The rhythm-loving armies from Patapon march again, because Patapon 1+2 Replay The PSP classics for Nintendo Switch, PS5 and PC on 11 July will be remaster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojtnXA61V6Q
This is great news for fans of the Cult Classic Rhythm-Action games, but there is a turn. This pair of PlayStation Portable Classics is published on Switch, not by Sony, but instead by Bandai Namco. The new remasters are being developed by Sas Co. Ltd, about whom I can’t find any details.
By combining the first two Patapon games in one bundle (although unfortunately not Patapon 3), you will be thrown as a god looking down on the Silhouetted tribe of the Patapon. After you have been driven out of their house by the Zigoton, you will take control and help them return to their rightful place by beating a war drum in certain rhythms to order your troops, to tell them to march, attack, defend, defend and more. Combine that with the unlocking and commander of different units, and you have to overcome samples in De Wilde, Assault Zigoton -Forten and more. If you stay on the beat with your button press consistent enough and your army will come in fever! And increase their fiery skills.
New for this remastered collection are some difficulty settings – normal, easy and difficult – adjustments for button timing to help with input delay and a constant assignment display, so that you do not have to remember the specific assignments.
Originally developed by Japan Studio – who has closed Sony in recent years – the games were an almost essential part of the PSP library. Sony has visited the games again with a remaster of the original in 2017 and the sequel in 2020, both for PS4, but the natural house of the game is really on one hand, if you ask me.
“As special as it was ten years ago,” said Dom in our review 2017, “Patapon Remastered is a glorious example of when art, music and gameplay merge into something much intoxicant than his some parts would have expected.”
I hope that this collection bundle gives the second game a little more love and attention.
In the meantime, Patapon fans may want to visit the early games again, but if you want something real new, the original makers work on Ratatan, which will be released later this year.