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 84 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Hop Top is a charming and addictive arcade game that successfully blends elements of classic titles like Galaga and Doodle Jump, providing a nostalgic experience with modern polish.
The game features excellent pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall gameplay, making it a delightful homage to retro arcade games.
With multiple modes and a high skill ceiling, Hop Top offers engaging and challenging gameplay that keeps players coming back for more.

The game can be needlessly difficult at times, which may frustrate some players, especially with certain enemy designs and platform mechanics.
There is a lack of online leaderboards and achievements, which limits the competitive aspect and replayability for players seeking to improve their scores.
Some players feel that the game could benefit from additional content, such as more modes or a looping system to encourage continuous play.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The gameplay of Hop Top is characterized by its engaging and addictive mechanics, reminiscent of classic arcade games like Doodle Jump and Gaplus. Players find the learning curve rewarding, as mastering enemy patterns and platform layouts offers multiple paths to progress, making each attempt feel satisfying despite the challenges. The combination of clean graphics, charming sound design, and a fun gameplay loop contributes to a compelling arcade experience.
- “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. Failure is almost always on the player, as the enemy patterns are fair and predictable with their own unique behaviors and layouts. Similarly, 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, like in 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, it doesn't quite deliver.”
- “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, but the gameplay can feel frustrating at times due to the steep learning curve.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics of Hop Top are praised for their clean and stellar pixel art, evoking a strong sense of nostalgia reminiscent of classic arcade games. The visual presentation is complemented by a charming aesthetic that enhances the engaging gameplay, with distinct modes that showcase the graphics in a way that feels like a tribute to the PlayStation/Saturn era. Overall, the game's art style is celebrated for its quality and creativity, avoiding the pitfalls of lazy retro design.
- “The presentation is stellar, with excellent pixel art reminiscent of the era, akin to the later 'arrangement' Namco games graphics which look phenomenal. It really utilizes this style rather than using 'le retro' graphics as a crutch for bad or lazy art.”
- “The visual and musical aesthetic is incredibly nostalgic, but the play experience is a fresh blend of platforming and Space Invaders. Not to mention that it has classic arcade difficulty for sure, and those ladybug enemies will haunt my dreams with how eager they are to end a run.”
- “This game offers three distinct modes, one being a classic arcade mode with a simplistic charming style, and the other two being unique endless and campaign modes that introduce the graphics as if they were included in a PlayStation/Saturn era arcade collection, which is a really neat touch.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic arcade vibe, featuring short, memorable tracks that effectively utilize classic arcade instruments. Reviewers note that the soundtrack evokes the feel of Namco's classic collections, enhancing the overall experience with its charming and energetic tunes. Overall, the music complements the game's fresh blend of platforming and classic arcade difficulty, making it a standout aspect of the gameplay.
- “The music in this game is 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.”
- “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 soundtrack is similar, every track is a banger utilizing the arcade instruments to their highest potential in short but memorable tracks.”
- “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 visual and musical aesthetic is incredibly nostalgic, but the play experience is a fresh blend of platforming and space invaders.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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. This has led to frustration, as the mechanics seem to encourage less effective gameplay.
- “I don't really see the design ideology behind that, as it is rather tedious and lacks intention. It usually just rewards you for playing worse and taking longer, which doesn't make much sense.”
- “I don't really see the design ideology behind that, as it is rather tedious and lacks intention. It usually just rewards you for playing worse and taking longer, which doesn't make much sense.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features local-only leaderboards and lacks achievements, which limits competitive comparison; however, it still offers a satisfying challenge for players.
- “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.”