Arcade Zone from SkyZone
Entertainment is a collection of classic coin-op games for mobile phones. While
the stuff you’ll find in here isn’t necessarily of the Donkey
Kong/Asteroids/Missile Command variety, they are still a pretty diverse mix of
reflex-based games. While the gameplay is very simple and aimed primarily at a
casual audience, Arcade Zone is a pretty fun and diverse option for gaming on
the go.
Arcade Zone doesn’t have you playing
arcade videogames, but rather mobile emulations of four non-video coin-op games:
basketball, football, skeet shooting, and boxing. The four games all play
slightly differently, but still run the same gamut of reflex-based gameplay.
In basketball, the objective (as you
can imagine) is to throw the ball into the hoop. There is an arrow that moves
over the hoop and a power bar on the side of the screen. When the arrow lines up
at just the right spot above the hoop, you must hold down the 5 key until the
power bar fills to the right mark and then let go to shoot the ball. As you
progress, the hoop will move and shift, so you’ll have to adjust your shots
accordingly. Luckily, the power bar has a line on it that lets you know how high
the bar must be filled, making things substantially easier.
In boxing, the point of the game is
to hit the corresponding numbers on the screen before their time meter runs out,
effectively punching your opponent in the face. This game isn’t complicated
whatsoever, but can be tough for gamers not really skilled in keypads.
Football plays out quite similarly
to basketball, but instead of lining up an arrow, you’ll have to move left and
right in order to line up with your receiver. Each receiver also has a time
meter that will only allow them to be on the field for a certain amount of time,
after which they will count as a missed shot. This mode is a bit more
challenging than basketball, since your power meter doesn’t have the line and
you’re required to judge your throw before you take it.
The last game in the bunch is clay
pigeon shooting, which is probably the simplest one of the bunch. In this mode,
you simply have to press the 5 key at the moment when the clay pigeon lines up
with one of two boxes on the screen and you’ll fire at them.
Arcade Zone features a Challenge
mode which allows you to attempt to rack up a high score by playing through each
of the four games. Your final tally will include your points from all of the
games, and once you miss one shot in each game you’ll be moved onto the next.
The challenge mode isn’t very complicated, but is pretty fun.
Arcade Zone is very simple and
likely won’t grab hardcore gamers for very long. However, if you’re a casual
player looking for something that isn’t too tough or complex and will kill some
time, then this game might be something to check out.
|
Review |
Gameplay: 7.0
Obviously aimed at a casual audience, Arcade Zone is a varied, albeit very
simple, collection of games.
Graphics: 7.0
Clean sprites, but not much to look at otherwise.
Sound: 7.0
Aside from some music at the menu screen and occasional sound effects (and a
guy screaming “combo!” periodically) there’s not a whole lot to it.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Concept: 6.5
An interesting choice for a collection of mini-games, the execution is a bit
on the simplistic side.
Overall: 7.0
Arcade Zone has some fun moments for casual fans, but won’t pose much of a
challenge to most gamers.
