Mini-game collections are a dime a dozen on the Wii, so how do you differentiate your game from the masses? Well, you’ve got to be a little creative, maybe have a few beers, order a pizza, have a few more beers, and then stare at that empty pizza box until inspiration strikes. Yes, it’s “Let’s Tap”, the first game where your discarded cardboard boxes become peripherals. It’s certainly a quirky concept, but does it translate well into an actual game? Well, let’s see.

The first game in the collection, and probably the one that you may be most familiar with, is Tap Runner. In Tap Runner, you must guide your small, fluorescent stick man through an obstacle course by tapping lightly to run and tapping harder to jump over hazards. Overall, it’s a fun multiplayer experience and the control scheme works well by encouraging you to tap hectically to sprint, but not so hard that you end up accidentally jumping. This is a game that will have people swearing they told their little guy to jump over that hurdle and grab that Tarzan rope, but that’s part of the charm. The simplicity will have you coming back to prove you have the dexterity to get gold in the sixteen courses - each only taking thirty seconds to a minute to cross the finish line.

Next up is Rhythm Tap. It seems pretty logical to include a music game due to all the tapping, but this just never got me into the groove. The format reminded me a lot of Donkey Konga but without licensed songs and the sixteen synthesized tracks that are included all started to sound alike to me. The game functions serviceably, but there are light, medium, and hard notes and I saw little repercussion (or feedback) for tapping with the wrong intensity. With so many fully realized rhythm games on the market, I just don’t see many people coming back to play this one.

The third game, Silent Blocks, slows the pace down and forces you to put on your thinking cap. This Jenga style puzzle game is relaxing and the physicality of tapping adds a certain immersion to a pretty standard match three game. Setting up combos is encouraged and doing so creates gem pieces, which in turn can also be matched. After a few levels, bomb pieces are introduced and must be cleared in a designated number of turns. It’s certainly not a revolution in puzzle games, but I enjoyed the pacing and planning out my next move.

The last of the actual games included is a 2D side-scrolling shooter called Bubble Voyager. In this mode, you must pilot a hovering rocketman through minefields while collecting stars and picking up power-ups. Tapping keeps your character hovering and double-tapping fires missiles. Tap too little and you’ll fall off the bottom of the screen. Tap too much and lasers will deter you from flying along the top of the screen. It’s a pretty basic formula, but the visuals are appealing and there’s enough of a challenge to keep you coming back for another quick session.

The fifth and final entry in Let’s Tap is a visualizer aptly named Visualizer. You will probably mess with this for a couple of minutes and never click on it again. There are five different visualizations to choose from, but you’ll quickly wonder why you are wasting time here when there are four actual games that also react to your tapping just a menu screen back.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Let’s Tap. The control scheme is unique and it definitely works, but I have questions about the longevity of the games. There are three solid mini-games here in Tap Runner, Silent Blocks, and Bubble Voyager. If you are in the market for quirky party game, you’ll at least get a few hours of fun from Let’s Tap, but I’d have an easier time recommending this collection at a twenty dollar pricepoint. Still, it's one of the better compilations of mini-games on the Wii so its innovation earns it a "Very Good".

Very Good
Outstanding | Very Good | Fair | Poor | Awful

Recommended Buy Price: $20.00
Current MSRP: $29.99

”Let’s Tap” was provided for review by SEGA. The game was played for a total of four and a half hours. The majority of the time was spent tapping on a small end table, but I also tested an EA Sports Active box and a leather ottoman with satisfactory results.