Publisher: Viacom New Media
Developer(s): Hookstone Productions
Release Date: October 31, 1995 (North America) November 22, 1996 (Japan)
Also released on: SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, MS-DOS, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar
Gameplay: You control a small triangle in the middle of the screen as you shoot pieces of the same color, which come in from all sides every second (more often in the harder levels), and if a piece falls into the center square, it’s game over. If the quota of shot pieces is met, the game speeds up and the background changes. Various power-ups come up now and then, one of which clears a whole line of pieces. At 99 levels, this game will keep you playing for a while. I give the gameplay a 7.5/10.
Graphics: The graphics are pretty good. The sprite animations of pieces on the screen are solidly animated, and each background is given a unique look that keeps things fresh from a visual perspective. I give the graphics a 7.5/10.
Music and Sounds: The soundtrack consists of new age, funk, and jazz music, and while it’s nothing really special, it suits the game fine. The SFX is also fine as well. I give the music and sounds a 7.5/10.
Controls: The controls are very simple and responsive: the d-pad moves the triangle while pressing the X button shoots/exchanges the triangle. I give the controls an 8/10.
Replay Value: The replay value in this game comes from the usual addiction that comes with playing puzzlers of this sort, either wanting to beat your high score (which, by the way, you can’t save except in the Jaguar version) or getting to the higher levels. I give the replay value an 8/10.
Final Thoughts: Zoop is a very solid puzzler that is worth checking out.
Overall: 7.5/10
Buy or Skip?: Buy, though certain versions of the game (including the version I just reviewed) may be hard to find at a decent price.