Let’s Tap Review

Posted 3 years ago By - Zach R.

When Sega first announced Let’s Tap for the Wii, it was met with an abundance of questions. Most of them were of the "are they serious?" variety, but that certainly didn’t dissuade developers, Prope, from creating this unique little title. In writing, the premise of tapping your fingers to create a vast array of reactions might seem a bit too off-the-wall for some, but what about in practice? That’s why we’re here.

Gameplay

First things first when it comes to the North American release of Let’s Tap: the game does not ship with the standard cardboard boxes that were included in the European/Asian versions of the game. We’re not entirely sure why, but just so you don’t run back to the store wondering where the box is, it’s not there. The game does make suggestions that are suitable, such as tissue boxes, or shoe boxes, which most should have in their home already, so it’s not a grievous omission, just a strange one. (Note: Some retailers are selling special editions that include boxes, though we were unable to find any in stock as of press time.)

Unsurprisingly for a Wii game, Let’s Tap is a collection of mini-games. However, the controls aren’t a substandard attempt at motion controls. In fact, there’s not a waggle to be had here. As you can guess from the game’s title, this is a game that’s all about tapping. Placing the controller face down on a box, you’ll run through a quick tutorial that allows you to see the various types of tapping that you’ll need to play. While initially, Let’s Tap comes across as gimmicky, the tutorial will definitely enforce the fact that this isn’t just another inaccurate implementation of the Wii remote. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. 

The sensitivity of the Wii remote is actually quite surprising here. You really need to have a delicate touch to play the game properly. Learning how to tap your fingers quick, soft, and making each tap distinct is something you’ll really need to learn how to do in order to successfully complete any activity. Thankfully, the onscreen cues will let you know exactly what you’re doing wrong, and eventually it just becomes second nature.

So what kinds of games have you tapping your way to the top? There’s Tap Runner, rhythm based games, and some interesting puzzle/visualizer games. Each game has its own style of play, which helps add a bit of variety to what easily could have been just a bunch of people tapping boxes.

Tap Runner, for example, sounds simple enough: tap the box to make your avatar run. However, what seems like a simple premise isn’t as easy as it sounds, as you’re faced with various obstacles that will have you running, jumping, swinging or balancing, each requiring a fair sense of timing, as well as force-awareness. The key to Tap Runner is to find the proper tapping technique, which requires you to alternate between light taps, and more forceful ones. Tapping too hard will launch your avatar high into the air, and the hang time that your avatar gets, definitely means the difference between winning and losing a race. If you do find yourself with a case of lead fingers, there is an adjustment feature that will allow you to customize the sensitivity of the controller, but for the most part, you should be able to grasp the concept of light, medium and hard taps pretty quickly. 

Rhythm Tap is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a rhythm-based mini-game that sports the same premise of alternating between light, medium and hard taps, to the beat of a relatively upbeat song. While it’s not the most original mode in the game, there’s still a lot of fun to be had here, especially when you play with friends as each player will alternate between specific parts of the song. The only issue here is that sometimes taps don’t register properly. It will pick up the tap just fine, but the amount of pressure from the tap doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. You can literally pass each level by just pounding as hard as you can, in spite of being told that each colour represents the strength required to hit the note correctly. It’s a minor issue, but one that really could have been worked on, considering how spot on the controls are in the other games here. 

Silent Blocks is kind of a cross between Jenga and Columns. You can play the very Jenga-like main mode, which has you carefully tapping to pull out blocks from a precariously balanced tower. Alternately, you can play the game so that matching blocks of certain colours will make those blocks disappear. Neither variation is all that fun, but it does again handle its controls adequately. Again, (as with all games in this package) you can play with friends, but the subdued nature of the game makes it a little more boring than the other games on offer. Considering the fast and frantic pace of the other games, more could have been done here to really make it stand out.

By far, the most interesting game in the package is Bubble Voyager. Essentially, this feels like homage to the old school side-scrolling shooters, and it’s easily just as fun. The basics are you play as a little spaceman, tapping to propel him through the levels, avoiding obstacles and collecting stars along the way. The essential goal to the game is just to get a high score, which fits so nicely, and is incredibly addictive, as you’ll constantly find yourself coming back to this one to try and beat your score. There’s also Bubble Voyager Battle Mode which is just a four player free-for-all that’s a total blast to play.

Finally, there’s Visualizer. This isn’t so much a game as it is a zen-lite experience. There are several activities here, such as tapping out a fireworks display, or creating ripples in a pond. This is one of those activities that are really more of an art-house piece. Everyone will see something different in it, but the novelty will only last a short while for most. It’s a neat feature, but it’s inclusion feels like they left a tech demo on the disc rather than an engrossing gaming experience. 

Graphics & Sound

The visuals here are minimalist. The whole game comes across with a sort of retro-futuristic view. Think 1982’s view of what 2009 would be like, and you’ve got a pretty good idea. That’s not to say this is entirely a bad thing. The colours for the most part are bright and vibrant, despite the lack of detail throughout levels. Each game has its own art style and everything fits nicely.

The audio is equally retro-futuristic, and for the most part, it’s a fantastic fit. The music during Rhythm Tap is extremely fun, but won’t appeal to everyone. The robotic voice-overs, the popping fireworks, and the ambience all just fit here, making for a delightful package.

Value

Each game offers 4-player mayhem, and its here that you’re going to get the most out of Let’s Tap. While playing it alone can be entertaining for a few minutes, you really need others around to get the full experience, and that seems to be how Sega’s marketing the game. There aren’t a ton of levels here, and the challenge is a little too light to recommend for everyone, but if you’re a fan of all things quirky and can find like-minded friends, Let’s Tap is highly recommendable.

Conclusion

Prope risked big by using the Wii remote in a different way, and it seems to have paid off quite well. The tap controls, in most cases, seem more reliable than the waggle-fests that often pop up on the system, and the games themselves are extremely addictive. Seriously, check it out.

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