Patapon is the story of a small tribe of creatures whose physical features are dominated by a single giant eye. With no god to lead them, their numbers have dwindled, but they call out to the heavens for guidance that you -- Kami Pon -- will offer. As they can see far, they pray to you to lead them far across the world.
The pon creatures, despite being about 80% eyeball, can only receive communication in the form of the drum (represented by the face buttons). In the three-level playable demo on the Tokyo Game Show showroom floor, there were only two patterns to learn: pata-pata-pata-pon (advance the bannerman / rally to the banner) and pon-pon-pata-pon (advance from the bannerman and attack). The objective of each stage is to lead the pon creatures to the goal using the appropriate rhythms to administer commands.
During each stage, a subdued quarter-note cadence plays in the background to set the base for the rhythm commands. Tapping out a four-count rhythm with pon (O button) and pata (X button) in quarter notes can be done at any time. If your rhythm is valid, your followers will recognize and sing back the rhythm in time as they execute the associated command over the next four counts. You can begin entering a new command on the next count after the previous command has been echoed, i.e., the 1-2-3-4 count is your command while 5-6-7-8 is the response. In fact, command rhythms can be strung together in this way to form combos.
KEY FEATURES
- Rhythm and Action Collide - Master up to six different drumbeats to command the Patapon troops to march, attack, defend, power up, retreat, and use magic. Combine the various chains of drumbeats to address each unique level, leading the Patapons to victory over the Zigoton enemy forces.
- 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.
- Mission Variety - Take part in more than 30 specific missions including hunting, escort, and boss battles, and explore numerous vivid environments along the way. Players will discover and access more than 100 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 - Five 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.
