HOP TOP

About

Hop Top is a shoot 'em up platformer where you help Hop the Dodo Bird retrieve his wings from troublesome bugs across five tower floors. With three modes of play, including Campaign, Endless, and Arcade, players can enjoy pick-up-and-play fun while facing off against various insect patterns and aiming for high scores. Assist Hop in his quest to reach the top and defeat a range of formidable flies and wasps.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Hop Top is a charming homage to classic arcade games, featuring engaging gameplay, beautiful pixel art, and a fantastic soundtrack that captures the retro vibe.
The game offers a satisfying challenge with a high skill ceiling, encouraging players to improve their skills and master the mechanics over time.
With multiple modes including a campaign and arcade-style gameplay, Hop Top provides a fun and addictive experience for fans of the genre.

Some players feel the game lacks additional content, such as online leaderboards, achievements, and extra modes, which could enhance replayability.
The difficulty can be needlessly punishing at times, with certain enemies and mechanics causing frustration for players.
The game ends abruptly without a looping system, which some players believe would improve the overall experience by allowing for continuous play and score chasing.

gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay of Hop Top is characterized by its engaging and challenging mechanics, reminiscent of classic arcade games, with clean graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Players find the enemy patterns fair and predictable, allowing for a rewarding learning curve as they master the levels. The game offers multiple pathways for progression, enhancing its addictive nature and overall enjoyment.
- “Hop Top is an arcade style game with clean graphics, great tunes, and simple but engaging gameplay.”
- “It took me a long time to master even getting past the first few levels, but the natural osmosis over time through playing is greatly satisfying and rewarding, as failure is almost always on the player. The enemy patterns are fair and predictable, each with their own unique behaviors and layouts. The platforms are laid out in such a way that there are almost always multiple ways to progress forward, even if you slip up on the first jump and have to retry, especially once you get accustomed to crossing over from one side of the screen to another by warping across, similar to Pac-Man and other arcade games with screen wrap mechanics.”
- “For the gameplay, it feels like Doodle Jump and Gaplus had a child, and while that sounds fun as an idea, the execution falls flat.”
- “As for the gameplay itself, it's not too difficult to understand everything, but it does prove to be challenging and requires the player to be on their toes with certain platforms and enemies.”
- “It took me a long time to master even getting past the first few levels, and while the enemy patterns are fair and predictable, the overall experience can be frustrating.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
The graphics of Hop Top are praised for their clean, stellar pixel art that evokes nostalgia while avoiding the pitfalls of lazy retro design. The game features a charming aesthetic that complements its engaging gameplay, with distinct visual styles across its various modes reminiscent of classic arcade collections. Overall, the presentation is described as both visually appealing and immersive, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- “The presentation is stellar, excellent pixel art reminiscent of the era, akin to the later 'arrangement' Namco games graphics which looks phenomenal and it really utilizes this style rather than using 'le retro' graphics as a crutch for bad/lazy art.”
- “The visual and musical aesthetic is incredibly nostalgic, but the play experience is a fresh blend of platforming and space invaders.”
- “This game offers three distinct modes, one being a classic arcade mode with a simplistic charming style, and the other two being a unique endless and campaign modes that introduce the graphics as if it were included in a PlayStation/Saturn era arcade collection, which is a really neat touch.”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games, making it hard to immerse myself in the experience.”
- “While the gameplay is enjoyable, the visuals are a major letdown, resembling something from the early 2000s rather than a contemporary title.”
- “The art style is inconsistent, with some elements looking great while others appear rushed and poorly designed, detracting from the overall experience.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and energetic soundtrack, reminiscent of classic arcade titles, with each track being memorable and well-suited to the gameplay. Reviewers highlight the effective use of arcade instruments, creating a charming and immersive experience that complements the visual aesthetic and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the arcade feel, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “Hop Top is a mashup between Galaga and Doodle Jump, with classic arcade difficulty, a wonderful soundtrack, beautiful art direction, and an absolutely charming feel that feels like a breath of fresh air in 2024.”
- “The music in this game, though, I thought was fantastic as it sounds exactly like Namco's own 'Namco Classic Collection Vol 1 & 2'. I think it fits perfectly with what the game wanted to be.”
- “The soundtrack is similar; every track is a banger utilizing the arcade instruments to their highest potential in short but memorable tracks.”
- “Great arcade experience, cute characters, snazzy music, multiple modes for those looking for something more in line with remakes of classics such as the ones made by Namco, or for people who want to play till they run out of lives.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and lacking clear design intent, often feeling that it rewards prolonged play rather than skillful performance.
- “I don't really see the design ideology behind grinding, as it is rather tedious and usually just rewards you for playing worse and taking longer, which doesn't make much sense.”
- “Grinding feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game, making it hard to stay motivated.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game, turning it into a mindless task.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features local-only leaderboards and lacks achievements, which limits competitive comparison; however, it still offers a satisfying challenge for players seeking personal improvement.
- “You will unfortunately be comparing your performance to yourself as its leaderboards are local only and it currently lacks achievements, but it nonetheless provides a challenge that's satisfying to overcome.”