Book Reviews & Recommendations: Neopian Times Edition

     First Edition of the Neopian Times: The rest of the issues we will review in this article are actual really old copies of the Neopian Times. This one is a book of the contents of the first issue of the Neopian Times ever published, reprinted and bound for Neopets' 20th Birthday. The front page of this edition advertises the famous NeoPets Fruit Machine and welcomes Punchbag Bob to the Battledome. We learned from the Editorial that Tombola wasn't even on the Mystery Island map yet! It also confirms that you can beat Punchbag Bob if you try really hard. How fun! Our favourite comic in this edition is called "Nice Pants" and depicts the Pant Devil wearing pants, to the dismay of his companions. There are also some delightful articles, including an in-depth analysis of the price of Neopox Pizza, a travel guide for Terror Mountain, and a recipe for Zafara Muffins!

     Neopian Times Issue 3: This was one of the Tiki Tack Man’s favourite issues. He still gives out copies of it as a Tombola booby prize to this day! The front page introduces the game Deckswabber for the first time. The name has since changed to Stowaway Sting and is considered a favourite among the pirates of Krawk Island. In addition, the articles include tons of game guides to help you win a trophy or make some extra neopoints. There is an article about Chomby and the Fungus Balls, which was unfortunately retired in Year 6, but you can learn some interesting tidbits about the gameplay. Froggydude728’s favourite piece in this edition was the thought-provoking article discussing the “evil” creatures of Neopia and whether they are really so evil after all. We also enjoyed the comic of the Halloween Blumaroo stealing Battle Slices from the Hidden Tower and eating them!!

     Neopian Times Issue 5: The front page of issue 5 reports the discovery of Krawk Island and its influx of pirates. The Editorial tells us that a Gelert will not accept an Angelpuss as a Petpet. Interesting! This is no longer true, so these species must have made amends at some point. There is a fun comic called "New Chia Pop Released!" in which a Chia eats a new type of Chia Pop. Who knew "Basketball" could be a flavour? In the short story section, Prettyful_me loved the fictionalized history of the Maraquan Petpet shop The Rock Pool and how it rebounded after the destruction of Maraqua. Our favourite articles from this issue include a review of The Royal Neopian hotel, an exclusive interview with Cap'n Threelegs, and an installment of Neopian Cuisine in which we learn how to cook Flaming Fire Faerie Pizza and Fiery Faerie Chicken Nuggets. Yum!

     Neopian Times Issue 14: In this issue, we learned that Kauvara decided to join the Battledome! It was an exciting time for anyone who bought an overpriced potion in her shop and wanted to battle it out. Several of the articles provide tips on improving your battledome strategies. Of course, these are outdated now but they give us some cool insight into early battledome tactics. Froggydude728 highly recommends the short stories in this issue. She enjoyed the heartwarming tale of a Kougra who dreams of being painted faerie and the fascinating myth of a Zafara who stole the sun from the Snowager’s treasure pile and released it to shine over all of Neopia. We also loved the hilarious comic of the Kau jumping over the moon. She almost made it!

     Neopian Times Issue 37: The front page of issue 37 is not too notable, but we did notice the Editorial printed the questions in coloured ink. Pretty! We learned some interesting trivia from the Editorial, including that the first neopets item created was the Green Apple, followed by Grapes and that the Wishing Well used to give out retired items. Who knew?! This edition brings us several great comics, our favourite of which is "Eating Right" in which an Eyrie lectures his friends about buying junk food until he realizes they bought him his favourite Ice Lollies. Some interesting articles in this issue include a guide for how to choose the right Petpet for your pet, a profile of the band 2 Gallon Hatz, and a guide to the game Cheat. Prettyful_me especially loved the short story "Spot That Kau" about Snowflake, the first Spotted Kau in Neopia.

     Neopian Times Issue 81: Issue 81 was sponsored by the Gadgadsbogen Puzzle. This was a super fun logic puzzle themed around the Gadgadsbogen festival! The articles we loved include a spotlight on the generous Soup Faerie, a wonderful guide through the shops of the Deserted Fairground, and how to tell if you’re addicted to the Neopian Times! The short story section brings us a thrilling mystery in which SherKrawk Holmes and his sidekick Witson solve the Case of the Stealing Snorkle. Froggydude728 also loved the comic about how to entertain a Gelert by tying a treat to their ear. It gave her an idea for pranking her brother!

     We had so much fun reviewing these early issues of the Neopian Times. We definitely recommend checking them out, as well as each new edition as they are released! There is always something new to learn, fun stories to entertain you, and hilarious comics to keep you laughing!