RGM Reviews – Pirate Pop Plus: Gameplay fitting of a free mobile game (but you have to pay for it)

There are indie games like Shovel Knight, Axiom Verge, and Steamworld Dig that offer in-depth gameplay and a somewhat lengthy campaign. On the other side, there are games that wish to take on the appearance of an old Game Boy or old NES game in both art design and gameplay with little else in mind. Pirate Pop Plus is a part of that latter group, with a single form of gameplay that’s entertaining for the first couple rounds, but offers just about nothing else in an overall extremely shallow and forgettable experience.

piratepopplus-shop

In terms of recreating the look and feel of a Game Boy, 13 AM certainly nailed that aspect. The graphics are fitting with the game’s design and gives players a decent idea as to what kind of game they will be playing. The few character models that are present are well-crafted and each in-game model is designed purposely to fit that retro aesthetic. The visuals aren’t quite as appealing or charming while in motion, but the title cards, shop section, and others are enjoyably simple and well-laid out. The main screen shown before the in-game graphics are shown is highly misleading though, as they imply that the game is extremely vibrant and colorful. However, as soon as you start up the game, this is proven to be false and it’s difficult not to be annoyed by the bait-and-switch from bright, engaging colors to grayed-out Game Boy color palettes.

When players make the transition to gameplay though, the sprites are oddly shrunk down and seem to lack some detail (in comparison to the character model seen above). It’s understandable somewhat why they made this choice, as it’s very much like the old Game Boy games where character models on the menu screen were far more defined than they were when the game officially started. However, that was more of a limitation that developers had to work with during that time, whereas here they could’ve done more to make the gameplay visually appealing. The changes in color that are available through the shop do help add some visual variety, but in the end, it’s just a color swapped over the same visuals. In the end, the visuals are charming and true to the Game Boy theme and aesthetic. There’s not much visual variety and they should’ve added some color to make the gameplay more appealing but the customization options are appreciated and add at least some extra vibrancy to a game that, at least in the beginning, is mostly colorless.

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When it comes to PPP’s gameplay, it is initially quite addicting. It’s all about gaining points, power-ups, and getting coins to use in the in-game shop or to enter Hyper mode, which serves to be a Normal mode but with accelerated amounts of coin released during gameplay. It costs coins to get into the mode, but it’ll likely end with you gaining more coins than you lose.

In the in-game shop, you’ve got the option of buying different backlights, character models, music, faceplate, in-game D-Pads, decals, borders, and buttons. With the exception of the characters, which have different stats from one another, all of these are purely cosmetic (with many of them not being very worthwhile).

However, in one round of Normal mode and one round of Hyper mode (where it’s just Normal mode but with additional bonuses), you’ve got the gist of what the gameplay has to offer. There are no additional modes and the gameplay doesn’t evolve or switch things up for the player. I had played a number of rounds in Normal mode, and then looked to find what else the game offered. I saw Hyper mode, so I gave it a shot. It definitely was heightened in terms of items that were available to use, as well as the amount of coins distributed. The difference wasn’t as varied as I would’ve liked, but I was still of the mindset that there was more to the game than shown. Unfortunately, these were the two game modes that are playable, and this was extremely disappointing.

The gameplay gets repetitive EXTREMELY quickly as you’ll rack up some combos and get whatever items that are available at any given moment until you lose all of your hearts, you attempt to put a dirty word at the High Score screen, then repeat. The first couple rounds of gameplay are enjoyable enough, but this game gets far too old and remains too similar for any play-through extending past an hour. The fact that the main incentive to keep playing is changing the color of a backlight or the color of the in-game Game Boy is lackluster and a disappointing means of “rewarding” players. The presence of the shop is nice, but it’s only used as a means to hide how shallow the gameplay itself is. It’s definitely designed like an authentic Game Boy game, but the gameplay never fails to feel shallow with little incentive to continue playing.

pirate pop plusStory-wise, there’s a quick text that discusses how the pirate Pete Jr. sees bubbles filled with villagers that are being trapped by Bubble Pirate. This is all that’s discussed and it only serves to give context to why a pirate is popping so many bubbles.

piratepopplus2-shopThe sounds of the game sound like they’re straight out of a Game Boy speaker (which considering their confirmation that the music could run on a famicom, so it’s purposeful). In that vein, the sound is quite cool by itself and will certainly give retro game fans some quality nostalgia. The music is enjoyable enough, but never serves to truly stand out all too much. The option to purchase more music in the in-game shop (using the gold coins you earn) was a nice addition to ensure some audio variety in the background.

piratepopplus3-shopAgain, this is a game with great replay value for some, but certainly not for all. The first couple rounds will hook you and keep you playing, but as soon as you recognize the lack of variety, the appeal is lost rapidly. The game is designed to have players replay the same modes repeatedly, but with very little difference in gameplay experience between each separate round, there’s little true incentive to keep going. This, combined with the lack of enticing rewards in the shop, makes the replay value simply lackluster and weak overall.

 

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Graphics
6/10
Gameplay
4/10
Story
N/A
Sound
7/10
Replay Value
4/10
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A writer for RGM who loves talking about video games regardless of whether someone actually brought them up, especially if the discussion involves Nintendo or someone just trying to understand Bioshock Infinite's ending. An avid player of anything Bioware or Rockstar related, as they taught me some quality life lessons: how to make the tough decisions and how to properly obey traffic laws.
rgm-reviews-pirate-pop-plus-gameplay-fitting-of-a-free-mobile-game-but-you-have-to-pay-for-itWhen you move past the nostalgic feel of the art and sound design, Pirate Pop Plus's shallow gameplay and reward system isn't engaging or entertaining enough to keep players hooked for more than an hour. Some players may like the simplistic design, but this game feels too much like a free-to-play game that costs money. With the $5 price tag, it's still simply too much to ask for.