For a first impression of Patapon, go here.
Patapon is one of the most original games I’ve seen in a very long time. The game is based on a very simple premise: tribal warriors march forward on the battlefield to the sound of war drums played by you, (The Mighty One) with the four face buttons on the PSP. As you drum the Patapons dance and sing to the beat, and there are different rhythms for different commands. For example, to make your Patapons march forward, you input Square, Square, Square, Circle, or, in Patapon language, PATA-PATA-PATA-PON! This game feels like it intended to be something that’s easy to pick up, entertaining, and fun to play.

One of the most attractive factors in this package is the seeming simplicity. Once it puts you on your feet and teaches you the basic of drum-based warfare, you feel as though it’s going to be downhill from here on out. For the most part, you’d be correct. Easy to learn, but difficult to master, as the keeping the beat going without screwing up is imperative, and any mistakes can cost lives.

The game consists of a horizontally scrolled World Map of missions. In hunting missions Patapons gather food which in turn makes them happy so they will make offerings to the Mighty One, (you) while in other battle missions the Patapon tribe fight against enemy tribes, monsters, cattle, and bigger monsters. During battles Patapons can pick up items used later to upgrade their equipment. They can also find “memories” from great Patapon heroes of the past. These are used to summon new classes pf Patapon warriors. When your Patapons fall in battle, they leave their caps behind. These can be picked up and brought to the tree of life to resurrect your warriors.

One complaint I have for this game is that because you must wait for the Patapons to sing after you drum, it can sometimes be very hard to time an attack or defense move, specifically during boss battles. I would like to be able to drum continuously and I think that will speed up the gameplay a lot — maybe an advanced mode?

Another downside — and I think it’s a bigger one than the timing issue — is the lack of a multiplayer mode. In fact, the moment I saw the trailer I immediately thought of multiplayer battles. Maybe there are some technical reasons that multiplayer mode couldn’t be implemented, (or couldn’t be implemented in time) but I definitely would love to be able to fight against or alongside my friends in battle.

Overall this is a very creative game. I can totally see myself playing it for hours at a time, or picking it up quickly for a 10 minute round. I would give it a even higher score if it had a multiplayer mode, but as it stands, it’s already very solid. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for a fun game for the PSP.