Sony can at least rest more comfortable in the knowledge that they’ve sealed our media future with Blu-ray over its rival HD-DVD, when the potential giant PS3 is struggling to rear its next-gen head and Nintendo have predominantly cornerstoned the handheld market with the DS. However, now with the PS3 being the cheapest Blu-ray player, that can also play games, they’ve got a new way forward. Additionally, when a developer sits down and really thinks about how to get the best out of the PSP, some bloody good titles can pull through.

When the PSP first came out, I think the general public thinking was that we were going to get a portable PS2, when in reality the technology was closer to the PS1. Whether this has resulted in the kind of titles that just “don’t work” or whether it’s because they have a game they want to simply make portable and transfer it over to the PSP I don’t know. What I do know is that games like Patapon and Loco Roco work really well as a prime example of using PSP’s technology to its best.

Matt actually picked this title out of the throng for me to review based on randomly pointing at the releases list in a hope to land me a gem like “Pony Parade 2” or some such, so I count my lucky stars that I got to review this title as it turned out to not only take me by pleasant surprise for working as well as it does, but for being a refreshing change from the usual cacophony of shooters and movie-tie-in ports.

Patapon refers to a bunch of scampering eyeballs, armed to the teeth with weapons that you control as their ‘Almighty’ - their newfound God that commands them by beating a sacred drum. While this at first probably sounds like the games designers had been hauled up in a room smoking glue when they came up with this one, it gets better. In order to move your little critters across the screen you have to beat the drum; that is, press buttons in time with a constant beat. There are up to 6 different commands to give them such as attack, move, defend and dodge or perhaps making it rain using a miracle. As you issue a command, the Patapons will repeat it back to you in time with the beat: answer and call, answer and call, each successive repetition adds to your combo count. As your combo count gets higher you’ll send your little guys into a Fever where they’ll do everything better and with more enthusiasm.

The idea is to keep the flow of commands going, as when you’re in Fever mode everything becomes easier to do. So you might start off with your guys moving forward, but they see something so you tell them to attack and then expect return fire so tell them to defend. You issue the command, they repeat it back, you issue the next one and so on, so you really only have a couple of seconds each time to think about your next move. This, combined with a need to keep a constant check on the timing of your button presses (usually resulting in body rocking worthy of being institutionalised) creates a constant flow of gameplay.

Before and after each mission you’ll get a chance to head back to camp where you can do a variety of things. Here you can create new Patapons, revive fallen ones, play mini-games and get an idea of where you’re heading next. It’s a very cool tribe-vibe with them all dancing around the head of the latest thing you’ve killed, drinking their silly little eyes out, singing and chanting and generally having a good time. To create your new troops at the Mater: Tree of Life you’ll need ingredients. Different ingredients and different combinations of them create different types of whatever you’re trying to make.

The game offers a variety of Patapons, with Tatepons - who act as the dog soldiers - running up close and hitting the enemy with their sword or defending the troops with their shield, and Yaripons, who hide behind Tatepons and throw their spears either aggressively or defensively depending on the command given. The items to create these guys can be obtained from the mini-games where you have to play along to some little ditty and get rewarded depending on how well you do, or you can pick them up in the proverbial field. However, to begin with you’ll be off on missions looking for the items as the mini-games open up as you progress and find the little Patapon’s who host the games as droppable items out in the field.

There are in effect only 3 different mission types in the game: hunting, bosses and storyline. Hunting is where you’ll tend to build up your Ka-Ching (the monetary element of the game) and get new items, both used to create new Patapons. Bosses are something you’ll need to do to progress through the game, and once done are repeatable for extra items. Storyline ones are a self-explanatory progression of the game as the little guys, with the aid of the Almighty, progress through the Zigotons, their fated enemy (that look like Bomberman fans) towards Earthend and gaze their oversized eyes on IT – whatever that is.

Patapon has appealed to me for its originality. However, with all this originality lying around it can be a touch on the repetitive side on repeating hunting missions over and over, or once again facing the same boss. Not to mention of course that with only 6 commands you’ll be hearing Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon quite a bit in your adventures. Moreover, the speakers on the PSP can be frustratingly quiet at times if you’re forgoing headphones during play which can result in not quite hearing that beat during the changeover to Fever mode or during some of the mini-games. But, that aside, the stylised graphics are great, and while there’s effectively a lack of music, Patapon will definitely succeed in getting a chant or 2 stuck in your head!