Patapon

[miffy495]

Just downloaded the demo off of the Playstation Store and finished it in a sitting. I've got to say though, what a sitting. That is one of the meatier demos I've seen in a while. 10-ish levels from the game at around 5 minutes apiece is very impressive given how many games just give you the tiniest taste of gameplay and send you off to buy the full thing. Especially as this is a portable game (and compared to, say, the Loco Roco demo) this length is very impressive. Unexpected, and very welcome.

As for the game itself, I'm now considering it a must buy. The use of different rhythmic button combinations to attack, advance, and defend (I assume there will be more commands, but that's all you get in the demo) is a very clever way to mix light strategy within a delicious rhythm game shell. For $20, I'm definitely in. Wonderful little game, with a bit of a risk of getting stale. I hope it manages to keep on introducing new commands and such throughout rather than just allowing you to equip your varying soldiers with stronger weapons that look a bit bigger but do the same thing. With a price point that low, it's a risk I'm willing to take, but it is something I fear the game will fall victim to.

A lot of games with really creative and interesting mechanics like this find themselves quickly getting stale because (if you'll pardon the crudeness of the expression) they blow their load in the first 20 minutes and expect you to sit there happily wallowing in it for an additional 7 hours. I think they made a really good decision pricing it as they have, as it'll convince more people who don't know what it is to try it out, [as worked for the first Katamari Damacy (y'know, back before it got milked to death)] or people, like me, who are interested but skeptical that the idea would have the legs it needs.

All that may come off sounding a bit negative, but really that's just because I don't want to get my hopes up for this one as much as I did for Loco Roco. I expected that game to be something akin to the second coming and was mildly disappointed when I was only given a delightful, well made, quirky, and fun platformer. I don't want to play Patapon and feel let down that it's merely great instead of a religious experience. In all honesty, I'm very excited about this one despite myself and can't wait to stumble across it in an EB sooner or later.

[Tommy Gun]

10-ish levels from the game at around 5 minutes apiece is very impressive given how many games just give you the tiniest taste of gameplay and send you off to buy the full thing.

Nice, I didn't know it was that long. Now that my roommate has a PS3, I'm going to have to convince him with pie and cookies to let me play it.

The use of different rhythmic button combinations to attack, advance, and defend (I assume there will be more commands, but that's all you get in the demo)

I can't find a number, but I think there are around six?

is a very clever way to mix light strategy

From what I've heard on 1up, it actually becomes a very deep strategy game -- which makes me a little nervous actually, since I'm more of a rhythm person (*dreads playing same level ten times in a row*).

Also: "Progress made in the demo version of Patapon (including the acquiring of a special demo-only weapon, The Spear of Protection) is transferable to the full retail release so players can resume progress from where they left off in the demo."

[miffy495]

You know the PSN Network store works through a PC too? The cable to connect the PSP to the PS3 is the same USB cable you'd use for connecting it to a PC, and the demo is only around 39MB. Just saying, you could be playing now.

I heard that progress was saved, and was quite pleased to see the "Would you like to save?" screen after clearing the demo. Like you, I'd be a bit worried about the strategy getting too heavy and the rhythm being relegated to scenery, but once again, at $20 I'm willing to go for it.

[miffy495]

Been playing and enjoying, though the fear that it will get old quickly has not yet gone away. There is a very early level (thus the lack of spoiler tags) involving crossing a desert and causing rain to happen that got a bit grating, as every now and then the rain would just stop and you'd have to interrupt the flow of the game to bring it back. Still, hopes are high and we'll see what happens...

[LOPcagney]

I don't have a PSP unfortunately, but the trailers I know look incredible. I love the idea of combining the rhythm genre with a game that would appeal to the more hard-core gamer. (didn't Mother do something like this as well?)

All I know is, aesthetically, it's incredible, the music especially, when the little guys work up a frenzied war-chant with their little atonal, falsetto voices.

Laaaaaaaa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-laaaaaaaaa.