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Future Tapping Game!: Let's Tap Coming to NA

LetsTapbanner.jpg


The embargo is up today, so good news for all across the land: Sega is bringing Yuji Naka and Prope's debut to the States. Let us tap to celebrate:

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Sega had the localized game on hand at their event in New York last week and it was a treat to see. A preview and some impressions for ya:

Let’s Tap Comes to America, Brings Amazing Theme Song With It


Here’s the score: Let’s Tap is a four-player mini-game collection with five modes. The entire game is played by placing the Wii remote face down on a cardboard box (or any flat surface really) and tapping on the box. The least game-like of the modes is a visualizer; tap on the box and watch fireworks explode over a weird cityscape or see ripples wave across a pool of water. Silent Blocks is similar to Jenga and Rhthym Tap is not unlike Taiko Drum Master. The meatiest modes of the bunch are Tap Runner and Bubble Voyager. Runner is a sprint-race and obstacle course mode that’s far more visually and aurally appealing than it has any right to be. The trailer above really doesn’t do it justice, there’s just something hypnotic about it. Bubble Voyager is a sidescroller. You tap to keep your titular character – a classic little Naka character if there ever was one – afloat and to avoid obstacles.

I sat in on a demo of the fireworks visualizer, Tap Runner, and Bubble Voyager. The visualizer was certainly attractive, almost like a level of Rez you just float above instead of travel through, but it didn’t look like something you would ever try more than once. Both Tap Runner and Bubble Voyager looked fun, but really must be played with a group to get the most out of.

I’m ecstatic they’re bringing it to America but I’m not sure how successful Let’s Tap will be for Sega. The core gamer market will be interested in Let’s Tap based on Naka’s name alone, but the game is very light on content, not to mention devoid of a significant single player mode. Since Prope and Sega haven’t added any additional modes to the North American version, the game will be an even harder sell if it releases above a budget price. The other hurdle is getting it out to casual gamers and families. The games are simple and I can imagine them being addictive in a group setting, but the game’s abstract visuals just aren’t what the mainstream Wii audience looks for. I’ll be picking it up no matter what, but I’m a videogame fanatic. I’m not sure who else will.


I'll update with press release and assets when they come out later today.

Link to the preview, where there's an old trailer. Old trailer still rules thanks to theme song: http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/61fps...merica-brings-amazing-theme-song-with-it.aspx
 

vareon

Member
2 threads, only one will survive.

But Future Tapping Game! Let's Tap! Yeah!

Let's Tap
Future Tapping Game
 
I want to buy this game, but I don't know how. I really need a small foldable table for things like this, arcade sticks, and wheels.
 

Caj814

Member
Linkzg said:
I want to buy this game, but I don't know how. I really need a small foldable table for things like this, arcade sticks, and wheels.

Use a tissue box for lets tap that is. . :lol

For an actual table go to Target or Walmart and ask where the small tables are located.I found one at Walmart for $20 thats nice and sturdy.
 
Yes! We can finally tap futuristically in English.

Now to celebrate, I'll listen to the theme song seventy billion times.
 
Yeah I imported it because I was really interested in the music and I didn't think it would come to the US. Well I didn't import it, my brother did, and it was only $50. I'm sure it'll go for like $40 in the US, but I don't think it will do well here either.

Now if the game was a WiiWare title it would've done a hell of alot better.
 

swoon

Member
it's worth like 80 dollars. multiplayer tapping action is fucking amazing.on the ground. tissue box, envelope box, lunch box, box once containing a picture book of charley harper. beating hands - trying not to jump. jumping at the right moment. tightrope walking. no one breathes. it's perfect in every way.
 

Yes Boss!

Member
MidnightScott said:
Yeah I imported it because I was really interested in the music and I didn't think it would come to the US. Well I didn't import it, my brother did, and it was only $50. I'm sure it'll go for like $40 in the US, but I don't think it will do well here either.

Now if the game was a WiiWare title it would've done a hell of alot better
.

There is a WiiWare game coming in the franchise and it is called Let's Catch!

http://prope.sega.jp/letscatch/
 

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
Hope its not to much in the US. The game IMO is worth $30, and I think it would catch on fairly well at that price. At $50, eh.

I wonder if Sega will be keeping the boxes or just tell you to get your own.
 

Vinnk

Member
I did a short hand-on for it at TGS, you can read it here:

http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2008/10/15/tgs-hands-on-lets-tap/

Since then I actually bopughyt the game and I like it a lot. The Music and the visuals are great and my friends love the running game.

However I agree it is really slim when it comes to content for a full priced game. If SEGA released it for $40 (in the big box that can also be used as a tapping surface) and maybe includes a single of THE SONG, it might be a nice purchase.

But game only for $50 and as much as I personally love the game I would recommend passing on that.
 

Vinci

Danish
titiklabingapat said:
They need to advertise this. I can see this being one of those games you take out when you introduce someone to the Wii.

Like I said in the Conduit thread, they at the very least need to do an ad on the Nintendo Channel. It'll help the sales and I doubt it would cost much to produce something for it. Hell, just play the song.
 

Yes Boss!

Member
Vinci said:
That looks ... hmm ... I don't know what it looks like. How much is it selling for on WiiWare?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see it - 1,000 Wii Points.

Yes, it looks...hmm...questionable. But you have to admire the rigorous devotion to franchise. Really reminds me of the old Sega Dreamcast days.
 

Log4Girlz

Member
If you haven't heard the theme song, then please, a word of caution...do not listen to it. Its going to take a good long time to get out of your head.
 

Yagharek

Member
Seeing the title 'Let's Tap' at the same time David Bowie's song 'Let's Dance' is stuck in my mind is proving to be equal parts disturbing and amazing.

Love the visuals in this game. Cant wait for the Aus release.
 

Regulus Tera

Romanes Eunt Domus
Sega does what Nintendon't again (meaning bringing awesome titles from Japan).

Did anyone at J-GAF buy this? I never saw any impressions.
 

meppi

Member
Yes Boss! said:
But you have to admire the rigorous devotion to franchise. Really reminds me of the old Sega Dreamcast days.

Looks like that's the whole idea Prope was build around, continuing the Dreamcast legacy.
Just looking at the logo and seeing how it's exactly like the Naomi logo says enough.

Couldn't be happier with that.
 

Zissou

Member
Regulus Tera said:
Sega does what Nintendon't again (meaning bringing awesome titles from Japan).

Did anyone at J-GAF buy this? I never saw any impressions.

My impressions from an earlier thread:

1) Tap Runner:
The first game is a four-player race where lightly tapping causes your character to run and a hard tap causes them to jump in the air. It boils down it being more of an obstacle course than anything else, where finding the most efficient path while avoiding hazards is the primary focus. The skill in playing this game comes from precisely timing your jumps, such as leaping from swinging ropes at the appropriate time to go the maximum distance possible, or going over hurdles efficiently by timing your jumps well.

I found it to be fairly fun. It uses more of a negative-punishment style of feedback, where winning (at least against the cpus, I haven't tried multiplayer yet) relies more on not fucking up, and often one major mistake costs you the race outright. However, each race hovers around a minute long, so restarting isn't a huge deal.

2) Rhythm Tap:
I found Rhythm Tap to be more enjoyable than Tap Runner. It plays like a very simplified version any scrolling music game, having only a single track of 'notes' to hit. The difficulty comes in there being light, medium, and strong taps required, as well as there being some trickier timing rhythmic timing that you'd expect from any music game. It gives you a good amount of leeway with you tap strength, and the systems ability to read your taps is surprisingly precise, so it never really feels unfair.

Because of the simplicity, there were definitely more than a couple moments where I felt very much "in the zone." Like Tap Runner, it's simple, but quite enjoyable. Easily my favorite of the five.

3) Silent Blocks:
Silent Blocks consists of three different games you can play, the first of which is called, "アンリミデッド" which I'm guessing is supposed to be "Unlimited" or something. Katakana is a bitch. Anyway, this game is a Jenga sort of block game where you can play with however many people you want and take turns trying to take blocks out to get the object at the top of the tower safely to the ground without prematurely knocking over the tower. I didn't really think it was that interesting.

The second game, "アルケミスト" (Alchemist, I guess), is similar, but it's only for one player. The goal of Alchemist mode is to take out as many blocks as possible before losing. The tower continues to grow, making it more and more difficult to maintain stability, until you inevitably lose. Again, I didn't enjoy this one too much either. It takes a really long time to get going, and seems a bit tedious, but I can see how it would be appealing to some people. The third game, Alchemist Race, looks like a multiplayer variant of Alchemist, but I haven't unlocked it yet.

4) Bubble Voyager:
Sort of a horizontal scrolling shooter, but with much less emphasis on shooting and much more of an emphasis on obstacle avoidance. It feels very floaty and it's difficulty to maneuver your character very precisely at all. Silent Blocks wasn't my cup of tea, but I can see how others could like it, and in multiplayer, it could certainly be interesting, but Bubble Voyager is quite weak, and probably the least suited to the tap controls of any of the games. Using tap controls in this game feels much more forced, as opposed to the natural implementation in the first three games.

5) Visualizer:
Certainly not a game, Visualizer is just a collection of... visualizers (there's not really any other word I can think of to use) which sort of respond to your tapping. If you discover certain patterns you can make special things happen, such as in the fireworks visualizer, where certain sequences of taps lead to a special firework in the pattern of a flower or star to be shown. There's not a whole lot to any of these, and I got bored of them really quickly.

Overall:
Tap Runner is a pretty fun time, and it's certainly unique. Rhythm tap is excellent, and is an interesting variant to more standard Beatmania/DDR/Rock Band-style music games, though not as unique as something like Rhythm Tengoku. Silent blocks isn't really my type of game, and I can't really imagine spending any more time with it or Bubble Voyager/Visualizer. Still, despite some disappointments, it was an interesting use of the Wiimote, and I'm curious to see what Prope makes in the future.
 

GoDLiKe

Member
BUY IT!

Let's Tap is an original and fun game made by Naka Yuji, it reminds me of the good old times... pretty fun on multiplayer mode!
 

lastendconductor

Put your snobby liquids into my mouth!
Fuck, the song is looping again inside my head!! HELP!!! arghh hel.. *let's tap let's tap future tapping game oh yeah*
 

Carlisle

Member
Not knowing anything about this game, the thread title made me simultaneously think of both sex and tap dancing at first glance.

Mind. Blown.

Rule 34 evoked
 

nightside

Member
seaandthebells said:
Hell, maybe Sega should just forego releasing the whole game and just release a Wii disc/case housing nothing but this song. It is that awesome.


I'd buy it:lol


damn you jj984jj now i'll keep listening to this song for hours:|


oh..and please Europe too:D
 

bryehn

Member
This game is Fucking Awesome (with a capital F). Got the import version on the cheap but will double dip to support such awesomeness.

I recommend using Wii Remote condoms when playing, otherwise the Wii Remote is over-sensitive and will mess you up. And yeah, it's called Let's Tap, not Let's Mash or Let's Frantically Beat Things. Light taps are the key.

Wish Rhythm Tap had more songs though...
 
Coming to Europe too, apparently :D :

UK, February 3, 2009 - Yuji Naka's eccentric game Let's Tap is to be released in the US and Europe, with SEGA bringing the game to the Wii in summer 2009.

The debut project from Yuji Naka's own Prope studio, Let's Tap is a rhythm action game that does away with direct controller interaction, with inputs carried out by tapping in time over five different modes. Confused? There will be a full hands-on posted later today but in the meantime check out this preview from last year's Tokyo Game Show.

We'll be bringing you more in-depth analysis and a Q&A with Yuji Naka himself later today.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/950/950464p1.html
 
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