GoNintendo Impressions - Pop

Pop…I am not too sure what to say about the game. It’s exactly what you think it is…nothing more and nothing less. You have a bunch of bubbles, you pop them, and you move on. It’s a very simple idea…and it seems like it may be too simple for its own good. I had a chance to go hands-on with the game at the show floor. I checked out the multiplayer mode, which added in some 4 player fun. The games don’t last very long, and the goal is very simple. Pop big bubbles to add time to your timer, pop small bubbles to get a high score. Pop item bubbles to use items that will impact you or your opponents. Things can get pretty hectic with everyone fighting for bubbles, but I don’t know that I’d say that Pop was entertaining. The game was just sort of…there. The idea seemed best suited to a Flash collection. It’s like something you would see on NewGrounds or AddictingGames. That’s not a knock against Pop, it just doesn’t seem like there is enough to the gameplay to warrant a WiiWare release.

I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t being overly cynical about the game. I made my way around the floor and chatted up some of the media members that I actually know. From what I heard, everyone pretty much felt the same way. Pop is not a bad game, it’s just a very straight-forward one. It would be perfect for a quick game while you’re working at the office…something along those lines. No one could see themselves sitting down at the Wii to gear up for some Pop action. I understand that WiiWare is a great entry point for any developers out there, and I think that’s the fantastic thing about it. That also means that there will be some games that just don’t seem necessary. I would much rather see Pop on the PC side of things than WiiWare. I have a bad feeling that the game will go largely ignored.

As of the summit, the devs didn’t know whether the game would be 500 or 800 Wii Points. I really, really hope that they decide to go for the lower end of the spectrum.