Taiko no Tatsujin: Tatacon de Dodon ga Don is a rhythm game released for the PlayStation 2, marking the debut of the Taiko no Tatsujin series on a home console. Bundled with a Tatacon drum controller, the game simulates arcade gameplay with button controls as an alternative. Featuring modes like Arcade and Safari, it allows players to unlock tracks and complete challenges. The title also introduces a Free mode for unrestricted song play, enhancing the gaming experience.
Tatacon de Dodon ga Don was the first Taiko no Tatsujin game to be released on the PlayStation 2, the first console to feature Taiko games. All the first-run copies of the game came with a Tatacon, a small plastic drum which is identical in functionality to the bigger arcade drums. As for the future console Taiko titles, the game can also be played with buttons as the alternative control scheme.
Due to the first arcade versions relying on the PS1-grade Namco System 10 board, the game has PS1-grade graphics and longer load times in order to reproduce a good arcade fidelity. For the same reason, the arcade-styled Arcade mode (together with unique ending/Game Over sequences) was ported for the game, together with the (then popular) Battle mode. Arcade mode is also the staple for unlocking secret tracks, for this and the next 3 console games.
The console-exclusive features added to the first console Taiko game were a Free mode for playing the songs without the song selection constrains of the Arcade mode, the fast-button pressing Don-Chan Race (the first in many Taiko games for Ps2) and the Safari Mode. Free mode also features console-exclusive options, such as custom Taiko sounds selection and an Auto-Play function for every song, which can be toggled on and off by pressing the Select button in the song selection screen.
About Safari mode, it plays much like the Donkey Konga games' Survival mode, in which players clear a number of randomly-chosen songs on a set difficulty, starting with the Tamashii gauge full (and not able to recover ticks from errors). The number of songs changes according to the difficulty selected, and the Safari run is won if the Tamashii gauge isn't empty during the play by missing notes.
