Tap Tap Muppets Review

"Mahna Mahna doo doo de doo doo..." oh sorry, I just forced myself to put down Tap Tap Muppets. It’s something nostalgia junkies spanning several decades and fans of recently released The Muppets movie will find difficult, too.

Disney paired with Tapulous, of Tap Tap Revoution fame and the mechanics are familiar. Players tap discs as they move through targets in sync with the rhythm of a Muppet song.

What’s entirely too much fun is the Muppet cast incorporation into everything from the splash screen to gameplay. There are now nine tracks, up from the original six, some beloved classics, some new song form the movie. And everyone from the expected Kermit and Miss Piggy to Gonzo, Beaker and of course Animal help set the stage. The game even has a gallery of Muppet videos for fans old and new to enjoy.

While seemingly aimed at a younger audience, I know entirely too many adult gamers who are snatching this freebie up. There are four difficulty settings. Hard and Extreme modes - plus lots of bonuses and score multipliers - will challenge even the most seasoned rhythm gamers. That said, Easy is just that and suitable for the youngest gaming Muppet lover.

Everything about Tap Tap Muppets is polished. The graphics are rich and textured; the music has enough edge to not bore older kids to death; and everything is imbued with Henson-esque magic. The biggest problem with the game is how to not spend the rest of the day with the new rendition of the theme song stuck in one’s head.

The controls are great, allowing the deft to dance multiple fingers nimbly on cue and hold suspended notes without missing a beat.

The best part is that the current catalog of songs, while limited, is entirely free. There are ads, but only on the home screen and they are unobtrusive. Tapulous games usually come with in-app purchases, but so far three songs have been added at no cost.

The only thing missing from a perfect holiday gift is a native iPad version. I know this game’s primary purpose is as a promotional tool for the movie - as the social media and Muppet Twitter feed in-app attest to - but it’s so much fun I hope the folks behind it don’t abandon it. It’s such a generous offering, in fact, I would pay a small fee for on-going post-promotional updates and additional tracks. Maybe with the DVD release?

There is absolutely no reason not to get Tap Tap Muppets unless you are a hater. So stop reading, start downloading and show Animal who’s the real king of Muppet-style Rock and Roll.