Let's Tap Review - Wii

5.5

Gameplay: 6
Graphics: 3
Audio: 3
Multiplayer: 6
Innovation: 7

Introduction

Let me pitch you a game. It’s a Wii game that solely uses Wii remote. But you never touch said controller when playing. Instead, you place the controller on a cardboard box, and tap the box. That game exists, and it’s called Let’s Tap. It was also probably made by people on drugs.

Gameplay

Yep. You take a box (if you buy the special edition, one comes with the game… but you have to pay more), position your controller, and then you’re ready to go. While you can use the pointer to navigate through the menus, you can also cycle through menu options with a single tap, and then select an option with a double tap. Sensitivity can be adjusted to reflect the resonance of your chosen cardboard accompaniment, though it didn’t need any adjustment for my tissue box. You’d be surprised how well it picks up taps of different strengths. Incidentally, this may be the first game ever where the Wii Remote Jacket has a legitimate purpose – the rubbery grip stops the controller bouncing off.

I know what you’re wondering – what do you actually do? Well, there are a few options. First, and best, is Tap Runner. This multiplayer game lets four people compete in a 2D obstacle course, moving from the start on the left to a finish line to the right. Repeated taps make your stick figure begin running, a stronger tap makes them jump, and you’ll have to dodge other obstacles in your way to the end. You each have your own lane to run in, so there’s no direct interaction between the players, which is a little disappointing, but it hardly ruins the experience.

This mode is by far the best inclusion on the disc. With sixteen levels that you unlock consecutively, it’s over far too soon, but you can get at least an hour’s worth of enjoyment out of them. They grow increasingly complex, throwing in ropes to swing along, worm holes, springs, slopes, balloons to inflate, tightropes to walk, glass to charge through and more. It is the biggest selling point of the game, that’s for sure, and for the most part it controls perfectly. Sometimes you’ll find yourself accidentally jumping when you were intending to sprint, but if you adjust the settings it shouldn’t be too much trouble. The only other issue is that it has a Super Smash Bros. camera that pans back to fit all characters on screen at once. If someone gets too far ahead, it can be impossible to see the hazards to avoid because they are simply too tiny. Nevertheless, it’s great fun.

Second best is Silent Blocks – a puzzle game. You’re present with a stack of red and blue blocks. The cursor constantly scrolls down the column, and you have to pull out tiles in order to create three of the same colour in a row. When you do, it collapses into a bronze tile, and becomes ‘transparent’, in the sense that if there are three or more ...