Patapon 1 + 2 Replay review for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch

The original Patapon games – the first two that comprise Patapon 1 + 2 Replay – came out back in 2007/8 on PSP, and even if I didn’t play them right at the time of their release, I still have a soft spot for them because of what they represent. Not only do they come from a time when Sony was still invested in handheld gaming, they’re also a throwback to the days when Sony wasn’t afraid to be a little weird with first-party games, and they came out at a time when a series could have multiple sequels in a few short years (with Patapon 3, not included here, coming out in 2011).

And now that both games are back with Patapon 1 + 2 Replay, I’m reminded that not only do I like what they represent, I also like them because they’re a lot of fun, too.

Both Patapon games work because they’re the epitome of “easy to pick up, incredibly hard to master.” The gist of the gameplay is exactly how you remember it, if you played these games the first time around: you’re controlling little villagers, and you get them to move forward and to attack by beating out simple rhythms. There’s no deep complex story around it: it’s just mashing buttons to the beat.

But as both games make abundantly clear, within that simple formula there’s a lot of room to make things interesting. As long as you have the most basic sense of rhythm – and I mean basic, because if someone like me can get it, anyone can – you’ll be able to get the hang of “Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon” and “Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon” without much difficulty. The further in you get, though, the more complicated it gets, and your ability to keep up will be severely tested.

Not only that, both Patapon 1 and 2 also find ways to be more than just simple rhythm games. You need to practice resource management, making sure you gather enough items to be able to build your Patapon army. Admittedly, this leads to some grinding – especially in Patapon 2 – but it’s worth it when you get the satisfaction of figuring out a particularly challenging rhythm.

Which means it’s worth it to pick up these games. Patapon 1 + 2 Replay may be throwbacks to another time, but their gameplay is pretty timeless, and whether you played them the first time around or not, it’s a good time to go back (or go for the first time) and lose yourself in the rhythm.

Bandai Namco provided us with a Patapon 1 + 2 Replay PC code for review purposes.