Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!

 Switch
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 56
  3. Negative: 5 out of 56

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  1. KrakenOfPepsi
    Jan 13, 2020
    8
    I've never really been a fan of rhythm games, but Taiko No Tatsuijin has basically won me over in every way possible. With its nonsensical cast of adorable characters, vibrant and highly stylised visuals and its wide selection of bizarre Japanese music, the game is really a treat for pretty much anyone with a sense of rhythm.

    The core gameplay is relatively simple, it has you keeping in    I've never really been a fan of rhythm games, but Taiko No Tatsuijin has basically won me over in every way possible. With its nonsensical cast of adorable characters, vibrant and highly stylised visuals and its wide selection of bizarre Japanese music, the game is really a treat for pretty much anyone with a sense of rhythm.

    The core gameplay is relatively simple, it has you keeping in time with the inputs on screen. There's a number of different inputs to perform, but at its core you'll be using your left and right hand to keep up with the appropriate inputs on screen. The core game is extremely accessible and easy to pick up and fun in short bursts, but I never found that it had enough depth or variety to really keep me gripped in terms of single-player content. Fans of the game will find no shortage of replayability however, as there’s 4 different difficulty settings per song which overhaul the level completely. There is a great variety of game music, classical, anime intros, original songs, Japanese pop and other bits and pieces of different music in this game – and while it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, it is certainly an impressive collection of music.

    The game definitely shines in its multiplayer department in my opinion. In multiplayer you can the turn the single-player game mode into two types of versus modes, which spices up the core gameplay a little bit and makes for some fun competitive little 1v1s. But the game also has an enormous variety of creative, distinct and simple mini-games for up to four players. This is easily the game-mode I’ve used the most since buying the game, and it’s probably my favorite part of the whole game. Mini-games are either free for all, cooperative or team versus – all of these modes are just as fun, and playing with different groups of people yields some greatly varying experiences.

    My only real issue with the game is that using wireless controllers creates some input-lag, which makes higher difficulty settings frustrating, and at times even unplayable.

    Overall, this a great rhythm game with a huge amount of content for casual and veteran gamers alike – if you don’t like rhythm games maybe stay away from this one, and if you’re looking to get into them this is a great place to start.    … Expand
  2. macunix
    Nov 2, 2018
    9
    The best music game on switch? Good Taiko mode and fun party mode. But no online mode.
    DLCs can be a lot! Need to have a season pass.
  3. Za_Uvek
    Jun 8, 2021
    6
    Pretty much a throw back to rhythm games such as Guitar Hero and Rock band. The whole game is simply hitting the right button prompt to the right icon during the beat of the music. That is it! Since the Joy-Con motion controls are flawed, you might be restricted to using buttons which can turn the game-play stale fast. That is unless you love the music and presentation, which will veryPretty much a throw back to rhythm games such as Guitar Hero and Rock band. The whole game is simply hitting the right button prompt to the right icon during the beat of the music. That is it! Since the Joy-Con motion controls are flawed, you might be restricted to using buttons which can turn the game-play stale fast. That is unless you love the music and presentation, which will very much depend on your taste.

    Overall, if the music does float your boat, it's a little bit of fun. But there really isn't that much depth here, especially when older games have done it better.    … Expand
  4. Nekster
    Oct 8, 2021
    8
    Great rythm game, awesome music and a lot of party games (i didn't expect this, but they're really fun).
  5. MartinT
    May 23, 2020
    9
    I bought Taiko no Tatsujin for my Switch after I moved to Japan and tried the arcade machine and I was not disapointed! There is a nice variety of songs on 4 (sometimes 5) difficulties. While the songs with vocals are not the originals, this was likely due to licensing issues if I was to guess, so it can't be helped. I would not recomend playing this game with the motion controls as theyI bought Taiko no Tatsujin for my Switch after I moved to Japan and tried the arcade machine and I was not disapointed! There is a nice variety of songs on 4 (sometimes 5) difficulties. While the songs with vocals are not the originals, this was likely due to licensing issues if I was to guess, so it can't be helped. I would not recomend playing this game with the motion controls as they are inacurate and aggrivating at times. I would use the touchscreen over the buttons, but if you purchase a drum controller, it is basically like playing a new game, it is so immersive! The online multiplayer mode works great with no lag in any session I have had. I would ABSOLUTELY recomend you pick up this game when it's on sale (which is fairly often).… Expand
  6. Pete112
    Aug 21, 2020
    10
    Great rhythm game with some very catchy songs. There are lots of difficulty options but you will need to buy the drums if you plan on playing above normal difficulties.

    Much better than the adventure pack versions.
    I wouldn't bother buying any dlc. Most decent songs are included in the main game.
  7. Zeina28
    Apr 21, 2020
    8
    I have bought this game out of pure nostalgia - back in 2015, on my first Japan trip, I have played it physically with my friends and boy wasn't it fun! The kinetic aspect of the switch helped me get that feeling back. After a while though, you kind of start wishing for other songs, I remember that in Japan, they used to have western songs also? I hope they will add a larger collection inI have bought this game out of pure nostalgia - back in 2015, on my first Japan trip, I have played it physically with my friends and boy wasn't it fun! The kinetic aspect of the switch helped me get that feeling back. After a while though, you kind of start wishing for other songs, I remember that in Japan, they used to have western songs also? I hope they will add a larger collection in the future.… Expand
  8. Dan_Savage
    Jun 28, 2020
    9
    A really fun rhythm game, if you catch it on sale for 20 or less on the eshop it’s absolutely worth it and it has great dlc classical music, with some dragonball and undertale. If only the sushi rolls were bacon burgers this game would have vast american appeal.
  9. Awkylold
    Jul 16, 2020
    9
    Great game if you can get it under $15.
    Now if only Bandai Namco made drums in North America.
  10. ehtaco
    Aug 13, 2022
    7
    This game is a blast to play. I got it on sale, so I'm not complaining at all. But it's pretty tough to play at times. The motion controls with the joycons work, but not very well. It's virtually impossible to do 'well' playing like this considering the lack of responsiveness sometimes, the random double registers, etc. You can use buttons, but it's not as fun doing it that way. AndThis game is a blast to play. I got it on sale, so I'm not complaining at all. But it's pretty tough to play at times. The motion controls with the joycons work, but not very well. It's virtually impossible to do 'well' playing like this considering the lack of responsiveness sometimes, the random double registers, etc. You can use buttons, but it's not as fun doing it that way. And honestly, I was under the impression that the experience would be much better with the drum... but even that method disappointed me. Is it better? Yes. It's still not as responsive as it should be, though. So to play the best version of this game, with the game + drum, be prepared to spend a bit more money than it's probably worth.

    Song selection is fine. There's catchy stuff in there, but it could be a lot better.    … Expand
  11. AngelMiller
    Nov 29, 2020
    9
    Great rhythm game ever, I am from England and I didn't really listen music from Asia before. Just so appreciate this game including wide range of classical music, I'm a classical music lover. And thats why I started to play this game.
    However, thanks for this game bring me to listen different types of music.
    BTW I'LL HAVE MY FIRST LESSON TO LEARN TAIKO IN ENGLAND NEXT MONTH, SO EXCITED!!!!
  12. MaddoxWhite
    Apr 24, 2021
    8
    This game is so expensive and has so much overpriced DLC but oh my gosh you guys

    Megalovania
  13. Annoying_goose
    Jul 29, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Picked up on eshop for 10 usd and it quickly became one of mine and my family’s favorite games.Party mode is better than Mario party games and song mode is also really fun. The online takes a minute to find an opponent but its fun even though they will kick your a$$.… Expand
  14. billusx
    Aug 17, 2021
    10
    My Favorit game of all time!!!
    Taiko no tatsujin is so fun to play alone and with friends. the presentation is amazing. its reprensating the wonders of japanese colture! The game play is so fun, trumming to a song is so fun and they set up the notes so it sounds like your actualy a part of the songs drums. Party games are alot of fun also. i have had alot of fun with taiko no tatsujin    My Favorit game of all time!!!
    Taiko no tatsujin is so fun to play alone and with friends. the presentation is amazing. its reprensating the wonders of japanese colture! The game play is so fun, trumming to a song is so fun and they set up the notes so it sounds like your actualy a part of the songs drums. Party games are alot of fun also. i have had alot of fun with taiko no tatsujin and i will keep playing this game cuz its F*CKING AMAZIGNSIFGhfiodhgiosduhfgoiuhsdfoigh    … Expand
  15. Dyl_lionaire
    Feb 10, 2023
    7
    I think this game is cool, I got it for cheap which is also a plus. I just never got into it enough to play it for long, the song choices are also banger.

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
85
#85 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Cubed3
    Dec 28, 2018
    70
    While it's great to finally see a Taiko reach Europe, it has some disappointing aspects, like sub-par motion controls that make you want to rely on standard controls, and a track listing that is decent, but misses many of the memorable Taiko tracks of recent years - some of which ended up on the PS4 version instead.
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  2. Nintenderos
    Nov 23, 2018
    80
    Taiko no Tatsujin is a title with a high quality gameplay, which suffers from the shortage of the famous Tatacon peripheral. This is easily the best way to play this game due to the kinesthetic it offers.
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  3. Meristation
    Nov 22, 2018
    75
    The Taiko saga comes to Nintendo Switch with a wide catalog of musical themes, consistent gameplay and mini games for more than one player. Unfortunately the delay when displaying the notes on the screen makes the product look bad.
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