a game by Viacom New Media, and Hookstone Ltd.
Genres: Action, Board Games, Puzzles & Words, Strategy/War
Platforms: Sega GenesisGenesis, SNESSNES, PC, GameBoy, GameGear
Editor Rating: 6.9/10, based on 7 reviews, 8 reviews are shown
User Rating: 6.0/10 - 1 vote
Rate this game:
See also: Zoop Games

The object of Zoop is to knock out a certain amount of building baddies. You have to match up the color of your pointer to the block you are trying to knock out. If you hit a block of another color, you will turn into that color. You can run into blocks of another color by choice in order to change into the color that you want to be. This is a useful tactic.


Boy am I confused. That was my first impression alright. The game seemed to confuse me right away, but as I continued to play, I became more accustomed to it and the control and strategy became easier.


The challenge offered by this game has to be the best thing one could expect from this game. It is tough when you get to the higher levels.


The graphics and sound are a little on the weak side. The music becomes repetitive quickly also.


If you are into puzzles games and the kind of games that challenge your mind, this game would be for you. If you are into the type of game where you can blow up an alien menace or rescue the princess, this game would not be the best choice for you.

  • MANUFACTURER - Huck Stone
  • DIFFICULTY - Variable
  • THEME - Puzzle

Download Zoop


System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)



System requirements:

  • PC compatible


System requirements:

  • PC compatible


System requirements:

  • PC compatible


System requirements:

  • PC compatible

Game Reviews

It's enjoyable and challenging, sure, but Zoop fails to distinguish itself in the crowded field of puzzlers. It just won't hook you the way Tetris did.

Duck Zoop

The objective of Zoop is simple: Protect your center square from an onslaught of differently colored shapes that slowly advance from all four directions. You clear out shapes of your own color by shooting at them; you change colors -- and thus targets -- by hitting an approaching shape of another color.

As you might expect, the shapes approach faster in the higher levels. An assortment of power-ups helps you out as the speed increases. One complication: The generally accurate control pad tends to slip a little when you move around too quickly.

Far from Zooper

Zoop has clean sounds and graphics, including some nice background effects, such as clouds, for the play areas. Some of the surfaces, like the black-and-white checkerboard, add to the challenge by occasionally camouflaging approaching pieces. The music is jazzy and upbeat; the modest sound effects consist of no-frills clinks and clanks when you fire and clear pieces from the board.

Zoop is likewise a little short on options. It features two modes of play but no continues or passwords. Confident gamers can, however, start the game as far ahead as Level 9.

All in all, Zoop's a respectable puzzler, but it lacks the addictive grip of top-grade games like Kirby's Avalanche and Tetris. What it does offer is simple, fun gameplay.


  • Let several shapes of the same color line up in a row, and then shoot them for big points.
  • Keep a sharp eye on some boards -- shapes can blend in with the background colors.

Get ready for the most addictive, absorbing puzzle game available in a long time. Zoop's tough to describe, but basically you must keep 16 columns of colored shapes, all cascading Tetris-style from the four compass points, from reaching the center of the screen-and you.

You control a single "shape" that can pivot and move in all directions at the screen's center, and you fire shots to destroy shapes that match yours. If you hit a different shape, you change into that form-and therein lies the strategy. The game boasts ten levels of increasing difficulty, each with more complex background patterns to fool your eyes. Puzzle addicts, this is the game you've been waiting for!

People say:


I didn't really care for Zoop all that much. It's a novel concept that reminds me of a game I have for the Atari 2600. The graphics are simplistic, like all the other puzzlers. This cart isn't really fun to play. It is more like work than anything else, and it certainly isn't addictive. The audio is really poor, even for the Game Gear. I enjoy a good puzzle game, but Zoop wasn't exciting enough. It needs more to keep my attention. Not enough brain teasing for my liking.


I really enjoy any type of puzzle game, and Zoop is no exception. There isn't really anything flashy or special about the game, but that's okay. The game has only one job and does it very well: Offer the player hours and hours of endless hairpulling fun. The game is so simple that players of any age can enjoy it, but experienced players as well will be able to have a good time with this title. The sound can get annoying after a while, but that's what the volume control is for.


If you are looking for a game to drive you completely insane, this is it. Zoop is comparable to Tetris but with a twist. Once you begin playing it, there is no turning it off. However, the control seems too sloppy and too fluid, which made it difficult to get used to, but that is a small price to pay for tons of fun. As the levels increase, so does the difficulty and intensity. Those who are looking to fulfill hours of their time and get a game with loads of playability, definitely give Zoop a try.


Zoop is one of those puzzle games that will make you., well...insane. The instant you plug this one in, bad Tetris flashbacks appear, ready to turn your brain to mush. Zoop's graphics and sound definitely do not push the Game Gear to its limits, but they are more than adequate for a puzzle game. The control is a littte sticky for a fast-action game, but that is part of the fun (difficulty) of playing such a game. A must-try for everyone living in rubber rooms.

  • Genre: puzzle
  • Players: 1
  • Publisher: Viacom New Media
  • Developer: Hookstone/Panelcomp
  • Available: 1995

While racing to create something for the marketplace, many software developers seem to forget about the enjoyment factor of their games. Such is the case with Zoop. Like all great puzzlers, Zoop is based on a simple concept of matching colors. This strategy, matched with a need for quick thinking, creates what, for the most part, is a fun little brain teaser.

Unfortunately, Zoop is missing that special something that gives it the super-addictive quality of something like Tetris. It's difficult to pin-point exactly what's missing, but it probably has to do with the fact that there is an actual technique (simple as it may be) that must be learned just to play. Let's face it, everyone already knew how to fit geometric shapes together.

At last: a puzzle game that dares to be different from Tetris. Zoop for the Genesis isn't destined for the kind of greatness that made Tetris a part of the gamer's vocabulary, but its absorbing puzzle play should earn it a place on your holiday wish list.

Long on Thrills

If you like playing center court and under the gun, then Zoop's your stage. Stationed in the center square, you must protect your area from a four-way crossfire of advancing multicolored shapes. Your goal: Rid the grid of the required number of shapes (the number's posted in the upper-right corner).


  • Shoot the first shape to exchange colors with it. Then shoot another like-colored shape elsewhere and return to wipe out the row.
  • Shoot a row of same- colored shapes and earn big points. Don't be distracted by the fanfare, though -- the shapes keep coming.

The catch is that you can "zoop" only shapes that are the same color as your shooter. If you hit a shape that's a different color, you switch colors with it. Bonus shapes that wipe the grid clean are among the power-ups you can score.

Zoop offers two play options: Level and Continual. Unfortunately, the gameplay and goal remain the same. Continual play presents the greater challenge, but initially the sudden change to new levels can throw you off.

With nine multilevel stages and five difficulty settings to choose from, Zoop easily appeals to all levels of gamers. Advanced players will want to cycle to the later stages, where the pace is quicker and multiple shapes dot the grid from the get-go.

Two drawbacks may keep Zoop from becoming a part of the gamer's vernacular. First, Zoop is merciless when you lose, taking you back to the start regardless of how far you've advanced. And its repetitive play may zoop all but the more diligent puzzle gamers.

Short on Frills

Varied, colorful geometric patterns in the later levels enliven the grids and add challenging contrasts that can fool the eye. The perky music allows you to concentrate without being distracted or annoyed, and the audio effects heighten the action without drawing attention to themselves.

You instantly become the bomb you've hit, so shoot It when you need it.

The control is as basic as it can get. The directionals shift the shooter around and any of the buttons will shoot, so you don't need to be a rocket scientist to play.

Zooper Duper

Zoop relieves the drought of good puzzlers on the Genesis. If you're looking at a long, cold winter indoors, Zoop could turn up the heat on your Genesis.

Zoop is a fast-paced action-puzzle game developed by Hookstone Ltd, and published by Viacom New Media. The player in the game eliminates colored shapes that are approaching his alter ego, another colored shape, before they reach the top, ala Tetris. In order to eliminate the other shapes, you must point your piece at it and 'fire'. If the shape is the same color as your piece, the shape is eliminated, as well as all of the shapes of the same color behind it, until your piece hits a piece of a different color. If the shape is of a different color, or it is hit when collecting a line of similar shapes, your piece exchanges colors with the shape.

Hey, here's a rarity: an addictive, easy-to-learn puzzle game that isn't a blatant knock-off of Tetris (Dr. Mario, Columns, et cetera). In the combination shooter/color-matching game Zoop, you move a triangle thingie (pardon the technical term) around the Center Square in the (duh) center of the screen. You fire the triangle at the colored shapes that appear along the edges of the screen before they shuffle into the Center Square. If the triangle strikes a shape of the same color, that shape is destroyed. If it hits a shape of a different color, the triangle assumes the new color and the shape stays on the grid. The idea is to "zoop" enough shapes to reach higher levels and bigger scores. There are also a few power-ups to increase the fun--mostly bombs that destroy large groups of shapes. And, uh, that's it. Except I forgot to mention that the backgrounds have been designed to mess with your eyes during play. Rather evil, if you ask me. The verdict: Zoop is an above-average puzzle game that doesn't use fancy graphics to hide weak gameplay. It doesn't have the addictive qualities of, say, Blueberry Pop-Tarts, but few games do.

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots