That's more or less the nuts and bolts of the game. Sure, there are a few mini-games that you can engage in and you have the composition of your war band to worry about, but the main game consists of choosing an area of the world map to enter and marching your troops across it, fighting anything they come across and picking up as much Ka-ching and equipment as you can. As you progress you'll encounter bigger and bigger Zigatons and other creatures, but all of the levels are pretty similar in structure.
The compulsion to return to the game comes in part from the art style and the characterisation of your Patapons. These creatures - each consisting of a single eyeball on legs - are represented in a simple style yet they still manage to exude a huge amount of character. You can easily tell when they are happy, sad, angry or just confused.
The sound design is also very compelling, as you would expect from a game with a rhythm-based control mechanic. The music is simple to start with, but gets more involved as your combos mount up and your army nears Fever mode.
The problems with the game stem from the repetitive nature of its levels and the fact that you must revisit levels again and again. In order to get new warriors you have to sacrifice materials such as meat and branches. These are most often obtained by going hunting, which entails navigating a level with only animals present and killing as many as you can. These hunting trips are essential and must be repeated over and over in order to get the materials and Ka-ching needed for new troops.
There is also the problem that you very often need a certain type of Patapon or a certain miracle in order to pass a level. This is usually communicated to you via the Patapon priestess who dishes out small, cryptic clues about what is needed, but not about where to find it. This can all lead to a few wasted expeditions - this is quite frustrating. The basic game mechanic is fun, but not fun enough on its own to stop you from getting a little tired of it after the seventeenth time you go hunting.
However, one of the worst elements of the game is the limitations of the equipment system. You can only equip your Patapon warriors with the weapons and armour that they pick up from the bodies of the dead Zigatons. There is no way you can use the materials you collect in order to make new weapons. This is a pity because the way that equipment affects the battles is quite detailed. This becomes apparent before each excursion; you can re-equip your forces and see loads of stats for each individual from speed to resistance to critical hits.
With all of that said, the downside to this game is very heavily outweighed by the upside. The game is fresh, fun and very, very individualistic. If you can work past its frustrations and get to grips with the game, you'll enjoy yourself.
SPOnG Score: 82%
Conclusion
The combination of genres may not be for everybody, but Patapon has a lot to offer those who are willing to persevere with it and the game simply oozes character.
