Every so often, I get bored and go on the hunt for new mobile game apps to download. After reaching the 1500th level, the excitement to play more slightly wanes. Puzzle games help me unwind from the stresses of the day. So, I need something to keep me engaged for at least a few minutes at a time. One of my current faves is Panda Pop by SGN.
Panda Pop — Save the Baby Pandas!
Now, WAY before the company contacted me, I was playing another game (Cookie Jam) by the same company. I loved the simple but challenging gameplay, bright colors, and the happy, bubbly characters. Now SGN has released the bubble-popping puzzle game, Panda Pop. It’s about a mama panda trying to save her babies from a mean baboon. Did I mention it features PANDAS??!!
As mentioned, gameplay is very straightforward. Tap where you want the bubble to shoot, make matches of three, and free the babies. I prefer to press and hold so I can better aim the bubble. Plus, that’s the style of controls I’m already used to. After the bubble they’re in pops, they parachute to safety by Mama’s side. If you don’t pass the level, the poor babies are still left hostages of the plotting monkey.
Panda Pop — Power-Ups & Obstacles
What kind of a puzzle game would this be without power-ups?! As you pop the colored bubbles, the corresponding lanterns at the bottom of the screen fill up. Each lantern has a different effect and you can combine two or more of them for more powerful moves.
- Red = burns the surrounding bubbles
- Green = a vine grows to pop a few bubbles vertically
- Blue = a wave of water washes through a whole row, dropping/popping any bubbles below it
- Yellow = creates three small explosive bubbles
- Combine all four = a magenta dragon pops 12 rows of bubbles
Each area consists of ten levels. As you progress through the next set of levels, new obstacles are introduced. These range from “frozen” bubbles, to “question” bubbles, to “cloud” bubbles. The only one I really don’t like is the “death” bubble. After all, when you’re saving cartoony baby pandas, it’s kind of bleak to have poisonous black gas spreading out and causing instant death…
Panda Pop — Difficulty & Game Content
The first few levels were pretty easy but, after the first 50 or so, they start to get much harder. Some levels take several tries and extra power-ups to pass. I was stuck on level 140 forever! As you do, though, you can build up rewards. These can include extra power-ups or new outfits for Mama Panda. Yes, you can change her outfit which includes hair color and accessories. It doesn’t “do” anything but it does help give the game some variety. New levels are constantly being added as well. For a more interactive experience, connect your game to Facebook to challenge your friends or to help each other progress.
Panda Pop is available from the Apple Store and in Google Play. Click here to download the FREE mobile app to give it a try. If you like it, then yay for bubble-popping baby panda saving! If not, no biggie since it’s a free app anyway. Now, go help that Mama Panda! 😉
I am partnering on a compensated campaign with SGN to raise awareness of their mobile games. All opinions are my own.
