In Hopper, you’re a tennis ball that is seemingly being punished for a crime you don’t remember. As you roll forwards, you can control your movement to the left or right, which is extremely useful as you very quickly have huge abysses to deal with.
The terrain unfolds in front of you, always showing you what lies in your future. Every time you approach a vast, endless abyss, you have the ability to roll over pads that cause you to jump just enough distance to bridge the gap.[sc name=”quote” text=”However, the ramifications of the defiance of physics are far from your priority, as there are frequently tiny gold rings that award you points when you cross paths with them.”]
Once you’re in the air, you can control your movements, same as when you were rolling on the surface. While this looks impressive, you’ll eventually wonder how a ball is able to alter its horizontal direction mid-flight. However, the ramifications of the defiance of physics are far from your priority, as there are frequently tiny gold rings – extremely similar to the famous rings from Sonic: The Hedgehog – that award you points when you cross paths with them.
Nearly every time you jump there are rings to collect, as well as the always shifting forward path, meaning you are constantly navigating either around obstacles, through rings or towards salvation in the form of a rolling, endless wooden terrain.
As you continue to move forward, the jumps become more varied and omnidirectional, forcing you to constantly be on the lookout for what’s ahead of you.
The main difficulty in Hopper comes from the issue of the lack of save states. Each level is quite long for a platforming game and, were you to accidentally die from a miss-click or not quite timing that jump properly, you will have to begin the entire level all over again. There’s really nothing else for it – you need must do the whole thing again, a little wiser and a little more prepared.
This can cause an immense amount of frustration, but each time you manage to die horribly and go back around again, you get a little bit further, discovering all-new puzzle mechanics and levels of difficulty. This keeps you entertained and stops you from throwing your phone away in frustration, instead hooked on that sweet, sweet possibility of finally finishing the level.[sc name=”quote” text=”This keeps you entertained and stops you from throwing your phone away in frustration, instead hooked on that sweet, sweet possibility of finally finishing the level.”]
The reason for your endless roll towards the end and eventual oblivion is unknown, but due to the apparent similarities between the terrain and a bowling rink, it’s possible you’re some sort of sentient, jumping bowling ball.
A sentient jumping bowling ball would be a fun thing to play with in real life but, all things considered, we can settle quite nicely with Hopper in the meantime. Until technology catches up and we can throw advanced bowling balls in frustration, that is.
Hopper manages to keep you invested in the puzzle despite repeated deaths, as well as offering continuously new and interesting mechanics and obstacles, enabling you to keep plodding along towards the end.
[review pros=”Smooth and evenly progressing. The jumping feels calm and logical, leading to actual enjoyment while in the air.” cons=”No save points means you’ll be repeating the level constantly.” score=7.5]
[appbox appstore id1255901403]
[appbox googleplay com.sweetgaming.hopper]
