Let's Tip the Iceberg!
Though this classic game has new fan-made remakes, nothing will ever beat the original Club Penguin. This was truly a one-of-a-kind game—from Sled Racing in Ski Hill to bedazzling your igloo for parties—and only those who played it will understand the nostalgia tied to it. If you're ready to relive your childhood, here are 20 things we all miss about Club Penguin.
1. Befriending Other Penguins
By far one of the best things to do on Club Penguin was interacting with other penguins and making new pals. You could then add them to your friend list, challenge them to minigames, or visit their igloo. You could also plan out where to meet on different servers to play at the same time.
2. Dancing Randomly in the Middle of Nowhere
All penguins were able to do a series of actions: waving, sitting, and dancing. That meant you were able to go anywhere on the map, choose a spot, and dance your heart out. Most penguins liked to go to the nightclub, but you could do it in the middle of town if you wanted.
3. Playing Cart Surfer
If you headed deeper into the mine, you were able to play everyone's favorite game, Cart Surfer. The main objective was similar to Catchin' Waves at the Cove, where you performed various tricks and stunts to earn coins. Earn enough and you could give your penguin a whole new look!
4. Holding Parties in Your Igloo
If you played enough games to get rich, you were able to expand and decorate your home, then turn it into a private nightclub of your own. The best part? After bedazzling your house, you could hop all over the map and announce: "Party at my iggy!"
Marquise de Photographie on Unsplash
5. Taking Care of Your Puffle
Remember those furballs you could adopt from the pet shop, buy accessories for, and take care of at home? Your hands may have been full after owning only one puffle, but most liked having pets so much that you might have owned at least two or more.
6. Visiting Different Servers
Another fun feature about Club Penguin was that you could hop from server to server, switching from an overcrowded map to a more peaceful one. This also meant you were able to meet up with your pals on a certain server to play if one server had too many penguins in it.
7. Styling Your Penguin
Sure, playing games was fun, but the real goal was to earn enough coins to buy things for your penguin. Other than changing its fur color, you could check out the fashion catalogue to see newly released styles and pieces. You could even style your puffle!
8. Having Impromptu Snowball Fights
There was nothing quite like having an impromptu snowball fight whenever you felt like it. You could challenge your friends to one by chucking snow at them—or, if you were feeling bold, you could throw one at random penguins in town.
9. Finding Secret Rooms and Hideouts
Before Club Penguin expanded to have different places to hang out and meet your pals, there were secret rooms and hideouts. One in particular was the Dojo: while it used to be completely empty with nothing to do, it was later revamped to include games like Card-Jitsu. After talking to Sensei, you could earn stamps and belts.
10. Sled Racing in Ski Hill
One of the most addicting games to play on Club Penguin was, of course, Sled Racing in Ski Hill. You could either join a race with other penguins or gather a group of pals to play with you. Up to four players could join at a time.
11. Saying Banned Words & Gibberish
While Club Penguin is a game for kids, that didn't stop people from saying the most ridiculous—and sometimes, inappropriate—things. Filters will still block out banned words, and entering too many into the chat could get you kicked out. Aside from players attempting to swear discreetly, some were known to spout random, humorous gibberish that became iconic quotes.
12. Getting a Spy Phone After Completing PSA Missions
After being a player for 30 days, you had the option to become a Secret Agent. Agents were responsible, according to the F.I.S.H, for keeping Club Penguin a safe place. You were also able to do Secret Missions to earn medals, awards, and experience assisting and supporting other penguins.
13. Seasonal Themed Parties
Anybody who played during the holidays would know that Club Penguin often held themed parties—the big ones being Halloween, Christmas, and summer Water Parties. During these special occasions, stores and spots in the game would be decked out accordingly, with players joining in by wearing themed costumes and other accessories.
14. Making Pie at the Pizza Parlor
The Pizza Parlor was a popular, crowded spot where players could hang out. More than that, if you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a pizza chef, you could make your own using the Pizzatron 3000. If you were a player during the Pizza Parlor Opening Party, you were able to get two free gifts: a pizza apron and a chef hat.
15. Searching for New Pins
Collecting pins was another favorite of many players; a total of 395 pins were released, and new ones were hidden every two weeks. Hints were stated in the newspaper, but if you were really stumped, you could also ask other players to help you.
16. Tip the Iceberg
Northwest of the island was a floating block of ice that was rumored could tip over if enough penguins stood at the edge of it. Later, it was speculated that players could do it by using the Jackhammer 3000 and wearing the Hard Hat. Unfortunately, the iceberg never did tip over.
Alexander Hafemann on Unsplash
17. Going Ice Fishing
Ice fishing was another activity many players loved. The pond was located at the Ski Lodge and was played through a hole in the ice. All you had to do was move your mouse up and down to catch fish while avoiding certain things that could knock your catch off the hook, such as boots, barrels, and jellyfish.
18. Playing Card-Jitsu
As mentioned earlier, Card-Jitsu could be played inside the Dojo, specifically the Dojo Courtyard. On the first visit, Sensei would train you by telling you all you needed to know about the game as well as give you the Starter Deck. After winning a few games, you were rewarded belts; the most prestigious was the black belt then the ninja mask, and the latter was only awarded after successfully defeating Sensei.
19. Playing Bean Counters & Mancala at the Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop was another popular spot to wind down and relax. Several games could be played inside, including Bean Counters—where you had to catch bags of coffee beans tossed out from a truck—and Mancala in the upstairs Book Room.
20. The Excitement of Seeing New Spots Opening in Town
If you were around long enough to see Club Penguin slowly develop and expand to the way it later became, then you were likely familiar with that sense of anticipation of seeing new spots being built in town. As the map got more populated with areas to visit, it became more and more addicting to log in every day to explore the town.
