Tapper: A Frothy, Fast-Paced Blast from the Past
Ah, the 1980s — a time of big hair, bold fashion, and quarter-guzzling arcade cabinets. And among the colorful pixelated pantheon of the era, one game stands tall, frosty mug in hand: Tapper.
Released by Bally Midway in 1983, Tapper puts you behind the bar as a hardworking bartender serving up cold ones to an increasingly thirsty and impatient clientele. The gameplay is simple but ingenious — slide beers down the bar to your patrons, collect their empty mugs and tips, and don’t let anyone reach the end of the bar parched, lest you get tossed out on your ear!
The four-bar setup and pseudo-3D perspective were impressive for the time, as were the colorful cartoon graphics. And that music! A frantic medley of old-timey saloon tunes perfectly captures the game’s hectic pace.[3] But Tapper’s real charm is its offbeat humor, with the bartender’s goofy animations stealing the show — watch him get flattened by sliding glasses, chug a brew himself, or do a dainty victory jig at the end of a level.[1]
But don’t be fooled by the cheery veneer — Tapper is tough! Juggling multiple bars and waves of customers requires sharp reflexes and split-second decision making. And those bonus rounds where you have to serve the unshaken can? Absolute evil genius.[1] It’s the kind of just-one-more-game challenge that made the best quarter-munchers so addictive.
Of course, Tapper’s original arcade incarnation came with a certain sudsy controversy. The game was initially sponsored by Budweiser, complete with logo-emblazoned taps and cabinets designed to look like bars, right down to cupholders and a brass footrail.[3] Serving the King of Beers to minors prompted a quick rebrand to the family-friendly Root Beer Tapper, but both versions remain arcade classics.
While Tapper inspired a slew of home ports, from the Atari 2600 to the Commodore 64, it never quite matched the magic of belly-up-to-the-bar arcade play. And the game’s frenzied action still holds up today — just ask Wreck-It Ralph, who unwinds at Tapper’s after a hard day at the arcade.[1]
Now the game is available on most of the MAME systems, emulators and the like. This makes home play easy, without the roles of quarters. Tapper cabinets from the original game are getting difficult to find, and most are heavily damaged, that means a lot of the original game artwork is lost.
So if you spot a Tapper cabinet in the wild, drop in a quarter and get ready to pour. With its winning blend of silliness, challenge, and just plain fun, Tapper is the perfect chaser for those retro arcade cravings. Drink it in!
**Shoutout to my friend, Dave (The WhoDaddy), who taught a bunch of us his secrets for playing this arcade classic! It’s his favorite aracde game of all time.
[3][1]
Citations:
[1] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/Tapper
[2] https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/arcade/583839-tapper/faqs/14632
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapper_%28video_game%29
[4] https://www.eurogamer.net/root-beer-tapper-review
[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/Arcade1Up/comments/ok6l4w/which_games_have_the_most_replay_value/?rdt=51945
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/1917u4h/tapper_1980s_arcade_game/
[7] https://forums.arcade-museum.com/threads/most-replayable-games-not-a-plain-old-top-10-list.200215/
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBo1gpKsxvY
[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naremP5nL3w
[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgm4zvGUyBo
[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1-8K8arIoA
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rANmtQzl5U
[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyQVt0to47s
[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQDe1YlUm6I
[15] https://www.digitpress.com/reviews/tapper_2.htm
[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=850_HguKqvI
[17] https://www.rfgeneration.com/blogs/necrom99/Tapper-1609.php
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NEvjcDCtbs
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G_GSJYNLLw
* Written with the assistance of AI.
