Goal Hunter turns football into an arcade shooter on Android
Goal Hunter has launched on Android, mixing a retro arcade shooter with football, five lanes of trouble and a commentator who apparently has very little faith in you. The first 15 matches are free, with a single purchase unlocking the full 90 match campaign.
Created in Godot by Appsolute Labs, the game puts you in control of a footballer sprinting through defenders, referees, pitch invaders and drones. Somewhere in there, presumably, somebody still remembers the rules.
Shoot first
The official website says Goal Hunter as a football parody built around classic shoot ’em up action, a weird combo – but hey, if it works… Movement takes place across five lanes, with short taps shifting your player between them while you line up shots and avoid incoming hazards.
Regular shots deal with some enemies, but each match also gives you three Super Kicks. Those are the only shots that can reach the goalkeeper waiting at the end. Spending them too early leaves you without the attack you need for that encounter, in other words, save them for the end.
The keeper also throws barriers your way, which seems like something the referee should investigate. Unfortunately, the referee is already on the list of things you need to dodge.
Water bottles add another decision. Yellow bottles provide an extra life and contribute bonus points if you defeat the keeper. Shoot one, however, and it turns red, costing you a life if collected (like cards, get it?).
Remember to save
Goal Hunter has Normal and Arcade modes. Normal allows manual saves, while Arcade removes saving and awards higher points for some actions.
The game does not save automatically. In Normal mode, manual saving becomes available before matches from Match 2 onwards. It also warns that changing your active player name wipes the progress tied to it.
A solo project from Brazil
Cesar Godoy, who contacted AndroGaming under the Appsolute Labs name, describes himself as a solo developer based in Brazil. He says Goal Hunter was built in Godot and is currently available in English.
The first 15 matches are free to play, and a single purchase unlocks the full campaign with no ads or subscription. The quoted US launch price is $4.99, with local pricing shown in Google Play.
We have not tested Goal Hunter yet, so this is a look at its release and documented features. Those opening matches should give you a chance to judge the controls, the difficulty and how much commentary your ego can tolerate before paying.
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M.J.