Song of the Week! 24 February 2018

Today on our spotlight are a couple of licensed picks that I'd like to classify as 'Song Series False Friends', with titles hinting to well-established Namco Original song series that are instead J-Pop tracks that have no relation with the actual Taiko no Tatsujin song series tropes and its composers.

Noushou Sakuretsu Girl Lyrics

Composer: Sasaki Kouhei (佐々木貢平) @ rerulili (れるりり) / ToushahiP (当社比P)
Vocals: Hatsune Miku, Megpoid GUMI

*credts to the Vocaloid Lyrics Wikia for the English translation of the song!*

First Video: Rurou no Kohakuhime

 Rurou no Kohakuhime (流浪の琥珀姫) (3/4/5/8; 495 notes on Oni)

February's DLC song pack for Session de Dodon ga Don has brought up a new Namco Original track from the recurring composer/singer couple of Drop and Yura Hatsuki, as testified by a tweet left from the singer herself last year (link)!

On the difficulty spectrum, this one fares on the average side of things, with the predominant 1/16 notecharting and 3/4 beat stanzas being the signature features of its Oni mode.

Game Music Showcase - Genpei Toma Den Medleys

Genpei Tōma Den (源平討魔伝, literally "The Genji and Heike Shooting Demon Tale") is an action coin-op released only in Japan and running on the Namco System 86 hardware, originally released on October 1st, 1986. In the game, players have to defeat enemies while scrolling along a Yamato painting landscape, traveling through Japan's prefecture in order to reach the headquarters of the Minamoto clan, in the far east side of the island. The game got recognition at the time due to the many different-looking sections of the game, featuring both side-scrolling platform action, over-the-head style of exploration in certain towns and 2-dimensional sword battles with bigger sprites.

The original arcade itself was never seen outside of Japan, with a Japan-exclusive home console version of the same name in 1990, made for the PC Engine (PCエンジン, aka the Japanese name of the TurboGrafx-16) and an NES semi-sequel in form of an electronic board name on October 1988, also going by the name of Genpei Tōma Den. However, the original game was later released in America and Europe in 1997 as an included game in Namco Museum Volume 4, with the name The Genji and the Heike Clans.

The original beat-em-up title's music has become a quite relevant corner-stone of the Taiko no Tatsujin series, as its score has inspired the creation of what arguably is the most popular Game Music track ever featured in Taiko history. With the time's passing, more songs have been made as a result, paying homage to both the original game and the aforementioned Game Music rendition from the earliest Taiko installments.

For the terms of this song series showcase classification, we can also consider the Game Music track SAMURAI ROCKET as an honorary member of this corner; however, as said track is already part of a much larger Game Music song series tradition in Taiko, we forward you to our Ridge Racer song series showcase for its song entry.

Song of the Week! 17 February 2018

...yeah, you've heard the news. You might have even predicted this kind of feature coming back, didn't you?

Whatever, let's just get this over with...

Namco Taiko Blog (15 February 2018) - The Blue Oblivion (Blue Version Launch Song/Features Removal)

Today's official blog entry is here not only to announce the March 15th release date of Blue Version in an official way, but also to state what the firmware change will mean for the arcade branch's pre-existing song list.

≠MM Lyrics?

Composition, Arrangement, Lyrics: LindaAI-CUE

Japanese lyrics sourced from official YouTube preview dated March 14 2017. Lines in grey are communicated through Morse Code signals.

Song of the Week! 10 February 2018

Today's featured track is one of many examples in the world that may inspire us not to give up on our personal dreams! In order to find out why, just keep reading...

Across Japan (10 February 2018) - The 4th Tenkaichi Otogesai Song Embargo Lift

As the usual custom dictates, today's conclusion of the Tenkaichi Otogesai leads to the participating songs in all series to be publicly available in all the non-AOU game centers from the day after. This is true to the Taiko branch, both for Japanese and General Asia cabinets altogether!

Today's post from the official Facebook page signals a same-day-as-Japan public release of the three transplanted tracks (Kyokuken, Ikazuchi and Scarlet Lance) and the Namco Original Taiko Drum Monster, all being released in General Asia tomorrow with the JP arcades.

Link to original post

Twitter Snippets (10 February 2018) - Taiko Blue Ver. @ JAEPO '18

太鼓の達人ブルーVer. pic.twitter.com/Bpg6YOx6zu

— アリエス@アリエスの小部屋管理人 (@ariesukobeya) 9 febbraio 2018

While the Otogesai's fires are winding down once more, JAEPO's Blue Version showcase has been documented by many social network-active users, such as the one providing these early snaps. With these we can take a look at three major factors in play:

• The upper-cardboard art (starring Taiko 3DS1 drum outfits, from the likes of it)
• The inclusion of a currently-not-discussed Battle Mode;
• The firmware's release date, which is set on March 15th.

We also know the KFM ratings of POP TEAM EPIC, thanks to another tweet. The three modes respectively rated 2/3/4.

First Video: The Three Noble Children Otogesai Surprise

 Susanoo (須佐之男) Tatsh a.k.a. Zeami (5/7/8/10; 686 notes on Oni)

Much like last year's Tenkaichi Otogesai conclusion ceremony, the Taiko branch's winner has had the opportunity to play in advance a never-heard-before Original track in front of the competition's audience.

This time around, Zeami/Tatsh checks in again with a brand new addition to the God Collection series, closing a trilogy of songs titled after the Shinto mythology's Three Noble Children. Susanoo's Taiko song bears the least amount of notes of the trio, meaning that the Clear quota is way stricter to reach as a result. Rather than minding stamina-draining portions, watch out for the frequent timing shifts!

[RANDOM] - The Three-Leg Arcade Accounts Unification

EDIT: Updated with news re-wording and early specifics about in-card credit issues.

For the arcade state-of-being situation, here's a slightly-different kind of news for what will also concern the music gaming scenario.

Sometime during Summer this year, a new unification project is about to go live as Konami, Sega and Bandai Namco are releasing a new kind of identification system for their arcades: the Amusement IC. Said network will function with the games of all the three companies, effectively replacing the current scenario with each company having their proprietary card for data registration (e-Amusement for Konami, Aime for Sega and Banapassport for Bandai Namco). Once that the unification has taken place, all the former proprietary card formats listed above will be compatible with all arcades by the three families.

The sourced document from the Konami website mentions their in-card currency value -PASELI- remaining sustained for their games, so we can speculate that the other two companies' brand currency will remain the same as well, with more inform/confirmation coming in the next days.

Source (Konami.com)

Across Japan (February 7 2018) - February 2018 Facebook Tournament

A recap on last month before all: results announcement still canned as ever, and the Hiroba-nai's are thinning out on both department (Oni: 7/20, Muzukashii: 12/20). At this point, we can only hope whatever that the Donders are calling for are coming all at once with Blue ver.

Here are the details for next tournament for you to sound your dedication/frustration/whatever if you are still hopeful, announced in another canned post today:

Facebook Tournament: February 10~18 2018
　　　 Results Announcement: February 22 2018

束ね糸 Tabaneito x10
　　　はるなば feat. 石黒千尋 Harunaba feat. Chihiro Ishiguro

ワタリドリ Watari-dori x6
　　　[Alexandros]
Link to original post

Postscript links:
Beginning of the Hiroba-nai Movement
Player profile naming guide

Twitter Snippets (February 7 2018) - Two Wild Costume Characters Appears!

【お知らせ】太鼓の達人とのコラボを記念して「JAEPO 2018」のバンダイナムコエンターテインメントブースに、ポプ子とピピ美の着ぐるみが2月10日（土）、2月11日（日）限定で登場！ブース登場予定時間はこちら！
※着ぐるみは各回15～20分程度の登場予定です。　#taiko765　#ポプテピピック pic.twitter.com/sSjCOIAdvS

— 太鼓の達人 (@taiko_team) February 7, 2018

Surprise update that on the show floors of JAEPO 2018 coming this weekend, you can come to the Bandai Namco Entertainment booth to catch the legendary Tat... wait, what, not him this time? ...okay, so apparently we are not having that living meme as a guest but two different living memes instead: Popuko and Pipimi from Pop Team Epic.

Catch them at the BNEI booth in the following schedule:
Febraury 10 (Saturday): 11:40 / 13:40 / 15:40 (approx.)
February 11 (Sunday): 11:40 / 13:40 / 16:10 (approx.)
(15~20 minutes per appearance)

Taiko Plus/STH - February '18 GTH Additions

Despite the regretful news from weeks ago, more songs are pouring out to both Taiko Plus versions's Gakkyoku Tori Houdai on a monthly basis! Case in point, here're the new additions as of this month's beginning.

Gakkyoku Tori Houdai Adds: February 1
 Gimme Choco!! (ギミチョコ！！) (+ Ura)
 Checkmate!?
 Orion o Nazoru (オリオンをなぞる)
 Kare Kano Kanon (カレ・カノ・カノン)
 Sotsu Omeshiki 2-ban (そつおめしき２ばん)
 Saturday Taiko Fever (サタデー太鼓フィーバー) (+ Ura)

Song of the Week! 3 February 2018

In lieu of the very recent collaboration plans, today's feature is rooted in the past, present and future of Pop Team Epic's creator and his works. You are Mother Fucker?

Twitter Snippets (2 February 2018) - POP COLLAB EPIC

【お知らせ（ゲームセンター）】あの人気アニメ「ポプテピピック」とのコラボが決定！
OP主題歌「POP TEAM EPIC」の収録が決定！さらに、ラッキー音符が3種類も収録されるドーン！【1/2】　#taiko765　#ポプテピピック pic.twitter.com/evavLVSWI1

— 太鼓の達人 (@taiko_team) 2 febbraio 2018

Alongside today's official Taiko blog entry, we have some tweet action to comment for yet another taste to that franchise collaboration fondue that we've been teased with last week.

The opening theme to the freshly-released POP TEAM EPIC Anime series, in fact, is part of a deeper-ties collaborative efforts within the Taiko brand. The Issho ni Waiwai Ensou-exclusive Lucky Notes (ラッキー音符) gimmick returns since the A3! collab a bit back, where at a chance you might be able to witness Popuko (twin-tails round girl) and Pipimi (blue-haired long girl) notes, or even go break down a whole Takeshobo building (apparently the archnemesis) if you are good enough!

For those of you who are curious of why the tweet above is marked [1/2], Part 2 of the announcement is just a reminder that POP TEAM EPIC is also part of the early-bird playable tracks at JAEPO 2018 (link).

Namco Taiko Blog (February 2 2018): Blue ver. First-hand Previews at JAEPO 2018

Picking up from last week, with only one week away from JAEPO 2018, it is high time they announce what new songs will be playable in a first-hand preview on the exhibiting cabinets. And they did.

New Songs: February 10~11 2018 (Blue ver. JAEPO 2018 Preview)
 Hero NEW!
　　　安室奈美恵 Namie Amuro
 ダンシング・ヒーロー (Eat You Up) Dancing Hero (Eat You Up) NEW!

　　　荻野目洋子 Youko Oginome

 Hope NEW!

　　　安室奈美恵 Namie Amuro / 「ワンピース」より One Piece

 POP TEAM EPIC NEW!

　　　TVアニメ「ポプテピピック」より Pop Team Epic

 YouTubeテーマソング YouTube Theme Song Arcade debut

　　　HIKAKIN & SEIKIN

 スプラトゥーン2 メドレー Splatoon 2 Medley NEW!

Of course, current Yellow ver. picks (minus some) can also be played on there too. But technically you are paying JAEPO admission plus long waiting times just to avoid the cost of a credit, for an existing experience that probably don't let you record on your Donder profile... eh, it's your call.

Like last time, we have a few more Twitter Snippets we'd like to attach with today's post, especially regarding one of the above new songs.

Link to original post