Over the last couple of years, there have been several indie games that claimed to feature ‘8-bit graphics’, even though they were actually 16-bit games with lazy art design. Pirate Pop Plus is one of the exceptions that succeed in replicating the authentic 8-bit style. The game starts in a black and green color scheme, which bears a striking resemblance to an original Game Boy game. The frame around the screen is stylized in a classic Game & Watch cover, further enhancing the old school game design. Both the color scheme and cover can be replaced with different variations if you have earned enough coins in the game itself to buy them. While it does succeed in replicating the old school vibe of 8-bit gaming, it does raise the question of whether this enhances the gameplay itself or not. To me, this didn’t add anything to the overall experience. However, if you’re looking for a game that feels like a classic from the NES era, then this is probably something to check out.
The goal of the game is to pop as many bubbles as you can before getting hit by them. Taking damage reduces your amount of hearts and resets your combo meter, lowering your score multiplier. Popped bubbles will drop either coins or items and increase your score. These bubbles are created by Bubble Pirate, who can be attacked if you’re quick enough. He can also change gravity, forcing you to run along the walls or ceiling, further increasing the difficulty in popping bubbles. There’s also a hyper mode, which doubles your score but only gives you one heart (instead of three in normal mode). The gameplay of Pirate Pop Plus is simple and easy to learn, but the hyper mode gives the player a fair challenge. Because it is such a simple game, it’s tempting to keep on playing since the average time to play one round only takes a few minutes. While it may come over as a repetitive game, it is an addicting one.
It’s clear that Dadako Studios wanted to create an authentic experience by replicating the game design from the 8-bit era. There’s not much variety in the gameplay, but its design is solid. However, some other choices made by the studio are questionable. For example, the game can only be played on the WiiU or New 3DS (and PC in early November). If you have an original 3DS, then you simply can’t play the game. There are other titles that can only run on the New 3DS, but those are graphically demanding and require the upgraded hardware that’s inside the New 3DS. Pirate Pop Plus is an 8-bit game, something that can be played on cheap smartphones. On the bright side, this game is cross-buy, meaning that if you buy it for the 3DS, you can also install it on your WiiU and vice versa.
Verdict
| The Good: | The Bad: |
| + Authentic 8-bit design | – Can be repetitive to some |
| + Simple but addicting | – 3DS version only playable on New 3DS |
| + Cross buy |
Pirate Pop Plus is a neat little game that’s easy to pick up. While it may not be the kind of game that everyone enjoys, it is one that should at least be tried by enthusiasts of the 8-bit game genre.
The fact that it can’t be played on the original 3DS is a bummer and should be looked at by the developers.
Final score: 3,5/5
