Taiko Drum Master Drums Up a Series of New Upgrades in Arcades

Bandai Namco’s Taiko Drum Master will get a new arcade upgrades starting March 2020. These will appear in cabinets at arcade game centers all across Japan. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

This new version of the game will be much more responsive, with new 120fps monitors to help reduce after images for faster songs. Taiko Drum Master’s new screens will also have bright LED screens to really help the gameplay pop.

Additionally, players may find that their accuracy will increase with the game’s more accurate reaction times. Bandai Namco has shortened the time between the strike of the sticks and the game’s classic “don” and “click,” which will help players master faster songs with fewer mistakes.

There will also be a series of new songs, including entries from Hatsune Miku’s “Otome Dissection,” Weathering with You’s “Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?,” and Undertale. Notably, “Megalovania” is one of the songs that will be featured from the indie RPG. Other updates and features will include a new ranking system and code readers for events.

For taiko enthusiasts who live outside of Japan, there’s actually a version of Taiko Drum Master on the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 4. While these are not the same as the arcade experience, the home console versions have their own unique properties. In fact, players can enjoy online play, ranked play, and a variety of songs ranging from Anime to J-Pop to Touhou.

Taiko Drum Master’s new version launches on March 24, 2020 in arcades in Japan. Gameplay will still be ¥100 (~$1) per player.