Quick Look: World Cup Ping Pong for iPhone
World Cup Ping Pong is solid proof that Skyworks is as capable of making a full fledged game as they are at making mini-games like Batter Up Baseball and 3 Point Hoops. The game is polished, fun, and has enough variety that it should suit everyone’s needs. Besides, who doesn’t love a quick game of ping pong every now and again?
The thing that strikes me the most about WCPP is the variety of game modes. You can play against the computer in practice mode or tournament mode. Practice mode is a one off game against a computer opponent (being able to play a “best of X” set in this mode would have been nice). Tournament mode is single game elimination until you’ve beaten every opponent you’re paired up against or you lose a game. In addition you can play against another human on the same device. Personally, I would have preferred some sort of online mode where you could play using the 3D perspective table instead of the flat overhead view that’s required to accommodate same-device game play, but the option is still cool. Finally there is Arcade mode, which actually allows you to play on your own and provides you with a series of targets to try and hit for points. This was a rather unique and enjoyable mode for a ping pong game.
Nice Little Volley
I felt like controlling the paddle took a bit of getting used to – and I’m not sure I’ve completely got it yet. I do like the fact that you can choose between three different paddle types, each with their own power and spin ratings. Even better, you can actually tell a difference when using each of them. It would have been cool to have a custom option that lets you specify your own combination of power and spin based on a maximum number, but the choices they provide seem to work well for the most part. I did find it frustrating sometimes that my finger was basically covering the paddle, which made it hard to judge where the ball was in relation to the paddle.
Visually the game looks alright, but it’s certainly not as stunning as some of the other Skyworks offerings. The biggest disappointment is that the audience has been replaced but some weird underground ping pong darkness backdrop. I know the audience is there, though, because they applaud and whistle after a long volley (regardless of who actually gets the score). The sound effects are just what you’d expect from a ping pong game, and the music is good, though it suffers from the same “two tracks that have to be switched in the settings” syndrome that many of the Skyworks games have.
At first controlling the paddle was frustrating enough that I considered rating this “on the fence”, but after getting a few games under my belt I realized that the control issues were mostly my problem. I can’t say that I’m overly familiar with ping pong offerings on the iPhone, but I do believe that World Cup Ping Pong is a good offering for those looking for a ping pong fix.
Final Verdict: Recommended
App Store Link
App Store Link – Lite Version
App Shopper Link
[Note: image courtesy of App Shopper]
Tags: Eric Pankoke, review, Skyworks, Sports, technobrains, World Cup Ping Pong
