The kids in this ad are totally enthusiastic, but we'd be even more excited than these two kids if we walked into the living room and found Taiko no Tatsujin Wii and two drums. These imaginary parents (of the future, since the game comes out December 11) were able to just go to the store and purchase the game, whereas anyone hoping to elicit an "Ohhhh, Taiko da!" (It's Taiko!) from us would have to order an import copy of the game and surreptitiously install homebrew software on our Wii.
The point is, basically, that we are intensely jealous of these children and their adorable, Taiko-tolerating cat. The girl just twists the knife by declaring that it's "like an arcade." Oh, right, they have arcades too.
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii's "Daily Challenge Dojo" is a mode designed to be played once a day, consisting of a series of specific challenges. Like the DS Taiko games in which the Dojo previously appeared, daily Dojo time unlocks new songs.
The other, cuter mode introduced by Bandai Namco today is the Memory Album, in which players can watch cutscenes showing the early life story of Wadadon the drum. As you play through the game and fill the Don Gauge, you'll unlock occasional scenes of a baby Wadadon. Oh, and new songs too.
We wonder if the rush of Wii owners importing Tatsunoko vs. Capcomwill have a positive effect on other imports coming out around the same time? Because this would be a pretty great option for people looking to blow more cash on Japanese games.
Oh boy, we're pumped to try out some Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) on our Wii. The only problem is, we're not sure if we're going to be able to, as Namco has made no intention to release the game outside of Japan ... so far. Sure, we could import, but the Japanese might be a bit too much for us. That's a discussion for another time, we suppose.
With some crossed fingers (do you know how hard it is to blog with crossed fingers?) and optimistic attitudes, we're wishing upon every star we see and hoping beyond hope that we will get a localization of the game. In the meanwhile, we'll just have to settle for awesome Japanese advertising, which you can catch past the break. Be sure to hit up our gallery for some new screens, as well.
Taiko no Tatsujin games are full of guest appearances. Certain songs from anime or video games will feature characters from those properties under the note display, dancing or otherwise moving along with the music. The Super Mario Bros. theme commonly features visuals inspired by the game, and Doraemon and friends show up for "Yume wo Kanaete Doraemon."
They're back in Taiko no Tatsujin Wii, along with their familiar songs. Other game-based songs on the disc (though we don't know which will feature themed visuals) include a Star Soldier medley and "Do-Dai" from The Idolm@ster. Anime themes include songs from Naruto, One Piece, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and Yes! Precure 5.
After the break, we've got the Taiko Wii box, which looks a bit cereal-box-esque to us for no real reason! How do Taiko games still use the old Namco logo?
Taiko Drum Master was released in the US once, on PlayStation 2. It didn't really go well. Now Namco Bandai has revealed a version for the Wii, and we're wondering if they'll decide to localize it. Or if they should. Well, of course they should, but we mean in terms of financial success.
Since the release of the PS2 game, Guitar Hero and Rock Band have somehow moved the music game out of the exclusive realm of people like us and into the mainstream. You probably know people who have one of those games. There's another factor in Taiko's favor this time: it's basically a party game, and the Wii is openly hospitable toward those.
Do you think a Taiko could be a success on the Wii outside of Japan? Are Americans ready to bang on a tiny replica of a Japanese drum in time with "Katamari on the Rock"?
Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) is currently delighting Tokyo Game Show attendees on the showfloor, allowing us a first glimpse of the drum controller that comes with the game. It looks sturdy and very ... hittable! We look forward to seeing how it comes packaged, though are slightly saddened that this version won't have its own Taiko-themed stand.
Also worth noting: judging by these photos, the drum is wireless, and connects directly to the Wiimote, à la the Classic Controller. Beat a path past the break for more pictures.
Nintendo announced a lot of games last night at their Japanese conference. Many of them, like Punch-Out!! here, were brand new. Some, like Supan Smasher and Cosmic Walker, we still don't know anything about. But we've got screenshots. So many screenshots.
After the break, you'll find galleries of all the new games, along with new screens of some upcoming games we've known about for a while. Of special interest to us among the previously-announced Oboro Muramasa Youtouden, coming to the US as Muramasa: The Demon Blade, because it looks super hot, Karaoke Joysound Wii, which appears to have art by Parappa creator Rodney Alan Greenblat, and Takuto of Magic (Wand of Magic), which appears to be a followup to Taito's LostMagic on the DS.
Buried in the latest Japanese Namco Bandai financial report, in a chart showing their sales projections per game for 2008, is the first mention of a Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) game for Wii, planned for late this year. The company released Ennichi no Tatsujin (Festival Master), a spinoff minigame collection, as a Wii launch title, but this would be the first for-real Taiko on the Wii. They expect to sell around 500,000 copies, the same as they project for Family Trainer.
We're anxious now for an official reveal, because we want to see how the controls will work. Will it use a drum controller, or will players be asked to air-drum with the Wiimote and Nunchuk? There's also the third, more unlikely, option of hitting a drum with the Wiimote, though that would get expensive.
