Pop Rocks World HD – Music RPG Game (out now, FREE) by Swag Soft LLP is a music simulation game. While you don’t get to strum any guitars or sing, you can find out what it takes to become a famous pop star.
First, you’ll start from the bottom by performing in the park to earn coins. And once you’ve accumulated enough cash, you can start recording your own album in any one of nine genres from rock and pop to rap and jazz, and hire people to help you. You’ll need a music producer, a song writer, and a sound engineer, or if you’re experienced enough you can take on the roles yourself.
Each of the steps involved in creating and launching an album costs money. As mentioned earlier, you can earn your cash (called Moolah in the game) by performing in the park. The catch is your performance involves a jackpot-styled spin, which does get boring after a while, and time consuming, because you’ve got to wait for the popup results to disappear. As you level up, you will unlock more performance venues, including a TV station and stadium.
You can choose your character’s appearance and clothing, buy fancy cars, and go to school to improve yourself in terms of your fan base, fame, charm, and showmanship. Again, you’ll have to pay your course fees through Moolah. During the course of the game, you’ll also get the chance to meet cartoon versions of various celebrities.
As in the real music industry, you can challenge other singers around the world, pitting your performance against theirs. In Pop Rocks World, this involves tapping the largest green number among a grid of numbers that pop onto the screen. You’ve got to be fast, because the numbers won’t stay there for long. If you win, you can grab Moolah and fans from your opponent. This multiplayer side to the game makes it more fun. The downside though is the game needs an internet connection to run at all stages.
iFanzine Verdict: Pop Rocks World, as a music simulation RPG game, is more about the culture and career of becoming a famous singer than it is about music, because you won’t be thumping out any beats or mixing any tunes. You will, however, get to hear catchy music while playing. So if you enjoy Sims-type games, this might be for you. Be aware though, Pop Rocks World is styled as a freemium game with lots of IAP (for Moolah and diamonds), and you’ll have to be patient and spend time waiting for things, such as launching an album.