Sociable Soccer: Review
One of my favorite sports is Soccer, and I used to love playing various soccer arcade games growing up on my computer system. I could never get into FIFA games because they were too complicated with controls and I didn't find them to be fun. Sociable Soccer, a new soccer game through Apple Arcade, is the type of soccer game I enjoy. Fun, easy to play, and FUN.
The premise of Sociable Soccer is simple. You manage a team through tournaments and various games in the app. I'm not going to get into the different types of games and modes you can play, because what I really want to get into is the gameplay. Gameplay in this soccer game is so simple. There is a virtual direction controller on the left and three buttons on the right. The buttons are for shooting, passing, and chipping the ball.The buttons for controlling the ball are also for defensive moves. That is it. There is a fantastic tutorial that runs you through the controls and how to use them.
For me the controls are simple to use with or without a controller. In fact, I find the game easier to play without a controller.
When it comes to gameplay, controlling the players is smooth and responsive. Kicking the ball or passing does what you would expect and works fine. The graphics look great and the game plays like I want a soccer game to play - for the most part. I did some some parts of the game lacking. When you take a free kick or a throw in you can't control where your players go to receive the ball. You can control the direction the ball is going, but you can't control someone to be there for the ball. This basically results in putting the ball in play and hoping you can get to it.
One other quirk of gameplay is the amount of red and yellow cards I receive. Maybe it is how I play, but it seems like every time I slide tackle a person I am getting carded.
However, with that being said this is still a really fun soccer game to play. The games themselves only last about three minutes (90 second halves). While I appreciate the short games, and believe me I do, it would be nice to be able to increase the game to five minutes or more if you choose.
Watch the short video of gameplay from 1/2 of a game below.
There is a level of managing that happens in the game with upgrading players, which are represented by cards. You can earn cards with rewards through the game too. I haven't quite grasped this part of the game yet, so I am not going to dive deep into that. I will say it doesn't seem that important for playing the game. I have no issues playing, scoring, or winning games. It is challenging, but like I keep saying it is fun. At the end of the day, that is what makes a good game over a bad one.
AArcade Review Rating 4 out of 5
​Download it here.
Super Mega Mini Party: Review
Super Mega Mini Party, by Red Games Co., is a fun mix of 8 mini games meant to be played with others online or locally via bluetooth. However, the biggest issue is finding someone to play against. Read on to learn more.
Before I get to the issue mentioned above, I'll start with the games. The games themselves are very fun and several are very original. They consist of pirate ship battles, motorcross racing, chopping down trees with martial arts moves, jumping over arctic animals as a penguin to stay on a sheet of ice, and more. The most original games out of the eight (in my opinion) are Penguin Plop, Spruce Lee, Lava Leap, and Miner Threat.
I think my favorite game of the list is Penguin Plop. In Penguin Plop your are a penguin jumping over fish, walruses, polar bears and more. The goal is to be the last penguin standing on a sheet of ice. It is easy to play with just one button to click and a lot of fun. ​​
Speaking of being easy to play, all of the controls are very simple to understand. Some of the games only have one button while others might have two or a directional pad. For the most part all of the games are easy, except for Lunatic Lander.
Lunatic Lander is a classic type of game. Navigate your ship to save an astronaut while avoiding asteroids. Once you have the astronaut bring him/her back to the landing pad. The problem is it is very difficult and no way to stop once started. I played several games where no one could rescue the astronaut. After several minutes my opponents had quit and I was suck myself. Eventually I quit because there is no time limit on the game itself. Someone has to win. Also, if you quit one game in the competition you forfeit them all and return to the menu and have to start over. There is no way to forfeit that game and still stay in the main competition.
When you play against one or more players the games are chosen at random and you compete in a total of five games. There is a single player training mode that lets you play the game of your choice by yourself. This is a good way to get a feel for each game, or a good way to play when you can't find anyone to play with. You can also choose your character from the main screen and there are a bunch to choose from.
Here is some gameplay in training mode of each game:
This brings up my other issue, and my issue mentioned above. Games like this rely on other players to play against. Not many people will have someone locally to play and the developers have realized this making an online multiplayer option. However, I had trouble finding people online to play against too. When I have found someone to play against it is only one person. I have never played a full game with three other players (four total). Hopefully, this is due to being a new game in the Arcade and others will be joining soon, because this is a really fun game.
​I did notice the game is developed by the same company as LEGO Brawls. I have had the same issue of finding players in LEGO Brawls and I have with this game. Coincidence or a server issue? I don't know but just a thought. ​
The issue of finding others to play online makes this is a hard game to rate. It truly is a lot of fun. The games are original or twists on a classic. If I could easily find someone to play it would be an easy 4.5 out of five. However, I think I'll have to go with a 3.5 for now.
​Arcade Review Ratings 3.5 out of 5
Download here.