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, lead=yes, group=lower-alpha (Japanese: 太鼓の達人, Taiko no Tatsujin, lit. "Master of the drums") is a series of games created by
Namco was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiun ...
. In the games, players simulate playing a
taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming ...
drum in time with music. The series has released games for the
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...
and for console and mobile platforms including
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
, Advanced Pico Beena,
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 200 ...
,
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in t ...
,
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
,
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
,
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. ...
,
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...
,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...
,
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
,
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
,
Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 202 ...
,
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
, iOS, Android and Japanese
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s. While the series is mainly designed for use within
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, there are also localized versions for other regions, including English, Chinese and Korean-language versions.


Gameplay


Objective

The main objective of ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' games is to hit a simulated
Taiko drum are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming ...
following a chosen piece of music, corresponding to scrolling from the right. A song is cleared when the is filled past the at the end of the song by playing accurately enough.


Controls

Arcade releases are equipped with simulated Taiko, which can register hits when played with drum sticks (
bachi ''Bachi'' (, ; also ''batchi'') are straight, wooden sticks used on Japanese taiko drums, and also the plectrum (written ) for stringed instruments of Japanese origin such as the shamisen and ''biwa''. For percussion Drum bachi (, ) are ...
). Console versions mainly use buttons to play, while certain devices can support additional methods of input: * A virtual Taiko drum is provided on devices with
touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...
s (DS, 3DS, Wii U, iPod touch, smartphone, Nintendo Switch), played with either
stylus A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision ...
es or fingers. * Dedicated peripherals simulating real drums can be purchased additionally for PS2, Wii, Wii U, PS4 or Nintendo Switch releases. Such a peripheral is included with the physical North American PlayStation 2 and European Nintendo Switch versions.


Notes

The variety of notes in the game consists mainly of red and blue markers. The red note requires a hit on the face of the drum, and the blue note requires a hit on the rim. Other notes require quick consecutive hits on the drum. Types of such notes includes the yellow bar, the balloon note (called a burst note in '' Taiko: Drum Master'') and the Kusudama ball (or the yam on older releases since PS2 Godaime, or the Mallet note in ''Drum Session!'' and ''Drum ‛n’ Fun!''). Unlike other rhythm games such as ''
Guitar Hero ''Guitar Hero'' is a series of music rhythm game video games first released in November 2005, in which players use a guitar-shaped game controller to simulate playing primarily lead, bass guitar, and rhythm guitar across numerous songs ...
'', the drum is an addition to the songs and does not limit an instrument being played whenever the notes are not hit, nor does it simulate an off-key sound when missed as the game allows the players to freely hit the drum wherever they want, so long as it isn't close to a note that could result in a penalty.


Difficulty

Most games in the franchise provide four difficulty levels for play: and (known in English versions of Drum 'n' Fun and Drum Session as "Extreme") the highest difficulty. The sequence of the notes in a level is commonly referred to as a .


Inner notecharts

Certain songs also have extra in addition to the four standard levels. These are intended to be alternative takes on the regular set. Although not a main objective, most inner note charts are made more difficult than regular note charts. This later changed to being exclusive to the Oni/Extreme difficulty only. Some inner note charts work by changing to an alternative version of the song, or, exclusively in arcades, switching to a completely different song. As of the third-generation in 2011, these became separate songs.


Notechart branching

Some songs can feature in certain difficulty levels. According to the player's performance, the notechart changes between or On certain songs, like Hyakka Ryoran, a drumroll appears at the start to allow the player to pick any of three notecharts.


Gameplay options

Various aspects of the game can be changed to the player's liking: * Players can choose an alternate instrument or sound to play, instead of the classic Taiko drum. * Players can apply modifiers to change aspects of gameplay, like increased note speeds, reversed notecharts (red and blue notes interchanged) or randomized notecharts. * In console releases, players can choose to have the notechart played automatically and correctly. * In console releases, players can choose to have the song end early as soon as they miss one note.


Releases


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Tatakon de Dodon ga Don''

is the first official home console release in the franchise, it was released on the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
on October 24, 2002, in Japan. ''Tatakon de Dodon ga Don'' features 29 songs selected from first three arcade versions of Taiko no Tatsujin released (such as "
Marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed ...
" by
Boøwy Boøwy ( ; stylized as BOØWY) was a Japanese rock band formed in Takasaki, Gunma in 1981. The classic lineup of vocalist Kyosuke Himuro, guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei, bassist Tsunematsu Matsui, and drummer Makoto Takahashi reached legendary sta ...
, "
Traveling Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can ...
" by
Hikaru Utada , who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan. Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...
, " Pieces of a Dream" by
Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, proper ...
, and " Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)" by
Morning Musume , formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles ...
), ''Tatakon de Dodon ga Don'' also features new original songs exclusive for the PlayStation 2 version of the game ("Stepping Wind" from '' Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil'').


''Taiko: Drum Master''

''Taiko: Drum Master'' is the first official North American release in the franchise, exclusively released for the PlayStation 2 on October 26, 2004, in North America and March 17, 2005, in Japan. Instead of Japanese pop and anime music, ''Taiko: Drum Master'' uses English-language pop music by artists including
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
and
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
, and Western and Japanese animation theme songs from ''
Dragon Ball Z ''Dragon Ball Z'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 '' Dragon Ball'' anime series and adapts the latter 325 chapters of the original ...
'', a Japanese anime that has been dubbed in English, and '' Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius''.


''Taiko no Tatsujin 13''

is the thirteenth arcade release of the series, with service commencing December 17, 2009. ''Taiko no Tatsujin 13'' was used to hold the Japan-wide tournament in early 2010.


''Taiko no Tatsujin 14''

is the fourteenth arcade release of the series. With more than 150 playable songs, ''14'' inherits many features from previous releases. For a limited time, ''14'' participated as part of a collaboration with
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
. As part of the franchise's 10th anniversary celebration, an upgrade patch was made available for ''14'', adding five extra songs to the track listing.


''Taiko no Tatsujin Plus''

also stylized as ''Taiko no Tatsujin +'', is a video game application exclusively for iOS devices, released on May 28, 2014, in Japan. ''Plus'' is free to download but charges for purchasing additional music packs. In June 2015, ''Plus'' introduces the service, allowing unlimited downloads of designated songs within a set time for a fee. ''Plus'' is chiefly controlled with a simulated drum surface on the device's touchscreen, but also supports
Roland Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on 18 April 1972. In 2005, its headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has f ...
's V-Drums electronic drum sets with subsequent updates. In addition to typical ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' gameplay, ''Plus'' also includes the feature, where in-game points can be exchanged for rolls of lucky draw for randomly drawn prizes.


''Taiko no Tatsujin'' (2011)

is the fifteenth arcade release of the series. This release is significantly different from previous arcade releases, allowing players to store play data with Bandai Namco's Banapassport card, customizing player characters and by-player difficulty settings. The game can also receive online updates to add playable songs and features. Initially released exclusively in Japan, the cabinet has been released since January 2014 in Southeast Asian regions including
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
and
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Since its initial release in 2011, the game has received one or two major upgrades each year. Each release usually adds many new songs at once, implements modes exclusive to that release, as well as introduce new costume options and challenges in Ranking Dojo Mode.


''Wadaiko Master''

In May 2014, a number of ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' cabinets seemingly based on ''Momoiro Ver.'' were found in arcades in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
under the name of '' Wadaiko Master''. These cabinets were translated into Portuguese and featured a significantly reduced song list, only containing 32 tracks including three Brazilian Music tracks exclusive to this edition. ''Wadaiko Master'' is offline-only, lacking network features such as Banapassport support and software updates present in other releases. ''Wadaiko Master'' is the only instance of ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' being officially released in arcades outside of Asia.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Nijiiro Ver.''

known officially as the was released in Japanese arcades on 24 March 2020 and started the fourth generation of ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' arcade cabinets. Arcade operators upgraded this title from the 2011 game by purchasing a hardware renovation kit, which includes a brand new arcade board based on System BNA1, a 120 Hz monitor, and a
QR code A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about t ...
reader. ''Nijiiro Ver.'' features new elements such as the obtained by clearing a song with the highest possible level of accuracy. The song settings menu has been updated to allow for more options, including more control over the notes' playback speed. The default scoring system has been changed significantly, as it no longer awards bonuses for long combos and instead focused on accuracy. The "Classical" and "Variety" song genres have been removed, with their songs being assigned to other categories. There is also a vast amount of graphical updates, notably with the inclusion of horizontal text on the song select menu, similar to '' Drum 'n' Fun''. On a livestream at JAEPO 2020, Etou, the game's director, said that this is to prepare the game for "overseas players". An international version of ''Nijiiro Ver.'' was released for Asia and Oceania in Spring 2021. The game has seen a limited release in Australian arcades in October 2022. This version is multilingual and is playable in English, Traditional Chinese or Korean. Special, regional songs exclusive to the international version are also included upon release.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Wii U Version''

is the first ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game exclusively for the Wii U, released on November 21, 2013, in Japan only. The game was said to carry 70 songs, and features appearances of Golden Bomber and Super Mario Bros., and a collaboration campaign with Japanese idol group
Momoiro Clover Z is a Japanese idol girl group, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or . The four members of MCZ are known for energetic performances, incorporating elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies. MCZ is notable for being the first female group to h ...
. ''Wii U Version'' features the new gameplay mode where multiple players alternately play a single song in a
relay race A relay race is a racing competition where members of a team take turns completing parts of racecourse or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games. Relay races are common in running, oriente ...
-like fashion. The game also supports the
Wii U GamePad The Wii U GamePad is the standard game controller for Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Incorporating traits from tablet computers, the GamePad has traditional input methods (such as buttons, dual analog sticks, and a D-pad), touchs ...
with a touchscreen drum, and can be played with the GamePad alone without needing a television set. Both free and paid downloadable content, including outfit items and additional playable songs, are available via the
Nintendo eShop The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was e ...
.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 1''

''Taiko no Tatsijin: Rhythmic Adventure 1'', also known as is the second ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, released on June 26, 2014, in Japan only. The game includes a reported number of 60 songs, and guest appearance of Jibanyan from '' Yo-kai Watch'', Airou from ''
Monster Hunter 4 is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the ''Monster Hunter'' series and the second to be released on the Nintendo 3DS. Originally released in Japan on September 14, 2013. On January 26, ...
'',
Funassyi is a fictional Japanese mascot character, unofficially representing the city of Funabashi, Chiba. It was created by a citizen of Funabashi with the objective of cheering up local residents and helping promote her hometown. It has subsequently a ...
and
Kumamon Kumamon is a mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 2010 for a campaign created to draw tourists to the region after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened. Kumamon subsequently became nationally popular, ...
. ''Rhythmic Adventure 1'' features a main story plot in in which series protagonists Don and Katsu travel through time to different periods, encountering various friends and enemies. Players engage in random encounter drum-playing battles and gather befriended enemies as team members, similarly as in
Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of what each of thos ...
games with added rhythm game elements. Both free and paid downloadable content, including additional quests for Space-time Adventure Mode, outfit items and additional playable songs, are available via the
Nintendo eShop The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was e ...
. Additional content can also be unlocked via scanning QR codes hosted at various other media and using Spot Access functionality at specific locations. ''Rhythmic Adventure 1'' was later localized into a Korean-language version and was released on August 27, 2015.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Tokumori!''

is the second ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game exclusively for the Wii U, released on November 20, 2014, in Japan only. The game boasts a collection of 100 playable songs, and features appearances of guest characters such as
Funassyi is a fictional Japanese mascot character, unofficially representing the city of Funabashi, Chiba. It was created by a citizen of Funabashi with the objective of cheering up local residents and helping promote her hometown. It has subsequently a ...
,
Kumamon Kumamon is a mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 2010 for a campaign created to draw tourists to the region after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened. Kumamon subsequently became nationally popular, ...
and
Hatsune Miku , also called Miku Hatsune, and officially code-named CV01, is a Vocaloid software voicebank developed by Crypton Future Media and its official anthropomorphic mascot character, a 16-year-old girl with long, turquoise twintails. Miku's pers ...
. ''Tokumori'' features two new modes: a capsule toy set-up for unlocking unlockable content, and a quiz mini-game that players would have to guess the intro of a song. Baton Touch Play Mode returns from ''Wii U Version''. Both free and paid downloadable content, including outfit items and additional playable songs, are available via the
Nintendo eShop The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was e ...
. The game was removed from the
Nintendo eshop The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was e ...
.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version''

is a ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game exclusively for the
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...
, released on July 9, 2015. The game includes more than 80 playable songs, with a focus on anime,
Vocaloid is a singing voice synthesizer software product. Its signal processing part was developed through a joint research project led by Kenmochi Hideki at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, in 2000 and was not originally intended to b ...
and video game music. ''V Version'' features a main story plot in in which protagonist Don adventures with a young female named Maple to defeat Noise and the ancient dragon Revolution. The game also features the practice mode that can fast forward, rewind and change speed. A traditional Chinese version, with translated Chinese menu and dialogue text but retaining Japanese voice acting, will be released on the same release date in Taiwan and Hong Kong. This version is expected to feature Asia-exclusive playable songs, to be continually made available after release.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Atsumete ☆ Tomodachi Daisakusen!''

is the third ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game exclusively for the Wii U, released on November 26, 2015, in Japan. Coinciding with the series' 15th Anniversary, the game includes an original 15th Anniversary short animation produced in collaboration with
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and h ...
, and the first printing of the bundle version that includes additional 15th Anniversary branded goods. The game features the brand new mode, with Katsu-chan befriending animals to become the most popular person in the neighborhood. Other modes from past Wii U titles also make a return.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 2''

''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 2'', also known as is the third ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, released on June 16, 2016, in Japan. The game features over 70 songs and introduces a new ''Mystery Adventure'' mode, which adds an RPG adventure to the game. In this mode, Don-chan and Katsu-chan explore Mystery Spots around the world. As the players advance through the story, the player fights in battles and allies with characters. A party can have up to eight characters.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session!''

''Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session!'', also known as was released exclusively for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...
in Japan and most parts of Asia on October 26, 2017 and in North America, Europe and Australia on November 2, 2018. Together with ''Drum 'n' Fun!'', it is the first game of the series to be officially localized overseas in North America for over a decade, as well as the very first official European and Australian release from the series overall. The game is digital-exclusive for the NA, EU and AU markets, as opposed to both physical and digital for Japan and Asia markets. The game has the Friend Session Mode that lets players play against the online play data of other players, and the Guest Session Mode where players can challenge characters from other franchises.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!''

''Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!'', also known as was released exclusively for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
. The game was released in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea on July 19, 2018, and in Southeast Asia on August 9. It was released in the US, Europe and Australia on November 2. Together with the first PS4 Taiko game, it is the first game of the series to be officially localized overseas in North America for over a decade, as well as the very first official European and Australian release from the series overall. The game is digital-exclusive for the North America region, but available in both physical and digital in Europe as well as the bundle that also packages the Tatacon drum controller with the game. It makes use of the motion controls of the console's
Joy-Con Joy-Con are the primary game controllers for the Nintendo Switch video game console. They consist of two individual units, each containing an analog stick and an array of buttons. They can be used while attached to the main Nintendo Switch con ...
controllers to simulate the use of drumsticks. The game also features exclusive songs from ''
Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An entry in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat that allows Mario to control other characters and objects� ...
'', ''
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a maze game, maze arcade game in the ''Pac-Man'' series which was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on September 15, 2016; an updated version featuring an exclusive 2-player co-op mode, ''Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus'', w ...
'', and ''
Splatoon 2 is a 2017 third-person shooter game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was released on July 21, 2017, and is a direct sequel to ''Splatoon'', which includes a new story-driven single-player mode and various onli ...
''.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack''

''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack'', also known as is a re-release of ''Rhythmic Adventure 1'' (''Don to Katsu no Jikū Daibōken'') and ''Rhythmic Adventure 2'' (''Dokodon! Mystery Adventure''), bundled into one game and was released on the Nintendo Switch on 26 November 2020 in Japan and Asian countries and 3 December in Europe and North America. ''Rhythmic Adventure Pack'' is the first ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' game to feature a story mode translated into English. In addition to the two RPG modes, Taiko Mode was also included and featured 6 new songs not included in the original releases. The DLC songs from the original games are not included in the game. ''Rhythmic Adventure Pack'' is available physically in Japan and Asia; however, only a digital version will be available in Europe and North America.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master!''

''Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master!'' is the first title available exclusively for
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
,
Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 202 ...
, and
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...
, offered as part of Xbox Game Pass and released worldwide on January 27, 2022. It contains over 70 songs and features local and online multiplayer modes. Paid downloadable songs are planned to be added in the future.


''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival''

''Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival'' is an entry for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
that was released on September 23, 2022.


In other media


Collaborations

''Taiko no Tatsujin'' frequently hosts collaboration campaigns with other video game franchises and companies. Collaboration efforts include porting signature songs into ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' games, sometimes with special dancers and background designs. In return ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' elements are shown as guest appearances in other media. Notable entities collaborated with the series include: * ''
Ace Attorney ''Ace Attorney'' is a series of visual novel adventure video games developed by Capcom. With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, '' Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'', was released in 2001; since then, five ...
'' * ''
Assassination Classroom is a Japanese science fiction comedy manga series written and illustrated by Yusei Matsui. The series follows the daily life of an extremely powerful octopus-like being working as a junior high homeroom teacher, and his students dedicat ...
'' * ''
Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as ...
'' * '' Chain Chronicle'' * ''
Doraemon ''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ''tankōbon'' volumes and ...
'' * '' Groove Coaster'' *
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* Hello Kitty * ''
The Idolmaster is a Japanese media franchise that began in 2005 with a Life simulation game, raising simulation and Rhythm game, rhythm video game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The series primarily centers on the career of a pr ...
'' * '' The Idolmaster Must Songs Presented by Taiko no Tatsujin'' * ''
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'' * '' Kamen Rider Ghost'' * ''
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'' * ''
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'' * '' Kirby'' * '' The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel'' * ''
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'' * '' maimai'' * ''
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'' * ''
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'' * ''
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'' * Sachiko Kobayashi * ''
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* ''
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'' * ''
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'' * ''
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* '' Ys I & II Chronicles'' * '' Yo-kai Watch 2'' * '' Yo-kai Watch 3''


Spin-offs

From 2005,
Kids Station Kids Station ( Japanese: キッズステーション, ''Kizzu Sutēshon'') is a Japanese children's television channel showing anime and other cartoon material. Kids Station also airs some anime aimed at teens and adults during the night, such as '' ...
broadcast 26 3-minute shorts of the ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' characters in clay anime. A manga version of the series was also serialized in ''
Comic Bom Bom was a monthly Japanese children's manga magazine published by Kodansha. It was first published on October 15, 1981, and ceased publication in 2007. A web version of the magazine has been published on Pixiv Comic since the end of July 2017. Sim ...
''. Mini versions of the game appear in the Namco game '' Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3'' when the main characters is equipped with a costume resembling a drum, and in the Nintendo DS game ''
Nodame Cantabile is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tomoko Ninomiya. It was serialized in Japan by Kodansha in the ''josei'' manga magazine ''Kiss'' from July 2001 to October 2009 and collected in 23 ''tankōbon'' volumes. A two-v ...
''. Playable ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' machines also appear in ''
Yakuza 5 is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The game is the fifth main entry in the ''Yakuza'' series. The game was released in December 2012 in Japan, and localized for North ...
''.


Reception

''Taiko no Tatsujin'' games generally received favourable reviews from critics. Most published console and handheld releases received
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
Review Scores of over 30, out of a total of 40. ''Taiko: Drum Master'' attained a 77-point
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
score from 35 reviews. As of 2019, the game series has sold over 10 million copies on consoles.


Notes


References


External links


Official website
(in Japanese) {{JGA GOTY ALL.Net games Arcade video games Bandai Namco Entertainment franchises Drumming video games Japan-exclusive video games Mobile games Music video games Namco games Nintendo DS games Nintendo 3DS games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation Portable games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation Vita games PlayStation Vita-only games Rhythm games Wii games Wii U games Video game franchises introduced in 2001 Video games developed in Japan Japan Game Awards' Game of the Year winners