Previous Next

Genuinely original puzzle games are curious beasts - initially difficult to come to grips with and even harder to describe. And they don't come much more curious than Zoop.

Basically, you inhabit a square at the centre of the screen which is under attack from four sides by steadily advancing objects of different sizes and colours. If any of these advancing shapes makes it inside your square then the game is over, so your job is to dart around your square's four sides, firing at these marauding shapes. Of course, it's not quite that simple. While you can shoot any shape of object, you can only eliminate objects that are the same colour as your triangle - and your triangle adopts the colour of the object behind the one you're shooting.

Shooting at a shape of a different colour simply means you swap colours while the advancing shape is left untouched. There. Simple. The 'action' takes place on nine geometrical backgrounds which apparently employ a "clever visual deception" called Optichallenge (TM). The result of all this is that the eye is drawn in one direction while shapes advance in two other directions. As if it wasn't hard enough already...

Although Zoop's gameplay can certainly become quite frantic, it somehow never engages you in the way that Lemmings and Tetris make you forget you're actually playing them.

And it isn't half as addictive as either of the aforementioned head-scratchers. Matters aren't helped by the fact that the whole affair resembles a piece of public domain software you'd expect to find given away free on a PC mag!

I appreciate that Zoop is in the 'classic' puzzle game mode, and I don't subscribe to the view that 'graphics maketh the game'. That said, Zoop looks so atrocious I found it hard to take it seriously. Putting a little variety into later levels, or even the presentation screens, wouldn't have hurt. The game is also simple but without the brilliance of Tetris or Lemmings.

It might be okay on a Game Gear, but this isn't what I bought a Megadrive for.

Graphics 30%
Did it really need to be this basic on the Megadrive?

Animation 51%
The shooting action looks OK, but we're not exactly talking Sega Rally.

Music 72%
A variety of bouncy tunes actually prove to be the game's highlight.

Effects 55%
There's a funny bouncy noise when you shoot one of the power-up springs.

Playability 70%
There is absolutely no fundamental variation in gameplay.

Lastability 74%
Not half as addictive as a game this basic needs to be.

Overall 63%
Amusing enough, but would you pay good money for this?