When it comes to games on the iPhone, few companies have had more success than Tapulous, the developer behind the hit game series Tap Tap Revenge. The game, which is commonly described as a ‘Guitar Hero for the iPhone’, has become an iPhone staple, particularly among teens who frequently play games on the device. Now, with the iPad launching less than twenty-four hours from now, Tapulous is looking to repeat that success with a new game: Tap Tap Radiation.
Tapulous CEO Bart Decrem says that the new game is similar to the series of iPhone games in many ways — you still tap on-screen buttons in time to the music. But he says that some key changes were made to optimize gameplay for the iPad. For one, he thinks that most people will be playing the game with their iPads lying flat on a table or on their lap (as opposed to held at an angle with one hand like an iPhone). Because gamers will have both hands free, Radiation’s gameplay is more involved, prompting gamers to rhythmically tap these glowing blobs as they dance across the iPad’s entire screen. Multiple people will also be able to play simultaneously on the same device.
Another key component to Radiation’s launch is the fact that it’s free. Many of the applications on the iPad are, unsurprisingly, substantially more expensive than their iPhone counterparts. But Decrem sees an opportunity here to become one of the must-own free applications, which would once again give it a very large install base early on in the device’s lifespan. With that install base, Tapulous would be able to cross-promote its future applications, the same way it does on the iPhone.
Radiation will come with thirty songs for free, and will also offer in-app purchases for premium songs by Lady Gaga, Pink, and artists on Ultra Records.
So is the game any good? Unfortunately, we don’t know — we’ve only seen these screenshots. But this will certainly be an app to keep an eye on during this weekend’s iPad launch.
Read our full list of the best iPad apps at launch here.
