Air Hockey is probably one of those games that would always bring about an air of nostalgia for those who’ve lived in dorms or attended a frat party at least once in their life. But a new Android game is not the air hockey of your childhood. Well it could be, if your table was on steroids and your dorm had psychedelic decoration and if your opponents were wielding laser guns.
Futu Hoki (which of course, is a not-so-subtle way of saying Future Hockey) is an Android version of the beloved game, but this time, with multiple players and more varied ways of playing the game. Oh, and yes, laser guns. On the four corners of the board, you will see these glowing guns rolling out balls, and your duty is to defend your side. What makes it harder is that the other three sides, whether they’re being controlled by real humans or by AI are also defending their turf, and so it’s ricocheting balls all around. There are some power-ups that will appear every once in a while, like the ability to freeze your opponents or to get a wider hockey puck. You will also be able to upgrade your puck as you accumulate points.
There is still the classic air hockey version where you just go mano-a-mano with one opponent. Other modes include a 2-on-2 death match, where you team up with another player to defeat another pair, and a one-against-all mode where all 3 opponents are out to get you. There is also the breakout mode where you have to eliminate colorful cubes, just like another old-school arcade game, Arkanoid. You also can play it on Time attack mode, where endless balls just come at you.
Futu Hoki is available for free download on the Google Play Store. There are of course several in-app purchases, so just a reminder to disable this function if you’re letting kids or unauthorised adults use your device to play games.