View source for Tail Concerto

{{MissingInfo|Development history (TC2 has its own article), gallery directory}}
{{GameInfo
| headerstyle = (defaults to background-color:grey)
| image = [[File:Tail Concerto JP PS1 Cover.jpg|200px]]
| caption =  Japanese cover art
| ("Info.")
| developers = [[CyberConnect]]
| publishers = [[Bandai Namco]] {{S|Japan, France}}<br/>Atlus USA {{S|USA}}
| producers = <u>'''Senior Producer'''</u><br />Shōji Takahashi<br />
<u>'''Producers'''</u><br />Hisaya Yabusaki<br />Yasunobu Ohkubo<br />
| designers = [[Takayuki Isobe]]
| artists = [[Nobuteru Yuki]]
| writers = [[Hiroto Niizato]]
| composers = [[Chikayo Fukuda]]<br />[[Seizo Nakata]]
| platforms = PlayStation
| genre = Action, platformer
| numplayers = 1
| rating = ESRB - E<br />VSC - 3-18+
| releasedates = JP: April 16, 1998<br />FR: December 1998<br />NA: November 3, 1999
| website = https://www.cc2.co.jp/tailconcerto/
}}

{{Nihongo|'''''Tail Concerto'''''|テイルコンチェルト|Teiru Koncheruto}}, the first title to the ''[[Little Tail Bronx]]'' series, is an action-adventure platform video game developed by CyberConnect2 for the PlayStation.

The story follows [[Porto]] policeman [[Waffle Ryebread]] as he attempts to arrest the [[Black Cats Gang]] during vacation time, which leads to a much higher-stakes adventure than expected. Despite being relatively simple, comparable to most Saturday morning cartoons and anime, ''Tail Concerto'' would serve as an integral part to the creation of ''Little Tail Bronx'' as a series with its anthropomorphic characters, mecha and world building.

The game was published by Bandai in Japan in April 1998, France the following December, and North America in November 1999 by Atlus. The latter publisher was notorious for printing lesser-known titles in low numbers, causing the second-hand market demand of the game to be one of the highest amongst PlayStation titles. As of 2024, North American copies of the game run at an average of $400 USD.

==Gameplay==
The gameplay of ''Tail Concerto'' is simple, befitting of its status as the first game in the series. The player controls Waffle Ryebread in his police robo, which has its own set of moves.

'''Grab''' - By pressing the circle button, Waffle will grab an object in front of him. This is not only used to capture kittens, but also to pick up items, collect them and throw them

'''Bubble''' - By pressing the square button, the police robo will fire a bubble from a circular device at the front of the mech. This can be held down in order to properly aim a shot. The bubble is primarily used for stunning kittens, but is also the only way to damage vehicles and bosses without throwing back their projectiles with the aforementioned grab ability. This is upgraded at the very end of the game to deal more damage in the form of a green blast

'''Dive''' - By quickly tapping either left, right or down on the D-Pad and hitting the cross button, Waffle will dive in that direction. While not useful at first, it becomes invaluable during latter bosses, due to their attacks being more challenging to avoid

The player must use these abilities in order to capture all the kittens in a level, which will then yield that stage's crystal and allow for the boss to be fought. After every level, the player returns to Waffle's hometown of Porto in order to progress to the next objective.

==Music==
The main theme for the Japanese version titled ''"For Little Tail" (''テイルコンチェルトOP「For little tail」'')'' was performed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokia_(singer) Kokia], which would be recorded just a year before her musical debut in 1998. The song was referred as an "illusion song" by Kokia as it would never see an official album release until the release of her 2010 album ''"Road to Glory ~Long Journey~"''. The same album would also feature an alternate and extended version of the song titled ''"For little tail ～once～".'' 

[[LieN]] would go on to cover ''"For Little Tail"'' in their "Azur" album. A live version was also performed. The group then created an entirely new song for the game in the [[Tail Concerto Perfect Soundtrack]] titled ''"[[TAIL CONCERTO -Floating Island Story-]]"''. The latter track, among a few others from the game, would later be reused for ''[[Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2]]'' in the form of paid DLC.

The English version of ''Tail Concerto'' would instead feature an instrumental opening song composed by CC2. The French release of the game, however, would retain Kokia's song.

==Manga==
{{Main|Tail Concerto (manga)}}
A short one-shot manga for ''Tail Concerto'' was published by Bandai and featured in Monthly Shōnen Ace's June 1998 issue. Images of adverts first surfaced online, with the [https://www.flickr.com/photos/198308841@N06/albums/72177720308202382/ manga itself then being fully scanned]. It was illustrated by mangaka Raka Masaki and tells the story of how Waffle and Alicia met 10 years before the events of the game.

===Manga Gallery===
<gallery>
File:Monthly shonen ace cover june98.png|Monthly Shōnen Ace June 1998 cover, featuring Waffle & Alicia (left)
File:Tail Concerto Manga Add from 少年エース 六月 1998 (1).jpg|Colored advert, exact source unknown
File:Tail Concerto Manga Add from 少年エース 六月 1998 (2).jpg|Index entry inside June 1998 issue
</gallery>

==Navigation==
{{Tail Concerto Navbox}}

[[Category:Tail_Concerto]]
[[Category:Games]]