Game Reviews

Tapper World Tour

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iOS
| Tapper World Tour
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Tapper World Tour
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iOS
| Tapper World Tour

Like any good libation, Tapper World Tour goes down smoothly. Its presentation is top-notch and its gameplay is nicely pitched for filling a quick moment here and there.

Better yet, Tapper World Tour entices you back for a second, third, and even fourth round with variety and depth that set it apart from the usual fare.

Constructed with quality top of mind, this is a superb remake and a shining example of how to do arcade gameplay right on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Where everybody knows your name

Playing as either dear old dad Sam or spunky blonde daughter Nikki, you're responsible for wetting the whistles of customers that mosey into almost a dozen bars situated in the western hemisphere.

Tapper World Tour has an international scope, but the eastern half of the planet - Europe, Asia, and Africa (I forgive the Antarctic oversight) - is no doubt purposely omitted for the sake of future updates.

From the cool slopes of Whistler in Canada to the tropical lounges of Brazil, you tap wells to serve drinks to customers that walk parallel to bars on the screen. Clearing a stage means serving all patrons without dropping more than three glasses or failing to serve a customer before they reach the end of the bar.

Things start off breezy in Mexico where customers filter in slowly and there's not much to handle. As you advance, however, the number of patrons increases, they start sending back emptied glasses, and tips appear on the bar counter that must be cleared manually.

On the rocks

While individually easy, managing these tasks simultaneously is challenging. Visually scouting out empty glasses that have to be caught before they fly off the bar keeps you on edge, as does making sure that you don't tap the screen excessively and accidentally send too many drinks down the bar.

There are times when a glut of empty glasses slides back to your bartender, prematurely ending a stage. These moments feel random and unfair, although they're thankfully rare. Special entertainment acts can help you stave off huge waves of customers, helping to keep these situations to a minimum.

If there's anything to truly lament, it's the lame mini-games that have been injected for the sake of variety. The effort is commendable, but the results aren't fun.

Quick shot

Of the game's two modes, Story offers more of a challenge than the high scoring Endless mode, in which customers keep trickling in until you drop. All the replay value is in the latter mode, where you're able to post scores to leaderboards via Game Center.

Much of the game's appeal comes from the sheer quality of the presentation (the graphics really pop on iPad) and variety of gameplay, despite the brevity of Story mode. While adding new locales via updates makes sense, I would like to see a more varied geography with a few stages on each continent rather than a bunch in North and South America.

These are quibbles when you consider the solid gameplay and phenomenal presentation. Warner Bros and developer Square One have created a top notch game in Tapper World Tour, proving that cheap shots can be well served.

Tapper World Tour

Tapper World Tour is a shot of fun arcade gameplay and colourful graphics that will have you asking for a second round
Score
Tracy Erickson
Tracy Erickson
Manning our editorial outpost in America, Tracy comes with years of expertise at mashing a keyboard. When he's not out painting the town red, he jets across the home of the brave, covering press events under the Pocket Gamer banner.