For years, the Taiko no Tatsujin series has entertained millions of Japanese gamers, with its mixture of enjoyable music/rhythm gameplay and eclectic soundtracks, featuring songs like “Don Rangers” (go look it up) and licensed tracks from other Bandai Namco classic games.
And yet we’ve only gotten a faint taste of what the series is about here. The last game in the series to be released on our shores was Taiko Drum Master for the PlayStation 2. It came packaged with a drum peripheral that allowed you to play along with the beat, like you would with a real taiko drum. Alas, it probably didn’t sell as well as the publisher was hoping, thus why it didn’t release other games in the series over here.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But it’s time. The just-released Taiko no Tatsujin for Nintendo Switch is sure to be a massive hit, and we’ve been hearing whispers that Bandai Namco could be giving it a chance on our shores, with trademarks indicating a game called Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘N’ Fun! in the works. The publisher hasn’t officially confirmed anything, but if there was ever a time for Taiko Drum Master‘s return to our shores, this is it. And here’s why.
It Has a Number of Party Modes
If there’s one thing that the Nintendo Switch handles quite well, it’s party games. We’ll soon be getting Super Mario Party to prove this theory, but in the meantime, Taiko no Tatsujin has a lot of games that do so. For instance, there are various mini-games included where players can work together to tap along to the beat of certain songs to beat their opponents.
This, combined with the traditional two-player face-off mode to see who performs better at songs, adds a great deal of replay value to Taiko, and gives players a lot more to enjoy than previously released games in the series. And there’s always room to expand upon it with DLC as well.
It’s Got Familiar Songs and Obscure Favorites
While a number of songs in the latest Taiko no Tatsujin aren’t entirely recognizable (you don’t exactly see people humming along to “R.Y.U.S.E.I.”), there are more than enough favorites here for die-hard Nintendo fans and anime lovers to enjoy The following songs are sure to be huge draws:
“Aloha” (From Pokemon Sun & Moon)
“Be the One” (From Kamen Rider Build)
“Cha-La Head-Cha-La” (From Dragon Ball Z)
“A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” (From Neon Genesis Evangelion)
“Dokomademo ~How Far I’ll Go~” (From Moana)
“Grip & Breakdown!! Tatsujin Edit.” (From Touhou Project)
“Haikei Doppelganger” (Gumi Vocaloid song by Kemu)
“Howling” (From The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments)
“Itsumo Nando Demo” (From Spirited Away)
“Jump Up, Super Star! Short Version” (From Super Mario Odyssey)
And that’s not including any additional DLC that could come to the game. Bandai Namco of Japan has done very well to add new songs to previous versions, and the Switch edition should be no exception. Plus, “Jump Up, Super Star!” C’mon, that just speaks for itself.
Amazing Guest Characters and Skins
Another great feature that’s included with Taiko no Tatsujin on Nintendo Switch is guest characters. Previous entries in this series didn’t really have too many of these. But we’re happy to report that the Splatoon 2 Inkling and Kirby characters are selectable. We’re not sure if it’s with every song or not, but it’s great to see some familiar faces thrown into the mix. There are also guest star skins, including a Meta Knight drum (WHAT?!) and a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Link costume. Yes, it’s adorable, as you can see above.
And that has us wondering — what if Nintendo chimed in and helped get this game released on our shores? Taiko no Tatsujin has enough content on their end to kind of get this co-published, so maybe it could work with Bandai Namco on their end to get it done.
There’s a rumored Nintendo Direct happening soon, so maybe we could see this announced for a fall release. We’d totally be down for that.
Several Gameplay Types Await
Finally, with the way that the Nintendo Switch is set up, there are a variety of gameplay styles available for Taiko no Tatsujin that take advantage of it.
For instance, for those that want to swing their arms and actually look like they’re playing a drum, the JoyCons can be activated to read said motions, as if you’re actually playing along to the music.
There’s also the traditional push-button style of play, for those of you that prefer more of a hands-on thing without swinging your hands around.
Finally, if you really want to play with a drum, it looks like Bandai Namco released a peripheral and two tiny sticks that work with the JoyCons so it actually feels like you’re playing it. This is likely not going to be released in the U.S.; but for those that are importing the game, it’s pretty neat to pick up.
No matter which way you prefer, Taiko no Tatsujin has a whole lot of options available. And it’s sure to be a pleasant hit, if not a best seller, if it were given a chance on our shores. Fingers crossed that Bandai Namco makes it happen.
Oh, and include “Don Rangers” as DLC, won’t ya? That’s always a fun song.
