Tatacon de Dodon ga Don was the first Taiko no Tatsujin game to be released on the PlayStation 2, the first console to feature Taiko games. All the first-run copies of the game came with a Tatacon, a small plastic drum which is identical in functionality to the bigger arcade drums. As for the future console Taiko titles, the game can also be played with buttons as the alternative control scheme.
Due to the first arcade versions relying on the PS1-grade Namco System 10 board, the game has PS1-grade graphics and longer load times in order to reproduce a good arcade fidelity. For the same reason, the arcade-styled Arcade mode (together with unique ending/Game Over sequences) was ported for the game, together with the (then popular) Battle mode. Arcade mode is also the staple for unlocking secret tracks, for this and the next 3 console games.
The console-exclusive features added to the first console Taiko game were a Free mode for playing the songs without the song selection constrains of the Arcade mode, the fast-button pressing Don-Chan Race (the first in many Taiko games for Ps2) and the Safari Mode. Free mode also features console-exclusive options, such as custom Taiko sounds selection and an Auto-Play function for every song, which can be toggled on and off by pressing the Select button in the song selection screen.
About Safari mode, it plays much like the Donkey Konga games' Survival mode, in which players clear a number of randomly-chosen songs on a set difficulty, starting with the Tamashii gauge full (and not able to recover ticks from errors). The number of songs changes according to the difficulty selected, and the Safari run is won if the Tamashii gauge isn't empty during the play by missing notes.
Although the arcades were still referring to the highest difficulty as Donderful, this game has already renamed the difficulty to Oni.
~ Ending Variants ~
~ Opening song ~
~ Ending songs ~
| No. of songs | 30 |
 No. of secret songs | 6 |
| Title | Genre |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don-chan Ondo (どんちゃん音頭) | Ondo (Namco Original) | x2 | x2 | - | x1 (video) |
| Susume! Driller (すすめ！ドリラー) | Namco (Game Music) | x4 | x3 | - | x2 (video) |
| Don-chan Ekaki Uta (どんちゃんえかき唄) | Namco (Namco Original) | x4 | x4 | - | x2 (video) |
| From the New World (新世界より) Dvorak | Classic | x5 | x5 | - | x3 (video) (2P video) |
| Classic Medley (Sports Day ver.) (クラシックメドレー (運動会編)) | Classic | x5 | x5 | - | x3 (video) (2P video) |
| Doraemon Ondo (ドラえもん音頭) | Ondo (Anime) | x1 | x1 | x1 | x4 (video) |
| Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~ (Mr. Moonlight～愛のビッグバンド～) Morning Musume | J-Pop | x4 | x3 | x1 | x4 (video) (2P video) |
| STEPPING WIND Kaze no Klonoa 2 (STEPPING WIND 風のクロノア２ ) | Namco (Game Music) | - | x4 | x1 | x4 (video) |
| PIECES OF A DREAM Chemistry | J-Pop | x3 | x3 | x2 | x5 (video) |
| Tanoshii Taiko Dojo (たのしい太鼓道場) | Namco (Namco Original) | - | x4 | x2 | x5 (video) |
| Osakana Tengoku (おさかな天国) | J-Pop (Variety) | x1 | x5 | x2 | x5 (video) |
| Tankou Bushi (炭坑節) | Folk (Children/Folk) | x3 | x4 | x2 | x5 (video) |
| Hamtaro Tottokou Uta (ハム太郎とっとこうた) | Anime | x2 | x1 | x3 | x5 (video) |
| Mojipittan Medley (もじぴったんメドレー) | Namco (Game Music) | - | x4 | x3 | x6 (video) |
| Minimoni. Telephone! Ring Ring Ring (ミニモニ。テレフォン！リンリンリン) Minimoni | J-Pop | x3 | x2 | x3 | x6 (video) (2P video) |
| LOVE Machine (LOVEマシーン) Morning Musume | J-Pop | x3 | x3 | x4 | x7 (video) |
| Hello! Don-chan (ハロー！どんちゃん) | Pop (Namco Original) | x2 | x3 | x4 | x7 (video) |
| Nijiiro Yumeiro Taikoiro (虹色･夢色･太鼓色) | Namco (Namco Original) | - | x5 | x4 | x7 (video) (2P video) |
| Mappy Ondo (マッピー音頭) | Ondo (Game Music) | x3 | x5 | x4 | x7 (video) |
| Lupin III Theme '78 (ルパン三世のテーマ'78) | Anime | x4 | x5 | x5 | x8 (video) |
| Natsu Matsuri (夏祭り) Whiteberry | J-Pop | x4 | x6 | x5 | x8 (video) |
| travelling Utada Hikaru | J-Pop | x4 | x3 | x5 | x8 (video) |
| Marionette BOØWY | J-Pop | x3 | x4 | x5 | x8 (video) (2P video) |
| Gachaman no Uta (ガッチャマンの歌) | Anime | x4 | x6 | x5 | x8 (video) |
| Sazae-san Ikka (サザエさん一家) | Anime | x2 | x1 | x5 | x8 (video) |
| Lovely-X (ラブリーX) | Namco (Game Music) | - | x6 | x6 | x9 (video) (2P video) |
| Go Go Kitchen (ゴーゴー･キッチン) | Ska (Namco Original) | - | x6 | x6 | x9 (video) |
| Classic Medley (クラシックメドレー ) Rock ver. (ロック編) | Classic | - | x5 | x7 | x10 (video) |
| Taiko-zamurai (太鼓侍) | Japanese (Namco Original) | - | x5 | x7 | x10 (video) |
| Fuun! Bachi o Sensei (風雲！バチお先生) | Japanese (Namco Orignial) | x5 | x3 | x7 | x10 (video) |
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