7.9

Patapon 2

Fan of the original Patapon game from Sony can once again be drawn into this musical rhythmatic world as they return as the "god" for these strange little creatures. As a fan of the original game, I was a little disappointed that the developers didn't really add anything groundbreaking to the series, rather it feels like an addon and only continues the story. Not that there is anything wrong with this, however I was hoping for a little more.

Features:

• Rhythm and Action Collide – Master all 8 drum rhythms including the new jump command, power up command and party command! Combine the various chains of drumbeats to address each unique level, leading the Patapons to victory over the masked Karmens.

• Patapon Evolution – Improve your troops fighting and defense skills by leveling up or evolving into other Patapon forms.

• Create your own Patapon Hero- Introducing the new Patapon Hero, a prized fighter that you can customize to fit any sort of fighting style desired. Unlock new abilities by mixing weapons and Patapon Hero masks.

• Additional Patapons - Discover the new ranks of Patapons: Toripon the flying bird riders; Robopon mech warriors and Mahopon the magicians. Unlock these new warriors to fight alongside all the original warriors in Patapon™1.

• Multi-player Mode – Patapon 2 introduces multiplayer gameplay through Game Sharing

• Three Additional Commands and Miracles – More drumbeat commands allow for different tactics and gameplay action in this version of Patapon™.

• Strategic Gaming – Patapon™ delivers a strong element of strategy by requiring players to properly customize and build up the Patapon army, arm each soldier with particular weapons and armor, and position them correctly for battle. In Patapon™2, not only has the number of weapons and equipment doubled, but Patapons can evolve, and Hero Patapon customization features will play an important part in deciding each battle!

• Mission Variety – Take part in more than 80 specific missions including hunting, escort, and boss battles, and explore numerous vivid environments along the way. Players will discover up to 22 bosses and access hundreds of new items and weapons throughout the adventure.

• Unique Art Style – French graphic artist Rolito, noted for his abstract art style seen in collectible toys, animation, and websites, lends his skills to create a variety of unique characters and environments, bringing the Patapon world to life.

• Mini-Games – Seven music-based mini-games allow players to earn bonuses and upgrades to further customize the Patapon warriors.

• Music – Captivating and dramatic original music builds dynamically as players march and encounter enemy battles throughout each level.

The story begins where the original finished as the Patapons search for Earthend and when they encounter a powerful sea beast, they find themselves on the shores of a strange island that is inhabited by the Karmens and wish the destruction of these innocent creatures.

From there, the gamer is the "god" of these creatures who must play the correct beat of the drums in order for them to perform a variety of maneuvers. In its essence, Patapon 2 is a rhythm game where the player must use the PSP controls to march their armies of Patapons to victory and the mysterious Earthend. The unfortunate aspect of Patapon 2 is that the gameplay does become a little repetitive which combines moving with attacking.

The control system is reminiscent of the original game as each of the four face buttons on the PSP play certain drum beats. By playing these drums in a certain order, you can order them to move, attack and a variety of other interactions in order to navigate through the gaming world.

Initially, these beats are quite easy, however as you progress, the drum beats do become more complicated. In terms of combat, the biggest change to the franchise is the ability to use a gigantic Patapon who comes with his very own special attack and does add a little bit of change to the series. Another interesting aspect to the heroes is that they do become more powerful as you progress. You also have your stock standard Patapon warriors who use swords and arrows to challenge your foes.

Graphically, the title is almost a carbon copy of the previous game with a 2D "shadow" style of graphics that actually suits the quirky gameplay. Although your Patapons are black, when colours do come into play, the game does become visually more impressive. Of course, the star of the game is the music itself with the chants of the Patapons (e.g. pata pata pata PON) and the drum beats which gets these little fellas into all sorts of mischief.

In conclusion, Patapon 2 is an "ok" sequel that if you have not had enough of the original game, than this is the game for you. If you thought that the original game was cute and revolutionary at the time, the sequel seems a little forced, even with some of the new aspects of the game such as the improved leveling and more complicated tunes. Interesting to say the least!