Tapper
1983
- arcade
- action
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
Tapper is a 1983 arcade game released by Bally Midway. The goal of the game is to serve beer and collect empty mugs and tips. Upon failing, the bartender skids along the table out of frame, while upon victory he drinks a beer of his own.
What it’s like
Hard-edged early-eighties arcade look: flat, saturated primary colours on a bar-room backdrop of wood-panel walls, red-and-white checkered tables and a row of bright, blocky patrons who wander in from the sides of the screen. The sound is a bouncing chiptune loop, pitched high and insistent, with clanking glass and a jingling tip-bell that punctuates each clean delivery. The feel is brisk and tactile in the hands: a single joystick and button, each keypress sending a sliding mug down the bar with a sharp, satisfying snap. Pacing ratchets up in waves, so it is a cheerful, scrappy rush that rewards focus and pattern-finding, best for a quick arcade-style session, a bit of nostalgic retro play, or a stretch of background noise while doing something else. Violence is absent; failure is a comic slide off the counter and success ends in a cheeky drink. Gentle, low-stakes and playful, with a light, slightly cheeky tone. Made for people who want old-school arcade challenge with a warm, goofy atmosphere and no real menace.
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