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SwordFish's Patapon (PSP)
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| [March 6, 2008 02:36:54 PM]
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[ entry #2 ]
GAMEPLAY
In my second play session my army grew larger with two new classes of Patapon, archers and axemen. I also acquired the defensive stance order, which allows the Patapon to take less damage from enemy attacks. When the army is in the defensive stance, ranged units attack while the axemen protect the front. Changing equipment seems a little simplistic as the player can manually give them to the individual Patapon or optimize the weapon selection for the army.
This game causes the player to experience flow, as all music games usually do. The game attracted me because I am a big fan of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, and play quite a bit of real-time strategy games although I am not an expert at them. One frustration I had with the game was that if there was some background noise or music, it would throw off my rhythm, making the Patapon stop in their tracks. The game is best played with headphones or in a quiet place.
DESIGN
The innovative element found in Patapon is the rhythm-based real-time strategy gameplay that is at the core of the game. It allows players that are not familiar with strategy games to ease into the gameplay like a rhythm game. The game creates conflict by setting up the story and releasing the player into a level filled with enemies and trying to advance to the end of the level. After a level is completed, its difficulty increases.
The art design of the game is very well done. The simplicity of the black and white Patapon contrasts with the colorful cartoon-like background. Every structure is clearly marked as black and the enemies usually have some color combined with black. The animals found in the world are colored black and white, just like the Patapon which signals to the player that they are not hostile. The game has great value for only being a $20 game.
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| [March 6, 2008 02:36:39 PM]
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[ entry #1 ]
SUMMARY
Patapon is a one player game that combines rhythm and strategy to create a new kind of gameplay. The player takes on the role of the great Patapon who leads the Patapon tribe into battle against the Zitagon army. The basic gameplay consists of pressing four buttons in time with the beat to give orders to your army of Patapon, one-eyed creatures equipped with various tools of destruction.
GAMEPLAY
The game progressed through a small story and eventually led me to the first level, where I had a small army of Patapon with spears. I was given instructions on how to move my army forward by pressing a four-button combination in time with the music and the pulsing rectangle that surrounds the screen. The next combination I was able to use was the attack order. There were some animals in the level that I could attack and once they were killed, they dropped money or items, such as meat and stone, used to create more Patapon.
I felt good while playing the game, as long as I kept pushing the buttons at the right time and nothing distracted me. 10 successful orders in succession get the Patapon in the fever mode, making them perform their orders more effectively, like doing more damage while attacking. The Patapons themselves are fun to watch, moving to the music and repeating orders back to the player as confirmation. They are, dare I say, cute.
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SwordFish's Patapon (PSP)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Saturday 1 March, 2008
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