Taiko no Tatsujin: Tatakon de Dodon ga Don (PlayStation 2)

CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
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Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
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Gamespot editors' review

• Reviewed by: Tyler Winegarner
• Reviewed on: 02/19/2003
• Released on: 10/24/2002

It seems there's a certain formula for making a successful rhythm game, and unlike in other gaming genres, the more a rhythm game sticks to this plan, the more it seems to satisfy. You take a collection of odd and catchy songs, give the player a unique controller to use, add a number of modes to play in, toss in some basic multiplayer functionality as well as perhaps some import-only mystique, and you're almost sure to have a cult classic on your hands. As one of the more culturally inaccessible entries into this genre, Taiko no Tatsujin still manages to deliver on all of the above fronts, and though it does have its shortcomings, no fan of Japanese imported rhythm games should overlook this title.

Taiko no Tatsujin brings the ancient art of taiko drumming to the PlayStation 2.

Taiko no Tatsujin, or "drum master," for the PlayStation 2 is a rhythm game based on traditional Japanese taiko drumming, which is most often used in festivals and formal concerts. Taiko no Tatsujin represents this fairly well by including a controller called the Tatakon, which resembles the surface of a taiko drum and is played with two plastic drumsticks. The Tatakon has sensors on the left and right sides of the drum surface, as well as sensors on the right and left rims. These are used to execute the various elements of the rhythms of the game, which are relatively simple--a red mark on the screen indicates when you should strike the surface of the drum, and a large red mark indicates when you should strike both sides of the drum at the same time. Likewise, a blue mark signifies that you should strike on the rim, and a large blue mark signifies that you should strike both sides of the rim at once. Other rhythm elements crop up in the gameplay: Long yellow marks on the screen indicate that you should perform a drum roll, and red marks with a number represent the number of times you should strike the Tatakon on its surface before the next pattern occurs. Though the idea is simple, the game's harder modes remain fairly challenging by containing some complex rhythm patterns at somewhat brisk tempos. Disappointingly, the Tatakon isn't quite as responsive as it could be--there are a number of dead spots on the surface of the drum as well as on the rim, and this can lead to a good deal of frustration when you're first getting started. As with many other rhythm games, you can play Taiko no Tatsujin with a regular controller, but this essentially sucks all the fun right out of the game.

The real draw to any rhythm game is going to be its music, and the soundtrack of Taiko no Tatsujin lacks some of the accessibility found in other rhythm games. The soundtrack consists mostly of J-pop, along with traditional Japanese festival music, the latter of which might appeal much less to international audiences at first. But all told each has its own appeal, and before too long you might find yourself humming the various track as you go about your day. Each difficulty setting in the arcade mode has a set number of songs--21 in beginner, 24 in intermediate, and 19 in hard. Surprisingly, there are no additional songs that can be unlocked, though there are other songs to be found in the game's various modes. Music aside, the sound effects in the game are limited and relatively weak. The sound of the drum being struck should have been more resonant and dominating, and although the game has a few options for different sounds, such as a dog's bark and a cat's meow, most of your other choices are ridiculously distracting.

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