No one should have to burden themselves with waiting for Rhythm Tengoku Gold to arrive Stateside. Aside from the fact that Nintendo of America still hasn't announced a specific release schedule for the game (we're looking at you also, Jam With The Band), any title with rhythm as the main focus of the gameplay lends itself perfectly for importing.
Of course, any game you import from Japan has its fair share of unreadable text. From roleplaying games to intense puzzlers, the fear exists that the Japanese language will overwhelm you and make you feel like you wasted precious dollars on an unplayable game. Fear not! For Items of Import is here for you once again -- to guide you through trouble, and to encourage you to start importing.
Rhythm Tengoku Gold was just released last week in Japan. With its catchy Tsunku-produced tunes and zany visuals, the game could be your perfect import choice of the month. Show it to all your FPS-loving gamer friends; show them what those crazy Japanese call games these days. With merely a handful of Japanese to conquer compared to those icky RPGs, you'll be enjoying Rhythm Tengoku in no time. And who's going to help you through it all? Why, look what we have here? -- another edition of Items of Import to share, educate, and encourage you to take that step!
Of course, any game you import from Japan has its fair share of unreadable text. From roleplaying games to intense puzzlers, the fear exists that the Japanese language will overwhelm you and make you feel like you wasted precious dollars on an unplayable game. Fear not! For Items of Import is here for you once again -- to guide you through trouble, and to encourage you to start importing.
Rhythm Tengoku Gold was just released last week in Japan. With its catchy Tsunku-produced tunes and zany visuals, the game could be your perfect import choice of the month. Show it to all your FPS-loving gamer friends; show them what those crazy Japanese call games these days. With merely a handful of Japanese to conquer compared to those icky RPGs, you'll be enjoying Rhythm Tengoku in no time. And who's going to help you through it all? Why, look what we have here? -- another edition of Items of Import to share, educate, and encourage you to take that step!
There are a few keywords the import gamer will come across when playing through Rhythm Tengoku Gold. These words often come into play during the tutorials, which are crucial in teaching players how to get their rhythm on. Luckily for those that don't understand Japanese, these gameplay mechanics are often easy to guess by watching the visual cues. However, to make it much clearer for you -- and, of course, to help you get those "High Level Medals" you dearly want! -- some explanation is in order.
Almost all the minigames in the, uh, game involve hitting the touchscreen with the stylus. Whether it be a retro-style arcade shooter in which the enemies pop up rhythmically, or a military general duck who conducts a trio of ostrich soldiers, touching the screen in tempo is crucial. But with a variety of gameplay techniques, who's to know which one to use. Remember this: at the start of each minigame, a tutorial guides the player, and always the different touch techniques (touchniques?) are given textual instructions. Watch these like a hawk, and you'll soon notice repeated words throughout. Case in point: the Japanese in the graphic above.
"Tacchi suru" is the romanized version of the original Japanese, and you'll quickly notice that the first three characters have an extremely similar pronunciation to the English "touch." Just like I mentioned in the last Items of Import, this part of the word is written in the katakana script, designated for non-Japanese words. Before you start asking, "Hang on, don't Japanese people have a word for 'touch' in their own language!?" -- yes, that word is "sawaru," but English usage for electronic devices is commonplace in Japan.
Items of Import is a weekly column dedicated to titles only out in Japan. With in-depth impressions of games long before localization and knowledgeable language how-tos, it attempts to bridge the gap between the import savvy and import fearing. Come on, now! You, too, can make that giant leap! Yokoso!
"Tacchi suru" is the romanized version of the original Japanese, and you'll quickly notice that the first three characters have an extremely similar pronunciation to the English "touch." Just like I mentioned in the last Items of Import, this part of the word is written in the katakana script, designated for non-Japanese words. Before you start asking, "Hang on, don't Japanese people have a word for 'touch' in their own language!?" -- yes, that word is "sawaru," but English usage for electronic devices is commonplace in Japan.
One thing to remember about "tacchi suru (to touch)" is the length of time one hits the screen, and leaves the stylus poised. This is where the above image comes in handy -- whenever you see this onscreen in the tutorials, the game is telling you to let go of the screen. Oftentimes, you'll find a minigame in which you touch the screen with your stylus ("tacchi suru"), and then after an interval of time, let go ("hanasu"). This is especially crucial in some minigames, such as the singing jazz trio. Here, the player holds the stylus to the screen, until it's your character's turn. At that point, you let go of the screen to make him sing. Simple, no?
Items of Import is a weekly column dedicated to titles only out in Japan. With in-depth impressions of games long before localization and knowledgeable language how-tos, it attempts to bridge the gap between the import savvy and import fearing. Come on, now! You, too, can make that giant leap! Yokoso!
_cg_oct22_kjgfdhd_thumbnail.jpg "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-07-2008 @ 3:12PM
Txiasaeia said...
Great guide. For those of you who are on the fence about this game, the original game for the GBA is permenantly either in my GBA or in my GBA's case. It's that good, and still that good after clocking in at least thirty hours on it. The DS looks to be more of the same, and both Yesasia and Play-Asia have it on for a reasonable price (for an imported DS game). It's well worth your time.
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8-07-2008 @ 3:38PM
chibi_wings said...
I don't know if it would be worth it, seeing as it is coming stateside eventually. Maybe for die-hard rhythm game fans.
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8-07-2008 @ 5:32PM
Peter said...
This game is a great deal of fun, though more difficult than one might expect from a set of rhythm mini-games. At least, it was for me.
I've been looking for a translation guide that includes translations for the Medal and Coffee House menus and was hoping this review would include that.
It's likely just a matter of time before someone translates the menus and posts their findings to GameFAQs.
Even without a translation guide, though, this game is easy to navigate. It may take some fumbling about, but it's well worth the 5-7 minutes to figure it out.
The game is very charming in a WarioWare sort of way (and, having loved WarioWare Touched!, I mean that as a compliment). I found myself tapping my foot to match the beat on more than a few occasions. I'd recommend it to any fans of strange Japanese games with the expendable income to import a copy but not the patience to wait until it gets localized for the US (which may or may not happen).
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8-07-2008 @ 5:59PM
chibi_wings said...
As far as I have heard, it is coming over. Nintendo confirmed it. But we don't have a release date.
8-09-2008 @ 2:18PM
Vayne Solidous said...
I would buy the import without hesitation. (I did) This isn't like any of the other rhythm games we are used to. Every level is it's own little game, and the songs are insanely addictive. When you actually master a level the sense of accomplishment is fantastic. Especially when they seem impossible at first.
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8-11-2008 @ 12:11AM
James said...
I'm living in Japan but going back to England on Friday. I might pick this up along with Space Invaders. Wonder if there's anything else I should make sure to grab.
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8-11-2008 @ 4:15AM
nateirelav said...
I received this game from my bf and I am enjoying every bit of the insanely addictive game. It is fun and I do not even understand a single bit of japanese. Thanks to this column for helping me learn more and hopeful achieve more perfect medals! :)
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