Sep 10, 2025
Namco set out to create a super popular rhythm game
and accidentally created the most popular mascots since Pac-Man.
Don-chan and Katsu-chan are unavoidable as we talk about the
extremely popular in the East but largely ignored in the West drum
game, Taiko No Tatsujin!
Why was this game never released in the U.S. until now? How did an
instrument mishap lead to the most embarrassing moment of young
Rob’s life? Is every arcade game released after the year 2000 just
a Playstation in disguise? How did Donkey Kong steal this game’s
popularity?
We answer your questions like what arcade game did we initial hate
but grew to love over time (#RedemptionArc), what our favorite
non-video game arcade attraction (excluding pinball), and what IP
we predict will be the next new beat ‘em up announced. Join the
Podouken Discord and post your own questions that could be included
in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz
You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube
channel where we post our listener question segments and additional
content (like our third favorite cheese): https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716