taiko-no-tatsujin
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New Wii Taiko Drum Master features New Super Mario Bros. theme
Previous Taiko no Tatsujin -- or Taiko Drum Master -- games for Wii and DS have featured playable medleys of Super Mario Bros. music, accompanied by 8-bit dancing Mario and friends. The latest Wii release in the adorable drumming series, Taiko no Tatsujin Wii Everybody Party 3rd, builds on the formula by featuring the theme from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, along with polygonal Mario, Luigi and Toad dancers. Andriasang notes that in addition to the NSMB Wii track, the new Taiko Drum Master features musical renditions from other notable games including Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, God Eater, Ridge Racer Type 4, and ... Muscle March. The game also includes minigames with pirate, alien, fairytale and Gator Panic themes. In general, there's a ton of great-looking content, making the fact that no Taiko game has been localized for release outside of Japan since 2004 that much more crushing.
Rumor: First rumblings of a Taiko Wii sequel
We keep following new Taiko no Tatsujin game announcements, even though we know the games are never going to leave Japan, because the games are just so delightful we can't help it. And now, according to retailer Gamestar, a second Wii game is headed to Japan on November 17, in both a drum bundle and by itself.Called Taiko no Tatsujin: Dodon to 2-dai-me (roughly Taiko Drum Master: Dodon Chapter 2), the new game will contain over 70 songs and include the boss battle mode from the last DS game. The first Taiko drummed up some lovely sales upon its Japanese release, and, well, it doesn't take much to convince Namco to release Taiko sequels. Except in North America, where the series appeared once and shows no sign of returning.[Via Andriasang]
Namco Bandai drums up Japanese sales for 12/8 - 12/14
Japanese gamers evidently don't want to work; they just want to bang on the virtual drum all day. Or, more specifically, the Wii release of Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin, which barely eked out a first-place spot over Animal Crossing: City Folk in Media Create's Japanese software sales charts for December 8 through 14. In all, four Wii titles and six DS games comprised the top 10. Taiko no Tatsujin (Wii): 106K Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii): 98K Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe (DS): 95K Wagamama Fashion Girls Mode (DS): 63K Penguin no Mondai: Saikyou Penguin Densetsu! (DS): 59K Professor Layton and the Final Time Journey (DS): 58K Pokémon Platinum (DS): 58K Rhythm Tengoku Gold (DS): 45K Wii Fit (Wii): 43K Mario Kart Wii (Wii): 34K
Nintendo sweeps Japanese sales charts
According to the latest Media Create charts, Nintendo platforms completely dominated the market last week in Japan, with all of the top ten games being Wii or DS releases. It may not have been the busiest week in terms of sales -- the best-selling game was the newly-released Taiko no Tatsujin Wii at 106,000 copies -- but that's still a pretty wacky achievement. Of the ten games on the list, seven were published by Nintendo, and an eighth, Professor Layton and the Final Time Travel, is from a series published by Nintendo outside of Japan. The full top ten, including four Wii games, is after the break.%Gallery-33435%
First look: Taiko no Tatsujin Wii
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii just released in Japan and, as you can imagine, we're incredibly jealous. We fell in love with the series back when Taiko Drum Master released on the PS2. Basically, every installment we see looks great, including the latest DS incarnations. Thankfully, Josh from Wii Folder has snagged a copy and composed a video for those of us that don't live in the awesome country of Japan. Head past the break to check it out.%Gallery-33435%
Watch children enjoy Taiko no Tatsujin Wii
The kids in this ad are totally enthusiastic, but we'd be even more excited than these two kids if we walked into the living room and found Taiko no Tatsujin Wii and two drums. These imaginary parents (of the future, since the game comes out December 11) were able to just go to the store and purchase the game, whereas anyone hoping to elicit an "Ohhhh, Taiko da!" (It's Taiko!) from us would have to order an import copy of the game and surreptitiously install homebrew software on our Wii. The point is, basically, that we are intensely jealous of these children and their adorable, Taiko-tolerating cat. The girl just twists the knife by declaring that it's "like an arcade." Oh, right, they have arcades too. %Gallery-33435%
Unlocking memories in Taiko no Tatsujin Wii
Taiko no Tatsujin Wii's "Daily Challenge Dojo" is a mode designed to be played once a day, consisting of a series of specific challenges. Like the DS Taiko games in which the Dojo previously appeared, daily Dojo time unlocks new songs.The other, cuter mode introduced by Bandai Namco today is the Memory Album, in which players can watch cutscenes showing the early life story of Wadadon the drum. As you play through the game and fill the Don Gauge, you'll unlock occasional scenes of a baby Wadadon. Oh, and new songs too. We wonder if the rush of Wii owners importing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom will have a positive effect on other imports coming out around the same time? Because this would be a pretty great option for people looking to blow more cash on Japanese games.%Gallery-33435%
Taiko no Tatsujin rocks Japanese television in latest ad spot
Oh boy, we're pumped to try out some Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) on our Wii. The only problem is, we're not sure if we're going to be able to, as Namco has made no intention to release the game outside of Japan ... so far. Sure, we could import, but the Japanese might be a bit too much for us. That's a discussion for another time, we suppose.With some crossed fingers (do you know how hard it is to blog with crossed fingers?) and optimistic attitudes, we're wishing upon every star we see and hoping beyond hope that we will get a localization of the game. In the meanwhile, we'll just have to settle for awesome Japanese advertising, which you can catch past the break. Be sure to hit up our gallery for some new screens, as well.%Gallery-33435%
Wii Warm Up: Taiko Risk Assessment
Taiko Drum Master was released in the US once, on PlayStation 2. It didn't really go well. Now Namco Bandai has revealed a version for the Wii, and we're wondering if they'll decide to localize it. Or if they should. Well, of course they should, but we mean in terms of financial success.Since the release of the PS2 game, Guitar Hero and Rock Band have somehow moved the music game out of the exclusive realm of people like us and into the mainstream. You probably know people who have one of those games. There's another factor in Taiko's favor this time: it's basically a party game, and the Wii is openly hospitable toward those.Do you think a Taiko could be a success on the Wii outside of Japan? Are Americans ready to bang on a tiny replica of a Japanese drum in time with "Katamari on the Rock"?%Gallery-33435%
Wii Warm Up: Plugging it in
After seeing Taiko No Tatsujin Wii yesterday, we definitely think the drum looks pretty sweet ... but we also noticed something mildly annoying: it plugs into the Wii remote, like so many other things. Now, look, we're not saying this feature is in any way a gamebreaker -- it's just one of those features that begs the question of whether or not there would have been a better way. Of course, we are completely picky bastards, so perhaps this is something you don't even think about. Or is it? Gallery: Taiko no Tatsujin Wii
TGS08: Up close with Taiko's Drum Master
Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) is currently delighting Tokyo Game Show attendees on the showfloor, allowing us a first glimpse of the drum controller that comes with the game. It looks sturdy and very ... hittable! We look forward to seeing how it comes packaged, though are slightly saddened that this version won't have its own Taiko-themed stand.Also worth noting: judging by these photos, the drum is wireless, and connects directly to the Wiimote, à la the Classic Controller. Beat a path past the break for more pictures.%Gallery-33435%
Screw you, Rock Band: Taiko no Tatsujin's wireless drum
In the midst of the seemingly-endless avalanche of Nintendo news in the latter half of this week, the tiniest of precious jewels appeared. Is it as important as Club Nintendo in the U.S. or new games? No, but it's damned neat, and it's the Taiko no Tatsujin Wii bundle. The game, which is slated for Japan on December 12, will be bundled with a wireless drum. Now that's a big ol' Wii accessory we could really get behind. The bundle retails for ¥7,980 ($75), and additional drums can be purchased for ¥3,990 ($38).Here's why this news isn't even cooler: we'll probably never see it, unless you want to go to the trouble of importing everything necessary to bang your drum in your living room. Rats!
Nintendo conference screen mega-roundup!
Click for full-sized image Nintendo announced a lot of games last night at their Japanese conference. Many of them, like Punch-Out!! here, were brand new. Some, like Supan Smasher and Cosmic Walker, we still don't know anything about. But we've got screenshots. So many screenshots. After the break, you'll find galleries of all the new games, along with new screens of some upcoming games we've known about for a while. Of special interest to us: the previously-announced Oboro Muramasa Youtouden, coming to the US as Muramasa: The Demon Blade, because it looks super hot, Karaoke Joysound Wii, which appears to have art by Parappa creator Rodney Alan Greenblat, and Takuto of Magic (Wand of Magic), which appears to be a followup to Taito's LostMagic on the DS. %Gallery-33381%
Start beating the drum for Taiko localization
Against all odds, Namco decided to release a localized version of Taiko no Tatsujin on the PS2 in 2004. We don't have solid sales data, but judging by Taiko Drum Master's quick drop in price at retail (and the fact that Guitar Hero hadn't happened yet, so music games were still for scary nerds), the American public was less than enthused with the idea of paying $60 to play a miniature Japanese drum. According to a Cubed3 interview with Bandai Namco's Ken Nakadate, the company may just be willing to give the series another chance in the U.S. on a system that doesn't require any specialized hardware: the DS. In response to C3's inquiry about localization, Nakadate gave an answer that is one step above the normal "we haven't announced anything" response:"We want the customers in Europe and US to enjoy the Japanese Taiko drum. The schedule for US or European releases is undecided but we would release them if we receive a lot of requests from US and European customers!"Enjoy the Japanese Taiko drum! Enjoy it with all of your heart!
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6
The most recent Japanese charts showed us that musical instruments have more legs than horses, as Band Brothers DX jumped up into the first place spot. Meanwhie, Nanashi no Game made its debut in the top ten, but only sold a total of 30,000 copies. Hardware sales were also interesting, as the DS stubbornly held onto the second spot: PSP: 56,439 (2,442) Nintendo DS: 47,455 (1,429) Wii: 44,525 (3,955) PlayStation 3: 14,359 (3,614) PlayStation 2: 11,768 ( 4,095) Xbox 360: 4,776 (328) With the Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G craze finally starting to quiet a bit, we don't think it will be too long before the PSP dips closer to DS sales (as long as Nintendo's handheld can maintain its own momentum). Enough about the future, though -- it's all about the now. So, go on and see how software fared last week in Japan by clicking past the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/16-6/22
The DS found itself back in cozy old third place in this week's chart, as the hype from Metal Gear Solid 4 died down a bit in Japan: PSP: 59,531 (5,325) Wii: 41,037 (4,527) NDS: 36,599 (2,602) PS3: 20,336 (54,975) PS2: 6,346 (951) Xbox 360: 2,555 (392) Meanwhile, Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team's steady climb back into the top ten makes us wonder if supply just wasn't meeting demand a few weeks earlier, when the game fell out of the top thirty. Yet overall, the DS had a relatively boring week in terms of software, with no exciting new releases to congratulate or poke fun at (unless you consider the budget-priced re-release of Puyo Puyo 15th Anniversary "exciting" and "new").If you want to see what Japanese gamers were buying last week, though, just click on past the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/9-6/15
Just as we were starting to get comfortable with the DS coming in third consistently on the Japanese hardware charts, Metal Gear Solid 4 came out and helped push our favorite handheld down to fourth. Fourth! Meaning, it only did better than the PS2 and 360. Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake! DS hardware did get a little boost, though, despite the fact that not much new software made its way into the charts: Playstation 3: 75,311 (64,455) PSP: 64,675 (2,659) Wii: 45,564 (925) Nintendo DS: 39,201 (4,181) PlayStation 2: 7,297 (1,018) Xbox 360: 2,163 (117) There were some surprises this week, as Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! found itself back in the top thirty (so did Pokémon Diamond). But, you can just see all the hot software action for yourself after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/2-6/8
We're crying for Namco Bandai's Tears of 99 right now, as the game debuted in the twenty-third spot this week. We guess Japanese gamers just didn't feel like being bummed out, and therefore avoided buying this original title. Sad, indeed.The rest of DS software didn't do so hot, either. Detective game Misa Yamamura Suspense premiered in fifth, and Beautiful Letter Training continues to sell incredibly well for a nongame about calligraphy, but otherwise sales were a disappointment. Front Mission 2089 and Endless Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga are already showing a lack of legs, since both of the games dropped considerably from the previous week. Glory of Herakles and Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! have even fallen out of the top thirty completely. Hardware is the same old story: PSP: 62,016 (9,970) Wii: 44,639 (6,212) Nintendo DS: 35,020 (3,335) PlayStation 3: 10,856 (1,687) PlayStation 2: 6,279 (924) Xbox 360: 2,280 (321) Check out all the software numbers and rankings for yourself, should you feel so inclined. They're listed after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/26-6/1
Two DS games debuted in the top ten this week (Endless Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga and the cutesy spatial puzzler Empty Space Training), but otherwise, DS software had a relatively lackluster performance. Only twelve titles ended up in the top thirty, which is low for Nintendo's handheld. As for hardware, the DS is getting comfortable in third place behind the PSP and Wii: PSP: 71,986 (7,537) Wii: 50,851 (1,804) Nintendo DS: 38,355 (951) PlayStation 3: 9,169 (98) PlayStation 2: 7,203 (14) Xbox 360: 1,959 (12) Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness is another game that premiered last week, taking twelfth in the charts. If it follows the path of games like Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! and Glory of Herakles, though, it's likely to drop soon. As for English of the Dead, the game didn't debut in the top fifty, and according to Famitsu it only sold 1,500 copies in its first week. Click on past the break to see the other software numbers and rankings from 5/29 to 6/1.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25
After a somewhat stalwart week, DS software recovered nicely and once again dominated the charts. Even though the same amount of games appeared in the top thirty (fifteen in total), they ranked higher on average than they did in the previous week. Good software sales also gave DS hardware a little boost: PSP: 64,449 (6,087) Wii: 49,047 (7,475) Nintendo DS: 37,404 (2,499) PlayStation 3: 9.071 (1,370) PlayStation 2: 7,189 (167) Xbox 360: 1,947 (473) Four new games debuted in the top thirty, including Sega's Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team!, which nabbed the first place spot from Monster Hunter. The other three games were Glory of Herakles, Scarlet Fragment, and Tea Dogs Room 3. Herakles (or Hercules, if you prefer) is the title that sparks our interest the most, as it's an interesting RPG published by Nintendo. Even so, it's first week sales were (unfortunately) subpar, yet good enough to land it in the top ten.Check out the sales numbers and rankings for yourself after the break.
