Review: Tap Disc - Colorful Circles Of Chaos
by Felix Xiao
October 12, 2010
Overview
Creative games that don't seem to fit into any genre are hard to come across, and that's exactly what Legal Radiation's Tap Disc is. Formerly known as Flying Discs, this colorful survival puzzler mashes timing, reaction, and endurance into a creative blend of fun.
Features
The standard play mode has 3 difficulty levels of endless gameplay where you try to collect discs by tapping on the screen to create rings. All rings start out as white, and then change to orange, red, and possibly blue after a short period of time. The discs also follow the same color cycle, except for that they only change colors when hit by another disc. You score points by allowing discs to come into contact with rings of the same color at that particular moment. There are about 20 powerups available, as well as a preschool mode that's much easier.
The Good
Tap Disc has a unique concept that can get very challenging and addicting. Timing is crucial in the game, and fact that discs cannot be hit for several seconds after hitting a ring of an incorrect color makes the game much harder. Every game starts out with 2 or 3 discs and an enemy disc, but the playing field gets extremely busy after a minute or so. You won't bored with this one, thanks also to Openfeint leaderboards and achievements.
At the start, the game will seem a little confusing, and the developer has included 3 different tutorials varying in depth to help you get acquainted with gameplay. After glancing through the tutorial, you'll be well prepared to play. By collecting many discs in a row without missing, you earn combos for higher scores. There are also many bonus pickups that give you a special ability or effect for several seconds.
At the moment, Legal Radiation is hosting a cash contest and awarding handsome amounts of cash ($400 for 1st place) to anyone who is willing to put some time into getting a really high score. This adds a great deal of competition and is another reason to pick up Tap Disc.
The Bad
The game is great from all aspects except that it can get simplistic after learning how to play. Although the backgrounds change from level to level, there isn't much to gameplay besides placing the rings in strategic places to hit the discs. Another game mode would be superb and would add some needed variation. The difficulty curve is also very high, and getting slightly into the game will most likely cost you at least a few lives.
The Verdict
Tap Disc offers a style of gameplay that is completely unique, and its near-perfect controls help to make it a lot of fun. The 3 tutorials, easy concept, and preschool mode ensure that everyone can enjoy the game to its full potential. If you do become a master at the game before mid-November, you could be winning $400 as well.
Tap Disc is a should buy for $0.99 that casual gamers will absolutely love.