The Returning Neopian's Guide to Neopia

Faerieland is a little more “down-to-earth”

-ignores groans- Yes, my dears, lovely Faerieland is no longer the fluffy pink paradise it once was. In the tail-end of Year 12, The Faeries' Ruin plot involved the evil Xweetok, Xandra, casting a spell that had all of the Faeries turned to stone, resulting in the haven crashing into Neopia below it! It was very devastating for all who witnessed, but as soon as the Faeries became mobile again, they went straight to business and are currently working their wings off trying to repair all of the damages. Do not fear, though! All of the landmarks we enjoyed before still remain there including a certain loveable Grundo plushie and a certain tower that I WILL find one day!!!!!!!!1!!111!

...Ahem...

In the mean time, the Faeries truly have done a marvelous job with the place; it looks absolutely stunning! Personally, I prefer the more chic, mature river-crater the the old “cutesy” fluffiness of the past any day.

New lands to explore

In addition to a reborn Faerieland, the world of Neopia has greatly expanded! No longer is the map purely one-sided, but lands have been discovered far beyond Mystery Island, meaning more ways to explore!

1. Moltara

During the Atlas of the Ancients plot in Year 11, Moltara made itself known after being discovered by Clara Chatham and Roxton Colchester III. This mass-mining area sports a few new curious spots such as a tinkerer named Tangor, Molten foods, and a few new fun games!

2. Shenkuu

Ah, the mercantile Shenkuu! What extraordinary intellectual contributions this land has made to Neopia! (They've been giving Brightvale a run for its money, don't you know!) While some of their methods and mannerisms may seem odd (I'm wary of that old brown Ruki...), all of the natives are worth giving a listen to, and their food is simply scrumptious!

3. Altador

Finally, the beloved games has a home! Naturally, this land of valor includes a great weapon and magic market, along with a fine shipping industry. There is a lot of sight-seeing to do in this enclosed city-state, so it is definitely a place for aspiring rookie heroes to stop by!

4. Lutari Island

Not much is currently known about this traveling island, for it is currently swallowed by a mighty storm. Supposedly it used to be accessible through other-worldly means, but this is no longer the case. In the meantime we will just have to hope for the best for the citizens until the Neomail service is up and running again within the island.

Customizing your Neopets

Gone are the days when you could only accessorize your little darlings with different paint brushes and a few measly grooming products. (And more importantly, there are no longer any excuses for your pets to be seen, well, indecent in public.) Nowadays you can have your Neopets express their true flair by wearing hats, dresses, pants, shoes, and many more accessories, all of which can be purchased with Neopoints or Neocash, another new feature of Neopia. The more fashion-conscience Neopians took advantage of this and have made some very handsomely-dressed pets! Naturally, with couture becoming so popular, a new competition was even created for it: The Customization Spotlight! Possibly more intense than the Battledome, the Customization Spotlight highlights the truly dapper and the winner is rewarded a trophy and total bragging rights every week.

New fashions are released frequently so you can always keep up with the latest brand names; just check out the NC Mall for updates!

While it is still under debate on whether it is morally sound to see Skeiths and Grarrls cloaked in dresses and frilly accessories, it is the rife consensus that this is the customization feature that all returning Neopians are sure to smile at.

Key Quest / AAA

Gaming has always been a primary means of collecting Neopoints. However, overall game designs and ways of playing have completely transformed the past few years! Flash games have received sleek new looks and become more and more challenging! To make things even more interesting, though, is the arrival of Aristotle A. Avinroo, AKA, AAA. AAA is a games-master Blumaroo who frequently challenges any brave Neopian to beat his high score from some of the vast amounts of games in the game room. While defeating him is ridiculously difficult, the prizes, trophies, and glory from succeeding are totally worth it. Even his little sister, Abigail, has joined the master himself by challenging people to beat slightly easier scores.

While Aristotle and Abigail have kept Neopians busy with flash games, others have been pre-occupied with the new multiplayer game, Key Quest. This key-collecting game has become crazy popular due to the fun interactivity and available prizes and Neopoints. The concept and controls are relatively simple, so even if you have been living under a rock since Year 9, you can quickly pick up this addictive new way to play.

Neopia is a world where things are constantly changing and always keeping residents on their toes. For those of us who have been absent for a while, we especially notice how 'new and improved' it has become. Whatever the reasons for leaving are, the reasons for returning are strikingly similar: missing the fun, magical world of Neopets. Luckily for those of us returning, we are welcomed with loving arms and a whole collection of new features awaiting to be explored.