Portabliss: Jukebeat (iOS)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Jukebeat!
If you're done with Groove Coaster and wondering what's next in your iPhone musical repertoire, prepare to be kind of rewarded, and kind of punished for your interest. Konami's Jukebeat threatens to make me pass out from stress whenever I play it ... but I keep playing it. And so now I'm going to inflict it on you, and you're going to get totally stressed out trying to keep up with the Contra theme song.
Jukebeat is a mobile adaptation of Konami's touchscreen arcade game Jubeat, in which you tap one of sixteen squares on a giant touch screen in time with the music. The iPhone version works the same way, except with sixteen squares on your little screen instead of a giant space cube.
It's pretty rudimentary in theory; you just tap squares as they light up, to the tune of the music. Except you get very little warning before you're supposed to tap, and you're often asked to tap two or four squares simultaneously. The only way to avoid failure is to practice, recognizing the patterns and memorizing as much as you can. And even that's not a guaranteed method for avoiding failure, if my own history is any indication.
The free app comes pre-loaded with three Konami remixes -- one each from Contra, Frogger, and Lethal Enforcers (!) A few other song packs are available for $3.99 each, but ... I'm still working on these. I haven't even ventured into the harder difficulty settings.
Jukebeat is available from the iOS App Store for free as a universal App. We're always looking for new distractions. Want to submit your game for Portabliss consideration? You can reach us at portabliss aat joystiq dawt com.
