Developer: Neowiz Games
Publisher: Neowiz Games
Genre: Music
Price: FREE

Ever wanted to be a Music Producer? In Tapsonic TOP you can. Starting off with a humble cast of musical talents you are set out on an adventure to create the best possible line up and get the best high scores on several different songs available for free, mostly.

The gameplay in Tapsonic TOP is to ‘score points by tapping the screen as the notes appear with rhythm and beat.’ To maximise this score it is vital to choose the right stars for the song. Stars are divided into three categories: Vocal, Dancer, and Session. Within those categories are subcategories, which can be considered as specialisations, such as Tap Note, Slide Note, and Flick Note. Finding the right cast can be fun and if not for the higher score then for trying to make a viable group out of the many different stars to choose from. I have sacrificed score for a cute cat star several times.

As a producer it is up to the player to level up, train, rank up, and awaken the stars. This can be done by sacrificing another star, put a star on a schedule using staff, or use the star when playing a song. The better the star, the better the score.

Aside from simply playing songs on different levels ranging from easy to expert, the player can test their mettle against other producers in the Music Grand Prix where a set of songs get available each day of the week and by the end producers get their total score measured against each other. Everyone is a winner at the Music Gand Prix, but the prize gets drastically reduced the further a producer’s placing is from the top. It is a simple, yet nice way to test yourself against other players and see if you can tap as good as you think.

The songs may be of varying quality; some are good, some are bad, some are annoying, some are catchy. However, the gameplay is rewarding and fun which have made the most annoying song bearable to sit through if it shows up in the Music Grand Prix a Monday morning. The songs are challenging enough and the difficulty levels available provide ample room to learn. Sometimes the expert option felt too easy or too difficult, but that was mostly in regards to the general difficulty of the song

The initial pricing of the game is free, though the game allows for micro transaction to gain stars and staff. It is not, however, required to access and play the game. The player can happily play through all content and see most of it without making a single transaction.

If you love music games and cannot ever get enough of cute, quirky anime characters then Tapsonic TOP is definitely a game for you. However, if you are looking for an amazing music journey with a fantastic story then I would advise you to move on as the little story that exists in the game is beyond rescue.