Overview
The World Cup may be over, but it’s time for some arcade style in Chop Chop Soccer. It’s a three on three cartoon free for all going up and down the small field flicking all over to pass, shoot, and tackle. We know of the simulation soccer games like X2 Football, Fifa, and Real Soccer, but what about some arcade soccer?
Features
You control the entire game with one finger as you drag to dribble, flick towards a teammate to pass, flick towards the goal to shoot, and flick at an opponent with the ball to tackle. The game lets you start an instant match, or play four tournaments on four different fields.
The Good
The game is for those who want more of an arcade feel instead of the realism of X2 Soccer 2010, Fifa 10, and Real Soccer 2010. You play on a small field with no out of bounds, and only three on three play for quick action at all times. You control the entire game with one finger which makes it great for pick up and play.
You can play a match combining any two countries, or choose the tournament mode with four cups to win for each of the four fields. The game has nice colorful cartoon artwork all in 3D with nice variability between the four fields. It’s fun to see the players bounding along sliding and kicking the ball around.
The game offers plenty of challenge that will keep some players, with a thirst for victory, coming back for more.
The Bad
Though the game has an arcade feel it’s still very difficult to score. You would think scoring would be easy, and playing defense would be tough, but scores on both sides are hard to come by. The biggest obstacle to scoring is the goalie which seems to block almost every shot, and can make amazing leaps no other player is capable of.
Another challenge are the controls which get in the way of fast paced movement of the ball to get the goalie out of position to be able to score. You can’t pass quickly between your players because the game doesn’t pick up the difference between flick, and dragging fast enough. You want to make a quick pass, but instead your player dribbles some more, and the ball is stolen.
With the flick controls it’s tough to be anywhere close to precise so shooting at the goal seems to be mostly luck. The opponents steal the ball from you almost anytime you have it unless you spin out of the way, but even then it seems they’re sliding into where you’re spinning before you even think to spin. The game also doesn’t let you choose the player you control, and simply auto chooses it which limits your control over the game.
You can still win games easily enough because it’s easy to play defense, but the arcade feel is lost from the frustration of the controls and opponent skill.
The Verdict
Chop Chop Soccer is a solid arcade soccer game that offers plenty of challenge. The game can be frustrating at times because of the controls, and the lack of a free flowing high scoring arcade feel. If you’re interested in an arcade soccer game this one should be right at the top of your list, but is worth considering overall.
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