Thumper: Pocket Edition

Unbelievably responsive and intuitive controls. Consistently fun and challenging. Very nice and helpful dev team that fixed a bug soon after I reported it. The only time I cursed the developers was for the change of pace on the last level, but you get used to it quickly and then it’s even more fun. No complaints about the music, but it keeps getting described (at least by Apple) as metal. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not metal. I also love that there’s no story or explanation. You’re just a space beetle on a Hot Wheels track fighting some sort of increasingly angry space demon with a series of precisely timed moves/gestures for no apparent reason. And if a mushroom-eating Italian plumber can be one of the most iconic characters in video game history, you don’t need a reason. They boiled it down to just the pure fun bits. Great game across the board.

Was a big supporter of Thumper on PS4, as it was one of, if not the best early PSVR games. I was skeptical how this would translate to a touch screen, but after picking it up on sale, I can say that they’ve made the game feel right at home on this platform. In a lot of ways, the touch controls are actually better. I’ve noticed myself getting more into the rhythm aspect of the game now that I’m not thinking about button combinations on a controller. The game looks beautiful and runs buttery smooth on the iPhone X, while taking advantage of the full display. I really just wanted to leave my positive feedback for this great title that went under a lot of people’s radars. Even after beating the game, you’ll have the urge to go back and improve your scores and work your way up the leaderboards, like great arcade games of the past.

I’ve had my eye on Thumper for quite a while but haven’t been able to play it because my machine is a Macbook. When I heard there was an iOS version coming out I was excited but skeptical of how well it would transfer over, but they’ve delivered! I downloaded a couple days after the release and have been seeing major improvements based on user feedback, and I have to say these developers are amazing. But, for the game itself: I just completed the very last levels and wow, what an ending! A truly unique rhythm game that’s a real challenge but also so rewarding with a bit of practice, good headphones, and a whole lot of patience. I’m really so grateful that I was able to finally play Thumper for myself, it’s been a one-of-a-kind gaming experience. I’m looking forward to trying to get S ranks on everything slowly but surely. Kudos to these devs, you’ve really made something special.