Software:Taiko: Drum Master

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This page is about the PlayStation 2 video game released in North America and Japan. For the video game series, see Taiko no Tatsujin.
Not to be confused with Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master!.
Short description: 2004 video game
Taiko: Drum Master
PS2 US front cover
Developer(s)Namco
Publisher(s)
  • NA: Namco Hometek
  • JP: Namco
SeriesTaiko no Tatsujin
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
ReleasePlayStation 2
Genre(s)Rhythm
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Taiko: Drum Master, also known as Taiko no Tatsujin: Taiko Drum Master (太鼓の達人 TAIKO DRUM MASTER) in Japan, is a 2004 rhythm game developed and published by Namco for the Sony PlayStation 2 as part of the popular Japanese video game franchise Taiko no Tatsujin. It was released in North America in 2004, and Japan in 2005.

The game was notable for being the only Taiko no Tatsujin title to release in North America, until the releases of Software:Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! and Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! in 2018. The songs featured in Taiko: Drum Master were all in English and mostly taken from various Western artists, even in the Japanese release.

Gameplay

Notes that move horizontally along a timeline show what to hit and when; a red note indicates hitting the center of the drum, while a blue note indicates hitting the rim. A drum simulating the taiko is played in time with music.

Successful play builds up a "spirit gauge", which indicates how many notes have been hit. If the meter is past a certain point by the end of the song, the song is passed.

In the Japanese version, subtitles under the symbols give the pronunciation of the sounds (e.g. "do don do don") using a traditional system called kuchi shoga (口唱歌).

Despite the game's appearance, players may find the game challenging to master. Players need to accomplish at least a 65% clearance of a song, which is determined by the spirit gauge, to pass, and songs can become challenging on harder difficulties as players progress.

North American release track listing

Pop and rock

  1. "ABC" by The Jackson Five
  2. "American Girls" - by Counting Crows
  3. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" - by Jet
  4. "Girls and Boys" - by Good Charlotte
  5. "I'm a Believer" - cover version, original by The Monkees
  6. "Killer Queen" - by Queen
  7. "Lady Marmalade" - by Labelle
  8. "Love Shack" - by The B-52s
  9. "Material Girl" - by Madonna
  10. "My Sharona" - by The Knack
  11. "Slide" - by The Goo Goo Dolls
  12. "That's the Way (I Like It)" - by KC and the Sunshine Band
  13. "The Impression That I Get" - by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  14. "Toxic" - by Britney Spears
  15. "Tubthumping" - by Chumbawamba
  16. "Walking on Sunshine" - by Katrina and the Waves

Anime/TV

  1. "Dragon Ball Z Theme" (Rock the Dragon) - by Shuki Levy
  2. "Jimmy Neutron Theme" - by Bowling for Soup

Classical

  1. "Beethoven's Symphony No. 5" (Beethoven)
  2. "Carmen Prelude" (Bizet)
  3. "Foster's Medley" (a medley of songs by Foster including "Oh! Susannah", "Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races")
  4. "Hungarian Dances No. 5" (Brahms)
  5. "Symphony No. 25 in G Minor" (Mozart)
  6. "William Tell Overture" (Rossini)

NAMCO Original

  • "Don Rangers" (heard in a small portion from a cutscene in Katamari Damacy) (10 cleared songs to unlock)
  • "Brave Sword, Braver Soul" (from the arcade fighting game Soulcalibur II)
  • "Dragon Spirit" (medley of music from the Namco arcade game of the same name)
  • "Katamari on the Rocks" (theme song from the PlayStation 2 game Katamari Damacy)
  • "Ridge Racer" (from the Namco racing game of the same name) (15 cleared songs to unlock)
  • "Taiko March" (combination of several songs from Namco titles including Sky Kid, The Tower of Druaga, and The Legend of Valkyrie) (5 cleared songs to unlock)
  • "The Genji and the Heike Clans" (from the Japanese arcade game Genpei Tōma Den) (20 cleared songs to unlock)

Japanese release track listing

Pop

  • "I'm a Slave 4 U" - Britney Spears
  • "I Was Born To Love You" - Queen
  • "American Girls" - Counting Crows
  • "We Will Rock You" - Queen
  • "ABC" - Jackson 5
  • "Girls and Boys" - by Good Charlotte
  • "Killer Queen" - Queen
  • "The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  • "That's The Way (I Like It)" - KC & The Sunshine Band
  • "The Loco-Motion" - Carole King
  • "Slide"
  • "September" - Earth, Wind, & Fire
  • "Tubthumping" - by Chumbawamba
  • "Material Girl" - Madonna
  • "You Can't Hurry Love"
  • "Love Shack" - by The B-52s
  • "Lady Marmalade" - by Labelle
  • "Walking on Sunshine" - by Katrina and the Waves

Children's song

  • Alphabet Song

Classical

  1. "Beethoven's Symphony No. 5" (Beethoven)
  2. "Carmen Prelude" (Bizet)
  3. "Foster's Medley" (a medley of songs by Foster including "Oh! Susannah", "Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races")
  4. "Hungarian Dances No. 5" (Brahms)
  5. "Symphony No. 25 in G Minor" (Mozart)
  6. "William Tell Overture" (Rossini)

NAMCO Original

  • Brave Sword, Braver Soul
  • The Genji and the Heike Clans
  • Ridge Racer
  • Taiko March
  • Mojipittan Medley (a medley of songs from the Namco game of the same name)
  • Dragon Spirit
  • Saitama 2000

Bonus

  • The bundle with the game comes with a Taiko controller with plastic drumsticks where players plug into the PS2 console.
  • The Oni (Extreme) difficulty is unlocked by clearing 25 songs.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
mobilePS2
1Up.comN/AB+[3]
Game InformerN/A7.75/10[4]
GameRevolutionN/AC+[5]
GameSpot7.1/10[6]7.3/10[7]
GameSpyN/AStarStarStarStarHalf star[8]
GameZoneN/A9/10[9]
IGN7.4/10[10]7.7/10[11]
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStarStar[12]
PSMN/A7/10[13]
X-PlayN/AStarStarStarStar[14]
Detroit Free PressN/AStarStarStar[15]
The New York TimesN/A(average)[16]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings75%[17]78%[18]
MetacriticN/A77/100[19]

The PlayStation 2 version of Taiko: Drum Master received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "太鼓の達人 TAIKO DRUM MASTER" (in ja). Bandai Namco Entertainment. http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/cs/list/taiko_drum_master/index.php. 
  2. ↑ "Taiko Drum Master". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/taiko-no-tatsujin-animated-cartoon-festival/. 
  3. ↑ Parrish, Jeremy (2004-10-26). "Taiko Drum Master". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015940/http://www.1up.com/reviews/taiko-drum-master_3. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  4. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (December 2004). "Taiko Drum Master". Game Informer (140): 177. http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/123EF6C3-357E-4690-BCB3-9AE26184BB08.htm?CS_pid=281032. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  5. ↑ Gee, Brian (2004-11-19). "Taiko Drum Master Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924012119/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/taiko-drum-master. Retrieved 2017-11-11. 
  6. ↑ Palley, Stephen (2004-12-15). "Taiko Drum Master Review (Mobile)". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/taiko-drum-master-review/1900-6115136/. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  7. ↑ Calvert, Justin (2004-10-28). "Taiko Drum Master Review (PS2)". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/taiko-drum-master-review/1900-6111757/. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  8. ↑ Theobald, Phil (2004-10-25). "GameSpy: Taiko Drum Master". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/taiko-no-tatsujin-animated-cartoon-festival/560027p1.html. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  9. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (2004-10-19). "Taiko Drum Master - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20081005041035/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r24141.htm. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  10. ↑ Buchanan, Levi (2004-12-10). "TAIKO: Drum Master (Cell)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/10/taiko-drum-master. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  11. ↑ Lewis, Ed (2004-10-26). "Taiko Drum Master (PS2)". http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/26/taiko-drum-master-2. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  12. ↑ Jongewaard, Dana (December 2004). "Taiko Drum Master". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 106. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304232957/http://www.1up.com/reviews/taiko-drum-master. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  13. ↑ "Review: Taiko Drum Master". PSM: 98. December 25, 2004. 
  14. ↑ Leeper, Justin (2004-11-02). "TAIKO Drum Master Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on 2004-11-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20041103133351/http://www.g4techtv.com/xplay/features/50204/TAIKO_Drum_Master_Review.html. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  15. ↑ Huschka, Ryan (2004-11-28). "'Taiko Drum Master'". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2004-12-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20041201012202/http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/gmini28e_20041128.htm. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  16. ↑ Herold, Charles (2004-12-09). "New Breed of Games Is Not All Thumbs". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/09/technology/circuits/new-breed-of-games-is-not-all-thumbs.html. Retrieved 2014-03-30. 
  17. ↑ "Taiko Drum Master for Mobile". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/mobile/924965-taiko-drum-master/index.html. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  18. ↑ "Taiko Drum Master for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/920594-taiko-drum-master/index.html. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Taiko Drum Master Critic Reviews for PlayStation 2". https://www.metacritic.com/game/taiko-drum-master/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. Retrieved 2014-03-28. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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