Introducing Namco’s TAIKO: Drum Master

Just because you haven’t heard of it, doesn’t mean that a particular game hasn’t been around for a while. Such is the case with Namco’s TAIKO: Drum Master. Debuting in the US this fall, the series has been entertaining gamers in Japan since its initial arcade release in 2001 and subsequent PlayStation 2 release in 2002. In all, there have been eleven different TAIKO titles -- six in the arcade and five console versions. Come October 26, you’ll be able to see what all the fuss is about.

The word taiko refers to both the Japanese art of taiko drumming and to the drums themselves (so you could technically refer to the game as " Drum Drum Master" but TAIKO sounds a bit less repetitive). According to the online Rolling Thunder Taiko Resource taiko drumming has been part of Japanese culture for more than 2,000 years. While the game won' t take you quite that long to master, it does promise to provide hours of entertainment if the preview build we played today is any indication.

Learning the Drums

Playing TAIKO consists of tapping the drum on-beat to the music and on-screen indicators. It sounds simple, and the easy difficultly level is quite friendly to beginning players, but the challenge quickly ramps up. On the hardest settings there is more than enough complexity here to try the skills of even veteran drummers.

The song list contains a good mixture of licensed music, classical tunes and Namco original songs. One of the most addictive songs in the list is the William Tell Overture. In all there are 31 different tracks to choose from.

After picking your music, the screen will display a rolling banner with blue and red circles on it. The red circles indicate that you should tap the center of the drum, while the blue circles will require tapping the outer edge. Large versions of the same are a " hard hit," requiring you to hit the drum with both sticks. The occasional yellow circle indicates a drum roll (tap quickly). There is also a balloon that has to be popped by tapping the drum to inflate it until it bursts.

If a second player joins the fun, the game does not simply duplicate the pattern, instead each player is given a complimentary level pattern so that the beats do not conflict. It is possible to play with one player on a drum controller and the second on a dual shock, but for the full experience you really should have two drums hooked up to the PlayStation 2.

Mini-Game Mayhem!

In addition to the main game, TAIKO also features three mini-games for one or two players. The first is a watermelon eating contest where the purpose is to gulp down your slices before your opponent and then spit the seeds at the opposing drum all while avoiding the man who is trying to hit your drum. The second mini-game has players using their drums to light fireworks, while avoiding bombs and the third requires you to use your drums to balance a growing tower of monkeys until it is tall enough to grab onto a helicopter.

Weird? Most definitely. Fun? Certainly -- especially when competing against another player. Between the mini-games and the main arcade mode, TAIKO is one of those games that promises to shine at parties. It is also a game that transcends age barriers and appeals to just about anyone.

Although our time with the preview build was entirely positive, there are a few issues which bear mentioning, one of which is the drum sticks themselves. The sticks included with the game are rather large, roughly an inch in diameter, and while they were comfortable enough during our play time, smaller sticks might hold up better for extended jam sessions.

It is also worth noting that the mini-games were addictively fun with two players, but we can' t say how well they will hold up when playing solo. Finally, Namco has not yet made any plans to sell the drum controller separately, which means if you want to have a full setup, you' ll need to purchase two bundle packs (including two copies of the game) at $60 each. Ouch.

Despite these minor concerns, TAIKO is already shaping up to be one of the holiday season' s hottest titles. If you haven' t yet heard of it, don' t worry. You will. We' ll have a final verdict when the game ships next month.

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