Drum Fanatics Review – Get into the beat with this fantastic rhythm-based game

Our rating:

By: J P N SOFT

Version #: 1.2

Date Released: 2012-07-27

Developer: J P N SOFT

Price: 1.99

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Steve Jobs famously said that we don’t need to use styluses with our touchscreen devices because we were born with ten: fingers. Well, I say we also don’t need drumsticks for the same reason. Of course, I’m also speaking in the context of touchscreen devices, specifically iOS devices. And more specifically, in relation to Drum Fanatics for iPhone and iPad, which I’ve been thoroughly enjoying since I first tried it out.

Developed by J P N Soft, Drum Fanatics may be seen as an iOS version of Konami’s Drum Mania, albeit an unofficial one. That’s not to say, though, that it’s not well-done.

Indeed, playing Drum Fanatics feels like playing the real thing inside an arcade. Not only does it simulate the actual gameplay, but it also features sound effects that mimic those of a typical modern arcade game.

Like the popular iOS game Tap Tap Revenge, Drum Fanatics is a game that is both rhythm- and touch-based. For each track you choose to play, the rhythm is indicated via a sort of conveyor belt of cues, and you respond by touching the appropriate virtual percussion instruments.

Drum Fanatics requires you to work with a drum set composed of a bass drum, a snare drum, a tom, a hi-hat, and a cymbal, each of which is color coded. The idea is for you to be able to tap the correct instruments to the beat of the cues corresponding to their respective colors.

Don’t worry if you can’t seem to hit the right instrument at the right time. I myself had trouble finding the proper rhythm, let alone tapping the proper instrument, during my first few tries. But once you get the hang of it, especially once you practically commit to memory the color matching scheme, playing Drum Fanatics turns into something that’s tremendously entertaining. Pretty soon you’ll be progressing from the easy and normal modes to the more challenging hard and extreme modes.

Drum Fanatics comes with a selection of free tracks to play, ranging from the mellow to the rocky. But you can buy more tracks, bundled into different genres, using in-game cash, which you can earn through continuous play or simply get through in-app purchase. You can also use in-game cash to buy different drum kits to enhance the default set.

Available for $1.99 on the App Store, Drum Fanatics is playable on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, preferably with headphones for a better aural experience. And since Drum Fanatics requires you to use your fingers rather than actual drumsticks, playing drums with it is certain to a be a more tactile experience as well.