pOp (WiiWare) Review
It’s a rarity to find a game coming from our very own Australia that has some lasting effect. We’re used to seeing several huge titles coming from either America or Japan that wow us from start to finish. Although pOp doesn’t quite do that, it’s definitely one of the more solid offerings on Nintendo’s recently launched WiiWare service. A rather perplexingly named Nnooo’s (Pronounced NO!) first game shows that Australia’s got talent. Who would’ve thought a game about popping bubbles would’ve been fun?
pOp is an epic fantasy title in which you play the god of Pop, a deity who has long since been forgotten by his worshippers in a fictional oceanic country (that’s Australia for those who aren’t sharp). This unnamed deity must prove his worth to the people by doing what he does best – popping several bubbles in various ways to garner a decent score. Completing certain milestones allows players to earn badges, and show off their badges to users around the world. Okay, well, not really. (Ed note: Kids, don’t do drugs.) Honestly, pOp doesn’t have a storyline and you can’t really blame it – there’s no proper context to put this game into that would make both creative sense and logical sense.
The graphical style of pOp is pretty simple. pOp is composed primarily of visually enticing backgrounds in varying colours, ranging from very light blue, to deep royal blue to even pink and orange. Each “wave” of bubbles varies in several differing colours and flows very smoothly, running at a very fluid full 60 frames per second with minimal slow down. The graphical presentation of the game as a whole is very refreshing and crisp compared to other Wii titles, with the text itself looking very crisp too. All in all, pOp is a pretty nice looking game but it must be said it’s very minimalist, but it works.
pOp’s gameplay is pretty simplistic, but it adds a lot of unique touches to keep it interesting enough to keep the player coming back for more. From the first run of pOp, players will be offered a choice of three different modes. There’s a training mode which gives players tips on how to rack up a decent score, while the Normal mode provides an arcade style challenge, and an advanced mode for players who want to go that extra step further. Finally there’s a chill mode which is the simplest of all modes, allowing players to pop as many bubbles as they want without the limitations of time, score or anything else. Players will be spending most of their time in the Normal mode, which pits players against sixteen waves of bubbles that must be popped, with each wave having a new feature introduced.
Gameplay consists of pointing at bubbles and pressing a button to pop them – there is a bit more to it than that, though. Chaining together pops will yield much more points than popping at random rates. Finally, popping lots of bubble of the same type will benefit players by adding more to the time remaining. The developers made a clever decision too, by ensuring that those who are inclined to just pop randomly are punished. Popping an area where a bubble doesn’t reside will penalise the player by removing time from the timer. With each level also comes a new type of bubble, be it a colour or a “power up” bubble. Some bubbles will increase the size of the reticle on-screen, while others act as “bomb” bubbles and create explosions to take out multiple bubbles within a certain radius – obviously this can accidentally cancel a chain that is built up, so an element of strategy must be employed to build up a truly great chain. In a somewhat perplexing integration of Wiimote functionality, players can also grab onto buttons and shake the Wiimote to inflate them, and the resulting pop creates a larger residual wave, popping more bubbles too. The biggest offender, however, is the skull bubbles, which instantly negate any chains players may have going as well as take off a time penalty.
The soundtrack of pOp is produced by Game Audio Australia, a firm responsible for audio in SOCOM 3 and several Uwe Boll movies (I hear a collective groan). The sound effects in pOp are very well put together and suit the mood for the game very well, invoking several connotations of open water and ocean. The sounds are excellently made and suit their actions well, with a very nice tone playing through the Wiimote every time a bubble is popped. All in all, pOp’s soundtrack is a marvellous one.
In terms of replay value, there is quite a bit to do in pOp. pOp includes worldwide rankings via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as well as the ability to send a message to friends stating how well you did that day. To top that off, the game has several attainable “badges”, which are similar to the Microsoft’s ever so addictive achievement system. The badges are sure to keep completionists busy, along with the advanced mode too. There’s also a multiplayer mode included, in which new bubbles are thrown into the fray. Said bubbles allow players to electrify their cursor in order to paralyse the competing players, adding a competitive element to the multiplayer component. Although pOp includes support for up to four players, it’s a bit disappointing to learn there is no online multiplayer considering the already implemented online support, but beggars can’t be choosers.
pOp is an addictive, refreshing and enjoyable game that should be experienced by all Wii owners at least once. It’s easy to compare it to the genius that is Geometry Wars, but instead for Wii. A solid start for the WiiWare service and for first time developer Nnooo too, pOp is well worth the price of entry and proof that the Aussie gaming industry still has kick.
