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The third Taiko no Tatsujin (Drum Master) rhythm game bops over to the PS2 towards the winter of 2003. Play mechanics are simple, with five basic moves to tap on the TataCon drum controller as the on-screen smiley face cues scroll across the screen. The color and expression of the smiley triggers any one of the following drum moves: Red Smiley - Hit the surface of the TataCon
Blue Smiley - Smack the edge of the TataCon
Red Laugh - Blast a strong surface thump with both sticks
Blue Laugh - Hit both edges of the TataCon simultaneously
Smiley Overlaps Frame - Fire off rapid staccato with both sticks To help the uncoordinated masses with the basics of drum rhythm, a Beginner mode taught by professor Bachio tutors tyros on the basics of the game and how to read the cue signals. Musical selections in the game include 39 new songs out of 103 total which range the J-Pop spectrum from recent favorites to chart topping hits such as "Good Bye Summer," "Door to Tomorrow," "One Night Carnival," "True Blue," "UFO," and then there are even Namco's own classics such as the theme from Galaga '88 and "Soul Calibur II Brave Sword, Braver Soul." A new mini-game mode may also be enjoyed where two rhythm-ready dogs raise and lower flags in time to your drum beats, which in turn are triggered by following onscreen cues. Three other mini-games are also available which test the mettle of rhythm artists with a penchant for banging the drum. Clearing two or three mini-games successfully will unlock additional mini-games for further deployment. Recent Sightings in Cinema
Thirty five minutes into the 2003 film "Lost in Translation" which stars Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson, a Japanese chap may be viewed thundering along on a Taiko no Tatsujin coin-op. A few seconds later, a spiky-haired fellow may be seen enjoying another rhythm game, Guitar Freaks, whilst dragging lazily on a cigarette. Still further along, a whirling dervish of a teen may be seen slapping heartily on a Pop 'n Music machine. Bemani heaven, indeed.
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