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Thursday 6 March, 2008
Gameplay:
Upon playing Patapon for the second time, I became more engaged in the game than I had been before. For one thing, the controls became easier to use. I could now easily press the given button while the given beat was being played. However, there were instances that I would make a mistake, and this caused my rhythm to get “off-track.” However, despite some errors made, I was able to successfully and happily complete level after level.
The characters in the game are quite lovable. They remind me of the Pikmin tribe from the Nintendo game, Pikmin. Their appearance and vocals are quite cartoon-like and it is obvious that the game was made to attract children. Furthermore, while playing you develop a bond with the characters in the game, which causes sadness when you lose patapons in battle.
Game Design:
This game is innovative because it revolves around “keeping to the beat.” The actions of the characters in the game depend on whether on not the player is able to correctly press the right button on the correct beat. To make it even more complex, the order that one must push buttons becomes harder and harder to memorize as the game progresses. The game creates conflict by throwing multitudes of enemies in the way of the patapons. Furthermore, if the player misses a beat, they must wait a few seconds before they can continue their progress.
The level design of the game is quite simple. In the early levels, the majority of the game takes place on the bottom half of the screen, with the remainder being filled with empty space. The reward structure of the game is also simple. As each level is completed, a new move is unlocked or more patapons are added to the player’s army. Also, a new mission is unlocked. Overall, this game is simple, yet extremely fun and offers hours of entertainment.
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