While the subject of piracy is a thorny topic, there is one thing I think we can all agree on: it brought us the possibility to enjoy Japan-only games translated by hard-working fans. You may remember that a few weeks ago, I was proud to report on the work of GBATemp user and developer Nagato releasing a almost full translation patch for the game IA/VT. Well now I am just as proud to be able to report that thanks to a joint effort between GBATemp users tiduscrying, shiduyo and dasding (using the tools developed by Nagato) we are now able enjoy the initial release of Taiko Drum Master in English as well! Keep in mind that for now, this only translated the menus, but it is a great starting point.

What is Taiko Drum Master?

Taiko no Tastujin (translated into English into Taiko Master) is a series of rhythm drumming games developed by Namco Bandai. It is exclusively a Japan-only series that Namco hasn’t really bothered to bring to the West for the most part, due to the fact its extremely niche audience probably wouldn’t justify the cost of release. This hasn’t, however, stopped the game from creating a really loyal fanbase here in the West. What Namco Bandai fails to realize is that, just like with the PS Vita, a small niche fanbase can make you rivers of money… if you actually try… and since they haven’t the fans will find a way to do it themselves, as they always do.

Instructions for the Taiko Drum Master English Patch

The first thing you should do is choose which version of the patch you want. There is a VPK Patch and a L7C version. These are the differences:

VPK Patch:

• Has the english LiveArea assets and english icon
• Updates the game to v1.01
• Can be transferred using the QCMA & MP4 method, so FTP doesn’t have to be involved
• Future updates will require downloading and installing a new VPK
• Each time the VPK is re-installed, save data may get deleted

L7C Patch:

• Only patches the main file of the game; no LiveArea assets or icons will be translated
• Will not update the game to v1.01
• Is dump neutral; will work with MaiDump or Vitamin installs of the game
• Future updated will only require re-patching the L7C file and will not require you to re-install the game.
• Poses no risk to save data (that I know of)
• Requires FTP to be transferred; can take upwards of 5-10 minutes to transfer with a good connection
• Requires basic knowledge of using FTP and VitaShell/molecularShell

After you’ve made your choice, here is how to use each patch version:

PATCHING THE VPK
This is aimed at people who own the game and want to dump it and apply the patch to it on their own. These instructions assume that you are using Vitamin 2.0 to dump your cartridge.

• Obtain a VPK of Taiko no Tatsujin V Version (PCSG00551, JP Version ONLY). There is a zero tolerance policy for asking for links and sharing links on GBATemp, so it is up to you to find the files yourself.
  • Make sure the VPK is of the 1.00 version of the game. The english translation updates the VPK to 1.01, for convenience sake.
• Name the VPK as “PCSG00551_FULLGAME_01.00_C5_V2.0.VPK”. If it is already named this, skip this step.
• If you have pre-existing save data from your cartridge version of the game, dump that using VitaSaveManager. Installing the VPK requires you to delete any previous live area bubbles, which WILL delete your existing save data. You have been warned.
• Download the VPK Patch from below.
• Follow the directions in the Readme file to patch your VPK.
• Once the English patch is applied to your VPK, transfer it to your Vita using your method of choice and then install the game using VitaShell or molecularShell.
• You may delete the VPK once the english patch is installed as it is no longer necessary.
• Restore save data using VitaSaveManager or rinCheat, if previously backed up.

PATCHING THE “DATA_RELEASE.L7C” FILE
This is aimed at people who have the game installed and updated already and want to install the english patch without having to delete their game and losing their save data.

• Connect to your Vita using FTP.
• Navigate to this directory in your FTP program: “ux0:/app/PCSG00551/”
• Copy the “data_release.l7c” file to your computer.
• Download the L7C patch from below.
• Follow the directions in the Readme file to patch the L7C file.
• Go back to your FTP program on your computer and delete the “data_release.l7c” from your Vita.
• Once you have the patched L7C file, transfer it to your Vita via FTP.

If you also own the DLC, this is how you go about translating it:

LOADING DLC WITH THE VITAMIN VERSION:
As of 10/4/16, The Vitamin version of the game DOES NOT load DLC. Only the MaiDumpTool version does. In order to get the Vitamin dump to load the DLC however, some files can be copied over. Note that you MUST have the game updated to version 1.01 in order to load DLC. The game will NOT load if it is version 1.00 due to a bug.

• Copy the MaiDump DLC Enabler from below
• Connect to your Vita via FTP
• Navigate to “ux0:/app/PCSG00551/”
• Navigate further into “ux0:/app/PCSG00551/sce_module” and delete “sterioid.suprx”
• Navigate back to “ux0:/app/PCSG00551” and copy the contents of the MaiDump DLC Pack from below into the folder.
• Disconnect from your Vita and return to it. Boot up the latest version of MaiDumpTool and select the fifth option, “Switch Game Loading.”
• Select the option titled “[PCSG00551][Taiko Drum Master V Version].”
• Select the fifth numbered option, “5. Load mode 0 + 10 hook.”
• Let it complete, then exit the application and go back to the LiveArea. Boot Taiko V Version and any DLC from the “ux0:/app/PCSG00551/dlc” directory should load correctly!
  • Furthermore, any and all future DLC you install with MaiDumpTool should properly load with this method as well.

Download the Taiko Drum Master English Patch

To download and use the Taiko Drum Master patch all you need to do is go to the GBATemp thread by the developers and get VPK English Patch, the L7C English Patch and the DLC Enabler if you need it. After that just carefully follow the instructions here or on the original thread and patch the game for your enjoyment! If you come up with any problems you can’t figure out, I would recommend reading the FAQ on the release thread or leaving a post for the developers there.

Enjoy another amazing release everyone!