Intro

muBlip is an imaginative take on the casual rhythm game such as Tap Tap Revenge or Rockband.

Gameplay 9/10

muBlip merges rhythm with memory by demonstrating a beat to music by lighting up shapes on screen which you have to copy afterwards. Unlike games such as Rockband or Tap Tap Revenge, muBlip makes great use of the iPhone’s screen real-estate by placing shapes and draggable and holdable objects dotted around the screen which you need to touch at the right time to follow the rhythm demonstrated. Draggable and holdable objects symbolize a prolonged note, which makes great use of the iPhone’s touch controls and matches the rhythm of the song.

Draggable objects make great use of the iPhone screen real-estate

The game is very specific on when you have to tap or drag an object and sometimes I ‘miss’ a beat even though I thought I was pretty close, on the other hand, if you do hit the beats correctly the satisfaction you gain is uplifting and it almost feels you are at one with the song and are contributing to the songs performance. One problem I had was with some of the movable objects in the game. Sometimes they can be a bit unresponsive and they sometimes don’t drag with my finger. This is because the draggable object only becomes ‘activated’ at the precise moment that it needs to be, meaning that if you are a second out of sync, the object won’t drag and you will miss that beat. However, it only takes practice to get t right so it more my timing skills to blame rather than the game itself.

At the end of a song you are given a percentage based on how many shapes you hit correctly. You are given an indication on how well you are doing in the game by shapes you hit not brightening if you hit it wrong. Furthermore, once you have hit a shape correctly you are marked out of three on how well the timing was (which is ridiculous considering the precision needed to hit the note right in the first place). If you get over 80% right then you unlock hardcore. Hardcore mode gets rid of the demonstration and leaves you to play the music on your own, without a prompt. In some respects, this reminds me of playing a musical instrument in that you need to learn the beats of the song off by heart to play it. Although this may seem like a challenge at the start, the sense of achievement when you have learned a song is phenomenal and you feel like you have spent time into something useful and have gained the reward. I could see myself doing this with my favorite song in the game and certainly increases its longevity.

The graphics are beautiful and smooth

The song is split into sections that repeat itself, so for example, you might get the repetition of a certain chorus so that the demonstrator can show you what shapes to hit and then on the second repetition you have to tap out the rhythm yourself. If that beat is repeated more than twice in the song then you have to continually hit the shapes. The progress of the song is shown at the top of the screen. There is a pink bar which symbolizes the demonstration and then there are blue bars which shows how many times you need to repeat the beat before the song continues. When the song plays a line runs along this bar to show where you are, this is handy when you need to know when your turn starts. However, this can be a bad thing as sometimes I forget I have to tap out the beat again and miss the first few bars before I realise I need to continue. An indication of how many times you need to play the beat in the middle of the screen would be appreciated.

Graphics 10/10

The graphics are smooth and colorful. The shapes are easy to distinguish and the background is well designed but not distractive while playing. muBlip manages to create a simplistic feel to the game, yet still retains variety which keeps the game interesting. The game overall was very smooth, even when lots of beats were happening at the same time. In a rhythm game this is extremely important as one minor lag could end in you missing a beat or two. I am pleased to say that there were no lag issues which affected the gameplay at any time.

Controls 9/10

The tutorial is very helpful and gets you to grips with muBlip

The controls are simple and easy to get the hang of. There is a tutorial that explains how to play muBlip which is great. The only downside is the dragging objects can be a bit unresponsive at times (mentioned in the gameplay sector).

Sound 10/10

The sound is very important in a rhythm game. The songs themselves are unique, having been made by Para9, the developers, themselves. The songs are very consuming, especially with headphones, you will be inundated with amazing sounds and pitches that create such an amazing atmosphere. Some songs are amazing and I have literally fallen in love with them, whereas others I dislike, which is just a matter of personal preference. There is a range of genres to choose from so you are sure to like some, however there are not many songs overall (more on that in the longevity section).

When you complete a draggable object there is a satisfying click as if the object slots into place and when you complete a rhythm with all shapes hit there is a high tone which is nice as well

The menus are beautifully designed

Menus 10/10

The menus are very unique and exceptionally designed. The selections are laid out as bright circles which you scroll through to select the level pack. The scrolling is very smooth and when you select a level pack you have a similar design with selecting the level. Overall the menus are intuitive and easy to use, yet are very stylish and great to look at. Also, when you select an option you get a little tone which makes the menus seem very responsive.

Longevity 4/10

Here’s where the game falters. Unfortunately muBlip comes with 10 levels (not including the tutorial level) and I quickly sped through the game, with the first 3 levels being quite easy. Even though hardcore adds some re-playability, you are just regurgitating old material.

Price 6/10

At $1.99/£1.19, this game is a bit steep because of the limited content that you get with the game.

Conclusion 58/70 – 4/5

I really want to give muBlip a 5, but the lack of content really lets it down. I know Para9 are working hard on bringing new updates and songs into muBlip, but right now I don’t see it as a fully fledged game yet. The foundations of the game are perfect and I hope muBlip grows on that, but for now, it remains a solid 4.

muBlip on the App Store.