Seeing Taiko no Tatsujin and Synchronica are getting more and more closely collaborating, it is time that we at least brief you on how to play this new game, so that you have some head-start initiation to get those collaboration effort goodies.
The Markers
In Synchronica there are five types of markers that you have to deal with (or four, if you see Swipe and Flick as one type). Additional screen effects are sometimes scripted to appear for reacting to a marker accurately.
- Touch (タッチ): just tap on the marker when the circle enters the ring, so simple
- Hold (ホールド): tap on the marker when the circle enters the ring, and hold it there until the outside gauge completes around
- Move (ムーヴ): tap on the marker when the circle enters the ring, and move it to the other end before the outside gauge drains up (note that you don't have to follow the designated path or speed exactly)
- Swipe (スワイプ): swipe along with the arc-shaped marker
- Flick (フリック): only appearing in Advanced or higher, the Flick marker asks you to tap on it and then flick it away. It could feel like just a smaller Swipe marker to some
- Linked notes means that they are to be tapped/started at the same time. The highest number of markers seen linked together is currently six, and would need both hands on the field to complete.
- Glissando (グリッサンド): meaning a glide in actual music terms, in Synchronica it means you can just slide across a line of closely placed notes in time to finish all of them. As a rule of thumb, separations at or less than the 16th note usually allows for Glissando treatment
- Trill (トリル): meaning a vibrating sound in actual music terms, in rhythm games it refers to two groups or columns or notes that require rapid alternating taps to clear. While it might apply similar concepts to hand-switching in Taiko, the Glissando explained above may not work. The above-embedded video of Uchuu SAMURAI Technical has a lot of them as examples
- Release Bonus (リリースボーナス): Hold and Move markers have an additional chance to score points, if you release your hand at accurate timings at the end also
- Hand Switch (スイッチ): Hold and Move markers also allows small intervals of time where the hand is released in the middle, letting you switch hands if needed
Songs and Levels
Each song has three difficulties namely NORMAL, ADVANCED and TECHNICAL, with TECHNICAL being the hardest. Each difficulty is rated a level up to 18, with Kita Saitama 2000 and co. reigning the scale currently. Unlike Taiko no Tatsujin where an Oni 2★ is vastly more difficulty than a Futsuu 2★, the rating scales appears to be compatible between the three difficulties.
Addendum: Originally started as the April Fool joke for 2016, a limited PANDORA chart is added to Synchronicity, which is unlocked by tapping on the TECHNICAL button multiple times. Later the PANDORA difficulty made the official addition to the game to more songs, and pushing the maximum level to 19.
Multiplayer
As hinted by the name (Synchronica) and much of the promotional material, playing between 2 players is one of the signature aspects.
The most important feature to note is the Multi-combo (マルチコンボ) that works vastly different from the normal combo (which is also separately kept by the way). The Multi-combo counts both player's successful taps (so for each note it can mean +2 combo). If any one player misses one marker, the Multi-combo is not immediately reset or reduced as long as the other player is still keeping on, only taking one out of the five lives that is shared between the two. Only when all five lives are gone will the Multi-combo be reduced (not reset). Continuously giving successful hits can slow down the reduction and/or refill lost lives. Completing a song without the Multi-combo reducing even once is called an Unbroken Combo (アンブロークンコンボ), that could be easier than a one-player Full Combo since it allows for very occasional misses.
Another feature for multiplayer only is the Multi Mission (マルチミッション) where both players work together to complete a chosen goal (that you are supposed to have discussed about it) like exceeding some Multi-combo count.
And here are more technical aspects of the multiplayer gameplay:
Addendum: Originally started as the April Fool joke for 2016, a limited PANDORA chart is added to Synchronicity, which is unlocked by tapping on the TECHNICAL button multiple times. Later the PANDORA difficulty made the official addition to the game to more songs, and pushing the maximum level to 19.
Multiplayer
As hinted by the name (Synchronica) and much of the promotional material, playing between 2 players is one of the signature aspects.
The most important feature to note is the Multi-combo (マルチコンボ) that works vastly different from the normal combo (which is also separately kept by the way). The Multi-combo counts both player's successful taps (so for each note it can mean +2 combo). If any one player misses one marker, the Multi-combo is not immediately reset or reduced as long as the other player is still keeping on, only taking one out of the five lives that is shared between the two. Only when all five lives are gone will the Multi-combo be reduced (not reset). Continuously giving successful hits can slow down the reduction and/or refill lost lives. Completing a song without the Multi-combo reducing even once is called an Unbroken Combo (アンブロークンコンボ), that could be easier than a one-player Full Combo since it allows for very occasional misses.
Another feature for multiplayer only is the Multi Mission (マルチミッション) where both players work together to complete a chosen goal (that you are supposed to have discussed about it) like exceeding some Multi-combo count.
And here are more technical aspects of the multiplayer gameplay:
- Like the Taiko no Tatsujin HD arcade, the two sides can play different difficulties of the same song together.
- Synchro Touch (シンクロタッチ): when both players complete markers successfully at the same time, it will be judged with an additional SYNC. The total rate of Synchro Touches converts to a bonus to the final Multi-combo, that might lift you up in a particularly touch Multi Mission
- Sync Burst (シンクバースト): once in each song for each player, you can activate this mode, which grants (1) a bonus to the Multi-combo that is a percentage of it; (2) invincibility from misses and not lose lives; (3) In-burst Bonus (バースト中ボーナス): during a Sync Burst, all Synchro Touches gives a +1 bonus to the Multi-combo and (4) Synchro Touches made easier to pull off in general
- Double Burst (ダブルバースト): activating Sync Burst when your partner's Burst is still active kicks it into a double-charged version, giving double (+2) In-burst Bonus.
- Lead (リード) and Support (サポート) roles: are assigned in real time according to the current scores and combos maintained, with the better performing side being the lead. When having full lives, all perfect hits by the lead will be given +1 Life MAX Bonus (ライフMAXボーナス). However, in return, misses by the lead will take 2 lives instead of one and the support can refill lives faster than the lead.
