There are games that try to build upon and evolve an established formula, and then there is Patapon. By melding two genres together, rhythm and strategy, Patapon provides what amounts to a completely new type of game. Playing as the Mighty Patapon, you beat the war drums that lead the patapons into battle against their foes, the Zigatons, in order to reach earthend, where they hope to find the mysterious "It." At first glance, you might find the game to be simplistic, but don't let the minimalist art design and music fool you; this is an immensely challenging and rewarding game.

At the onset, the game seems deceptively easy. The game quickly gives you the first drum beats for marching forward and attacking. A thin square outlines the screen, blinking with the beat of the background music; you use this to time your button presses. Timing is everything, and you must input the correct sequence in time with the beat to execute the move you want. In-game controls amount to little more than this, so you'll be able to give your full attention to issuing commands. The trick comes from building up combos so that you can activate Fever mode, which boosts your stats and is necessary to implement other drum commands later in the game.

It gets tricky anticipating the enemies' movements, requiring that you remain one step ahead. If you think a boss will attack, for instance, you had better tap the beats for a defensive maneuver before it pounces. This might mean that you'll have to replay levels a few times, since harder enemies can quickly deplete your army.

You will also need to plan your troop layout before each mission. Replaying levels is key to success, so that you can earn more money, supplies, weapons and armor to appropriately outfit your patapons for war. You then need to make sure that they are in the proper formation for the task at hand. For instance, if you go hunting, you probably want the ax-wielding patapon away from the front, because they might scare the prey. Alternatively, if you're going up against a fire-breathing dragon, and another type of patapon is susceptible to fire, you might want to make sure they're in the rear for that level.

It might sound a bit burdensome, especially if you don't usually get your kicks from strategy games, but this is not a game that gets bogged down in the details. You will have to do some management between levels, but the interface is clean and fun to use. Furthermore, the battles themselves are a delight, and using music to perform all of the commands is such a unique and enjoyable experience that just about anyone can get into it.

The music comes from Kemmei Adachi, the man behind LocoRoco, so you know immediately that you're in for a treat. Patapon's soundtrack isn't quite as robust as that game, simply because the focus is more on drum beats than melodies, but the tunes are still undeniably catchy, and it won't take long for "pon pon pata pon" gets engrained in your brain. In addition, what the visuals lack in substance, they make up for in style. The patapons themselves are incredibly personable, and the environments and enemies look like they were ripped straight from the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are.

Despite replaying levels, there are always new treasures to unearth and more story to reveal. Patapon is obscure, but hopefully not to the point that the casual gamer will not overlook it, for it's one of the most original and refreshing (not to mention fun) games to grace the PSP.

Related Links

Patapon Game Guide