If you are ready to become a drum master then it's time to play Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master! This incredibly fun, fluid, quirky, and addictive musical rhythm game is all about hopping into a variety of songs while you drum to the beat in order to get a high score. Playing out like other traditional rhythm games, The Drum Master is super easy to get into but takes a good amount of time to master its offerings.Don't worry, you can play this game with a controller and drums aren't necessary, although it would probably make the experience more immersive. Due to the colorful and vibrant nature of the presentation, The Drum Master is an accessible game, however, that doesn't mean it's easy. The following tips should help you get up to speed if you opt to hop into this drumming experience.
7 Be Sure To Check Out The Tutorial First
Okay, this should be an obvious point but it still begs to be mentioned right upfront. Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master might just look like a cartoony music game with little challenge, however, that couldn't be farther from the truth, at least in terms of the difficulty. The cartoony and colorful presentation belies the nuanced and deep gameplay.
Simply put, go through the short tutorial first. The tutorial will quickly get you up to speed with what buttons to use to press for the different drum beats, specifically the red and blue drum beats. If you ever forget what buttons to use or if you want to switch them up, you can always refer to the tutorial at any time to get you back up to speed.
6 You Can Always Add A Second Player
Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master can be played solo or in multiplayer. Aside from playing against others in online ranked matches, you can also add a second player locally at any time. By holding down a specific face button on the song selection screen, a second player can hop right into the game to join in on the fun.
Musical rhythm games thrive off of diversity, inclusivity, and creativity, so it's great to see The Drum Master allow for both local play and online play. Plus, it's a great way to test your mettle against your friends and family. Who will get that high score?
5 There Are A Bunch Of Difficulties
Right off the bat, Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master features a bunch of different difficulty levels depending on how ready for a challenge you are. Not only are there different difficulties, but there are also different star rankings within each difficulty depending on the song you are choosing to play.
It's a surprisingly deep and nuanced system that has been tailored for each song. Basically, you can choose from Easy, Normal, Hard, or Extreme, with the latter option often letting you play divergent notes or secret parts of the song to spice things up. No matter your skill level, you can have a good time in this game.
4 Spruce Up Your Drum Buddy
Easily one of the most fun parts of this game is the ability to spruce up your adorable drum buddy. Yep, you can completely customize your drum buddy with a host of colors, outfits, pets, hats, and the like. It's completely superfluous but utterly endearing to see your smiling drum buddy all dressed up for the occasion.
From the get-go, you are able to change your drum buddy's colors but you quickly start earning coins from successful playthroughs of songs. With your coins, you can hop into the shop to buy all sorts of wacky, bizarre, and hilarious cosmetics for your drum buddy.
3 Gameplay Is Combo-Based
The gameplay in Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master is all based around combos and high scores. You essentially have two separate drumming notes, a blue one and a red one. Each of these notes is played with a different button on the controller and must be pressed when the note meets the center of the target area.
In order to clear a song successfully, you must meet a certain score threshold which is indicated near the top-right of the screen by a musical score bar. In order to get the best scores you need to focus on hitting each drum beat successfully without missing a beat so to speak. The higher the combo you achieve, the more score and coins you receive at the end of the song. It's a simple system but it takes a good deal of time to get used to.
2 Plenty Of Musical Variety On Offer
Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master has a deep music library depending on your preferences. While music is most certainly a subjective thing, there are sure to be at least some songs to bring a smile to your face. From classical music pieces to anime themes to J-Pop, the diversity in this game is quite staggering.
If that wasn't enough, you can even find songs from games such as Tales of Arise and Undertale. It's a pretty impressive lineup and you can even buy some additional songs from the in-game shop.
1 It's One Heck Of A Bizarre Game
Frankly, Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master is a completely bonkers and bizarre game. Fortunately, this craziness actually works in the game's favor. There is so much variety in terms of visuals, presentational aspects, and music that you are always finding something new to look at or listen to.
Sometimes you just need a bonkers cartoony game to freshen up your gaming time, especially one that challenges you and keeps you glued to the screen such as this one. People watching you play this game might have a confused look on their face but once you put the controller in their hands then they will likely get hooked by the fun drumming gameplay as well.