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Patapon 2 Review
Written by Robert Workman on Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Presentation is just as much fun as the original's, the rhythmic gameplay is deep and involving, you can level up your Patapon soldiers and their abilities, creative multiplayer mode.
Not much diversity to multiplayer outside of egg carrying, the game is only available via download.
Last year, Sony brought us one of its most creative PSP releases to date with Patapon, a game featuring a wonderfully enriched blend of music/rhythm gameplay and team strategy. Now the Patapon are back, marching on in this download-exclusive sequel for the PSP.
Patapon 2 once again puts these warriors in harm's way when a giant sea creature destroys their boat and the remaining survivor begs you, the clan's worshipped god, for help. You'll guide the slowly growing Patapon army across the landscape, adding new creatures along the way. You give commands to move and attack by performing rhythmic notes on a spiritual drum. For instance, if you want to march ahead, just tap square, square, square and circle (which translates to "Pata-pata-pata-pon!" in their language). If you want to attack enemies, you switch up the button order to circle, circle, square and circle ("Pon-pon-pata-pon!"). Successfully completing a number of these combos launches a "Fever" mode, where your strength and speed temporarily increase.
In addition to coordinating group attacks, you can also call upon lone heroes to perform special moves on larger enemies by hitting specific buttons in a required tempo. There are a number of heroes available, so you'll have no trouble finding one that suits you. New Patapon members are also on hand, including the bird-ish Toripon (perfect for long-range attacks) and the healing Mahopon.
Patapon 2 goes deeper than the original with its squad management and branching evolution system. By using collected food, alloy and other goods, you'll be able to tweak members of your team throughout each stage, improving their speed and stability. Each part of your team has particular strengths and weaknesses For instance, one of your Rarepon soldiers may be excellent with distance attacks, but susceptible to fire, making him useless against flame-breathing enemies. All of these soldiers can be leveled up to ten times, so you can create a powerful Patapon clan if you feel like investing the time.
The Patapon army still looks adorably cute, with its black-and-white designs and cute little weapons. The sound is quite catchy, with Patapon members chanting along to each of your drum beats. It may grow tiresome for some, however, since the patterns remain the same. ("Pon-pon-pata-pon!", for example.)
Along with a fun single-player mode and the modification systems, Patapon 2 also offers a multiplayer mode. Here, you can work with up to three other players through AdHoc (via Game Sharing) to carry an egg across a battlefield to safety. It's a fun co-op mode, but we would've liked a little more variety, or even a Patapon versus Patapon battle. Nevertheless, it's a fine addition, especially considering the game's $20.
That leads to the one real complaint we have with Patapon 2, its availability. Sony opted to release the game as a download-only. You can find a retail box on the shelf, but there's no UMD inside. Instead, you'll find a code that lets you access the game through the PlayStation Network, either through PC connection or your PlayStation 3 console.
Those with an Internet connection, however, should march along to the beat. Patapon 2 is just as wildly addictive as the original, with its energetic gameplay and presentation. Make sure you "Pata-pata-pata-pon" to the nearest story and snag a copy.
