SongPOP Facebook Game Review

SongPop is one of the most simple yet entertaining games on Facebook. It’s addictive enough to keep you coming back for more without being totally mind-numbing and monotonous.

It’s not a particularly original concept – there are plenty of games out there where one has to guess a tune in less than five seconds. Nevertheless, SongPop is still very addictive. It keeps things relatively interesting by offering specific playlists – default genres include “Today’s Hits” and “90s Alternative,” but even more playlists can be purchased with the coins earned in matches.

You can challenge anyone from your friend list on Facebook or seek out a “random” match. Speed and accuracy are essential for winning matches, while the streaks of correct guesses help you out more. A minimum of three correct guesses updates your “star” rating in that category – the more stars, the more songs you can choose from. There are power-ups available as well, which you can earn just by subjecting yourself to a few ads.

FreshPlanet makes it really easy for you to win and progress with the game, which is refreshing considering the amount of games there are which introduce barriers just when you start to really get into the swing of things.

The best way to succeed in SongPop is to do your research. Know your strengths and build upon them – like if you’re a true child of the 80s, build up your star rating in the “80s Hits” category so that you can unlock as many songs as possible. But it’s also important to improve your weakest areas. The challenger will always choose a category that they know that they are good at.

The most commonly played category is “Today’s Hits,” so if you’re not exactly familiar with what’s on the radio right now, it might help to find out what’s topping the charts right now and give them a few listens.

Speed is important, but when it comes to matches accuracy is ultimately more important. You still get some points for answering slowly, but you receive none for answering incorrectly. Accuracy is also the only way to build your star star rating, so don’t rush if you’re not sure. After every round of songs, there are iTunes and Youtube links to listen to the songs, so you can better familiarize yourself with the tunes.

FreshPlanet also makes it easy to get through the game without spending a cent of your own money or begging your friends for gifts. Periodically, ads will appear offering to give you power-ups in exchange for watching videos. It’s a great way to earn easy power-ups, since the video advertisements don’t automatically re-direct you off the page. Think of it as an opportunity to take a quick break before you get back into the game.

One of the best applications someone can use to give them an advantage is Shazam.Shazam is a free iPhone app which can listen to a song through a set of speakers and identify it within several seconds. It works on even the most obscure of songs, like classical instrumental songs or movie scores. In order to play with Shazam, you have to be running two different devices at once, so it can be a tad confusing, but it’s one of the best ways to guarantee a win.

As for gaining coins, it’s not just enough to create challenges, you have to accept the challenges of your opponents as well, and follow the challenges you make through. It pays off, because you will always get at least one coin even if you lose (and you can lose pretty badly). You gain three for a win.

Finally, this isn’t really a cheat, but it’s the best possible strategy: if at all possible, stick to categories such as “Classic Rock,” “80s Hits,” “90s Alternatives” or even “Love Songs.” It appears that the majority of SongPop players are users in their early teens, (hence the popularity of the category “Today’s Hits,” as well as “Modern Country,” “Modern Rap,” and “Summer 2012”). It’s a bit of a low blow, but why not take advantage?

Research some classic tunes and buy song packages that contain more elusive songs, such as the “Metal” and “Funk” playlists.