Recess Riot Review
PROS
- Good use of the pixel art style.
- Lots of interesting moves via button combinations.
- Shop prices aren't ridiculous.
CONS
- Lack of game modes.
- One note gameplay.
VERDICT
If you enjoy jump rope and dodgeball with a lot of customization and special moves, Recess Riot should give you some entertainment.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
If you're going to use an art style reminiscent of the 80s in all its eight-bit glory, and the game is based around recess, you best do your research about the games of the time. I mean yes, I’m showing my age here, and there was jump rope and dodge ball, but we also played four square and wall ball! Well there is a 'coming soon' icon in the game, so hopefully this can be addressed in a future update.
All kidding aside, Recess Riot is a collection of two arcade based mini-games held on the playground; jump rope and dodge ball. Both use on-screen arrows and two buttons to control your kid. In the jump rope game, you have to time your jumps correctly as the rope gets faster and faster, while dodge ball is not only a game of dodging the ball (and other objects that get thrown at you), but using your attacks to propel the ball back from whence it came for more coins. Coins are the currency used to customize your character to look just the way you want him to with a variety of options and colors from skin tone to headwear to shoes. All the prices are pretty reasonable, and you'll collect enough coins for everything you desire by continually trying to best your score in each of the three difficulty modes.
The pixel art style is very in your face, with the game not afraid to show off its simplistic low-res graphics up close, even on the small iPhone screen. The visuals have charm however, and a lot of the animations you'll discover from experimenting with the controls in both games will amuse, along with the character expressions, and of course, all the goofy outfits available for purchase.
While the games have their moments, the gameplay is rather one-note, and after a few goes, you'll be looking annoyingly at that 'coming soon' screen, wishing there were more mini-games to keep you occupied. Perhaps if you play this game about recess with the same philosophy as recess, as in only playing it for a short period each time you load it up, the whole experience might work... but it seems a big ask from this small arcade title.
Screenshots
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