Robot Bop Review: What’s the deal with robot reflexes?

From the creator of Grave Mania comes another mobile game that tests your reflexes. From the dark but fun age of Grave Mania, Philippine game development studio Anino Games takes us into the future in their latest Android game, the fast-paced gesture-based Robot Bop.

Gameplay

The gameplay is quite simple. You are assigned a robot that can execute various actions based on various commands. For instance, the first robot, Alpha, can execute four actions, namely walk left, walk right, jump, and crouch. These actions are executed by swiping left, right, up, and down on the screen. The number of commands increase and get more complex as you unlock more robots. Further commands include sliding different directions, moving the arms, sliding the antenna upwards, tilting the phone, or moving the phone left and right.

The player must execute the command given to make the robot move before the bar at the bottom of the screen runs out. The bar is emptied faster as you continue playing, requiring the player to respond faster as well. Each time the player makes a mistake or fails to execute a command in time, he loses one life. The game is over once the player loses all three lives.

Features

Robot Bop has various features to spice up things. Aside from its set of achievements, it also features a shop where players can use real money to buy power-ups to make games easier, alternate costumes for their robots, and backgrounds for their games. It also has a Facebook integration feature so you can share your high score with your Facebook friends. I was able to unlock four different robots with four different skills. One section where I had to tilt to make the robot do a backspin didn’t work well on my tablet, though I’m not entirely sure if this experience varies per device. Because this game is new, perhaps we can expect more fixes and features in future updates.

The Verdict

So who should download this game? This game is made to test the reactions and reflexes. It’s perfect for kids who can follow simple instructions. The first game with the first robot will feel dull and boring because the first robot only has four commands. The only challenge is when the time runs out faster. While adults might find this dull, it can be quite challenging for kids. The game gets more challenging as more robots and movements are unlocked. The interface is also vivid and refreshing. It reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons. If you are looking for something to keep your mind occupied without thought-provoking gameplay, or if you are hoping to keep a child occupied as you go about your business, this could be the app for you.

Robot Bop is available to download for free from the Google Play Store.

(Editing by Paul Bischoff)