Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack

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.

The latest Taiko no Tatsujin delivers what it sells on the tin, but little else.

After thinking Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure might be locked to Japanese players on the 3DS for all time, it was a wonderful surprise to see it getting a localized Switch release.

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.

"JRPG and rhythm game mixtape."

undefined.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.

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.

GOOD - Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack is a decent game for hardcore fans of the beloved Japanese drum rhythm game but I find it hard to recommend it to anyone outside of that core audience. If you’re looking for more variety and a much bigger song list, check out Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun, which is more of a greatest hits of the franchise.

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.