Pirate Pop Plus (Switch) – Review

A bubbly conflict is brewing on a distant island! PhantomZ2 sails off into Pirate Pop Plus to check it out!

I’ve always loved carrying my Game Boy around and playing a variety of games on it. The Switch can do the same thing, but with Pirate POP Plus its almost as if I’m reliving those GB Experiences. That beautiful sprite art within different shades of green just brings out that nostalgic flair. But before we delve into the presentation – I’m pretty sure Pirates popping bubbles wasn’t in Moby Dick. But, before we get into this review – I’d like to thank dadako games for sending us a review code! So, get on a board, cause I’m PhantomZ2 and we’re getting ready to pop some bubbles!

Story:

The premise of the game is that you’re Pete Jr., a pirate who has found strange bubbles floating on a distant island. On closer inspection, it turns out that the villagers have been captured in these bubbles, all by the Bubble Pirate. Now it’s time to take your anchor and pop some bubbles! And that’s really it; there isn’t an overarching plot or deep lore, nor does there need to be. This short little story serves as a nice introduction to the game and that’s all this kind of game needs.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is as simple as the premise – and that’s no insult. Players will move Pete Jr. left and right within a small little chamber, where Bubble Pirate will appear periodically and spawn in bubbles. You’ll have to pop the bubbles by shooting your anchor with the A button, and different items will drop in as you do so. In addition, he’ll also use a magnet to make you stick to different sides of the chamber. This can be disorientating at first, but it can also be a big help for when you fall on top of a bubble and pop it completely. Items are completely random but different for each playthrough. Some of them are a plug powerup that plugs your anchors into the wall so bubbles can run into them, food for extra points, a bubble shield, and most importantly coins and treasure chests. Coins can be collected and used to unlock different characters with different amounts of hearts and speed.

There is also the Hyper Mode, where you pay 25 coins to play the game with one heart and double points. Although it does cost 25 coins, every 10 hits in a row drop a treasure chest full of coins, so you’ll get your money back soon.

If there was one complaint I had, it would be that finding extra hearts is rare. The amount of hits that Pete Jr. can take is 4, but it is very easy to mess up and accidentally run into bubbles. I think making hearts have a bit higher drop chance would allow for me to continue one run of the game for a longer amount of time. There are also achievements in the game, but they don’t really feel like much for me since the game is essentially the same all the time.

Presentation:

At the start, Pirate Pop Plus is very much like an old Game Boy game. However, as you collect more coins, the green backlight doesn’t have to be your only choice. With the more coins collected, players will have the option to customize the color of the game with different backlights, change the faceplate of your system and its buttons, and even change the music. Although I haven’t unlocked any of these customizations yet, I personally prefer the look of the Dusty backlight with the charcoal faceplate and the beautiful gyms mix soundtrack.

Verdict:

Pirate POP Plus is a simple little game that anyone can pick up. However, due to how simple it is, it may not interest some players to continue playing the game in the long run. What is here is something enjoyable that I think many people could play and enjoy in small bursts, but longer sessions won’t hold up to Tetris or a 2D Shooter. Pirate Pop Plus earns 3 out of 5 stars for me. Thank you again to dadako games for providing us with a review code!