Random: Granblue no Tatsujin

Desperately hurrying to push this post before you stop trusting us for 24 hours: If you came across the below screenshots, yes, apparently Granblue Fantasy is playing a Taiko no Tatsujin prank with a genuine, separate app called Oira (オイラ) on iTunes and Google Play.

I don't know anything about Granblue Fantasy except they have a (legit) Taiko Drummer class and that pink-red thing was apparently the joke for April Fools 2017 too. Enjoy...?

Twitter Snippets (31 March 2018) - Taiko no Tatsujin x Case Closed Collaboration

ドドドドドドドドド pic.twitter.com/gU7he8BGrr

— すくなん煮無求丸 (@tks_269) 31 marzo 2018

Credit to chatbox user simple1 for the find!

With the current Taiko news scenario reaching one of its all-time lows (quite worrying too, considering that a new arcade firmware has just come out), one Twitter user's game center finds have brought to light a new collaboration campaign, this time tying in the Case Closed series.

The nearing release day of the latest CC movie -titled Detective Conan: Zero The Enforcer (名探偵コナン ゼロの執行人)- has led to all the Taiko arcades' high scores to become nothing than a bunch of zeroes, and it's up to arcade goers to solve the case! By playing Blue Version arcades in the promo period (Katsu in the posters hints to 2-player Detective Conan Main Theme plays), it's possible to gather up clues that would help the contestants to solve a puzzle on the campaign's official website. Everyone can join the investigations from April 18th to May 31st, with 20 people among the case solvers to be randomly-chosen for the big prize!

As the tweets points out, the aforementioned promo website (nazotoki.taiko-ch.net) is still offline, so we'll have to wait for further details on this campaign.

Taiko Plus - End-March's Songs and Stamp Card Feature

This is the first new song delivery notice for the Taiko Plus apps since the coming of the dreaded Version 4.0.0 which removed the iOS version's song packs. After the jump are the new entries as well as the brief introduction of an additional feature.

Twitter Snippets (30 March 2018) - Advance Tomfoolery Advice

【お知らせ（ゲームセンター）】
どんちゃん「今年もアノ日が近づいてきたから、例の曲がアップをはじめたドン！」
かっちゃん「２０００とか、１５３００とか、なんのことカッ？」#taiko765

— 太鼓の達人 (@taiko_team) 30 marzo 2018

Today, the people behind the Taiko no Tatsujin series' management actually remembered that they have a Twitter feed to curate for! As such, we're left today with Don-Chan and Kat-Chan commenting about the future coming of 'that day'... you know the one.

With the 2000 and 15300 numbers being flung at us, what song is it going to be for this coming day?

Taiko Plus: Refurnished Free Songs Abound for iOS

 

After the death of the Song Pack model on Taiko no Tatsujin Plus STH on the iOS, that version has got some exclusively free songs in return! ...except they all come from past packs and limited-time offers, and consist of no new additions. Thanks, I guess?

(iOS only) Free Songs Additions: March 26 2018
夏祭り Natsu Matsuri
アンパンマンのマーチ Anpanman no March
おもちゃのチャチャチャ Omocha no Cha-cha-cha
ます Die Forelle
　　　シューベルト Schubert
テイルズ オブ ゼスティリア メドレー Tales of Zestiria Medley
もじぴったんメドレー Mojipittan Medley
メカデス。 Mekadesu.
パステル ドリーム Pastel Dream

Twitter Snippets (March 25 2018) - Taiko Plus Song Packs Going Dated with a Date

the taiko no tatsujin plus music pack store will be closed in a little over 31 hours #taiko_app pic.twitter.com/ZI4hwuM9mI

— you deserve shrimp house you want shrimp house (@quimeshine) March 24, 2018

Thanks to Padoo from the Taiko no Tatsujin Discord for the heads-up! (embedded tweet also his)

Following that previous announcement that iOS's Taiko no Tatsujin Plus will soon terminate the song pack model (and taking the points system and the Fukubiki feature with it), we now have a definite date and time for it: Those features will be removed as an urgently-called emergency server maintenance ends at March 26 2018 17:00.

Be assured that all the songs already purchased will still be playable after the closure, but these will be the last hours for you to make new pack purchases.

Twitter Snippets (24 March 2018) - Starlight Road (to More Taiko no Tatsujin Cameos)

【AC】『グルーヴコースター 4 スターライトロード』3/29稼働開始☆彡
「ゲーム」ジャンルの稼働開始日より遊べる新曲はこちら！
「ナムコットメドレー / バンダイナムコエンターテインメント」#グルコス pic.twitter.com/plJi3MGipo

— グルーヴコースター公式@3/29GC4! (@groove_coaster) 24 marzo 2018

Not even the launch window of the next Groove Coaster installment is safe from out-of-schedule Taiko cross-over magic, as the launch day of the incoming Groove Coaster 4 Starlight Road is going to bear yet another Game Music medley that was created for the Taiko no Tatsujin series!

After the medleys from Dragon Spirit and Burning Force, the next one in line is the Namcot Medley, coming out on March 29th alongside the rest of the launch-day new additions to the latest entry in Taito's music game series.

Song of the Week! 24 March 2018

With the original Idolm@ster themed month counting four entries, we're ending its sequel period at the 4th installment as well, with a couple of slightly-tweaked, omni-present tracks that have become Japanese meme fodder along the years...

Random: Notechart Copy-ception Between Splatoon and Taiko no Tatsujin

Back when Splatoon 2 just came out, we talked about its rhythm minigame Squid Beatz 2 (イカラジオ2, Ika Radio 2) and how it has a little homage section for the already-out Calamari Inkantation Oni notechart on Taiko no Tatsujin.

Now that Splatoon 2 Medley has been out on Taiko no Tatsujin (Blue ver., and soon on Nintendo Switch Version too), let's venture onwards to the second episode of this saga.

Twitter Snippets (22 March 2018) - The DLC Show Must Go On (...for now)

【お知らせ】PS4®『太鼓の達人 セッションでドドンがドン！』ドンだーパックVol.6が本日より配信開始です！「トンガチン」は太鼓の達人初登場の楽曲♪ぜひダウンロードして遊んでみてください！https://t.co/tGdovPRIed
今後のDLCについては後日情報公開予定です。続報をお待ちください！ #taiko765 pic.twitter.com/FrvyhnFm4t

— 太鼓の達人 (@taiko_team) 22 marzo 2018

Today was the day of the last launch-window-announced DLC packs for Session de Dodon ga Gon, but apparently it's not going to be the very last one, as tweeted by the official Taiko account earlier today! We'll have to wait, however, for further details on how future DLC plans are going to be carried over.

Across Japan: The Last Facebook Tournament's Results

Yeah, we have to dedicate one post's title as a double-meaning-carrier for the non-Japanese arcade Taiko players, as the now-concluded March Facebook tournament is also going to be the very last one to be held.

Once again, it appears that the distance between the fanbase and the franchise on foreign arcade grounds has become longer once more...

Link to original post

First Video: Tongachin

 Tongachin (トンガチン) (4/6/7/9; 474 notes on Oni)

Today's last Donder Pack for Session de Dodon ga Don was released, and while we don't know if this is going to be the last DLC content for the PS4 debut Taiko title or not, we do know at least that there's a new Namco Original to talk about, whose title's meaning apparently amounts to nothing!

Kimitata Matsumae's debut Namco Original fares in the Oni mode playground as one of those 9-star Oni modes with not that much to talk about on the note amount, relying more on the song's irregular rhythms for its difficulty degree rather than for the notechart itself's complexity.

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As a post-scriptum note to this blog entry, we inform you that both the free early-adopter Namco Original DLC Ryuu to Kokuen no Himegimi and all the store-exclusive pre-order Game Music tracks are now publicly available as paid DLC, each being sold at 150 Yen (+ taxes).

Sonority Scouts - Extra Tenkaichi Party

After Taiko no Tatsujin's Ura Oni additions to the very first Tenkaichi Otogesai song crossovers, maimai's Ignis Danse boost and SOUND VOLTEX's Heaven mode power-up, the Groove Coaster series is the next one of the Otogesai participants to have some of the event's songs made more difficult, as part of an event that segways into the 4th main installment of the series (GC4 Starlight Road).

As a means to that, both of the 2nd edition of the crossover tournament's Groove Coaster songs have received a top-tier-difficulty Extra mode that make the formerly-introduced Hard notecharts pale in comparison! This sure is a way to make both Solar Storm and Scarlet Lance relevant once again...

Twitter Snippets (March 16 2018) - Album News: HARDCORE no Thesis Dissertation

【アルバム情報➁】
バンダイナムコ"太鼓の達人"より
HARDCOREノ心得 (Extended Mix)収録！
#myosuke5th #太鼓の達人 https://t.co/auZ3Qv70KD pic.twitter.com/99GoR7UK22

— Myosuke (@Myosuke) March 16, 2018

In Taiko no Tatsujin-related album news once again, DJ Myosuke is swiftly featuring an Extended Mix for HARDCORE no Kokoroe in his upcoming 5th album.

The same album is bound to also contain MAD FREAKS (also Extended Mix) from Groove Coaster, in case you are interested in rhythm gaming more widely.

Song of the Week! 17 March 2018

Today's Idolm@ster feature will be a doozy for someone who is looking for a challenge, as the two featured picks can provide some of the hardest rhythm gaming trials in Bandai Namco grounds!

Taiko no Tatsujin Blue Version: Rewards Shop

Originated from Momoiro Version, the Rewards Shop allows Banapassport players to unlock new elements for the arcade play (namely, customization avatar elements and songs) that are not unlockable through the unlocking of selective avatar titles. Previously a service which was exclusive to the Donder Hiroba platform, the Rewards Shop functionalities have been reworked from Yellow Version, disbanding the former system based on the Don Point/Shopping Point currency and dividing its catalog into two main different outlets, each using their own currency.

Together with the main Rewards Shop alternatives, the service is also supporting other theme-based outlets that are available for a limited time (like for the case of collaboration events and such), which also refer to one of the two currencies used in the main RS sections.

Taiko no Tatsujin Blue Version unlock list

All unlockables are limited to Banapassport users only.

List of Title Parts in Taiko no Tatsujin (Blue Version)

From Momoiro Version 2.04 onwards, arcade Banapassport players are able to set titles for their personal nickname either with one of the titles previously unlocked by doing specific tasks or by creating a new one by scratch by using specific title parts.

These title parts are basically divided into two different groups: nouns and phrases ('Group A') and symbols or connectives ('Group B'). Players can use up to 2 words from Group A and a symbol/connective from Group B to construct a custom title, following the scheme A-B-A. Any spot of said scheme can be left blank and the slots for Group A words can be filled with the same word.

While all the units from Group B are unlocked by default, players have to get the title parts from Group A through the rewards shop. Certain Group A parts can be unlocked only by achieving specific goals just like regular titles, whose unlocking requirements are explained into White Version's unlock page.

List of Titles in Taiko no Tatsujin (Blue Version)

The title stem was introduced by a firmware update in Taiko 0, and gives players with access to Banapassports nicknames to put beside their usernames while they play, as a mark of their in-game achievements, much like in other rhythm games with user profiles. The titles can be interchanged in Donder Hiroba when you have obtained them, and the one currently selected will display on the arcade screen wherever the player name is. Some titles unlock hidden content like songs and costumes.

It is possible to get more than one title in a go by overlapping the conditions for unlocking them. In addition, for newer players, Don Points (DP) will also be given out for titles they get (until Red Version).

Almost all the titles from the Yellow Version are available on Blue ver. as well, with the addition of new title unlocks. Once again, titles are not ordered under a numerical order.

Titles are listed below, translated into English wherever possible.

Taiko no Tatsujin Blue Ver. song list

Blue Version is the 10th color-labeled firmware upgrade to keep ignited the flame of the third-generation Taiko no Tatsujin arcade models, retaining Yellow Version's Rewards Shop model with the addition of new songs to boot.

The removal of White Version's Tokkun Mode has been compensated by the addition of the Performance Battle (演奏バトルモード) mode, a single-player campaign for Banapassport users that yield another set of unlockable contents by playing the arcade's songs to progress in a fantasy world, in order to defeat an evil dragon whose magic has turned humans into all sorts of monsters.

Taiko no Tatsujin Blue Version - Launch Window Update Post

One of the least advertised Taiko arcade versions's launch since the original-generation Taiko arcades is finally upon us! After the jump is a comfy grid with all the new songs featured in Blue Version's Day 1, complete with the previously-unannounced tunes that have made their way to this firmware's release.

Last update: 15/03/2018
Oni/Ura Oni video footage: 6/6 + 1/1 (DLC)
No. of Updates: 3

Twitter Snippets (February 10 2018): That Blue ver. Battle Mode PV We Sorely Missed

太鼓の達人ブルー新機能について① pic.twitter.com/DPmgAijKQf

— じょなはに (@jonah82_) February 10, 2018

② pic.twitter.com/xxIE342oKa

— じょなはに (@jonah82_) February 10, 2018

Yes, this promotional sequence actually came out way in advance in JAEPO 2018 back in February, but we did not catch wind until late last night (we only saw that poster with the mention back then). But hey, since this very same snippet also comes to all public Blue ver. cabinets today, we are considering this a minor victory against our usual lateness.

In brief, the Performance Battle Mode (演奏バトルモード) coming in Summer 2018 won't have you battle against fellow players like back in AC3 through AC6, but instead against monsters like "slightly derpy leg-butterflies", "very derpy chameleons" and "generic leaf spirit blobs" (names not serious) in a setting featuring you saving the world with the brand new female protagonist and princess Amitie (アミティ). Level up as you defeat enemies for... progress mechanics of unknown nature! There will also be Deathblows (必殺技) for you to blast through the enemy line in a swift.

Before you say how much a rip-off it is with the DS lines... well you are not wrong actually. Now that Nintendo Switch Version is not going to have any RPG element in (side mode is minigames), that character development has to go somewhere.

EDIT: Video form of the said PV. Not missing much though, other than music and little Don-chan jumps.

Feature: Taiko Sales Figures Comeback - The Digital Share

This is a sequel feature to our first overall look at the general sales figures in Taiko no Tatsujin games, where we took a look at the accountable physical software sales from every Taiko no Tatsujin title that has been made, up to the Ps Vita trilogy.

One big hindrance to our former researching efforts was the incapability to supply a consistent look at the overall sales of the more recent games in the series, as digital downloads have become a sizable feature for modern Taiko gaming and many sales figures usually don't incorporate the digital sales with the physical versions. As the interest for digital sales data has increased in the past few years and more platforms over the Internet have risen up to account the newborne share of the gaming market, we've come back to update the overall figure sales of the more recent Taiko titles, starting with the first games with accounted digital versions (the 3DS trilogy) and ending up with the PS4 Taiko addition as an overall newcomer to our research.

Together with the sources credited by us on our first sales research feature, we want to give a shoutout to the Game Data Library, a website which has gathered both digital and physical sales data for the Japanese market's videogame sales, with the digital figures being based on Famitsu's Digital Top 30 and the PlayStation Store Estimates.

Song of the Week! 10 March 2018

The returning Idolm@ster month continues with a couple of arcade-exclusive picks, both coming from some of the franchise's many Anime transpositions.

Twitter Snippets (9 March 2018) - Taiko no Tatsujin Nintendo Switch Version Website Now Open

【お知らせ】家庭用太鼓の達人最新作！Joy-Conがバチに大変身！『太鼓の達人 Nintendo Switchば～じょん！』2018年夏発売決定！公式サイトはこちら！https://t.co/VlVaPMtwbE#taiko765 pic.twitter.com/hO3aaRfo0E

— 太鼓の達人 (@taiko_team) 9 marzo 2018

With the official announcement now being out of the way, the heavily-guarded website for the future Taiko console game for the Nintendo Switch has just went online in a publicly-accessible form! As expected, however, there's nothing much to report right now, with only the main page being active at the moment.

Taiko no Tatsujin - Nintendo Switch Version!

Earlier in the day, we echoed back the random findings from Japanese wiki wikihouse about the one Taiko game we've been teased from last year's beginning. With the recently-broadcast Nintendo Direct live recording, the Japanese run has finally shown that yes, there's indeed a Taiko no Tatsujin game in the works for the Switch and yes, it's coming this very year!

Feature-wise, the video reveals that the Switch's trademark Joycon peripheral's sides can be detached and used as air-Bachi sticks to play as one of its control schemes! Other aspects that have been slightly touched upon in the Taiko segment are the returning multiplayer and a new minigame-based mode to boot.

Coming to the song selection, only four tracks have been revealed thus far: series-recurring Carmen Prelude and Natsu Matsuri as well as two Game Music tracks from recent Nintendo games: a short version of Super Mario Odyssey's Jump Up, Super Star! and a Splatoon 2 Medley (the same one that Blue Version is getting in a few days for its launch).

No precise release date yet, as we've been given a generic Summer 2018 placeholder. Stay tuned!

Random: Taiko no Tatsujin for Nintendo Switch? A Revisit with New Evidence

In random news hinted by the wikihouse comment section, some people have found that the domain http://switch.taiko-ch.net/ is now something hidden behind authentication locks, instead of a dead or non-existent link. You know what that stands for, right?

Be that as it may, there is no actual concrete information as of the writing of this post (for example, that rating-pending slot for the Switch title we have seen last year is still pending). The only waypoint we are confortable to provide is the Nintendo Direct livestream on March 9 2018 at 07:00.

Namco Taiko Blog (8 March 2018) - The Road to Blue Version

One week prior to the Blue Version release day, we're getting the obligatory reminder about what will and won't be carried over for Banapassport players in this latest arcade firmware transition. As it's the very same kind of speech as in previous instances of this kind of notice, here's a slightly-modified copy-pasta concerning the most important topics:

• All takeover data from the Banapassport accounts are referring to all the data recorded up until Yellow Version's last official operating day (Mar 14th);
• All the data concerning the Taiko Avatar (appearance), played songs (crowns, performance details for each not-removed songs) and unlocked rewards will be carried over, as well as most of the Donder Plaza's user profiles and related settings and the amount of Don/Katsu Medals earned;
• Everything about the removed songs (and the related crowns), Donder Plaza's Challenge/My News History log (Kigurumi outfit, ranking history, removed songs as favorite tracks) and Yellow Version's Dojo Ranking mode won't be carried over.

For what concerns the Rewards Shop lineup, the Don Medals seasonal shop will stay to the currently-active lineups as of Yellow Version's discontinuation: the Yellow Ver. Winter shop, the regular Katsu Medal permanent shop and the permanent Title Parts gacha.

Link to original post

Across Japan: Hiroba-nai and the Yellow ver. Last Stand

When once again Japan's version change is smackdabbed in the middle of the monthly Facebook Tournament, you know we are not going to get Blue ver. on the same day. Let's get the tournament details out quick and we'll talk about updates on the Hiroba-nai Movement.

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

極圏 Kyokuken x10
　　　cosMo VS dj TAKA / 「SOUND VOLTEX」より
怒槌 Ikazuchi x10
　　　光吉猛修 Takenobu Mitsuyoshi / 「CHUNITHM」より
Scarlet Lance x10
　　　MASAKI (ZUNTATA) /「グルーヴコースター」より Groove Coaster
(best total of three songs)

Taiko Drum Monster x7
　　　steμ feat. siroa
Link to original post

But as you know, despite the overwhelming support for the rally, the Taiko Team on the Asian ver. Facebook has not responded well and is still just pushing out canned-as-ever announcements.

So as Yellow ver. approaches its end (even though Blue ver. still undated), the Hiroba-nai Movement will move onto another front and takes on the Ranking Dojo as well. In short, in addition to the monthly tournaments, Donders are encouraged to also use their ひろばない (Hiroba-nai) profiles to take on the Ranking Dojo trials, in the hopes to also fill the version-end ranked-in list with the tagline.

As from the announcement for Red ver., they will be listing all successful rankers from 8-dan (八段) and up, so if you are interested feel free to try from there. Even if you can't get past 8-dan, the Movement still encourages you to try nonetheless at a level you are more attuned; it's the thought that counts anyway.

To end this rally, let us also remind ourselves of the songs that do not get to greater Asia in a parody commercial for the Asian ver. Yellow ver., which the count has reached 100 since.

Postscript link: Player profile naming guide

Wonder Momo Lyrics

Due to copyright-claimed by the copyright owner, we are unable to include an embedded notechart video with this Lyrcs Feature. Please see the notechart video on YouTube instead.

Composer, Lyrics: Kimio Yudate (弓達公雄)
Arrangement: Ryou Yonemitsu (米光亮)
Vocals: TAKA & Masagoro (TAKA&まさごろ)

First Video: LOVE&ENERGY

 LOVE&ENERGY (2/2/5/7; 496 notes on Oni)

A few days later, we found the video of the latest wrestling-related song into Taiko! Compared to RAINMAKER's Oni, this challenge has a lesser note density overall while sharing the trait of a pure 1/16 charting approach.

Song of the Week! 3 March 2018

On this very same day, six years ago, we've had our very first period of themed Song of the Week entries, with our first month-centric focus being put on the Idolm@ster franchise. Much has changed for the collaboration landscape of Bandai Namco's popular music series with Taiko gaming, up to the point of crossing roads in more (and deeper!) ways than ever before!

The course of events that have led us to today's same-day blog occurrance have brought us to the decision of having yet another month full of Idolm@ster song reviews in Taiko history, for what is also going to become a first for us: a full month of guaranteed Ura Oni song features for each of March's articles. Now that the stage is set, it's time to let the producer-trained performers shine once more, for an entire month here on Taiko Time!

Across Japan (1 March 2018) - Blue Version's Same-day Removals

Mirroring the dreadful blog entry notice of a few weeks back, greater Asia's arcade players will see the loss of selected licensed picks, coinciding with the Japanese release of Blue Version (March 15th). After the jump are listed all the removed songs from the non-Japanese arcades.

Link to original post

Taiko Plus - New Japan Pro Wrestling Collab + GTH Songs

#太鼓の達人 #njpw やってみた。楽しい♪嬉しい♪ pic.twitter.com/soYQSUQY3z

— 棚橋弘至 (@tanahashi1_100) 1 marzo 2018

While we got no updates on the impending iOS song packs removal for Taiko Plus, the month is starting with renewed collaborative efforts from the Japanese pro wresling league! LOVE & ENERGY, the entrance theme of Hiroshi Tanahashi (棚橋弘至), will be available for everyone to play for free for the entire month of March, together with the formerly-released, wrestling-related song RAINMAKER. Both tracks have also been added to the Gakkyoku Tori Houdai subscription plan, making them available to paying users even after the promo campaign.

Once that video footage of the song will be available, we're updating the front page with a video recording of the song in action (rated 2/2/5/7).

After the jump are instead today's other additions to Taiko Plus' GTH mode, available for both versions of the app together with the two aforementioned Variety picks.