Medal no Tatsujin – Doki! Ooatari Darake no Sugoroku Matsuri Arcade Machine is a lesser known spinoff of Taiko no Tatsujin released on April 2005, and unlike the rhythm game, doesn't feature drums of any sort; it is actually a tabletop dice game.
To start, a player slots a coin in one of the lower holes and then he can try to shoot for various targets in the game table with lateral flippers. The main purpose of the game is to reach the goal, gathering the most number of tokens among the five players on the arcade, like Mario Party. If you're a good shot, the coin you shoot up into the game table will enter a dice slot.
The dice slot will allow you to move around the main 44 cities of Japan in order to win the highest number of tokens and coins. All the 5 players can move Don through the map, and everyone can win tons of tokens!
After reaching a few cities, it's possible to lead to the Taiko Station, marked in the main map with a red sun; a similar result screen will appear, with the number of tokens the player obtained throughout the game.
The game also features Jackpot challenges, which gives players the chance to win large amounts of tokens. The number of tokens won can be increased by collecting red music notes and golden coupons along the way (they act like multipliers) and there are 4 objectives to follow in order to obtain a Jackpot prize:
1) Stamp Rally Jackpot
Maximum win: 100 coins
The simplest jackpot challenge involves the player to visit EVERY city once; the summary screen's mini-map shows the cities already visited with a red stamp.
2) Specialities Jackpot
Maximum win: 100 coins
As for cities's map, another slot appears in the summary screen:
By crossing the playmate, if the player finds a third food item which has a relation with the other food for making a more complex dish (In this case, Ramen), his coin prize is achieved! Reach the station in order to claim it. Coin prize changes according to the dish created.
3) Lottery Jackpot
Maximum Win: up to 999
In the middle of the map, surrounded by trees, there's a big green Lottery spot which awaits to see players with Lottery coupons, available by visiting the cities, as usual.
This peculiar spot leads to yet another lottery game, the one where you roll a container and the color of the ball that comes out determines the number of tokens you win.
A white ball is equal to a losing game, orange balls are worth 1 coin, the grey ones award 10 coins, and the jackpot is won with a yellow ball. Their value increases for every white ball obtained; after the whole lot is redeemed in one yellow ball, the winning value goes back to 100 and the Lottery spot will move to another city for the rest of the game.
4) Taiko Island Jackpot
Maximum Win: 300
The Blue Mine item may activate this minigame by blowing players to the Taiko Island. The game simply involves rolling the dice once. The higher the number, the more coins you win. '1' and '2' nets you 30 medals, '3' and '4' nets you 60 medals, and '5' and '6' gives you the maximum prize of 300 medals.
Players can also collect perculiar items with certain effects by traveling around Japans. These items will help them by making richer or ruining their winning strategies.
Musical Note: Placed in three specific cities, the three notes together increases the medals won when the player reaches the goal.
Golden Card: Doubles the medals won in the goal bonus.
Lottery Ticket: A possibility to win the Lottery Jackpot will be given by picking this green sheet.
Participation Fan: Available only in a city. Let the 5 players join a special bonus game! (See lower for details.)
Express Ticket: It doubles the next dice roll's score.
Super Express Ticket: The next dice will worth three times its score. Time for a SUPER movement!
Back Gear: Forces the players to move one space backwards.
Grade Up/Down: Will Don move faster or slower next turn?
Medal: Increases your total medal count.
Turtle Taxi: Having a ride with this friendly animal will show the shortest path for reaching the station.
Blue Mine: Blows you to a random city, or the Taiko Island for a jackpot minigame.
UFO: Fly away to a random city with this friend from outer space.
Participation Fan: Getting the Participation Fan will allow the five players to take part in one of two bonus games, the Tatsujin Game or the Tatsujin Race.
In the Tatsujin Game, it uses an interface resembling Taiko no Tatsujin, but with dice. All players co-operate to try and get coins into the correct dice slots according to the number on-screen. The number of medals awarded to players at the end of the song is based on their accuracy. Over 40 songs are included for play in Tatsujin Game, many of which have already appeared on Taiko no Tatsujin, with a few exceptions.
The Tatsujin Race is a simple game of getting to the end first by shooting coins into the dice slots to move around the course. Of course, more medals are awarded to the fastest ones.
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