REVIEW: ‘Patapon 1 + 2 Replay’ Marches To A Wonderful Beat

After more than a decade, fans of the Patapon series are being rewarded with Patapon 1 and 2 Replay, a remastered collection of the first two games in the series. Nearly 20 years ago, the rhythm action series Patapon debuted on the PlayStation Portable, allowing players to command an army of cute creatures with nothing but some drums and a beat.

A few sequels have been released since then, but fervent fans of the franchise have been beating the drum for more Patapon for 14 years. Luckily, developer sAs Co.,Ltd. and publisher Bandai Namco have answered the call. While this may be a faithful remaster, the rhythm-based action presents a gameplay loop that is equal parts fun and frustrating.

As the benevolent guardian spirit of the Patapons, players will lead the creatures to their goal of reaching Earthend by creating beats composed of four different percussive sounds. Different combinations of beats translate to various commands, allowing the Patapons to march, attack, take up defensive positions, and more. These, in turn, can be used to send the Patapons on hunts for food, to take down large beasts, or to assault their enemies.

Patapon 1 and 2 Replay is fun but often unforgiving.

These commands aren’t the only way to help your allies in Patapon 1 and 2 Replay. Once you’ve built up a combo of commands, you automatically enter Fever Mode, which makes your Patapons’ attacks more effective. This also allows you to activate a miracle, a special ability that can turn the tide of battle, such as using rain to cool the burning desert sands or by activating an earthquake to stagger your foes.

The earliest instance of a required miracle reveals some issues with the uncompromising rigidity of Patapon’s gameplay. You need to activate the Rain Miracle to cool the burning sands so your army doesn’t burn to death, but you need to build a combo to activate Fever Mode to do so. If you make a single mistake in playing the beat, you can doom your army to a burning demise before you have a chance to recover.

Likewise, fighting the larger enemies, who are capable of launching your Patapons with powerful attacks, can present a similar issue. If you’re following the beat to lead your army, you may find yourself sending out a command just as your target is preparing to breathe flames all over your poor Patapons. You can intentionally break your combo, but if you’re trying to build to Fever Mode for a Miracle, then this can create a situation where you’re punished for taking either option.

Between missions, your Patapons can be found at their campground.

Like any good commander, your decisions off the battlefield are just as important as the ones you make in a fight. Between missions in Patapon 1 and 2 Replay, your Patapons can be found at their campground, eating, celebrating a successful mission, or simply idling while they wait for the next fight. Here, you can bolster your forces using money and resources you’ve collected while out on your quests.

The more valuable the materials you use, the more powerful the resulting Patapon, though it also increases the cost of the process. You can even outfit your army with better equipment, ensuring their survival with increased defensive and offensive capabilities.

With a fully prepared army, you can finally set out to destroy some enemy, but first, you’ll need to pick which one will face the wrath of your tiny forces. Your available quests grow as you play through the game, allowing you to repeatedly go on hunts for resources, take on large beasts, or push the story forward. This eventually grants access to new unit types, miracles, drum songs, and more, ideally making your army more effective as your power grows.

Patapon 2 adds more to the gameplay and difficulty.

Patapon 2 adds more options for growing, including a map for evolving your Patapons, making them better suited for specific roles. These evolutions and the summoning process are resource-intensive, however, requiring you to repeatedly grind out hunting missions to earn enough resources for an upgrade or a powerful new Patapon.

This process ends up making up much of the gameplay, where you’ll often need to repeat a hunt numerous times to earn enough money. Despite how different your goals can be in each quest, ultimately, the gameplay is very similar: You’ll command your Patapons to march forward and attack as you follow the constant call-and-response tempo.

After the 3rd consecutive hunt, it starts to feel a little mind-numbing, making it easier to miss an input and ruin your combo, potentially leading to a failed mission. This makes Patapon 1 and 2 Replay more enjoyable in small gameplay sessions, lest you lull yourself to sleep.

Patapon 1 and 2 Replay preserves the original experience while adding new features too.

As a remaster bundle, Patapon 1 and 2 Replay does a good job of preserving the experience of the original games, but it also adds a few features to make it a little easier for new and returning players. Players have the option to change the difficulty in each game independently, as well as adjust the timing window of their inputs and display their available songs while in a fight. These don’t reinvent the game drastically, but they do remove some of the friction that can naturally arise when playing older titles.

When you’re alert and fully invested, Patapon 1 and 2 Replay reaches a fever pitch of cute creatures creating a cacophony of chaos as they conquer their quarry, but it’s far too easy to trip over yourself, bringing your momentum to a quiet and awkward stop.

Ultimately, Patapon 1 and 2 Replay remasters and presents the first two games in a satisfying package. For fans of the original games, there aren’t many surprises, but newcomers will find a cute and fun, albeit repetitive, experience.

Patapon 1 + 2 Replay is available now on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.