Tadpole Treble (PC) Review

By Athanasios 19.12.2016

Review for Tadpole Treble on PC

Apart from the Guitar Hero franchise, rhythm games are not exactly popular, although the fans of the genre are very passionate about them - or, at least, some of them, since rhythm titles take many a form. Coming straight from the mind that gave birth to the Brawl in the Family webcomic (Read it… now!), it's no surprise that, besides a nice… err, "indie Nintendo" look, Tadpole Treble feels like the music portion of Mario Paint, not to mention that the main gameplay concept comes from a mini-game that can be found in another Mario game. So, let's dive in the shallow waters of this world, and take a look at, and listen to, what this has to offer.

Let this start with a confession: the author of this article doesn't get it.

Maybe it's a matter of a small experience with rhythm video games, but yours truly can't understand why the few people who have picked this up have fallen in love with it. Is it because the cute look of it all came from the digital pen of the one who created Brawl in the Family? Because of the songs and tunes featured here? Due to the gameplay?

Sure, audio-visually, this definitely has character. Each of the 12 stages available has a unique theme that differentiates it from the rest, and the original compositions that play along the action have an insane variety. Even better, like early Disney and Warner Brothers cartoons, everything likes dancing to the beat, from the critters that try to help or attack our tiny tadpole heroine, to the forces of nature themselves.

Screenshot for Tadpole Treble on PC

All good so far, but what about the gameplay? Is it any good? Well, for starters, it doesn't feel like a rhythm game. Levels are nothing more than music note sheets, but instead of hitting the notes, the tadpole must avoid them. In other words, one does not need to be in rhythm to complete this small underwater odyssey, something that makes this feel more like a simplistic action title, where all that is required from the player is to move up or down.

Rhythm in here is like an optional thing that helps with collecting the various items that are scattered around, makes it easier to avoid harm, and, finally, makes the whole process more enjoyable, since you don't just collect or avoid stuff, but you "dance" while doing so… but that's not enough, because when a rhythm game doesn't need rhythm, it simply fails no matter how good the tunes it has are.

Furthermore, there's an utter lack of challenge. Avoiding obstacles is a piece of cake, and since rhythm is not part of the picture, one can simply stay as far away from the notes as possible, and even forget to collect the marbles that fly around (currency for unlocking extra content), or use the tadpole's super move that gives it temporary invisibility. Tadpole Treble can only be difficult when trying to complete a level with the best rank possible… but why do so when the core game is so forgettable?

As mentioned before, this reviewer simply doesn't get it…

Screenshot for Tadpole Treble on PC

Cubed3 Rating

5/10
Rated 5 out of 10

Average

Tadpole Treble has a nice and minimalist "kiddy" look, and a pretty neat assortment of somewhat catchy tunes. As a rhythm game, however, it's nothing special, mainly because one does not need to use rhythm in order to play it. Rhythm is just an appetiser here, not the main dish.

Developer

Bitfinity

Publisher

Bitfinity

Genre

Rhythm

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  5/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date None   Australian release date Out now   

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