Nirvana Revenge Preview

Special versions of Tap Tap Revenge dedicated to a particular artist are nothing new – fans have been enjoying games like Justin Bieber Revenge and Lady Gaga Revenge for months now. But… Nirvana? One of the most influential bands of the last 20 years, few would have ever expected the music of Cobain & Co – previously tied up in ownership disputes – to be licensed as the latest addition to the Tapulous franchise. But it has been, and it should be in the App Store later this week.

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Something smells like teen spirit… Maybe it’s our preview of Nirvana Revenge!

Special versions of Tap Tap Revenge dedicated to a particular artist are nothing new – fans have been enjoying games like Justin Bieber Revenge and Lady Gaga Revenge for months now. But… Nirvana? One of the most influential bands of the last 20 years, few would have ever expected the music of Cobain & Co – previously tied up in ownership disputes – to be licensed as the latest addition to the Tapulous franchise. But it has been, and it should be in the App Store later this week.

Nirvana Revenge will feature 13 tracks, 4 difficulty settings, Bluetooth multiplayer – and in a Tap Tap first – narrative vignettes that will offer some back-story about the band and their songs. The vignettes will be provided courtesy of Seattle’s KNDD 107.7 The End, originally airing as part of their “Nightly Nirvana Sessions.”

Nirvana Revenge

The 13 tracks included in Nirvana Revenge are;

All Apologies (In Utero, 1993)
Breed (Nevermind, 1991)
Breed (Live at Reading, 2009)
Come As You Are (Nevermind, 1991)
Heart Shaped Box (In Utero, 1993)
In Bloom (Nevermind, 1991)
Lithium (Nevermind, 1991)
Lithium (Live at Reading, 2009)
R*pe Me (In Utero, 1993)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind, 1991)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Live at Reading, 2009)
Stay Away (Nevermind, 1991)
You Know You’re Right (Nirvana, 2002)

Several of the tracks are duplicates, offering live and studio versions of the same song (meaning that there are really only 10 distinct songs in the offering.) In terms of original album releases, only tracks from Nevermind and In Utero are present, leaving fan favourites like Bleach and MTV Unplugged completely unaccounted for, likely because of licensing issues.

Nirvana Revenge

Licensing and ownership issues have long been a part of the band’s legacy after Cobain’s death. In 2002 former bandmates Novaselic and Grohl entered into a heated legal battle with Courtney Love about who owned the rights to the band’s music. And just last year, Love brought a lawsuit against Activision for what she alleges was a breach of contract over the use of Cobain as a playable character in Guitar Hero 5. Given the logistical nightmare that seems to surround the licensing of Nirvana tracks, we should probably be grateful that Tapulous was able to acquire what they were rather than opining for what they weren’t.

Other Tap Tap artist editions offer between 10 and 14 tracks each, so the 13 included here should offer a value on par with the other releases in the series. If you’re as excited about reliving the early 90’s as we are, you won’t have to wait long. Nirvana Revenge is set to release this Wednesday, May 12th.

Jim Squires is the Editor-in-Chief of Gamezebo. Everything you see passes his eyes first, so we like to think of him as "the gatekeeper of cool stuff." He likes good games, great writing, and just can't say no to a hamburger. Also, he is not a bear.