Taiko no Tatsujin is an extremely popular franchise in Japan. All over the country, people are coming together to play this rhythm game in the arcades. Fans in the West begged for an overseas release of the franchise for years and it seems like their prayers are answered. Taiko no Tatsujin Drum ‘n’ Fun marks the first entry of the iconic rhythm game on Nintendo Switch and after spending some time with it, it’s time to tell you if this game was worth waiting for.
The beats of the drum
For those who aren’t familiar with the franchise, let me explain it briefly. Taiko no Tatsujin is a rhythm game that’s best comparable to games such as Guitar Hero and Donkey Konga. It’s a rhythm game where you have to hit the right notes at the right time. Where you play guitar in Guitar Hero, you play a traditional Japanese drum called Taiko in this franchise. Although the game comes without a specific controller, you can get the Drumkit created by HORI in stores. In my opinion, this is the best way to play since it resembles the real experience the most.
Just like in many other rhythm games, the notes are colored differently to show you where you need to hit your drum. A red note means you need to hit the center of the drum while a blue one means you need to hit the rim. It’s an easy concept but there are special notes forcing you to hit the drum with both sticks and a lot more. Soon after the first songs, you’ll learn that this game is a lot harder compared to similar games. The songs are fast and can become rather hectic in mere seconds. Without proper practice, you’ll need to restart a lot of songs if you want to reach a decent score.
The taiko is strong in this one
After spending some time with the game, I came to two major conclusions. The first one is the fact that this game is extremely weird. This is without a doubt the most Japanese thing I saw in my gaming career and believe me, I saw a lot of games. Not only does the game feature a setlist that features a majority of Japanese songs, everything about it just screams Japan. The artwork is all over the place and the celebrations while playing are all over the top, literally. Although I’m sure not everybody will like this, I had a lot of fun while playing. There’s no better party than a Japanese party and this game simply delivers. If you’re into Japanese music and are looking for the perfect party game, look no further, I’m sure this game can become a big hit at parties.
My second conclusion, however, isn’t that positive. Without the drumkit, the game falls flat. I’ve tried playing it without the drum and in all honesty, it’s near to impossible. One of the biggest selling points of the Nintendo Switch version is the fact that you can play it with your Joy-Con, replacing the drumsticks. At first sight, this is a brilliant idea since it would make the drum irrelevant and we would finally have an experience close to the arcades in the comfort of our living rooms. Sadly, the technology isn’t quite there yet. The game has trouble locating the Joy-Con and hitting every note correctly is just impossible. It happened multiple times that the game registered my upward movements as a hit on my virtual drum, which was extremely frustrating. To solve this problem, the game does offer some alternatives like using a regular controller or changing the controls to a scheme where it doesn’t matter where you hit the notes, as long as you hit them. It’s good to see that the developers thought of alternatives but nothing really comes close to the immersion you’ll have while using the physical drumkit.
Let’s get this party started
Although the game’s not perfect, it’s one of the better party games currently on the market. Thanks to its Japanese chaos, you’ll be sucked into the party instantly and you won’t stop until you had enough. What’s even more fun is that this Switch version also comes with some crazy mini-games. It’s not the best part of the game but it offers some fun variation from the constant drumming otherwise. Thanks to this addition, you can keep the party going for hours. Also keep in mind that this version also comes with exclusive Nintendo themed songs, a great addition to the Japanese setlist. What I did miss was an online mode, a shame we can’t compete with others all over the world.
Conclusion:
Taiko no Tatsujin Drum ‘n’ Fun has its issues, it’s not a perfect game and without the drumkit, it’s hard to hit the notes with precision. That being said, if you’re able to play it with the drumkit, it does offer a lot of fun and it’s certainly one of the most unique rhythm games on the market. Don’t expect perfection if you get this in store but prepare for a lot of chaotic Japanese fun on your own or with your friends and family. This might be the perfect party game to play this Holiday Season.
