Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack

While this pack contains two games, the conceit of both, a rhythm-based RPG is ultimately fairly shallow. In the end, just about every RPG element is an afterthought. Still, there’s simply far too much charm here to overlook, especially if you’re a fan of the long-running Taiko no Tatsujin series or rhythm games in general. Playing either title in docked mode with full volume, or in portable mode with good headphones is enough to get anyone in the groove.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack delivers an all-ages RPG adventure that I couldn't help but fall in love with. There are some clunky gameplay issues like awkward difficulty balancing and repetitive battle music, but at the end of the day, this is still one of the cutest and most creative music games I've ever played.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is an incredibly comprehensive experience that both fans of the series and newcomers will love. The story modes boast fun characters and engaging battles, though the random encounter feature from Rhythmic Adventure 1 can get a little tiring after a while. The real meat of the experience once again lies with Taiko Mode, which features a generous selection of song across various genres, and the accessible nature of the gameplay makes it immediately gratifying and addictive. It’s a shame the motion control scheme remains unreliable, and you really should invest in a taiko drum for the full experience, but thankfully the touch screen and face button controls are more than capable.

It’s not often you see the inclusion of a story mixed up with a rhythm title, but Taiko pulls it off in a way that makes it wonderful for players of any skill to enjoy drumming while taking down and befriending monsters. It’s wonderful to see this beloved series continue to be released in the west and Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure is worth picking up for anyone looking for more of their favorite drumming action or wanting to get into it for the very first time.

If you’re wondering whether you should only get one version or if you should get the adventure pack, then I’d probably recommend the pack if budget isn’t a major concern. It’s a better bang for your buck, as it offers a bit of a discount from getting the two games separate, and each game offers a unique incentive for you to play with two different storylines and song lists. If you are only interested in getting one over the other, I suggest you pick whichever storyline sounds more interesting to you or which game has the better sound list, though if I had to choose, I would say Rhythmic Adventure 2 gives you the more complete experience. Regardless of what you decide to buy, the Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure games are a lot of fun and are great titles for both new and returning Taiko fans alike.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is an enjoyable collection of over 130 songs to bang your drum to with 2 story campaigns that provide a fun alternative to the typical gameplay even if their overall formula remains a bit too simplistic.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is an interesting package especially if you love music games. Clearly the chapter already published on Nintendo Switch and the ideal choice in case you want to start with this saga. However, the two titles collected in the collection are perfectly in line with the hilarious atmosphere well known to those who love the saga. Although the two campaign modes are not exactly the best of freshness and rhythm, their inclusion is one more reason to linger among the joyful notes of this irresistible rhythm game. A certain homologation of the two interfaces makes the two games all too similar, and overall a bit anonymous. Luckily, with perfect controls in each mode and a proven gameplay, the game remains an excellent choice for lovers of the genre.

There’s more depth here than in most rhythm games, which means that it’s awfully easy to get sucked in — and provided you don’t mind hearing some of the same music over and over again, that’s definitely not a bad thing.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a good collection plagued by a couple of mistakes. I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers (for them, the right game is clearly Drum 'n' Fun), but if you don't have enough of Don-chan and Ka-chan it can be a good way to get the band on the road again.

Quotation forthcoming.

Taiko no Tetsujin Rhymic Adventure Pack, while not outstanding, is a solid entry to the series. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the free play mode as usual. The newcomers can go for the RPG Adventure mode if hardcore drumming to get the perfect S rank for every song is just too daunting for them.

If the contents of each game’s track list don’t matter to you, then I would strongly suggest picking up the second game and skipping the first. The first game has infuriating random encounters, a weaker 4-character-party-system and simpler maps to explore – and while the second game’s 9-character-party and monster fusion systems don’t make the role-playing that much more meaningful, it’s still a smidge more engaging to play around with. Both games are much better in their standard Taiko game-modes however, and so I’d still recommend Drum ‘n’ Fun before either of these two – the party game mode in Drum ‘n’ Fun is a lot more complementary to the Taiko experience compared to the JRPGs in this collection. Combining the JRPG and Rhythm genres can make for some very engaging gameplay experiences, but Taiko Rhythmic Adventure 1+2 does not do it meaningfully enough to achieve any lasting appeal.

Basically, with Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack, you are getting the game for its two RPGs. Rhythmic Adventure 1 is okay enough, I suppose. You can see it set a precedent and, insensitive depiction aside, has its moments. Rhythmic Adventure 2 is genuinely enjoyable, cool, and moves at a great pace. And of course, the standard Taiko mode is fine and has a wide selection of 130 songs. It is just definitely a collection where one part outshines the other.

At the end of the day, Rhythmic Adventure Pack more or less succeeds at what it sets out to do - but the complete lack of ambition from the package is hard to ignore. It's still probably worth picking up if you're a fan of rhythm games on Switch, especially if you want to try out the RPG modes, but it's difficult to say that it's a stand out rhythm game on the platform when titles like Project Diva Mega-Mix, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, and even Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun are already there for players to enjoy.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is an awesome rhythm game with a very amazing list of songs straight from Japan! Playing as Don and Katsu in story modes adds a creative twist to the Taiko no Tatsujin series and is a great way to introduce the series to a western audience. However, without the drum, the price of the drum, and a lack of multiplayer, it may turn some new people interested in playing the series away. If you’re a long time fan of the series and want to invest in a drum or already have a drum, then you will surely love it! But, if you want to have a real Taiko no Tatsujin experience I would recommend testing out the arcade version if you get the rare chance to experience it in the west.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a lot of fun. It’s a unique combination of rhythm game and RPG, presented in a way that only a Japanese video game series could be. It’s over-the-top, silly and in-your-face, but that’s what makes it so endearing. It would benefit from better tutorials for newcomers to the series, and songs should be more widely randomised so you don’t end up battling to the same tracks again and again. Even so, this pair of games is the sort of thing you can’t help but play with a big, silly grin on your face.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a quirky and adorable game that I wasn’t expecting to come west. The adventure itself is almost complete nonsense, and the gameplay is more mindless than fun. Still, the large list of playable tracks and the fun cast of characters make it charming in the most obscure way. I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, but it’s also a game about talking Taiko drums, so I don’t know what else I expect.

Ultimately, the new JRPG gameplay in the Rhythm Adventure Pack doesn’t change much about the Taiko no Tatsujin series — at its core, it caters to a very specific drum-loving audience, although I’d guess that kids would also have a blast with the percussive gameplay and songs from anime and game IPs.

It’s great to see more Taiko no Tatsujin games making their way over to our side of the world but Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack feels like a disappointing step back after the highly enjoyable Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun!. The story modes while certainly quirky fumble things when it comes to the RPG elements and a lack of any multiplayer options is simply bewildering but if you’re after another 100 plus more songs to drum and tap away to Rhythmic Adventure Pack has you covered.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is fun, if easy to become bored with, and a solid way to enjoy good J-pop music. The soundtracks included a range from classical music to favorite anime opening themes from shows like Pokémon and Demon Slayer. While the frustrating controls and lack of multiplayer leave much to be desired, the game is bright and colorful, and has a charm to it that helps make up for its more minor shortcomings. Ultimately, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a good adventure, and if players can get past the repetitive use of the simpler songs, the gameplay does give an interesting take on how to tie music into an RPG style fighting system.

While it is impressive Taiko No Tatsujin Rhythmic Adventure Pack was made available to the Western market for the first time, it ultimately feels like a lackluster package that only a handful of people will get enjoyment out of. The story mode is too simple and repetitive to be worthwhile, while the Taiko mode’s minimal localization and lack of translations feel half baked, especially to those who don’t speak Japanese. While Rhythmic Adventure 2 is clearly the better game, neither one comes with a recommendation, especially on a system that is home to some fantastic RPGs and rhythm games.