DON CHAKA!
Patapon 3 Multiplayer Demo Jam Session
By Jorge Figueiredo - July 14th, 2010
The Patapon multiplayer demo is a fantastic foray into the world of those feisty giant-eyeballs-with-feet-and-hands; you will be tapping your toes to the beat in no time. There is no single player mode to the game, other than the introduction (which does a great job of establishing the mood and pulling you into the world of the DON CHAKA).
When the single player intro is completed, the game will ask you -nay, implore you- to try out the multiplayer mode.
The multiplayer mode gives you the choice of using an Ad Hoc connection or an Infrastructure connection; Ad Hoc will allow you to play locally with other PSP friends while Infrastructure will draw your co-players from the interwebs. Once this decision has been made, you are given the choice of hosting or joining a game. Connection using the internet was surprisingly fast. I have played a number of games via this option and have never had to wait for more than 30 seconds for a good connection.
Options for cooperative multiplayer involve going on quests in various locations, the first of which is a simple “field quest” in a forest. You fight a number of smaller enemies as well as giants who throw boulders at you. There are also mild puzzle elements; in the “dungeon quest, there are some gates that are much easier to open with teamwork; doing these on your own is a pain.
The game is not new in the sense that it doesn’t re-invent the wheel; rather, it builds on what I consider to be one of the most successful and fun rhythm games ever created. Graphics are crisper, sound is better, and there seems to be even more musical styles added to the mix. The new leveling system for the heroes also looks really good, allowing you to add unique abilities and play around with how those abilities are used.
Be warned, though. The multiplayer demo does not allow you to save, so once you exit the game, that’s it; you’ll have to start over. That shouldn’t be discouraging though. I found myself playing a lot. When playing coop with other folks, some of them had crazy items and were very powerful; the appeal to keep playing is high.
Patapon 3 Multiplayer Demo is free to download from the PSN Store.
