quitting! (Issue 740—A Rambunctious Kacheek’s Culinary Plight)

     Christine: Anyway, the Goulblee is quite cute. I think it looks like a spooky elf.

     Angie: I wouldn’t mind one of those.

     Ella: You already have a Petpet, gold PPL winner.

     Angie: I know. I’m just saying that if I didn’t have a Petpet...

     Walda: I wish we could have TWO! *pouts*

      ---Sugar Rush/Pwerko---

      ^^^Sugar Rush (old)^^^

      ^^^Pwerko (new)^^^

     Walda: Sugar?! *attempts to chase around Sugar Rush* I want some---YOWWWWW!!!

     Ella: Did it bite you?

     Walda: WAAAAHHHH!!!

     Ella: I’ll take that as a yes.

     Angie: Walda, do you EVER learn?!

     Christine: Unfortunately, Pwerkos aren’t much nicer... They’re pretty mean and stubborn. I guess that’s what you’d expect from a boar...

      ---Conclusion---

      Christine: So, which Petpets were everyone’s favourites?

     Angie: Anything which doesn’t bite.

     Ella: Probably the Cyclopian. It looks really awesome!

     Walda: The Scary Jack. I need more toys!

     Ella: No, you don’t, you spoiled child!

     Walda: I WANT A SCARY JACK!!!

     Christine: It’s unavailable, so you can’t have one. Sorry about that.

     Walda: WHAT?! NO FAIR!!! WAAAAHHHH!!!! *throws tantrum*

     Ella: Walda, go to your room!

     Christine: I hope you can hear me over the crying child. Anyway, even if you can’t get your hands, paws, or fins on one of these Petpets, it’s still fun to admire them this Halloween. Like Walda, my favourite is the Scary Jack due to its playful expression and variety of colours. Whatever Petpet is your favourite, I’m sure you can be friends with it, though some species will need to be taught not to bite. Until next time, farewell!