Patapon 2

If it wasn't for the fact that Patapon 2 is the sequel to last year's Patapon there really would be nothing else out there anything like this game. If you've played Patapon then all that needs said is that everything good has been carried over from the first game, enough new elements have been added to keep it fresh and the few weak points have addressed. If you liked Patapon you will love Patapon 2! If you haven't played it before though, the task is significantly harder.

The two Patapon games are technically 2D Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games. Your army of tribal Patapon marches from left to right fighting battles, breaking through enemy fortifications or simply hunting for meat and animal hides. That's as close to conventional gaming as it gets though. Did we mention that the patapon are walking eyeball stone-age spearmen? Or how about the fact that your role in this is as their spiritual guide, giving them their battle orders through mystical drum beats?

These four drums are played by tapping the four face buttons on the PSP. Play the correct four notes in time to the beat and your Patapon troops will sing the song back to you as they carry out your order, then it is your turn to give them their next orders. That doesn't say any anything about the frenetic joy of this game though. The character that each little eyeball displays is amazing, they ooze patriotic pride and determination. As you drum to urge them onward they in turn cheer back at you and charge headlong into danger or fling themselves at the enemy with abandon!

Tactics play a large part in your progression through this surprisingly epic game. Your drum-beat orders include advance, attack, defence and a few others as well. Knowing which orders to give, and of course when to give them is the only way to get through the battles and boss fights. Further strategy is introduced by allowing you to level up each of your troops individually in power, type and armament. The only way to get all the materials to do this is to replay levels over and over again, in a more mundane game that could be a problem but here, simply playing the game is so much fun that you wont mind one bit. Don't worry about losing a Patapon that you have spent time and effort building up, any that die in a level will be back good as new for the next fight. It takes more than being swallowed by a giant bird to stop these guys!

If it sounds difficult, it isn't. If you fail a level it will be clear what went wrong and you will get it on your next attempt. The system for leveling up your troops is detailed but not complex. The only thing that might take some practice is getting the timing right on the drum beats, but then there is Easy mode for that!

It really is a wonderfully unique game which suits the PSP very well. Each level takes five or ten minutes so fitting one in to any available time-slot is no problem and the screen picks out the tiniest detail in the moves and expressions of your tiny 2D army.

The first Patapon game was a perfect example of the sort of thing that developers are capable of of if they are willing to take a chance on something new. Appropriately Patapon 2 is the perfect sequel.