May
Review: Pop for WiiWare
With the launch of WiiWare in the U.S. Nintendo has delivered a truly pick up and play party experience (which is both the point of arcade services like WiiWare, and the point of the Wii in the first place) in the form of Pop, a very simple game where players are charged with popping bubbles with the Wii remote.
Much like Lumines and Rez, Pop gains much of its flair and addictiveness due to the aesthetics of its rhythms, sounds and colors and how those elements are intertwined with the gameplay. Just as with Lumines, the actions you make influence the music and tempos, albeit not to the same degree. Still, this effect in Pop comes off as a very nice touch to the gameplay.
The challenge of the gameplay comes from not simply popping bubbles, but popping like-colored bubbles in a distinct rhythm to form chains. A countdown timer that ends the game when it hits zero is refilled by popping large bubbles, a shot that hits nothing deducts 3 seconds and points are given for popping small bubbles. Power-ups are littered floating amongst the bubbles, and include effects like slow, nuke, and added accuracy for a time being when shot. Landmines in the form of bubbles with a skull on them round out the game dynamics.
Much like most games of this type, the pace starts slow and easy then ramps up the tempo quickly, and with each wave completed the color, direction and speed of the bubbles change dramatically to a somewhat dizzying and frenzied effect eventually. This isn’t the type of game I can envision anyone playing alone for long stretches at a time, but makes for a good short attention span game for quick bites between other games. It’s also well suited for a party atmosphere, with players taking turns for high score bragging rights.
Pop also sports a “badge” system akin to the 360’s achievement system, with players earning badges for completing objectives, such as number of chains in a row and time played. It’s a nice touch to give a little depth and enticement to the gameplay package. Still, this isn’t the depthiest game to be had on the service, but at $7 it doesn’t need to. For the price, developer Nnooo has provided a cool, diversionary gaming experience that can be enjoyed in small doses.
Tags: cool gear, cellphone, speaker, gear