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GamesRadar score: 8 Metacritic score: 86
Notable review quotes:
“It's a genre onto itself [sic], a title that not only exalts in creativity and unique style, it delivers a fun, addictive, engaging experience that keeps you playing over and over again.” - IGN
“Patapon is manna from heaven for PSP owners” - G4TV
Hated by: Matt Cundy, Associate Editor
I really wanted to love Patapon. After all, there is so much about it to love. The art style is irresistibly mischievous and the concept refreshingly original. And there's no doubt that it looks gorgeous on PSP's mighty screen. But despite being wrapped in an invitingly warm blanket of potential, it ultimately left me cold and a little bit empty on the inside. For a rhythm game it feels incredibly mechanical and the regime of ordered button-pressing rapidly becomes a slog of robotic 'Simon Says' labours.
Throw in the repetition of covering old ground and defeating the same old beasts over and over and over and over... and it just gets tiresome real quick. There's also way too much time spent fannying about with resources and kitting out your tribe. And seeing all your 'pons get rudely annihilated in a boss battle after investing a hefty chunk of time in tedious gathering expeditions to strengthen them up, well, it just feels like a crushing whack to the sack. Granted, the game will have you hopelessly scratching that one-more-go itch, but that's more a testament to the stubborn determination of most gamers rather than a reflection of Patapon being seductively enjoyable.
So, yes, it's prettier than a face full of flowers and Ubo Bon the singing tree is officially the best tree ever. But underneath it all Patapon is a thankless taskmaster bastard of a game that just isn't worth beating the drum about.
