...okay, that title is quite the mouthful, but that's more on the point of us doing the usual post-livestream talk in a hybrid way! Seeing how the Taiko Team is starting to offer their own broadcast recap via blog entry and considering the short length of yesterday's run, we're leeching out of the blog entry for the overall rundown, while also highlighting a few of the reveals that were left out in the official blog entry.
We've also got some more precise dates pertaining some of the covered content that were only posted with today's blog entry, so we can be sure that EVERYONE can take away something new out of this!!
Starting up was the Namco-lead game center talk and the Taiko-related events within. The latest Donder Station to be opened was Minami Kumamoto's Namco Wonder City, starting operations since February the 2nd!
For the first time, we're also hearing about the reoccurring Real Ranking Dojo event happening outside of Japan! South Korea's TAIKO LABS game center, in fact, will be the first one of such venues hosting the "earn a real Ranking Dojo certificate" event that's all the rage in these past few years of Nijiiro operations.
Location tests for the Taiko drum revision are still up in the air, as well! Starting from March 1st, the Namco Hakata Bus Terminal Store will be geared with the new MDF-based drums and will be accepting feedback for an even-finer-tuned end result.
The game center-focused event closed up with the reveal of a giveaway operation that was already hinted at via last year's broadcasts!
This Taiko no Tatsujin goods campaign will award (Japanese) Banapassport players points for Taiko no Tatsujin credit plays between February 28th and May 25th this year, which can then be used to claim one of three items between a Taiko-themed backpack (100 points), a MyBachi holder (75 points; two possible designs) or a Taiko-themed mini acrylic stand between 10 different models, each priced 15 points. This Banapassport campaign's dedicated website section is also already open, for those who wanna know more about how to apply for it!
For the kind of merchandise that's not gated behind a promotional campaign, on the other hand, here's an item that has been a sought-after accessory: official MyBachi straps! Available in the three colors of the currently-available models, these will be available to purchase from the online ASOBI STORE for a month, starting on February 17th... today, in fact!
Those who will go for either of these models will be also granted quite the unique perk: a MyBachi-themed costume for all your Nijiiro Version needs! These costumes will also come with the unique customization flair of being able to change the color of the outfit's grip tape, via Donder Hiroba! The MyBachi strap's packaging will include an unique QR code to allow Banapassport players to claim the perk via either Nijiiro arcades or the Donder Hiroba platform.
Today's Taiko Team blog entry left the folloing out for their recap, but as it turns out the Taiko-related merchandise talk wasn't over just yet! A handful of gachapon-related trinkets were shown out starting with Don and Katsu audio keychains that are already out. They even play out Don and Kat sounds according to where you tap them!
Following these up are a handful of crane game prizes that are headed to the Banpresto-made crane machines in the coming two months. In order, we got Taiko-siblings face-sized cushions, the returning giant Don-chan plushie, a few note-bearing Taiko bros kechains and two variants of Don and Katsu headed for an April release: drawing-brother figures and bona-fide Don/Katsu audio speakers!
For those who are curious, all the merch has also been shown off in the broadcast by the Taiko hosts, alongside the Taiko goods campaign's items and the MyBachi straps.
We're now heading to the proper arcade-versed talk, with another prized return! The Rewards-a-plenty unlock campaign from former years will return in 2025 with a new set of unlockable items from both past and present times. Be sure to do your plays within April 20th, if you're interested in the customization events that will be up for grabs!
We're also getting informed on how the two songs that were selected out of 2024's Cosmic Radio contest will be coming to arcades soon as well. The disclaimers in place around this part also warn us about the elected tunes not gracing all-areas Nijiiro cabs at the same time, but that's a story for another time...
One tidbit we didn't weight that much on in the blog was the recent revival of ZOLA Project song Eccentric w, being owed to an anniversary contest which is ending next month. One of the winners from this contest will also become playable in Taiko no Tatsujin and the Etou/Kimizu duo sure wanted to be sure how this project is still in the cards!
Speaking of 'cards' (although in a roundabout way), another of the foreshadowed campaigns from foreign fields shows its head in form of the newly-revealed THE iDOLM@STER TOURS, the upcoming Idolm@ster music game whose cabinets will also be able to print out cards of varying rarity of several of the series' many idols. Some of these were also shown off, with official album displays on top!
It was revealed on an Idolm@ster stream how the newcoming arcade would be interacting somehow with Nijiiro Version (our brief coverage of it on BlueSky), and now the cat's out of the bag! Rather than a collaboration event, it's a simple unlock procedure requiring the same Banapassport card at hand: by playing TOURS first and then Nijiiro Version, two arcade-playing Don outfits will be unlocked in the Banapassport card used for both plays. One's an older arcade-y outfit from earlier Im@s arcade campaigns, sure, but the other one is brand-new!
And at last, the livestream's reason-to-be manifested itself... happy (early) 24th series anniversary! In place of the usual arcade-versed questions corner, ten comments about the most treasured Donder memories about the franchise as a whole were collected via poll and shown the whole class! They're also in the Taiko Team livestream recap, too.
Once again, the ringing of a new Taiko anniversary is going to be welcomed by a brand-new Namco Original's coming! The 2025 anniversary song will be the theme of Amitie from the Taiko 0 Blue days: the song Opera「Recollect Blue」. A preview clip for it was also played!
Rolling out from March onward is also a cosmethic change for special title unlocks that was introduced from POLARiSNAUT, differenciating Normal/FC/DFC clear titles for songs having special titles on both Oni and Ura Oni settings!
One of the more relevant updates brought up with today's blog entry is an appendix for the following slide, revealing the release plans of 2024's TnT Music Recruitment contest winners! The judges-chosen winners shown below will grace Nijiiro between March and May (most likely as Weekend Warriors debuts like in the past), with the two General Public Voting winners getting released at an even-later date.
While it's still early to talk about the upcoming Ranking Dojo main course revision for 2025, the Taiko Team's hosts felt mighty generous in revealing in advance who's responsible for the newcoming 10-Dan final song!
It's none other than Seifuumeigetsu, aka the Drop/Yura Hatsuki duo already popular for four-hand hits like Sacred Ruin (and Nosferatu, from the current Ranking Dojo main course lineup!). Judging from the bried author's comments below, we'll be dealing with a heavy-hitting song going as hard and steady as it gallops forward. And this wasn't the only mystery for this livestream's ending...
Because indeed, after a good couple of years since the last time, the infamous 2000 song series is filling their work-stressed ranks with yet another non-remix/mashup member! The upcoming song will go by the name of Toroika 2000 and its reveal came with a (really small) snippet for it. Just good luck figuring anything out of this, for now...
Wonder of all wonders, this broadcast had enough stamina in it for one final FINAL mystery around it, with the following video playing as soon as Etou and Kimizu have left the broadcast.
Until next time, as usual, take care and... uuuh, whatever this was all about...
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