Toronto Thumbs

REVIEW
Patapon

By Michael Pugliese - March 17th, 2008

Developed by Pyramid / Japan Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PSP.

I didn’t quite know what to make of Patapon when I first put it into my PSP. At first glance, it was an extremely stylized if simple rhythm game, with plenty of charm. After my time with it, I found a much deeper experience than I had first bargained for, offering much more than a standard rhythm-based experience. Simply put, I wasn’t prepared for everything this game had to offer.

Being a fan of rhythm games, I was definitely looking forward to seeing what the little, black, eyeball-looking things would bring to the genre. Like I mentioned, I expected nothing more than a hit-buttons-to-the-beat experience and that’s what I got in the early stages of the game. What I didn’t know was coming, was the strategy-RPG gameplay that fuses with the rhythm that allows Patapon to become its own genre of game.

The game, based on French artist Rolito’s design, is a stylistic marvel on the PSP. Despite the simple feel of the visuals, they go a long way to immerse the player into this striking world of dark shapes and bright backgrounds. As the different units of your Patapon army get upgraded with new equipment you’ll see that the endearing characters reflect those upgrades, and can manage to somehow look quite impressive marching across the battlefield. The game’s bosses will often dwarf your miniature forces, and it is often intimidating when your army goes up against these enemies.

Fortunately because this is a rhythm game at heart, the game sounds as good as it looks. The songs that the little guys sing to are catchy and cheery. As you beat your virtual drums to motivate the Patapon, you’ll need to understand that your army needs to express themselves through song as well. Stages become a collaboration of music, as the miniature forces respond in chant to each set of drumming performed by the player. The result is some strange, refreshingly unique music that sticks in your mind and brings a smile to your face.

Commanding the Patapon is as easy as beating out commands using the four mystical drums, which are conveniently mapped to the PSP’s face buttons. Issuing different orders to your army often involves mixing the beats from these different drums which can become very interesting as different commands are learned. Once a command has entered, your army will respond in chant, take action, and then it’s your turn to let them know that to do next. String enough of these alternating sections together and your Patapon will become so excited that they enter “Fever mode,” resulting in faster moving forces and higher attack power. The only issue here actually lies outside of the game. I have a family (no, that’s not the problem) and often get distracted from whatever game I’m playing for various reasons. In most cases this is a non-issue, but as Patapon lacks any kind of in-mission pause feature, it becomes a fairly large problem for me. Although it’s only a small complaint, it’s one of my only qualms with the title. Lock yourself up alone before a boss battle, and you’ll be just fine.

Progressing through the game is done by completing stages of 3 different types: hunting, assault, and boss battle. For each mission, three different unit types can be selected (fighters, archers, etc.) which drastically changes how a level will be approached. Equipping the right units, issuing the proper commands, and keeping time with the beat can all be quite difficult at times, and is really where the depth of Patapon is uncovered. Going back to replay a mission to gather additional resources or find new equipment is pretty much mandatory here, and surprisingly doesn’t feel like a chore. Replaying boss battles also offers its own rewards, as each encounter sees the boss grow in difficulty. Throw in some really creative mini-games and you’ve got a title that will keep players coming back.

There’s not much else to say about this little gem. With unique and varied rhythm gameplay and crazy musical sense all wrapped up in this extremely stylized package, Patapon delivers. It’s one of those games that progresses a genre or even helps to create its own. It’s great to see that in a sea of clones and sequels there are still studios willing to take a shot at something a little different. We need more games like Patapon.

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