Review: Patapon (PSP)

Pros: charming graphics, music and gameplay; original ideas; good value

Cons: repeated backtracking; unnecessary resource management; no in-level save; difficult in parts; occasionally confusing

Patapon follows on from last years quirky PSP title LocoRoco, in offering a fun, stylised and unforgettable experience. Sadly, Patapon is let down by some unwelcome backtracking, resource management and difficulty spikes.

The basic premise of Patapon is to progress your little army of units through a series of battles and boss fights by issuing instructions played out on a drum. Essentially a rhythm action game, you beat out different rhythms using the four face buttons on the PSP. These rhythms instruct the little army to move forward, attack, take cover or fall back.

For example: Square, Square, Circle, Square (pata, pata, pata, pon) sends the units forward; Triangle, Triangle, Square, Circle (chaka, chaka, pata, pon) makes them take cover.

A successfully timed instruction is greeted by singing Patapons, whilst a missed beat will cause them to get confused and expose them to danger. Chaining together successful rhythms will put the army into fever which powers-up their individual attacks.

Each level consists of hunting animals for food, attacking enemy units, or taking on a huge boss. There isn’t a great deal of variety other than in the art and boss attacks. The game feels artificially lengthened as you often have to repeat early levels several times to collect food and items required to continue. The hunting is particularly tedious as soon as you move forward the animals run away (tip: only use ranged units).

To add a little RPG to the mix, you can upgrade your unit’s weapons and armor, and earn new items from a singing tree (a whimsical trumpet playing mini-game). However, the game does a very poor job of explaining all these elements, particularly the backtracking, despite the frequent tips and messages displayed on the loading screens.

Visually Patapon is a treat. It may not push the hardware to the limits, but the abstract silhouettes and cute visual style are charming. Each of the different units is uniquely animated and expressive in their own way. The visuals are complemented by the music and sound effects, which are essential elements in a rhythm action game like this. The Patapon songs are certainly infectious, and you will find yourself humming them long after you have stopped playing.

The frequent backtracking, and often unforgiving difficulty, mean that the game represents good value if you have the patience to stick with it. Sadly it a difficult game to enjoy in a portable environment: there is no save game feature in the levels, and you obviously must have the headphones on. I tend to play the PSP on the train, where the lack of inh-level save means that I must either abandon a level or miss my stop.

There is genuine charm and enjoyment in tapping out the rhythms and watching the cute little army, but the game’s problems do hinder the overall experience. However, it is still a recommended purchase for anyone in the market for an original PSP title, but be aware it is addictive and frustrating in equal measure.

3/5