The first Patapon was a great breakthrough title for the PSP. Not only did it look good, but it also had the perfect ‘pick up and play’ mentality that a lot of games being released on the system are lacking. And while I do admit to having found the game-play a tad tedious to begin with, there was enough progression to keep the game somewhat fresh and enjoyable. So along comes Patapon 2, something I’ve personally been waiting for, looking forward to that same iconic, stylish game-play with a lot more game to bite into.

But Patapon 2 doesn’t really do anything new, so to speak. Most sequels don’t tend to change dramatically, but Patapon 2 doesn’t feel different from the original in any sense. Right from the start you get the same boring screens – about you, their god, helping them. None of these scenes have a skip option, and until you get to signing the contract, you are forced to just bear with it. Then you finally return to your village, ready to start the hunt for food as you begin your first run of Patapon 2. To do this, you have to drum a tune for the Patapon to march to. Again the format is really the same, as you ‘pata’ and ‘pon’ your way through each level, keeping your rhythm right for fever mode and keeping an eye out for when to attack.

One of the first differences I noticed from its predecessor was a subtle design change – the screen has a new border surrounding it to help with your timekeeping, an update I found to be a good idea. This also counts toward getting your new ‘Hero’ character to execute special moves. The major difference between the first game and Patapon 2 is the fact that you have to be so much more precise with your drumming to get these special moves to take place. No longer is it about hitting a fever to get your troops rattled up – four-beat perfect timed precision is required to unleash more powerful attacks which are needed later on in the game. You can tell you’ve done this by the sound the drum makes. If it is a fuller drumbeat then you know you’ve pulled it off correctly. A slightly duller sound means you’re out of beat and need to pay better attention to the flashing border surrounding the screen. The aforementioned ‘Hero’ character is a new addition for Patapon 2. While you have your general army from the first game, you will rescue the Hero during one of the first boss battles. He also has a few extra tricks up his sleeve, which includes being able to use a number of different weapons and abilities that are unlocked throughout the game by picking up ‘memories’ which are found on the battlefield.

Another fun feature is the fact that you can transfer your save data from Patapon to Patapon 2. This means that all the hard work, money and items from the first title will help build your army much quicker when the Tree of Life is unlocked. The Tree of Life has been upgraded, so not only can you create new Patapon to join your army, but you can also evolve them into stronger and more diverse types. The evolution will change their look as well as abilities or resistance. While some might be faster, others may have more resistance to certain attacks. It’s a rather complicated measure that will only be understood after a good play around, and it was interesting to see what I could evolve my team into and how diverse the army could become compared to the first title. Then again, you can just enjoy levelling up your Patapon as normal and ignore the evolution tree altogether. It’s an addition perhaps meant more for the hardcore who want to try a variety of tactics in the game.

Of course what would a 2009 PSP title be without multiplayer? You guessed it, Patapon 2 has included a multiplayer system closely involved with the Hero characters. And if your friends either don’t like you or don’t have PSP’s, you can also choose to play with three other AI controlled Heroes. The whole premise is to gain new items for your inventory with some friends. You battle against bosses from the game in the same drum button tapping as before: basically single player with less to do. Once you defeat the boss you are treated to a small rhythm action bonus game where you press buttons in time with the music for more items.

Patapon 2 was really made for fans of the original. The game assumes you have already enjoyed the first title and know what you are doing while building your army up. The title yet again ultimately does little to keep me engaged for very long. There’s potentially a long-lasting appeal as 40+ levels are going to take quite a while to finish, but with the same pattern of game-play as the original, Patapon 2 leaves a lot to be desired.