Patapon 1+2 Replay brings the classic rhythm games back.
Bandai Namco Entertainment’s Patapon 1+2 Replay is a nostalgic trip back in time for fans of this quirky rhythm game franchise, remastering 2007’s Patapon and 2008’s Patapon 2 for a new console generation. The franchise itself may be long-dormant, but here is a chance for rhythm game fans to once again march to the beat of their own drum, with new quality-of-life features to boot.
Newcomers will find a convenient way into the Patapon franchise with this bundle, but anyone who has already played the earlier-released remasters of Patapon and Patapon 2 might be disappointed in its limited new content.
Marching through a Patapon marathon
Patapon is an unconventional rhythm game that has players input specific button combos timed to music, in order to lead an army of cute little Patapon warriors forward. These Patapons initially present themselves as a tribe that must be assisted in their journey to reach Earthend in the first game, requiring the player’s help to execute simple actions like attack, defend, march, and retreat.
Patapon 2 picks up from where the first game left off, with the Patapons stranded in new lands. The player has to defend them against a new tribal faction called the Karmen, with the help of an enigmatic masked creature referred to as the “Hero.” It’s worth noting that this bundle stops just short of including Patapon 3, which serves as the conclusion for the entire Patapon franchise–thus, the ending of Patapon 2 will leave players hanging when it comes to the fate of their Patapons.
Setting its rhythm gameplay aside, both of these games do a surprisingly good job of keeping you hooked. The worldbuilding of Patapon 1 comes across as a little indulgent at times, but it nonetheless draws an interesting enough foundation for its sequel to build on. Arguably, Patapon 2 relies on its more high-stakes story campaign more heavily, as it features little in the way of gameplay innovation over the first game.
Patapon 2 has always felt like an extension of the original Patapon in both story and gameplay, so having both of these campaigns bundled together feels like a natural fit. The appeal of these games' cartoonish visuals and adorable mascot characters have not waned with time, either.
I'd love to include a Pata-pun here about gameplay, but I can't think of any
Patapon 1+2 Replay are rhythm games, but that label comes with a funny little catch here. Instead of tapping buttons to rack up combos, players tap buttons to keep their Patapons alive and moving. The game’s short and sweet, 2D side-scrolling levels play out with the player having to keep their army of Patapon marching onwards by inputting specific combos to the beat of a drum.
Different combos can make these Patapons do different things. Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon is the basic combo that makes your army move forward, while Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon gets it to attack the nearest enemy. The list of commands can get long and overwhelming very quickly, but the key to mastering this gameplay loop is matching the right sounds to their respective buttons. Once you’ve nailed down your “Pon” and “Pata” buttons, for example, you’ll be stringing together powerful combos non-stop. It's a lot trickier than it sounds.
Thankfully, the game stops short of having the player issue specific attack commands–they mostly have to worry about tactical decisions like keeping their army at a specific range from an enemy while attacking, or retreating at the right time. The army itself will grow during the campaign, at which point upgrading their equipment will necessitate some resource-grinding. It isn’t too difficult, but having to go back and dig up resources can create bumps in an otherwise smooth campaign experience.
As for this remaster’s upgrades, it’s worth noting that both Patapon and Patapon 2 have already been remastered and re-released before. Patapon Remastered launched in 2017, while Patapon 2 Remastered launched in 2020. This bundle doesn’t necessarily offer much in the way of visual upgrades compared to those two releases, but it does seem to have fixed Patapon 2 Remastered’s annoying input lag problems.
Patapon 1+2 Replay’s visuals are generally great, especially with regards to the second game, which boasts smooth lines and clean animation on par with any modern cartoon. Both games are certainly better-looking than their original releases, the real draw will be their quality-of-life improvements like new difficulty settings, and co-op multiplayer functionality on the Nintendo Switch.
Puzzlingly, multiplayer gameplay for this title is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. I played this game on the Nintendo Switch 2, and it–like many games–is a lot more fun in multiplayer. It’s bizarre that the mode was excluded from other platforms.
Verdict
Patapon 1+2 Replay is a fun way to revisit two classic rhythm games, both of which have been considered to be halves of a whole for some time now. Bundling the two games together was a smart move, although we question the value add of a remastered package like this one, which contains two games that have already been remastered individually.
Keeping Patapon 2’s multiplayer component exclusive to Nintendo Switch hardware is another puzzling move, making the bundle feel like a poorer offering on other platforms. Admittedly, my mixed feelings surrounding this bundle are also tied to the fact that we have now gotten two remasters of the first two Patapons, while Patapon 3 remains forgotten. It’s Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon, after all. Where’s my third Pata(pon)?
Patapon 1+2 Replay is now available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC, for US$29.99. We received a copy of the game for this review.
