What mobile games should aim to be
Pro Zombie Soccer is a little mobile game that takes a novel approach to the zombie genre. You control a slacker who has been bitten by a zombie and discovers that he has the capacity to kick a soccer ball really hard and kill the shambling undead. Cue dozens of levels of zombie-ball mayhem as you kick your way to discovering and destroying the root of all the zombies.
The control scheme is built for a touch screen as you press to ready your shot and change the angle by moving your finger up and down. You have the means to bounce the ball on the top or bottom of the screen and can shoot a charge shot if you hold down long enough. This, combined with a special attack that takes some time to build up is the only weapons in your arsenal and it's all you really need. The gameplay works well and you quickly learn to aim your shots, taking down zombies quickly and efficiently with the use of headshots and rebounds.
The visual style is really nice, lots of colors and interesting characters and locations. There isn't a lot of movement in the shambling hordes, but with a screen full of enemies it still looks very good. The different environments are very vibrant and unique and are designed to help the zombies stand out and with some small effects it's easy to keep track of where your ball goes as it flies around the screen. There's lots of things happening on the screen, especially in the more hectic moments, and the game looks good throughout.
It's clear that this game was built for mobile play by it's very design as well as the gameplay. The levels are short and simple, following themes that change up the look but also introduce gameplay elements like trying to avoid killing civilians or zombies that can only be taken down with specific shots to specific points on their bodies. In the later levels things can get hectic and intense, but the difficulty never seems unfair and the short levels makes it perfect for a quick game that gives you an exciting and rewarding experience.
The gameplay is perfectly attuned to the touch screen and you progress forward in chunks small enough to be taken whenever you have a short break, making this a great example of how mobile games should be designed. It's small, fun and, as long as you're not expecting a great story, you'll get your money's worth.