Taking it Old School: Arcade Hoops Review

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Funland

The idea of the video arcade has so permeated the culture that even though online gaming and teen promiscuity has replaced long hours at the coin-op, many of the same old franchises simply transferred to a new medium. Even the pre-videogame world had established arcade centers furnished with excitement rallies like ski ball, pool, and a strange form of all-ages gambling often called “fascination.” These “real life” alternatives to virtual characters have endured and now the integration of traditional and digital gaming are firmly established in the American consciousness. This includes shooting hoops for money.

Stationary Basketball

Skyworks new iPhone game, Arcade Hoops, is exactly what it sounds like. The game is a digital mock up of the arcade system that allows you a certain amount of time to shoot baskets enclosed in a netted fence. The game gives you two modes, the Classic Game and the Progressive Game. The Classic Game gives you the standard arcade back board that stays stationary, while the Progressive Game has the backboard starting out close to you and then makes it move backward periodically. The gameplay requires you to use the touch screen to guide a hand shooting a ball into the basket. The reality is that you guide the ball from the hand in a strait line into the basket.

Brief Gaming

The game is somewhat addictive, as was the arcade version. The games only last from thirty to ninety-nine seconds, which makes it the perfect distraction for killing time. It is also nice that you can essentially do this with one hand if you would like as the software remains very responsive to the touch screen.

A Little Lacking

It seems that the main flaw with Arcade Hoops is that there is just not much there. There is a nicely created background for the “arcade hoop system,” but it would be nice to have more. Even a series of levels or some type of online two-player option would be really great. Here you just have the repetition of the exact gaming process that is not very challenging and can be essentially mastered by always dragging your finger in a strait line while guiding the basketball. The Progressive Game is much more challenging, but it still has a long way to go before it becomes Splinter Cell.

Good For the Price

The game is fun if that would be your style of arcade play. You are given a high score list to keep you interested, and even a few alternate audio tracks. For $1.99 it is a good choice, but do not expect more than what you will end up with. The likelihood is that you will know ahead of time if this game is your style or not. Six and a half out of ten stars.

This post is part of the series: Application Reviews

A series of reviews for common iPhone applications.

  1. Where Are You? - Loopt
  2. Name That Song - Shazam
  3. Getting Internet and Tech News with Net News Wire for the iPhone
  4. Review of the Facebook App for the iPhone
  5. BrainTuner: A Brain Teaser in Mediocrity
  6. Review of the Remote iPhone Application
  7. Have a Drink on Your iPhone Using the iPint App
  8. The Complete Works of Shakespeare
  9. Pocket Reference
  10. An In-Depth Review of Mobile News for the iPhone
  11. Smack A Toon Lite: A Mild Amusement
  12. QuickSend
  13. Smiling Rage: Expando Review
  14. Taking it Old School: Arcade Hoops Review
  15. Darts App Review: Skip the Bar and Throw Darts on Your iPhone
  16. Is the Pac-Man iPhone Game Worth the Money?
  17. Professor of Drinkology
  18. Finding the Network: The WiFinder Review
  19. Time in the Night: Night Stand Review
  20. Tube Time: i.TV Review
  21. Going International: Daily Planet Review
  22. Measuring the Swell: Surf Report Review
  23. iBoredom: Tic Tac Free
  24. Spiritual Warfare: Tap Defense Review
  25. Find Your Way Through Mazes with the Labyrinth iPhone Game
  26. Free Recipes on Your iPhone: Big Oven App Review
  27. Stanza for iPhone Review: Find Another eBook App
  28. A Drawing Pad for Your iPhone: Scribble Review