Visuals

The drum itself is similar in dimensions to the official Namco one. Both are about the same size and shape so it doesn't feel that much different while playing. The RedOctane drum's start and select buttons were in front of the drum instead of embedded into the rim of the drum as on the Namco controller.

The drumsticks were also very similar in shape and size. They seemed very similar between the two different drums. Both were light enough to handle easy but heavy enough to strike the drum. Neither set of sticks seemed to show any wear or tear after repeatedly beating them on the drums while playing the game.

As far as decoration goes, the Namco drum was a bit more fancy with black plastic dots around the outside supposedly representing the rivets that hold the drum skin on a real Taiko drum. Color wise, the RedOctane controller was more of a red-brown color instead of the tan of the Namco controller. Both had off-white drumheads, although the RedOctane drum head felt more like rubber instead of the plastic of the Namco controller.

Usability

The drums were both very good. There did seem to be some "dead spots" where you would hit the drum and it wouldn't register. On the Namco drum this seemed to be down the middle of the drum, and on the RedOctane drum this was on the lower part of the drum. Overall, the RedOctane drum seemed a bit more responsive when I was playing with it.

The position of the start and select buttons is different on both controllers, as mentioned above. Unfortunately, the location of the buttons on the RedOctane drum made it hard to use these buttons, especially if you set the drum on your lap to play. This is a minor complaint since you don't use these buttons very often, but it was noticeable.

The drums also have a stand that you can use to prop the drum up at an angle. The official Namco drum I used was already assembled for me, so I do not know how easy that is to put together or take apart. The RedOctane drum requires a bit of muscle to put together. Thankfully, the plastic seems to be very durable, so you don't have to worry about putting your weight behind it when assembling or disassembling the drum stand.

Sound

Even though these aren't real drums, I think the sound is an important issue. Hitting the Namco drum makes a very flat, plastic sound. The controller's sound doesn't add much to the game.

However, the RedOctane drum does give a bit of a hollow sound when struck. This sound adds nicely to the game, especially since banging on the drum controller is sometimes louder than the music itself. I'm not sure what makes the difference in sound, but the RedOctane drum did have some holes in the back. Perhaps this allowed the drum to sound more like a real drum.

Price

There is a big difference between the two drums in price and availability. I have not been able to find a way to purchase the Namco drum separately from the game. Since the game is a lot of fun with two players, a second drum is highly recommended and it seems like waste to have to buy a second game. A RedOctane drum is a good second Taiko drum controller, allowing you to drum to the music with a second person. Sure you could play with a controller, but it's just a lot more fun to bang on a drum!

Care and Durability

One thing to keep in mind is that you will be banging on these drums a lot if you play the game often. Unfortunately, my short time reviewing the game didn't allow me to really put the drums through a rigorous test. Sometimes special controllers are a bit fragile and can break after repeated use. Both drums seemed very sturdy, though, and even after several hours of banging on them they seemed to work fine. Neither drum showed any noticeable wear or tear on it.

Neither drum seemed to require much care, either. The drums tended to pick up a bit of dirt on the drum head from handling the controller, but this was easy to remove. Both drums seemed like they would be able to handle day-to-day issues. One potential problem is that the embedded start and select buttons on the Namco controller might have problems if something were spilled on it, whereas the positioning of the buttons on the RedOctane controller would protect it from such spills.

Overall

Overall, both drums were very good. The Namco drum was a bit fancier looking, but the RedOctane drum sounded better and was a bit more responsive. If you want to get a second drum for the game so you can play with a friend (which is HIGHLY recommended!) then the RedOctane drum is a good choice for a drum controller.