Namco Vs Nintendo Soundclash! Drum Master US Tracklisting Announced

Namco’s attempt to steal Donkey Konga’s thunder has taken another step forward today, with the release of the full US playlist for Taiko Drum Master on PS2. It seems like a fairly inoffensive selection (with some notable exceptions), which should have a fairly wide appeal in the context of a ‘party game’. The selection of boptastic pop ditties would probably stay the same for any European release, although that would invite a direct soundclash with Nintendo’s own bongo-based percuss ‘em up.

Those shouty English people in the form of anarchist bards Chumbawumba have lent their tortuously irritating Tubthumping tune to both games. Drum Master’s success will thusly depend on whether the public prefer to “get down and then get up again” using bongos or little drums with sticks. The same applies for ‘Lady Marmalade’: “Voulez-vous bang bongos or little drums with sticks avec moi?”

Aside from that, Drum Master will also carry its own selection of Namco game music: including the delightful Katamari Damacy theme tune and a few others. For the more sophisticated culture vultures, there’s also a smattering of classical music: although those with a true appreciation of the high-art might object to adding heavy, ill-timed drum-lines to orchestral pieces.

Taiko Drum Master is due out in the US this ‘fall’, at around the same time as Donkey Konga’s European release. If you live in the vicinity of aspiring drummers with a Gamecube or PS2, expect a very noisy Q4.

Here’s that playlist in full:

POP HITS
ABC -- Jackson Five
American Girls -- Weezer
Are You Gonna Be My Girl -- Jet
Bowling for Soup -- Theme from Jimmy Neutron
Girls & Boys -- Blur
I'm a Believer -- The Monkees
Killer Queen -- Queen
Lady Marmalade -- Christina Aguilera/Pink/Mya/Lil' Kim
Love Shack -- The B-52s
Material Girl -- Madonna
My Sharona -- The Knack
Rock the Dragon -- Theme from Dragon Ball Z
Slide -- Goo Goo Dolls
That's The Way (I Like It) -- KC and the Sunshine Band
The Impression That I Get
Toxic -- Britney Spears
Tubthumping -- Chumbawamba
Walking On Sunshine -- [artist to be confirmed]

CLASSICAL STUFF
Ludwig von Beethoven -- Symphony No. 5
George Bizet -- Prelude from Carmen
Stephen Foster -- Medley
Johannes Brahms -- Hungarian Dance No. 5
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -- Symphony No. 25 in G Minor
Gioacchino Rossini -- William Tell Overture

NAMCO SOUNDTRACKS
Don Rangers (Taiko no Tatsujin original)
Taiko March (Taiko no Tatsujin original)
The Genji and the Heike Clans (Taiko no Tatsujin original)
Dragon Spirit (Dragon Spirit)
Katamari on the Rock (Katamari Damacy)
Ridge Racer theme (Ridge Racer)
Brave Sword, Braver Soul (Soul Calibur 2)