Sonority Scouts - Prankfully Yours, 2025 Edition

Around the same time last year, I've read a random Japanese tweet standing for a position I've been sharing for quite a while: April Fools for your average rhythm game player is effectively a second Christmas day where the fanciest things happen for everyone, albeit for a really short time window.

Is it any different for this year, in the grand scheme of things? The answer is a click away...

Namco Taiko Blog (April 1st, 2025) - Gauntlet from a Corrupted Future

Yesterday's teaser shared via X was for the time-limited addition of a peculiar variant of the usual AI Battle Performance mode, here dubbed "Attack of the Dark Machina". Here, the titular scientist from the year 2765 and her AI drum companion are getting replaced by their more mischievous counterparts and challenge you to beat them at their own game, with limited unlockable goodies on the stake. Just scan this QR mode on any reader-equipped Nijiiro cabinet to take on this challenge!

And hoo boy, you won't BELIEVE what's the first song in the default list welcoming you on this mode...

[DF] April '25 Taiko Music Pass Update (1/2) and Reoccurring Dreams

／#太鼓の達人ドンダフルフェスティバル
楽曲追加のお知らせ📢
＼

4月3日(木)に #太鼓ミュージックパス へ楽曲を追加！
ぜひプレイしてくださいね🎵

次回更新曲は4月10日(木)に告知予定！
各プラットフォームの #太鼓ミュージックパスの
詳細＆ご購入はこちらから！https://t.co/ES89oVaZNA pic.twitter.com/1kwhGfBepf

— 【公式】太鼓の達人 家庭用シリーズ (@taiko_kateiyou) March 27, 2025

One more round of "in-due-diligence" awaits us here on the blog, mirroring news from last week we've already penned on our tweet/blue-related SNS resharings. For the more prominent one of the bunch, nine new songs await Taiko Music Pass subscribers next month, with the first four hitting the scene in 3 days from now!

Joining a returning Pops license from the 3DS/Wii U days and a violin-based Namco Original are a couple of debuts: a cover to Official HIGE DANdism's opening theme to the Blue Box Anime and a support song for a Japanese professional basketball team, donning up quite the remarks to Pac-Man in the process! The four songs are sandwiched between two equally-brand-new inclusions: one from last Thursday in form of the latest Ura debut for the usual "Music-Pass-Song-Removal-Relief" and another coming up about two-and-a-half weeks from now, for the Idolm@ster sereis giving another way to have the iconinc Angel Dream playable... and for the second time in series memory, too!

Now if you excuse me, I have to look further on the whereabouts around some kind of... futuristic-looking pamphlet that got shared on the official Taiko SNS feeds, with hidden codes and whatn- uh, hold on.

<Khh>
Yeah, it's me pikaby, what's up boss... ...huh? UNDEAD Whatkina now?
<Khh>

Taiko Music Pass New Tracks/Notecharts

	Title
2025/03/27
	Day by Day!					★9
2025/04/03
	Ima, Sakihokoru Hanatachi Yo 今、咲き誇る花たちよ	★3	★5	★5	★6
	Same Blue	★?	★?	★?	★?
	GAME CHANGER Aqua☆Magic [Shimane Susanoo Magic] Support Song 　　アクア☆マジック 「島根スサノオマジック」応援ソング	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Uchuu SAMURAI 宇宙SAMURAI	★3	★6	★7	★8
2025/04/17
?	Angel Dream PROJECT IM@S vα-liv - Cosmo Kamizuru エンジェル ドリーム／PROJECT IM@S vα-liv 上水流宇宙	★?	★?	★?	★?

Key: red = series debut; green = subscription/freemium debut

Song of the Week! 29 March 2025

 

That special day of the year is approaching fast, one that around the Taiko turf was used to get jokey scenarios exclusively around the infamous 2000 song series. Until this one song, that is...

Song of the Week! 22 March 2025

 

It's about time we start covering some of the winning entries from the latest Taiko no Tatsujin music contest!

Taiko no Tatsujin (Mainland China 4th-gen) Spring 2025 Updates

For those who have been keeping track of our previous update post (singular) on the mainland China 4th-generation arcade of Taiko no Tatsujin, you might have started to wonder when the "Summer 2024" season will end as the colder months come and go.

That question has finally been answered yesterday (2025/01/03), when the promotional video for the "Spring 2025" season released on Bilibili, dating the large-scale update for 2025/01/15. Main additions of the new update (and beyond) include:

• 32 tracks added including both mainland China exclusives and catch-up with the rest of the world in the main update. See below jump for the teased tracks and Ura Oni notecharts
  
• New players using the Player ID to set up their Donder profile can play their first credit for free
• Rolling in Rewards Campaign Spring 2025 coming soon (no date listed) (2025/01/15~04/22)
• Ranking Dojo 2024 coming soon in February 2025 2025/02/19 (2023 trials will retire on 2025/01/28)
• Drummers' Square mini-program updates coming soon in February 2025 2025/02/19, including the overall result panel, Ranking Dojo data and player search

While there is no full update notes from the WeChat official account as of this writing, we will continually update this post as further information arise.

Addendum (2025/01/10 onwards): Updated with full initial update notes, and we will continue to do so with any future supplementary updates. Check our Region Lock Checklist (published on Google Drive) for comparison between all regions.

Addendum (2025/02/16): Supplementary update dates Ranking Dojo 2024 release and Drummers' Square mini-program updates for 2025/02/19. In addition to the above additions, you may wish to note these changes that will take effect as well:

• Cooldown between Donder name changes will become 90 days
  PS: While not a new change, you might also wish to note that each name change is subject to approval before taking effect, taking 1-2 working days
• The login QR code will no longer be accessible directly from the chatlog in the WeChat official account, but will still be accessible from the mini-program

Taiko Team's Morikawa (producer for mainland China 4th-gen) and Etou also spoke about the update in a video letter on Bilibili, including development on a certain previous contest...?

Namco Taiko Blog (2025/03/19): Nijiiro ver. March 2025 Update

While the 4th-generation arcade Taiko no Tatsujin is officially ran as one perpetual version, players (including the Japanese wiki) generally recognize annual "seasons" as spearheaded by the March update and the Spring Don Medal Shop update. In that connection, the "2025 season" will kick-start with the 2025/03/26 update (2025/03/27 elsewhere).

Aside from the usual slew of track updates, points to note with this update include —

• Kamen Rider Gavv collab campaign (2025/03/26~2026/02/28, 📕Japan only)
  Play  Got Boost? with Bandai Namco Passport (or equivalent) to unlock the "Kamen Rider Gavv" outfit
  
• Don Medal Shop Spring 2025 (2025/03/27)
  
• New Clear/Full Combo/Donderful Combo title plate design, and the associated reordering of title list on the Donder Hiroba (maintenance 2025/03/26 02:00~09:00)
  
• Preview: Ranking Dojo 2024 ending in late-May 2025

Official Links

Taiko no Tatsujin official blog (2025/03/19)

Donder Hiroba Maintenance Notice

Asia ver. Facebook announcement (1, 2, 3, 4)

Taiko no Tatsujin Nijiiro ver. Track Updates

	Title
2025/03/26 (📕Japan only)
	Bansanka 晩餐歌／tuki.	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Kawaii Dake Ja Dame Desuka? かわいいだけじゃだめですか？／CUTIE STREET	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Aipai Dance Hall 愛包ダンスホール／HIMEHINA	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Shinako World Shinako しなこワールド／しなこ	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Otonoke Dandadan オトノケ／TVアニメ「ダンダダン」より	★?	★?	★?	★?
2025/03/26 (mainland China exclusive → 📕Japan only) 2025/03/27 (→ 📗Asia/Oceania only)
	Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies 海闊天空	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Miss You 3000 (想見你想見你想見你 Miss You 3000) 　　Someday or One Day 　　ドラマ「時をかける愛」より	★?	★?	★?	★?
2025/03/27 (all regions, unlockable)
	Toro-ika 2000 トロいか2000	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Aosagi no Hi 蒼鷺之火／BlackY	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Argent Memories	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Takara no Oka 宝の丘	★?	★?	★?	★?
	Tower of Druaga Medley ドルアーガの塔メドレー	★?	★?	★?	★?
2025/03/27 (all regions, moved to default)
	Yumeutstsu Catharsis Kanoya Ooki (BNSI) feat. Kaori Aihara 夢うつつカタルシス／大木奏弥(BNSI) feat. 愛原圭織	★4	★5	★6	★8
	Warera Muteki no Dokon Dan われら無敵のドコン団	★3	★4	★5	★8
	Dodododo-donderful! ドドドドドンだフル！	★3	★5	★6	★5	★10
	Metameta☆Universe! kyo (BNSI)×Mitsu (TRYTONELABO) feat. Zakuro Motoki めためた☆ゆにば～すっ！ 　　kyo(BNSI) × Mitsu(TRYTONELABO) feat. 本木咲黒					★10
2025/03/28 (all regions)
	High-tension☆Anki SHOW! ハイテンション☆暗記SHOW!	★?	★?	★?	★?

Key: red = series debut; blue = arcade debut