Taiko Drum Master

Taiko Drum Master is an entry in Namco’s Taiko No Tatsujin rhythm game
series and the first to have a Western release. As in other rhythm games, the
goal is to interact with a special controller according to scrolling onscreen
prompts timed to music. This game comes bundled with the TaTaCon drum
controller, a miniature version of a Japanese taiko drum with sensors in the
middle and on the sides.

In-game actions are indicated by scrolling circle icons. Red circles indicate
hitting the center of the drum, while blue circles require the player to hit
the edge. On big circles, the player can hit both center or edge sensors for
bonus points. Finally, yellow lines and balloons require the player to perform
drum rolls.

The game comes with a varied set of tunes: from covered pop hits like
Material Girl and ABC to music from other Namco games such as Katamari
Damacy and Dragon Spirit and even television theme songs. In addition, there
are also several mini-games included on the disc that use the TaTaCon for more
esoteric purposes, such as watermelon eating and wolf-stacking.

The Japanese release is mostly the same, including keeping the game completely
in English, but switches out a few of the tracks (particularly the TV show
themes) for songs recognizable to Japanese audiences, such as We Will Rock
You , I’m A Slave 4 U , and I Was Born To Love You.

Taiko Drum Master