Pirate Pop Plus

A game that tries to bring us back to the 80's arcade glory, but doesn't succeed because of its lack of variety.

Pirate Pop Plus is a fun bubble-popping game with a fun gameplay that manages to stand out from its similar counterparts and with a fitting visual and sound environment. Its lifespan might be put to test, as the game relies on customization to keep its long-term appeal but Pirate Pop Plus should easily find a spot with nearly any player.

When you get down to it, the game doesn’t offer any variety. All the action takes place in a single screen with a gradually increasing number of bubbles moving at gradually increasing speeds, with the only long term goals being new high scores and new swag at the item shop. You can drop some coins to challenge Hyper Mode, but that’s just a higher risk, higher reward version of the same gameplay. That core action is fun, but it won’t keep you coming back for more than a handful of hours.

It's not often that you encounter a game that manages to emulate the simple pleasure of old arcade games so effectively, but Pirate Pop Plus makes it look easy; this is everything you could want out of an arcade game. The gameplay is simple and addictive, it positively oozes charm through its presentation, and if the score chasing doesn't hook you, the coin collecting and achievement hunting surely will.