Tap Star is a battery drainer. The iPhone app you hate to love, because it is addicting. Tap Tap Revenge 2 has a run for it’s money with Tap Star. Honestly, I am not a champion at either of these games, but who says you have to succeed to have a good time.

I was introduced to Tap Star as a Dance Dance Revolution for my phone, but neither Apple nor AT&T condone dancing upon it. I tried the next obvious step, but my toes are not nearly nimble enough for this game. So, officially there is no dancing involved with Tap Star.

It’s a basic rundown of this type of music-tapping-orgy app (yes that’s official lingo). There are different tracks that come with the app, and more that are downloadable. Each track has four different difficulty settings. As I said before, this finger tapping is not exactly one of my talents, so I am somewhere between Rookie and Amateur, but someday I may aspire to be Pro or even a Tapstar.

Arrows fly up the screen and as they fly over the box at the top of the screen, you tap the corresponding corner of the iPhone, theoretically. I quickly found this to be difficult, but this is of no fault to the app, but can be traced back to a genealogical inadequacy in rapid thumb tapping.

Some notable elements of this app are how it corresponds with the downloadable tracks, which is mostly due to the development by EpicTilt and Sony. As you open the app you are welcomed by an update of the *newest* downloadable track. This is great, but it does not automatically send you on your way to the game, and after you’ve downloaded the app, you hardly need to “skip to intro”. Skip what? Downloading it a second time? If you’ve already downloaded the track, the update plays dumb and sticks around, just like your little brother does when you just really want some DDR alone time. Whenever you choose your track you have the option of buying it too, so hopefully this will completely revitalize the music industry, instead of incentivizing you to download the entire discography of the music you just tapped to (don’t even try it, Sony knows people who know people if you catch my drift).

Also, the app can only be played sideways (see photos), so prepare yourself for that. Not a biggie, but I felt awkward sideways for a bit (again maybe a personal problem?).

You can submit your score after you’ve won (if you can win). This gives the app the same pseudo-social element that retro arcade machines did when you could input your three initials to show that you spent more time and money to master the button mash  and win a golden spot among the arcade gods. Same feeling here; I will never be a Tap Star, but I can comment my little loser heart out.

Besides a bit of my awkwardness and a little rough menu traveling, I found this app to be worth a shot. My only real qualm is the need for more music. There IS variety to the music, but not a ton to choose from, but of course this will come in time. It’s all from Sony, so you know they have plenty to choose from

Happy tapping!