Chop Chop Soccer wins the iOS World Cup
Tons of fun on the iPhone/iPod and even better on an iPad, Gamerizon's 3-vs-3 soccer definitely scores the game-winning GOOOOOOALLLL.
The child stars of Gamerizon's Chop Chop series look like angry-eyed refugees from "South Park." But, man, do they know how to bring the fun.
Witness Chop Chop Soccer, the fourth game in the series. It's little more than single-player soccer with three-man teams--but it's a blast.
I say that as someone who's not particularly fond of playing the actual game and can't stand to watch it (unless my daughter's playing--she's a superstar).
Give proper credit to the gloriously vivid color palette, the perfectly timed crowd cheers (they groan after a near-miss and cheer wildly after a goal), the reasonably simple controls (more on that in a minute), and the fast-moving, indoor soccer-style gameplay (which lets you bounce shots off invisible sideline walls).
Controls can make or break a game like this; Chop Chop Soccer keeps them admirably simple. You move the selected player by dragging a finger around the screen and pass, shoot, and steal with flicks in the proper direction. You can even pull a one-timer by passing and flicking before the receiver gets the ball. Pretty easy, right?
Yes and no. Like a lot of sports games, Chop Chop Soccer can feel a little
claustrophobic on an iPhone or iPod. Many times I couldn't see an open teammate because my finger was in the way.
On an iPad, however, that's much less of a problem. And, in fact, the HD version of Chop Chop Soccer is even more dazzling. It's definitely the best way to enjoy the game.
The only thing that would make it even better is multiplayer. Chop Chop Tennis has it, so I'm hoping it's on Gamerizon's to-do list.
Even without it, Chop Chop Soccer is well worth the 99-cent launch price ($1.99 for the HD version). I won't come right out and say it's the best soccer game in the App Store--simply because I haven't played all the others--but it's definitely one of the most fun and accessible. (If you think there's a better one, by all means name it in the comments!)
Same goes for all the Chop Chop games. I think Gamerizon could develop Chop Chop Curling and make it fun.