Product Features
- Genre
- Strategy
- Publisher
- Sony
- Release Date
- October 08, 2010
- Available Platforms
- PlayStation Portable
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Patapon
Enter the world of the Patapons, a small, yet brave noble tribe. Behind the Patapons' cute exterior, lies a fierce warrior spirit that can only be commanded by the beat of your war drum. For years the Patapon tribe has lived in the desolate frontier, driven from their home by the evil Zigoton army. The Patapons wait for the day that the "rhythm god" will return, to bring them back to their homeland, to defeat their enemies and to lead them to the edge of their world. Finally, their wait has come to an end. Lead a small lost tribe to the edge of their world with the beat of your war drum and grow them into an army of warriors. Using simple drum beats, command your tribe to march, attack, and defend themselves against fierce beasts, gigantic monsters, and the evil Zigoton army. Watch as your...
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Elio March 31, 2011 PSP
Patapon is a rather quirky and unusual rhythm based music game unlike anything I have ever played before on console or handheld. No matter what you read or hear about this game be sure to keep an open mind, because although at first it might sound like the stupidest idea for a game you have ever heard of, it's actually addictive as hell and tonnes of fun to boot.
So what the hell are Patapons? They are a proud little civilization of black and white eye-balls with legs and arms, steeped in a brave and proud warrior history, but in recent years downtrodden and beaten into submission by their arch enemies, the powerful Zigotons. The valiant Patapon army of old is no more and it is the player's task as Patapon god to rebuild and command this army to defeat the Zigatons, reinstate the Patapons as the dominant power in the land, and travel to Earthend to "gaze upon IT" (whatever that means...).
As Patapon god you control the Patapons through the beat of four different drums (pon, pata, chaka and don) with each drumbeat being assigned to each of the PSP's four shape buttons (x, circle, square, triangle). There are only four commands for the whole game; charge = pata, pata, pata, pon; attack = pon, pon, pata, pon; defend = chaka, chaka, pata, pon; and miracle = don, don don, don don. This sounds stupid and boring, but if you incorporate these commands with the complicated timing of the rhythms required to pull them off then things start to get interesting. Each level has a music track with a specific rhythm and timing. If you hit your commands to an incorrect rhythm, or your timing is slightly off, then your Patapons will not obey you. Hit your commands correctly enough times and your Patapons will chant along with the beat of your drums to reach 'fever' mode. In this mode their power will be increased tenfold and Zigatons will tremble in their wake!
There are three basic types of missions; hunting; monster; and battle. In hunting missions you hunt strange animals and mythical creatures for meat, kaching and special rewards. Kaching is like a token system and can be used along with other materials such as meat or wood, or stone to create new soldiers. There are different classes of soldiers such as archers, spear throwers, cavalry etc (each with strange and unusual Pataponish names like Tatepon and Yaripon) and the capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of each class must be considered carefully for different missions (eg. Archers are best for hunting, while cavalry scare your prey away). You can command three classes of soldier simultaneously and picking the right combination is key to the Patapon's success. Huge monsters provide an exciting challenge as your tiny eye-balls tackle gargantuan dinosaurs and Tremors-like earthworms! Each success against a monster strengthens your Patapon army, increasing their effectiveness in battle. Battles meanwhile are the spine of the game, as defeating the Zigatons to carve a path to Earthend is after all your primary objective. In battle you fight against other soldiers and attack fortifications like towers and castles, occasionally exchanging blows with a tough boss with special powers, who can only be defeated by maintaining your rhythm in fever mode!
Patapon also features several music based mini-games which if taken full advantage of can aid you in the completion of your main campaign. You can play a trumpet along with a tree to receive branches, which in turn can oddly be planted like seeds by watering and cleaning a huge plant (in need of some TLC) to a certain beat, which then gives you cabbage with which you can make a stew by chopping vegetables and meats thrown by a hungry cooking pot. Weird right? But these stews can give your Patapons extra strength and power in battle and could be the difference between completing a level or failing dismally!
Patapon is a gem of a game. There's so much fun to be had here, either on the go or at home. The music and chants of the crazy little Patapons will get inside your head, burrow down and make a home there, causing involuntary playback at all hours of the day. Recently I've found myself walking round the supermarket, or taking a shower whilst chanting "pata pata pata pon" to the catchy tunes of the game. Everyone will think you're mad but the game's so good it's worth appearing crazy in public for. Patapon is the first game in what will shortly be a trilogy following the release of the highly anticipated third instalment on 15/04/2011. My advice to you is give the original a try now, then buy the second and get your pre-order in for the third at the same time! "Pata, Pata, Pata, Pon!"