aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa TTTTTTTTT AAAAAAA III KKK KKK OOOOOOOOO T T A A I I K K K K O O TTTT TTTT A A I I K KKKK K O oooo O T T A A I I K K O o o O T T A AAAAA A I I K KKKKK K O oooo O T T A A A A I I K K K K O O TM TTT AAA AAA III KKK KKK OOOOOOOOO DD RRR U U M M M M A SSSS TTTTT EEEE RRR D D R R U U MM MM MM MM A A S T E R R D D RRR U U M M M M M M AAA SSS T EEE RRR D D R R U U M M M M A A S T E R R DD R R UU M M M M A A SSSS T EEEE R R ***** Taiko: Drum Master FAQ ***** Created By: ravenhood27 E-mail: ravenhood27@hotmail.com Copyright (C) 2007 (Axl Surette) ********************************** *** Table of Contents *** A. Version History (vehi) B. Introduction - The Purpose Of This Guide (intro) C. Story and Characters (stoch) D. Don's Tour of the Wada House (dtwh) E. Basics and Controls (baco) i) Concept ii) Controls iii) Basics/Tips iv) Modes F. Song List (soli) G. Song Lyrics (soly) *UNDER CONSTRUCTION* H. Perfect Combo Note "Requirements" (pcnr) *IN PROGRESS* I. Secrets and Unlockables (secu) J. Wrap-Up: Credits, Legal/Copyright Info. (the usual boring stuff) (cred) ********************************** A. Version History (vehi) *************** v0.10 - v0.75 - Began FAQ; decided layout and Table of Contents listing/order; Added to all areas except for Basics and Controls v0.75 - v1.00 - Finished adding all areas (including new Characters section); Added new sections to Basics and Controls; Completed Introduction, Story and Characters, Don's Tour of the Wada House, Basics and Controls, Secrets and Unlockables, and Wrap-Up (sections B, C, D, E, I, and J) ********************************** B. Introduction - The Purpose To This Guide (intro) **************************************** Taiko: Drum Master is one of my favorite rhythm games of all time, and despite the short length and fairly simple challenges, the game is highly addicting and does require some skill for the more challenging difficulties and songs. This FAQ will provide a basic rundown of the controls on the analog controller (I lack the actual Taiko drum, but I will provide controls for that as well, as best as I can). After that, you will find a full song list, containing all 31 songs, as well as the amount of notes needed to obtain the 'Gold Crown,' a sign of perfectly hitting every note in a given song on a given difficulty. Finally, I will finish with the secrets and unlockable songs in the game, and what is needed to find them (which really doesn't take all that long). Please note that this FAQ is for the North American version of the game, and will contain information relating to the songs found in the North American version. ********************************** C. Story and Characters (stoch) ******************** Story ***** In the spring, at a certain Taiko drum factory with a long and distinguished history... Don and Katsu were born! They made their way to Tokyo to promote the beauty of Taiko throughout Japan, and created the game Taiko: Drum Master! The birth of Taiko: Drum Master ignited an outbreak of Taiko fever that quickly spread throughout Japan, turning every day into a festival. Now, Don, Katsu, Tetsuo, Hana, Neko and Shaxy are all working hard to make an even more festive game for the US! One day, with the end of their task in sight, Unagi took everyone to the beach so they could all go swimming. Don and Katsu leapt about in the sunlight, Tetsuo and Hana swam around, splashing as they went, and Inu and Master Bachio were going wild over the sight of the ocean, which they had never seen before. On their way back after the sun had set, Tetsuo said, "Wouldn't it be cool if everyone could have this much fun with Taiko?" This simple remark sparked the birth of three exciting mini games. After everyone came back from the beach, Granpa, who had been resting due to back pain, was well enough to return to work and help finalize the game. Thanks to everyone's efforts, Taiko: Drum Master was completed! Now, the beat of Taiko is taking the world by storm! Characters ********** Don The star of Taiko: Drum Master. Don's dream is to share the beauty of Taiko with the world. Three years have passed since he moved into the Wada House, and he's become quite popular around town. With his monstrous appetite, shopping expenses at the Wada House have taken a turn for the worse. Katsu Don's twin brother. Katsu is every bit as rambunctious as Don. Three years have passed since he moved into the Wada House. He only recently realized he's not the main character. He also eats like a hog, but tends to hold back more than his brother. Tamashi These are the very souls of Taiko. Upon entering two flawlessly designed Taiko drums, the Tamashi gave life to Don and Katsu. Without the Tamashi, Don and Katsu would be mere drums. various types of Tamashi exist. When Don and Katsu make a mistake in Taiko Mode, they exhale "Dispirited" Tamashis. Master Bachio Master Bachio is a mysterious character who is two, yet one. He teaches how to strike the Taiko, and prides himself on his grace and agility. He is actually quite big in the world of water treading. Inu The Wada household's kind and courteous dog. He loves to wear a hood. Inu risks his life performing death-defying balancing acts in the Reach the Helicopter! mini game. John Inu's younger brother, John is a festival dancer. Exactly what motivates him to perform the stunts he does in the Reach the Helicopter! mini game is anyone's guess... Tetsuo The youngest son in the Wada household. At six years of age, he's already too much for anyone to handle. He attends a Taiko class, but often skips it to go to festivals. In the Watermelon Eating Contest! mini game, it almost seems he enjoys hitting Don and Katsu... Granpa The 75-year old grandfather of the Wada household. Retired from work, he spends most of his time looking after his grandson Tetsuo. He asked Unagi to take everyone to the beach so he could recover from back pains. Hana Hana lives next door to the Wada House. She is one year older than Tetsuo, and acts like his older sister. She became friends with the Wada family when they were talking about Ms. Mariko and Katsu at the beach. Mimizu Don's pet worm. She sleeps in a flowerpot. She can't speak, but expresses her feelings with body language. She is an excellent advisor when it comes to romance. This veritable doctor of love single-handedly manages all of Donko and Ms. Mariko's relationship troubles. Neko and Shaxy Neko and Shaxy are like two peas in a pod. They're inseperable and share everything 50-50. Neko doesn't like to swim, so they always stay at the beach hut. Neko - The pet cat of Hana, who lives next door to the Wada House. Shaxy - Hailing from Miyajima, this ladle was given to Hana as a souviner. The Japanese characters for "Victory" are written on the back. Unagi This mysterious creature has a lantern on his head. He travels throughout the country, running a stand at various festivals across the land. He puts on a beautiful fireworks performance in the Fireworks Festival! mini game. A very dependable figure, Unagi takes everyone to the beach. Donko The lovely maiden was brought to life at the same Taiko factory Don & Katsu came from, and later followed them into Tokyo. She took too long getting ready for this game, so she wasn't included. Too bad. Kame This turtle can be spotted a mile away by the apron he wears. He helps out in the mini game Fireworks Festival! Kame greatly admires Unagi, who he calls "Bass" (meaning "Boss"). Kabuki Kids These kids wear a fox, man, and woman mask, but they're really three teddy bears. Extremely shy, these dancers never remove their masks. They recently decided to attempt more aggresive dances. Ika Ever since seeing how scrumptious the Takoyaki looked, these silly squid began worrying if they'll look just as appetizing as calamari. Skilled swimmers, the Ika have labeled themselves "Children of the Sea." Dancing Lion Chomping his teeth as he moves, the Dancing Lion performs hypnotic dances to the music. No one knows what sort of creature lies underneath the costume. A rival of the Kabuki Kids, the Dancing Lion in continously striving to improve his dances. Namahage Although he has an intimidating appearance, Namahage is actually a good person at heart. No one knoes what sort of creature lies underneath the costume. It's also unclear exactly how good a person he is too... Suzudon These bells chime off prayers of thank's at shrines. They've been a part of Unagi's family for as long as they can remember. Takoyaki These 10 brothers are from Osaka. They apparently enjoy being pricked with toothpicks. Rumor has it there were originally 11, but that's never been verified. Chick Colored festival chicks. Unagi always hollers, "Don't dirty your colors!" but takes good care of them. Goldfish Goldfish from a goldfish-scooping game stall. They swim around excitedly even after being scooped up. All of them are exstatic over their spot in the limelight this season. Lantern These unsung heroes light up the streets and booths at festivals. Their faces may not show any emotions, but these lanterns are very diligent workers. Unagi always hollers, "It isn't enough just to provide light!" but takes good care of them. Cotton Candy Sweet, fluffy cotton candy. Unagi always hollers, "It isn't enough just to be sweet!" but takes good care of them. Ms. Mariko A colored water baloon. Her tear-filled smile is adorable. She became friends with Hana at the beach. She has a crush on Katsu. ********************************** D. Don's Tour of the Wada House (dtwh) **************************** ==================================== || || || || || || || || || || || || || 3 || =============|| || | | | || || || || 9 | | | | | 6 || || | | | | | || || | | | =============|| || | | | || || || |----------===|| || || | | 10 || 5 || || | | 2 | || || || | | |==|| || || | || | || || || 8 | || | || || || || ==-------====== ==============|| || || || || ======= ====== ==============|| || || || 1 || || || || 7 || || 4 || =================------=======------============= | or - : sliding door/window || or = : solid wall 1. Entrance There are goldfish on top of the shoebox. 2. Bedroom This is where I sleep at night. Everyone plays here too. Lately I feel like something's watching me here... 3. Living Room I come here often. The TV's here, as is Taiko: Drum Master. Everyone relaxes here. 4. Storage Room Things are stored here now, but apparently this'll soon be Tetsuo's room. 5. Kitchen I spend half my time here. This is where I eat. I love watermelon! 6. Bathtub Katsu and I don't use this room. Tetsuo and Granpa seem to enjoy taking baths. 7. Bathroom We got a new toilet two years ago, around summertime. 8. Yard 1 Inu's old house is still here. So is Ms. Mariko's pool. 9. Yard 2 This is where Mimizu lives. 10. Alcove The "Song" box is on display here. ********************************** E. Basics and Controls (baco) ******************* i) Concept ********** The basis of Taiko: Drum Master is to hit all of the notes which appear on screen with the appropriate button and try to obtain a perfect combo on each song. Sounds easy enough, but there are some songs which require a large amount of skill to complete successfully. ii) Controls ************ The following are the controls for the game, using the Analog Controller: Selection Screens ***************** Item selection: Directional Buttons Enter selection: X Button Return to previous screen: Triangle Button Open menu window: Start Button Turn the Autoplay feature on/off in Song Select and Difficulty Select: Select Button When Playing Songs ****************** Red notes/Surface notes: Up, Right, Down, Left, X, Triangle, Square, and Circle Blue notes/Edge notes: L1, L2, R1, and R2 The following are the controls for the game, using the Taiko Controller: Selection Screen **************** Enter selection: Strike surface Item selection: Strike left or right edge Open menu window: Start Button Turn the Autoplay feature on/off in Song Select and Difficulty Select: Select Button iii) Basics/Tips **************** There are a few things you need to know before playing the game: 1. While playing each song, aside from the normal red and blue notes, you may see larger red and blue notes. When these appear, if using the Analog Controller, hit a corresponding button on both the left and right side of the controller. If using the Taiko, strike the corresponding section of the drum on both the left and right side of the drum. 2. Also during songs, you may occasionally see yellow strips that last for some time. When these appear, perform a "drumroll." To do this, hit the Taiko as many times as you can. If using the controller, you can simply button-mash multiple buttons at once. If using the Taiko, hit both sides of the Surface of the Taiko as many times as you can. You can also use the edges, but using the surface is somewhat easier. 3. Sometimes, a red note with a balloon will appear. This is called the Burst Note. When this shows up, do a drumroll with the surface of the Taiko, or the corresponding buttons on the Analog controller. However, this note will not last long, so you have to be fast! 4. To clear each song, you must reach a certain standard, which can be seen at the top of the screen on the Tamashi Gauge. This gauge shows you how well you are doing, as well as how well you need to do to complete each song. Once the gauge bars turn from red to yellow, you can clear the song. However, if you start doing poorly after that, the bars will reduce from yellow to red, and you may end up failing! So keep doing well until the end of the song. Just because that part of the bar is yellow doesn't mean you're in the clear just yet! 5. One final note: when playing with two people, another note called the Pair Note may appear. This note, which is a red note on both players screens that looks like it's reaching out to the other one, must be hit by both players at relatively the same time. iv) Modes ********* There are three playable modes in Taiko: Drum Master. 1. Taiko Mode - In this mode, you can play songs on the Taiko. Select a song and a difficulty level before playing. When the Tamashi Gauge is built up past the Clear mark, the song is cleared. 2. Mini Games - This mode is comprised of three mini games: Watermelon Eating Contest!, Fireworks Festival!, and Reach the Helicopter! Each game offers its own unique twist, and can be played by one or two players. 3. Tutorial - When playing for the first time, use this mode to familiarize yourself with the controls. Don and Master Bachio will perform a song, teaching you how to play. Simply follow their instructions. ********************************** F. Song List (soli) ********* This following list is a list of every song found in Taiko: Drum Master. I will also provide the original artist that each song was performed by, and when the song first surfaced in the music world. The layout will be: Song #. Song Name Genre Band/Artist Year of Original Release Difficulty Level - # of Stars/10 (X4) 1. ABC Pop The Jackson 5 1970 Easy - 1/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 2/10 Oni - 2/10 2. That's The Way (I Like It) Pop KC and the Sunshine Band 1975 Easy - 1/10 Normal - 1/10 Hard - 2/10 Oni - 2/10 3. The Impression That I Get Pop The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 1997 Easy - 5/10 Normal - 5/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 4. Tubthumping Pop Chumbawamba 1998 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 5. Walking On Sunshine Pop Katrina and the Waves 1985 Easy - 4/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 6. Material Girl Pop Madonna 1985 Easy - 4/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 4/10 7. Love Shack Pop The B-52's 1989 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 3/10 Oni - 3/10 8. Toxic Pop Britney Spears 2004 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 4/10 9. I'm A Believer Pop The Monkees 1966 Easy - 1/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 3/10 Oni - 3/10 10. Slide Rock The Goo Goo Dolls 1998 Easy - 4/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 4/10 11. American Girls Rock Counting Crows 2002 Easy - 1/10 Normal - 1/10 Hard - 2/10 Oni - 2/10 12. Boys and Girls Rock Good Charlotte 2003 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 13. Killer Queen Rock Queen 1974 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 4/10 14. Lady Marmalade Rock Labelle 1974 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 2/10 Oni - 2/10 15. Are You Gonna Be My Girl Rock Jet 2003 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 16. My Sharona Rock The Knack 1979 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 17. Rock The Dragon - Dragonball Z Theme Anime/TV Shuki Levy 1995 Easy - 4/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 4/10 18. Bowling For Soup - Jimmy Neutron Theme Anime/TV Bowling For Soup 2001 Easy - 2/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 4/10 19. Beethoven's Symphony No.5 Classical Beethoven 1804 - 1808 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 20. William Tell Overture Classical Gioacchino Rossini 1829 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 4/10 21. Carmen Prelude Classical Georges Bizet 1875 Easy - 4/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 8/10 22. Foster's Medley Classical ??? ??? Easy - 1/10 Normal - 3/10 Hard - 2/10 Oni - 2/10 23. Symphony No.25 in G Minor Classical Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1773 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 24. Hungarian Dances No.5 Classical Johannes Brahms ??? Easy - 2/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 3/10 Oni - 8/10 25. SOULCALIBUR II Brave Sword, Braver Soul Namco Original Various Artists (Soul Calibur II soundtrack) 2003 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 2/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 9/10 26. The Genji and the Heike Clans Namco Original ??? ??? Easy - 4/10 Normal - 6/10 Hard - 7/10 Oni - 10/10 27. Ridge Racer Namco Original ??? ??? Easy - 5/10 Normal - 5/10 Hard - 8/10 Oni - 9/10 28. Taiko March Namco Original ??? ??? Easy - 3/10 Normal - 5/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 29. Don Rangers Namco Original ??? ??? Easy - 3/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 5/10 Oni - 5/10 30. Katamari On The Rocks Namco Original Masayuki Tanaka and Yu Miyake 2004 Easy - 3/10 Normal - 4/10 Hard - 4/10 Oni - 9/10 31. Dragon Spirit Namco Original ??? ??? Easy - 4/10 Normal - 5/10 Hard - 7/10 Oni - 8/10 ********************************** G. Song Lyrics (soly) *UNDER CONSTRUCTION* *********** This section is under construction. I'll have something here soon. ********************************** H. Perfect Combo Note "Requirements" (pcnr) *IN PROGRESS* ********************************* This section will outline the number of notes you must hit in perfect unison in order to obtain a Gold Crown. This will merely give you an idea of how good you already are, and what you may need to accomplish in order to get those last few notes (or, in some cases, those annoying notes in the middle of the song). NOTE: This section is FAR from complete. I've already finished the majority of these with Gold Crowns, but I hadn't decided to create this FAQ until after I had finished all of the songs on each difficulty. I will be updating this whenever I have more note numbers to add. Here's the layout for this section: Song #. Song Name Easy - Notes Required Normal - Notes Required Hard - Notes Required Oni - Notes Required 1. ABC Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 2. That's The Way (I Like It) Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 3. The Impression That I Get Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 4. Tubthumping Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 5. Walking On Sunshine Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 6. Material Girl Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 7. Love Shack Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 8. Toxic Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 9. I'm A Believer Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 10. Slide Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 11. American Girls Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 12. Boys and Girls Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 13. Killer Queen Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 14. Lady Marmalade Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 15. Are You Gonna Be My Girl Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 16. My Sharona Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 17. Rock The Dragon - Dragonball Z Theme Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 18. Bowling For Soup - Jimmy Neutron Theme Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 19. Beethoven's Symphony No.5 Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 20. William Tell Overture Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 21. Carmen Prelude Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 518 notes 22. Foster's Medley Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 23. Symphony No.25 in G Minor Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 24. Hungarian Dances No.5 Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 25. SOULCALIBUR II Brave Sword, Braver Soul Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 26. The Genji and the Heike Clans Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 27. Ridge Racer Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 28. Taiko March Easy - Normal - Hard - 553 notes Oni - 553 notes 29. Don Rangers Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 30. Katamari On The Rocks Easy - Normal - Hard - Oni - 31. Dragon Spirit Easy - Normal - Hard - 671 notes Oni - ********************************** I. Secrets and Unlockables (secu) *********************** Songs ***** As you play through the game, you'll unlock different songs, 4 in total. To unlock these songs, you need to obtain a certain amount of crowns, on any songs and any difficulty. 1. Taiko March - Obtain 5 crowns 2. Don Rangers - Obtain 10 crowns 3. Ridge Racer - Obtain 15 crowns 4. The Genji and the Heike Clans - Obtain 20 crowns Oni Difficulty ************** To unlock the Oni difficulty level, obtain 25 crowns on any songs and difficulty levels. Theater Movies ************** There are 5 movies to unlock in Taiko: Drum Master. To unlock them, do the following 1. Opening - Simply turn on the game and watch the introduction video. 2. Easy - Obtain a crown on all songs on the Easy difficulty 3. Normal - Obtain a crown on all songs on the Normal difficulty 4. Hard - Obtain a crown on all songs on the Hard difficulty 5. Oni - Obtain a crown on all songs on the Oni difficulty ********************************** J. Wrap-Up: Credits, Legal/Copyright Info. (the usual boring stuff) (cred) **************************************************************** I'd like to thank Namco for creating Taiko and eventually bringing it to North America, as well as GameFAQs for keeping the website up and running. This guide it NOT to be used anywhere else on any site, for ANY reason, without my permission. If this guide, or any clearly-altered version of this guide, is seen anywhere without my consent, then that is a copyright violation and you will be asked to remove it immediately. This FAQ is for personal use only, and may not be reproduced, again, unless you have my permission. All trademarks and copyrights within this FAQ are owned by their respective owners (in other words, myself). Copyright (C) Axl Surette 2007 **********************************