Image credit: Bandai Namco
Some rhythm games take themselves incredibly seriously; think moody lighting, dramatic characters, and plenty of frantic music. Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat is not one of those games, which is why I’ve fallen head over heels in love with it.
An Apple Arcade exclusive from the Bandai Namco team, Taiko Pop Tap is a vibrant mobile game that features everything from Hatsune Miku to the Kill Bill soundtrack. Here’s Kyusai’s full review of Taiko Pop Tap, from the perspective of a new rhythm game fan and completed on an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
A bonanza of beats
The Taiko no Tatsujin series has been going strong for over 20 years now, with games on everything from the WiiU to physical arcade machines with actual drum-shaped controllers.
It’s a vibrant rhythm game franchise, and Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat is the first time I’ve taken a proper look at it, somehow. Also referred to as Taiko Pop Tap for short, the game follows the percussion-based rhythm gameplay loop that the series is known for.
Despite being relatively new to rhythm games and not having an overly consistent sense of timing, I’ve been unable to stop playing Taiko Pop Tap; it’s ridiculously moreish, and there’s a fantastic variety of songs on offer, with some of the selection choices being borderline hilarious.
Developed and published by Bandai Namco, Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat came out in 2021, and it’s playable through the Apple Arcade gaming subscription.
If you’re not a fan of mobile games, you’re out of luck – it’s currently not available on other platforms. I found the controls to be comfortable and intuitive on my phone, though, and I’d encourage you to try it out if you usually play rhythm games on PC.
In Taiko Pop Tap, you hit circles on a track in time to the beat of a song, with four difficulty options ranging from easy to extreme. Red circles indicate that you need to hit the center of the drum – on the bottom of the screen – while blue circles show that you need to hit the edge of the drum.
There are other special types of beats, too, with yellow circles requiring a drum roll (button mashing), balloons requiring an especially quick mash, bigger circles requiring a double tap, and golden hammers requiring a quick roll of a set size. This variety of beat types made each song feel uniquely engaging.
This selection of funky circles also managed to make seemingly simple songs feel complex, too, which led to some funny moments.
While learning how the game worked, I noticed that the alphabet song was listed in the song roster and thought it was a hilarious addition alongside Baby Metal and the Kill Bill soundtrack. I tried it on the extreme difficulty and promptly got humbled by the chart while having the alphabet sung at me loudly.
An eclectic mix of songs
It’s not just the alphabet that Taiko Pop Tap has in the depths of its strangely charming song list, either.
You can find plenty of vocaloid songs – I’m a big fan of Roki by Mikito-P and Kagamine Rin – and pop songs, along with movie soundtracks, classical music, and anime soundtracks. Being able to jump from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure music to Running in the 90s by Initial D was amusingly jarring.
I found the charts for each song I tried to be uniquely engaging, too, with a strong variety of beat types, challenging segments, and time signatures to keep things fun.
I had wondered initially whether smacking a drum for the entirety of a song would really be enjoyable, thinking of the visual complexity of other rhythm games like Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage, but there was plenty of challenge tucked away in this dreamily psychedelic title.
The difficulty curve from hard to extreme did take me a fair amount of time to master, admittedly, but the easy, medium, and hard modes are approachable to get into as a newer rhythm game fan with practice.
The art style of Taiko Pop Tap was one of the main reasons I decided to check out the game in the first place. It’s bright and lively, with adorable characters that boogie around the screen as you play, picking up in intensity once you hit the passing score for each round.
I didn’t expect there to be character customization options in the game at first, but you can unlock new costumes and accessories for your mascot as you play.
Based on your success rate, chosen difficulty, and challenge of choice, you can earn points to unlock treasure chests. Inside treasure chests, you’ll find dress-up options, ranging from face paint to wings. Personally, I opted for a subtle princess-bee-fairy hybrid.
Outside of the visual style, I found the performance of Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat to be smooth and high-quality, with no noticeable performance dips, glitches, or bugs to note. The controls were intuitive, too, and made good use of the screen without making the interface feel cramped or sparse.
If you’re interested in rhythm games and want a quality option to take along with you on your day to day adventures, Taiko Pop Tap is well worth your time. It’s fun and light-hearted, with plenty of silly and engaging songs.
It’s a shame that Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat is only available through Apple Arcade right now, as I think the subscription exclusivity may put folks off from trying it. Avid mobile gamers should find plenty to love in the Apple Arcade line-up, though; there’s a good variety of titles in its roster.
FAQs
Taiko Pop Tap is available on mobile, specifically through the Apple Arcade subscription service.
No, Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat cannot be played on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, or other major consoles. It’s a mobile exclusive.
No, you do not have to have special controllers to play rhythm games; you can play games like Osu and Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage with your PC, mouse, and keyboard, or mobile phone respectively.
The best rhythm games include Rhythm Heaven Groove, Osu, Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage, and Geometry Dash.
About The Author
