Bandai Namco Amusement has confirmed that Japanese arcade favourite Taiko no Tatsujin is making its way to North America.
The rollout of the game will begin in November, with Bandai Namco Amusement America responsible for local production and sales.
The game was launched in Japan in 2001 and began operation in China in September 2023. A mobile version of the game has been available on Apple’s App Store since 2021.
Taiko no Tatsujin is a rhythm game, with players interacting with the gameplay via the two large drums located on the front of the cabinet.
Hauro Iwayaguchi, managing director of Bandai Namco Amusements, said that the company was seeing foreign visitors to Japan enjoying the game, which influenced its decision to release it in North America. He said: “Taiko no Tatsujin is a fusion of Japanese culture and games, and its simple gameplay makes it enjoyable for people of all ages and genders.
“Japanese anime has become easy to watch overseas and anime music is becoming increasingly popular. We would like to continue to roll it out worldwide as one of the contents where people can enjoy Japanese anime songs and music.”
It will be assembled in the US and will receive regular song updates, while it will also support Bandai Namco’s Passport feature, which willow allow players to store their records and customisation preferences.
