HOP TOP

My commentated Campaign mode 1CC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2CbU3273jM A fantastic game that feels just like an early 80s arcade game and its mid-90s arcade remake, like Pac-Man and Pac-Man Arrangement, or Tank Battalion and Tank Force. It's so shockingly authentic-feeling that if someone told me this was an actual obscure arcade game I probably would have believed them. Learning how to quickly take out enemies and dodge their attacks while bouncing back and forth between platforms is great! I love other early 80s arcade games like Son Son, Pooyan and Pengo and this game fits right into that lineup. Once you get over the initial difficulty hump, the rest of the game feels easier than some other similar arcade games; I got my first 1CC in just under 4 hours of play, compared to the 15+ hours that it takes for me to clear most other arcade games. The scoring system is pretty light too, as it mostly just comes down to grabbing the one balloon and 1UP in each stage and trying not to die too often. There is an option to play endless versions of any campaign mode stage, however, so at least there are still things to do after clearing Campaign mode. Other than that, Hop Top is…

the bird from hop top

EVIL

Criminally overlooked. This is an excellent callback to 80's classics. Incredibly simple in concept but endlessly addictive in execution. It's a fairly unforgiving game but rewarding to improve at. Top tier presentation, as well. Excellent pixel art that's filled with personality! I think anyone who's a fan of arcade platformers will enjoy this one a lot!

Hop Top is a phenomenal game that does more than look the arcade part, its genuine and so is the art, music and difficulty. Heraga and Miracle as a whole did a banger job bringing this to life and this game fits snugly with all my other arcade greats!

Quick disclaimer, I have talked with and worked with one of the developers on another project many years ago. I was not asked to write this review . So Hop-Top is a vertical scrolling, arcade-themed platformer/shooter where you bounce higher and higher through an escalating series of platforms as you shoot your way through waves of hostile bugs. As noted in other reviews the game has the enemy formation structure of Galaga blended with a more refined version of Doodle Jump's ascending platform architecture. What I think makes the game appealing is that successful ascension depends on developing good heuristics in order to tackle each individual enemy wave. Since the generated level structures vary based on a mix of templates for each world in the campaign, you can't easily brute force memorize your way through the stages. Instead, the game rewards quick thinking where you prioritize certain targets based on the circumstances of the moment while picking your jumps in the chaos of enemy bullets. Play the game well by surgically removing (or just bullet spraying) the enemies and knowing when to risk a jump for a powerup and you can control any onslaught in the main game. Play slowly…