TAPSONIC BOLD

Despite these issues, though, Tapsonic Bold is still a damn solid rhythm game, which we don’t see too often on PC. If you’re a fan of the DJMax series, or the Tapsonic mobile releases, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this one up.

89%Game Brain Score

music, gameplay

grinding

90% User Score Based on 197 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

TAPSONIC BOLD is a single player casual racing game. It was developed by NEOWIZ and was released on March 28, 2019. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Tapsonic Bold" is a rhythm action game featuring 87 tracks from the popular mobile TAPSONIC and DJMAX series, now available on Steam. The game offers new original tracks and promises future updates of additional content. Players must tap, hold, and swipe to the rhythm of the music.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 197 reviews

music64 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a great selection of music, including tracks from DJMAX and O2Jam, providing a nostalgic experience for fans.
The morphing lanes mechanic adds a unique twist to the gameplay, making it engaging and fun to play.
The game is well-optimized for PC, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end hardware.

The game has been reported to have stability issues, including crashes and black screens, making it unplayable for some users.
There is a lack of customization options and settings, such as the ability to adjust the combo chain display, which can be distracting for players.
The game has not received consistent updates or support, leading to concerns about its long-term viability and content expansion.

music
231 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
69%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and variety, featuring a solid selection of tracks from the DJMax series, O2Jam, and original compositions, appealing to both nostalgic fans and newcomers. While many players appreciate the extensive library of over 100 songs and the engaging gameplay mechanics, there are calls for more frequent updates and additional song packs to enhance the experience further. Some users noted issues with song selection and timing, but overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight of the game, making it a must-try for rhythm game enthusiasts.
- “The music is top notch and the gameplay is really fun.”
- “Great music selection, super fun game.”
- “The song selection is diverse and spans about 15 years (from DJMax Online, up to Respect, and even bold exclusives).”
- “The first thing that comes apparent is the song selection screen works very poorly; key presses don't register and the game keeps taking a second to load a preview of the song, making the process of selecting a song very slow and painful.”
- “The song selection is very poor and a lot of songs don't have a very defined beat; there are a few hits in there, but 90% of it sounds boring to play.”
- “There hasn't been any new song DLC for some time, so it feels like this game has been deserted.”
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The gameplay is characterized by a dynamic lane-changing mechanic that enhances the experience, allowing players to engage with varying lane configurations (2k, 4k, 6k) throughout songs, which is praised for its ability to help players improve their skills. While the game features a solid track selection and enjoyable mechanics, some users feel that certain gameplay elements could be better polished or explained, and there are calls for additional quality-of-life improvements. Overall, the gameplay is considered fun and satisfying, making it a strong entry in the rhythm game genre.
- “I love the mechanics in this game, which actually differentiates itself very well from the other 6k rhythm games.”
- “The gameplay is solid and the base game comes with a fair amount of both classic series and new tracks.”
- “A tight, fantastic rhythm game with an excellent track selection and a learning curve that lets you master more and more advanced combinations of rhythm mechanics.”
- “The absence of a key in the middle removes a lot of gameplay subtleties.”
- “Really the only downside is that due to how the game works with its lane switching mechanic, that means there is only one set of charts for each song (easy, normal, hard, and expert) as opposed to how in other games like DJMax, which have preset button modes (4b, 5b, 6b, 8b etc.) each with difficulties for each song for each individual button layout.”
- “A clearer in-game tutorial for how lane shifts work would be beneficial; the mechanics could be better explained, as yellow shifts outwards but sometimes make a two-lane into a three-lane, and can also make a three-lane into a one-lane.”
story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The game lacks a traditional narrative, which some players appreciate as it allows for a focus on gameplay without the distraction of a half-hearted story. Instead, it offers a variety of mission modes and challenges that provide significant replayability and enjoyment, with a robust selection of songs available from the start. While the missions are engaging and challenging, players have suggested that additional features like a leveling system could enhance the experience further.
- “The tunes are good to great, the charts are pretty good and hard at later levels, and the missions are cool.”
- “Therefore, no half-hearted story exists to complain about later (a good decision, in my eyes).”
- “Good song selection, fun and enjoyable gameplay, and fairly challenging missions.”
- “The only issue I have is when I play missions.”
- “A leveling system would be a nice addition, coupled along with player icons that you can unlock by leveling up, and by completing missions in the mission mode, giving a reason to play that mode other than achievements.”
- “Songs aside, there's an arcade mode where you can play 3 songs in a row and a mission mode which has a bunch of requirements for you to do in each mission.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
28%
27%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their aesthetic appeal and pleasing background visuals, which can be customized to avoid distraction. While many players appreciate the overall quality and presentation, some express a desire for more dynamic visuals and unique themes, noting that the graphics can feel somewhat bland after extended play.
- “The look of the game is very aesthetically pleasing, and this, matched with the menu music, gives a great presentation.”
- “Gameplay is rock solid, graphics are gorgeous, and it has a great song list overall.”
- “Nice background visuals which are configurable if you find them distracting, plus the key note matching sounds can be turned off too.”
- “I just wish they went all the way with the visuals and added music videos per song, or at least some form of unique dynamic background.”
- “No different visuals, themes, and none of their popular music videos are included either.”
- “I do hope to see older fan favorites come along, but more than that, I hope that the visuals are improved a bit.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the lack of grinding in this game, as it offers nearly a hundred songs across all difficulties unlocked from the start, promoting quick and enjoyable sessions. This stands in contrast to other titles like DJMax Respect, which are criticized for their steep prices and heavy reliance on grinding and perfect play for achievements. Overall, the game is seen as a refreshing alternative for those looking to avoid tedious unlocks.
- “You dislike grinding to unlock stuff.”
- “Overall, if you find DJMax Respect's price + DLCs to be too steep, or if you find DJMax Respect to be too stressful (unfair ladder matches, too grindy, dependence on perfect play, million combo, most achievements tied to DLCs), this presents itself as a very solid alternative.”
- “Here you get a polished beatmania-type game where you get almost a hundred songs at all difficulties unlocked from the get-go, encouraging quick session plays as opposed to full-on grinding.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance on lower-end PCs, with a clean UI and a solid song selection. However, some users report minor performance issues, particularly when multitasking with applications like Discord. Despite a rocky launch, the game has significantly improved in terms of optimization since its release.
- “The UI is clean, the song selection is pretty solid, the difficulties cater to a wide range of player skill, and it's so optimized for PC that I can even play it on an i5 HD 3000 without any lags.”
- “While Tapsonic Bold did have a pretty rough start on Steam, it has come a long way since its initial release, becoming a really solid rhythm game with a really good song list, fun charts, and great performance.”
- “I feel that there are some performance issues that I am personally experiencing, primarily when an image has to load on Discord on a second monitor, causing the game to stutter a little.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a free version with in-game purchases, which some users find enjoyable despite the monetization model. Overall, players appreciate the experience, even if it includes optional spending.
- “Very enjoyable, although there is a free version of this on the app store (I say free because of in-game purchases). I like this a lot.”
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't feel overly aggressive, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers a balance between free content and optional purchases, making it accessible for everyone.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers significant replayability, with users noting that it could take over 100 hours to complete all goals and missions, enhanced by a competitive ranking system. The enjoyable gameplay and strong tracklist further contribute to its lasting appeal, making it fun to revisit even for those still mastering the levels.
- “It would probably take over 100 hours to complete the goals and missions (including practice), with infinite replayability through rankings.”
- “When I started, I could not even complete level 5 songs, but the gameplay was still fun, and the good tracklist also contributed to the replayability.”