With Tap Tap Revenge on Apple’s new Touch-based devices, Tapulous has pulled what Activision did by releasing Guitar Hero on PS2 back in 2005. Instead of using a guitar, however, this is a rhythm-based game relying on a touch screen for inputs. Built on the success and proven formula of Tap Tap Revenge, Tapulous has gone one step further with Tap Tap Revenge: Coldplay Edition, incorporating 11 tracks including hits ranging from Yellow and Speed of Sound to the more recent Viva La Vida and Lovers in Japan. It’s one of the rare games on the platform, where two players can play together on the same device.
[singlepic id=1029 w=200 float=left]Tap Tap Coldplay is exactly like Tapulous’s other games – Tap Tap Revenge, Tap Tap Dance, Tap Tap Revenge NiN etc. The concept of the game remains the same; music plays in the background, while notes stream down the screen and pass through three bars/markers, which the user must tap. The game makes impressive use of the multi-touch technology built into the device.
The music notes come from three sides, which can be simultaneously or one after another. So as soon as the player has finished tapping one note, he/she needs to quickly move towards the other side to tap. The speed of the notes depends on the level of difficulty. On easy mode, the notes are slow and rarely simultaneous, but the extreme mode is the exact opposite. The game also has a ‘boss mode’, where once a player has achieved a decent score, newer visuals like video previews from the song’s music video fading in and out during gameplay are unlocked; a nice treat for Coldplay fans.
The controls have been designed keeping the device in mind; the touch is always precise and responsive. The notes have been placed well in the game, meaning you could use two fingers easily to tap on simultaneous notes without any problems. Navigating around the menu is also quite good. There is no lag as such in any part of the game, except while resuming a paused game. A nice touch here is that when you tap anywhere but on the note, the background immediately changes, letting you know that you’ve erred.
[singlepic id=1032 w=200 float=right]The presentation of the game can best be described as colourful. At start-up you can see Chris Martin and the rest of the band in the background. As a higher score is achieved, unlocking the game’s newer visuals, as mentioned above, changes the presentation completely. All eleven tracks bundled in the game are full songs, so be prepared to spend at least 3 to 5 minutes for each round of the game. The menu itself has been done well and is very easy to navigate around. The game also has a leaderboard, where players can submit their scores and compare them with others worldwide. It also has a ‘Facebook Connect’ feature, where Facebook users can share their scores with friends.
As I mentioned in the beginning, this is one of the rare games on the platform where two players can play simultaneously on the same device. It’s a neat feature and it works well, but there are a few problems that make it a bit of a let down. The split-screen layout makes it difficult to not only hold the device, but also to see a note clearly, resulting in many missed notes.
Conclusion
The critical question, which remains unanswered, is whether or not Tap Tap Revenge: Coldplay Edition is worth your money. I think it all comes down to whether you’re a Coldplay fan and if you enjoy playing rhythm-based music games. If you’re not particularly fond of Coldplay, a good alternative would be to try Tap Tap Revenge 2. But if you do enjoy Coldplay and rhythm-based games, this is not a bad game to add to your mobile gaming collection.
(+) Good presentation; easy navigation
(+) 11 tracks to play; good sound quality
(+) Challenging; extreme mode can make you cry
(+) Nice extras; Coldplay news feed, Facebook Connect & leaderboards
(-) Freezes when resuming from pause screen
(-) Unlike in Tap Tap Revenge 2, newer songs can’t be downloaded for free
(-) Difficult to play with another player on the same device
Title: Tap Tap Revenge: Coldplay Edition
Developer/Publisher: Tapulous
Genre: Music
Rating: N/A
Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch ($4.99 via AppStore/iTunes Store)
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