Hugely popular in Japan, Taiko Drum Master (Taiko no Tatsujin) is another in the long line of rhythm music games like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, etc. But this one is based on traditional Japanese taiko drums… sort of.

We’ve had a lot of fun with this game in the arcade, so we decided to pick up the Wii version along with the Namco Bandai drum accessory. You can pick up cheap knock-off drums for as little as 100 RMB, but I wouldn’t expect them to last very long. Third-party drums seem to be going from around 200-250 RMB, and the original imported from Japan is 380 RMB.

The drum itself has a platform base so you can stand it upright on a hard surface, and it plugs directly into the Wii controller which you put down pointed towards your TV/sensor. There are sensors on the sides and surface of the drum, and you hit these with the sticks to navigate through menus and play the game. It’s worth noting however that you need to hit the drum somewhat hard for hits to consistently register. Because of this, the stand sometimes shifts during play and this can lead to some annoying mistakes. It is definitely not because I suck. I’m still looking for some way to stabilize it; something soft but heavy behind it would work.

I think the game has a story, but it’s entirely in Japanese so your guess is as good as mine. From what I gather, a cartoon drum dressed in a diaper and bonnet with ADD squeals in Japanese, farts, and is either being mentored or possessed by two drum sticks. To play, you hit the drum in time to markers that move across the top of the screen. As you do this, the cartoon drum blows balloon animals, kicks birds and mushrooms, or spits out ghosts depending on whether or not you hit the drum on time with the beat. The bottom part of the screen makes even less sense: beefcake wolves dressed up as little red riding hood prance around and an audience of catfish ‘get down’ at some sort of cartoon animal rave.

The track list is made up of a mix of JPOP, Japanese dance music and techno, some classical music, and a few classic video game songs (like the Super Mario Bros. theme). The higher you score on each song, the more technicolor liquid gets poured onto your cartoon drum, eventually causing it to grow from a baby to a schoolboy, and eventually an adult. I think. And then new songs are unlocked.

Overall, if you don’t mind guessing your way around Japanese menus and annoying your neighbours with the sound of loud plastic drumming, it’s a pretty fun little setup.