Song of the Week! 30 May 2015

Once again, today's feature is about the latest downloadable song on the second Taiko 3DS videogame. Enjoy!

Taiko Plus - Introducing the Popular Song Pack 22

While Nintendo players are busy celebrating an ink-based launch day, the tracklist of the i-app Taiko game is growing bigger and bigger, thanks to the release of a new Popular song pack.

V Version Update: More Songs + Attack of the Wagakki Band

For this week's V Version website update, we get yet more returning songs and the last of the game's default J-Pop tracks. Find out what's the fuss about by clicking 'Read more'!

Namco Taiko Blog (28 May 2015) - June's Donchare and Online Tournament Antics

Today's new small song batch for Murasaki Version was so galvanizing to let us forget about both the very first Ura Variety song (whoops) and today's anticipated blog entry. Put your worries to rest- here's a meaty compensation for the latter!

First Video: Spider Flash Rolling Thunder!

For a completely personal reason (to make this start off weird, duh) I am putting Lassen Gorelai up front. It's the First Videos for today's version update!

V Version Update: Pre-order Pitter-patter

A V Version update on Wednesday? What is this magic?

According to some of the vendors of the Chinese version, the first of the version's exclusive C-POP songs would be bundled with pre-orders (one download code per copy for one of the three songs, given randomly). Also there is a small key-chain plush toy too, so that's cute.

(song titles not translated)
 精舞門 羅志祥 Show Luo
 你是我的花朵 伍佰 Wu Bai
 920 A-Lin & 小宇 Xiaoyu Song

Plush image from this vendor's listing

Back to Amazon Japan's listing, which now states Amazing Grace (アメイジンググレイス) as a pre-order special towards the Japanese audience. Not naming the genre here because the last time we saw it was AC10 where the Children/Folk genre is still in console games.

Disclaimer: Vendor links are included as sources only. We are not endorsing any specific vendor here.

Across Japan: Murasaki Asia Update (Ver. 2.02) - Not Goin' Places Yet But Still

Same day update with the Japanese version, who would've thought? This Thursday (May 28), together with Japan's Ver. 3.xx, Murasaki ver. cabinets in Asia will also go upwards to a version 2.02.

The update was mainly to fix bugs existing in the game, without the same default song additions as in Japan. Still, the timed additions will be joining as scheduled, keeping you Asian Donder happy to some extent.

 紫煌ノ乱 世阿弥
Shikou no Ran Zeami (June 1)
 待ち受けプリンス 「アイドルマスター」より
Machiuke Prince from The Idolm@ster (June 4)
 マジで…！？ 「アイドルマスター」より
Maji de...!? from The Idolm@ster (June 11)



Emphasis on "to some extent" because there is one more disappointment, especially to our Producer-Donders: GOIN'!!! is still under progress to be brought to the Asian version, and won't make it on May 28 as with Japan. Awwww :(

Anyway, check back on Thursday for the First Video of four new songs, even though Asia regions are not getting them.

Update: Wadaiko Master is an official Namco release

This comes from an email I received from a fan three weeks ago but couldn't publish due to personal work. Sorry for the delay!

Anyway, this post is regarding the somewhat fishy-looking Brazilian version of Taiko HD, Wadaiko Master. South American players can set their minds at ease as this is not a hack; NBGI specifically licensed it for that region! One screenshot submitted (above) is from the cardboard banner on its side, showing the copyrights to Wadaiko Master on the cabinet itself.

The email also confirmed that under the Brazilian songs list, one of the three songs is owned by Namco themselves (Samba Alegria and its Ura, the one which is in Namco Original everywhere else), and the other two are considered in the public domain.

Still not convinced? This should seal the deal: a trademark licensing report from Bandai Namco themselves, filed for the name Wadaiko Master! Yup, it's all official.

The songlist is still pretty barebones, but it's heartening to see Taiko HD make it so far across the globe!

Across Japan: Reitaisai in Taiwan, a la Touhou Taiko Festival

What you have been hearing is correct: Reitaisai is going out of Japan and will make a stop at Taiwan on June 6, and Taiko no Tatsujin Murasaki ver. is tagging along! The Asian version Facebook has a customized Chinese promotional poster to prove it!

If you can go the Sanchong Area Stadium at the event, you can take a still exclusive hand on the four Touhou Project × NAMCO SOUNDS songs and their charts:

• 郢曲/暁闇 東方Project × NAMCO SOUNDS Linda AI-CUE
  Eikyoku/Gyouan Touhou Project × NAMCO SOUNDS Linda AI-CUE
• 深緋の心臓 -SCARLET HEART- 東方Project × NAMCO SOUNDS kyo feat. あさな (IOSYS)
  Kokihi no Shinzou -SCARLET HEART- Touhou Project × NAMCO SOUNDS kyo feat. Asana (IOSYS)
• ライコタイコディスコ 東方Project × NAMCO SOUNDS 渡辺量
  Raiko Taiko Disco Touhou Project × NAMCO SOUNDS Ryo Watanabe
• Ladystar Wandering 東方Project × NAMCO SOUNDS 中鶴潤一
  Touhou Project × NAMCO SOUNDS Junichi Nakatsuru

And this following image shows specialty gift sticker sets to be given with purchases of the limited Banapassport at the venue, including ones with which you can artificially make any card look like a Touhou-themed Banapassport! (Whatever song it is on the notechart one, the score is just 876500. The references wwwwwww)

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Song of the Week! 23 May 2015

In the past month, we got a lot of requests for a particular not-Namco Original tune to show up on our Saturday feature, and this time we're finally going to let it shine in this corner.

So, sit back and enjoy the flagship song of not only the jubeat series, but possibly the entirety of Bemani's rhythm game series as a whole!

V Version Update: Promotion Video and More on the System, Finally

And you know it's the end of the main song-hype season when today's update adds the promotional video.

...well okay, that alone is no indication of any sort; after all the trailer let us hear Kibou e no Melody (aka the game's theme song) for the first time, complete with vocals! Still, the update is breaking from the "OMG brand new songs and guest characters" format, so let's see anyway.

First Video: GO MY WAY!! Going A Different Way, and shiny smile

Along with Honey Heartbeat ~10 Stars Mix~ (and its sadistic Ura Oni), GO MY WAY!! joins the songlist in Taiko 3DS2. I bet many of us were expecting something really familiar, right? I downloaded it 15 minutes ago and had one go at it expecting to blur through with my eyes half-closed, seeing as I had already memorized the ch-...hey...this isn't...WHAT.

Yes, the nostalgic IM@S song, much like its counterparts THE IDOLM@STER and Mahou o Kakete! on the Taiko Murasaki arcade, has received a full revamp in its charts, from Kantan to Oni, everything is different.

You'll spot bits of the old GO MY WAY!! Oni chart in the above video, but the patterns in this modern 8* (one star up from the old chart's 7*) are more varied and slightly tougher. Add in troll notes scrolling at x3 speed and you have something the Taiko Team would definitely do in recent times!

It has 555 notes, slightly less than the old chart's 569 on Master route.

 Onto the arcade, where shiny smile also gets the im@s notechart revamp treatment, and even more peculiarly it is also a 8* Oni with 555 notes! Last seen around DS2 and AC11, the new shiny smile adds the fewest gimmicky Call Notechart elements, and feels more like a "normal" update for an old 8* (475 notes) to more modern 8* standards.

Namco Taiko Blog (May 20 2015) - Suddenly, May 26 Livestream No More

In a stunning turn of events, Takemoto breaks the original blogging break to tell that the May 26 livestream has to be postponed due to various reasons, to a yet undetermined date.

...yeah, not much else to say here, other than to stick to official Taiko Team outlets for any new updates.

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Filler: What did you vote for in the V Version DLC Poll?

While the Taiko Team's social networking front keeps on the low with Etou on his well-deserved rest and ********* ****, let's do a little interactive filler feature of our own!

So share with us: what have you voted for the V Version's DLC Poll? If you haven't voted yet, be it because you do not know the "complete name" in Japanese or otherwise, feel free to ask us here too like a temporary help desk! Remember that the poll ends on May 24 24:00!

Song of the Week! 16 May 2015

This time, we are going to take a look at two songs from dōjin circle Silver Forest, which in later years ended up being one of the front-runners in the Touhou BGM arrangements side of modern Taiko arcades. Off we go!

Namco Taiko Blog (15 May 2015) - Murasaki Ver. 3.xx and Idolm@ster Collab's Part 2

Before the 2-week blog update hiatus's beginning, the Taiko Team steps in for a surprise post about Murasaki arcades' next scheduled update.

Game Music Showcase: Tales

Starting with Tales of Phantasia for the Super Famicom in 1995 and still going strong today, Bandai Namco's 'Tales' series is one of the most prolific, long-running JRPG series to date. Each game takes place in its own continuity, much like fellow JRPG series Final Fantasy, but shares certain recurring themes. What sets it apart from other JRPGs is it's now easily-recognizable action-combat battle systems, as well as stories that may turn many of the common themes in RPGs on their heads. The games were first developed by a subsidary, Namco Tales Studios, but has since been reabsorbed into the main company, which continues to develop games to this day.

Seeing as they share a common publisher, it wasn't hard to get songs from this prominent JRPG series into Taiko no Tatsujin, and as of the new HD version, new songs have been released fairly often.

V Version Updates: You Guessed It - More Songs!

Carrying on the hype for the 15th Taiko Anniversary celebration, V Version's website got yet another Thursday update. Let's see together what's new this time around!

Namco Taiko Blog (14 May 2014) - May 2015's Livestream

Big news are shining today for Taiko fans, as there's a newly-scheduled livestream about the incoming 15th Anniversary celebrations! Most of its content will be kept in mystery until the broadcast, but today Eto is sharing the details of what he can say about it right now.

First Video: Anataboshi (Ura Oni) and Mahou o Kakete!

It's already past Midnight in the Land of the Rising Sun, casting Japan into a new Thursday and with that, another song release from the second Taiko 3DS game.

 アナタボシ Anataboshi (3/4/4/5/8; 483 notes in Ura Oni)
Being one of the opening themes for Kirarin Revolution, Anataboshi comes back with a brand new 8* Ura Oni mode, bringing some of the modern charting tropes to the previously-exclusive Anime theme.

 魔法をかけて！ Mahou o Kakete! (3/3/4/7; 444 notes on Oni)
Well at least someone got some modern love. As the Murasaki ver. opens 7:00am today, Donders are greeted with this new notechart set to Mahou o Kakete! that could potentially make one doubt if it is worth the rating up. Compared with its old 527-note 6★ Oni notechart (in AC9 standards), this new chart has significantly less notes but some more mixed triples. The shifted challenge focus may prove harder for some of our intermediate Donders, but it is very much up to personal feelings.

Across Japan: May's Tournament, a la New and New Only

To honor the first Facebook Tournament after transitioning to Murasaki ver., let's go all Murasaki debut in May! Challenge Oni Zero no Rhapsody (★9) or Muzukashii EDY -Electrical Dancing Yoga- (★7) between May 16~24 and butt in the ranks!

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A Note on Idolm@ster Collab Schedule, and Collaboration Cabinet PV

If you came today for a First Video or anything about Mahou o Kakete!, thanks for making the same mistake as I did (whoops)! After two weeks of Tuesday additions, the rest of the new Idolm@ster songs will come on Thursdays. See you again on Thursday May 14 where we'll also check out Anataboshi's new Ura Oni on 3DS.

In the meantime, check out the promotional sequence when the Murasaki ver. cabinet idles, which shows again the schedule, various reward line-ups and snippets of the new songs!

Reitaisai 2015 Postcards

And that was 2015's 12th Annual Reitaisai! What, you mean you couldn't be there? Well, actually me neither, but here are some postcards collected here and there!

Song of the Week! 9 May 2015

Still saddened by yesterday's news, today's feature is about independent unit Phenotas' musical contribution to Taiko games.

Farewell to a Musician

As the obituary from Phenotas and their label Zen Music released approximately two hours ago, it is our regret to report that Phenotas member Sawa "sweets" Mikihiko (澤"sweets"ミキヒコ, digital percussion) suffered from acute heart failure and passed away on May 3.

Among other musical acts, Phenotas contributed to the recent Girls Pop Mania collaboration in Taiko no Tatsujin, providing the song Denshi-drum no Tatsujin.

May his soul rest in peace.

Obituary on Phenotas official site

V Version Updates: Just Songs and Guest Characters Can Break Status Quo

Gonna forgive for the rather less interesting update for the upcoming Vita game, for the whole team is moving location big time. But two completely new songs and five new support guest characters probably make up for it.

Namco Taiko Blog (May 7 2015) - From Aomono-yokochou to Monzen-nakachou

Quick little feature today, as Etou and the team are busy moving from the Aomono-yokuchou office now to the new location at Monzen-nakachou. While the Team is moving and resetting the development  here are some ancient (?) relics found across the days of packing!

 

1. Kat-chan Game Stool
A retired past prize that is a game stool in the shape of Kat-chan. If you had one of these (which would never be available again) you could sit on Kat-chan's face!

2. Taiko no Tatsujin Tea
A can of tea drink that Namco has commissioned to put Taiko designs on the side, from the Taiko AC13 and Wii2 days. But the best before date is way past so let's forever keep it sealed as is.

 

3. Weapon left by ex-leader Takahashi
This is a very dangerous item (according to the tags), which is going to be put under serious custody by Etou. The boomerang with a rather cute kangaroo motif appears to be a relic from Australia, and can deal mass damages swiftly.

4. ???
???

Okay now get back to packing Etou.

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First Video: Thank You!

 Thank You! (3/4/5/8; 500 notes on Oni)
The thanks is not from us, but from the Idolm@sters to the fans/producers! The second week of the Idolm@ster mega-collab reveals the new dancer set featuring characters from the Million Live spinoff. Like the Cinderella Girls set, this group also only features three main dancers.

Notechart-wise, it opens with a few slow katsus then on with the normal, moderate 8★ fare: a good mix of clusters from triples to 5-hits, a few prominent hanging doubles that start off-beat, and a dash of isolated long streams. Call Notechart elements popular with many new Idolm@ster notecharts are also present here and there (especially in other diffs).

PS. Any Idolm@sters expert here? We might do a feature on Call Notecharts by the end of this collaboration, and would like to be filled in with the Idolm@ster side of history.

[RANDOM] - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Taiko DLC Now Out Worldwide!

Today's post is just a friendly reminder for the release of the first Taiko-related content to branch overseas, for both the Americas and Europe!

May's free DLC content for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate offers to Western players some special missions in order to fetch materials used to craft items from other gaming franchises, such as Mega Man, Metroid and Taiko no Tatsujin. For the latter, we have a G-Rank mission in the arena, where Don and Katsu themselves ask the hunters to deal with a pair of vicious beasts, giving the chance to craft the hunting horn above as a prize. The Taiko cosmetics are not the only fun flair to this collaboration item, as it actually makes Taiko sounds after every swing!

May's free DLC also packs in the custom, Taiko-themed Guild Card background that Japan got months earlier. Feel free to share your drumming passion with others!

Song of the Week! 2 May 2015

Yeah, I don't have any sort of witty theme for this week's feature, so... here are two Nam-Combo picks. How does that sound to you, guys?

First Video: Shikou no Ran

Happy weekend! It's May 2nd and time for a first video of a song that a lot of Taiko fans has been waiting.

Namco Taiko Blog (1 May 2015) - Yet Another Taiko 3DS2 DLC Schedule Change

Once again, the next lot of DLC songs planned for this month has been slightly changed from the original lineup, and Sasaoka from the Taiko Team is here for a surprise blog entry in order to let us know about the changes.

This time around, the issue is about the delivery date of Im@s song GO MY WAY!!, which now will be released on May 21st, together with Honey Heartbeat ～10 Stars Mix～.

Here's the correct schedule for May's Taiko 3DS 2 DLC:

May 7th - Dragon Night
May 14th - Anataboshi (+ Ura)
May 21st - GO MY WAY!! and Honey Heartbeat ～10 Stars Mix～ (+ Ura)
May 28th - Happy★Material

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More New Taiko no Tatsujin in Other Languages? BNEI (Taiwan) Starts Localization Department

In news that you probably never think would matter, the Bandai Namco Entertainment subsidiary in Taiwan is expecting to set up a Chinese localization department, and is hiring translation and quality assurance talents. The job description lists, other than Chinese, also English and Korean as possible work areas:

●文字翻譯人員 Translator
進行遊戲產品文字翻譯工作（日翻中/日翻英/日翻韓）。
Translation work for game products (Japanese to Chinese/Japanese to English/Japanese to Korean)

Of course, this upcoming team would not be dedicated to Taiko no Tatsujin, but with the imminent precedent of V Version getting a full Chinese port, it would not be far off to expect a little translation love here and there when another new Taiko no Tatsujin console comes around, maybe even the Asian version arcade!

Wishful thinking aside, if you are interested in one of these positions, check out the links with BNEI at their various outlets.

BNEI (Taiwan) press release