After putting a couple of weeks into Patapon, I feel like I can finally convey my impressions of it. Short answer: this game will have you firing up your handheld when you don’t need to kill time just to keep playing.

Patapon is a game that plays part like a real time strategy and other part rhythm game. Commands are given to your armies by way of a button series. These commands tell your armies to attack, defend, or move. But, that is only the basics of what you will be doing. There is a variety to the missions that will keep you from realizing that you have to replay levels many times over to get the items (that only come from random drops) to build up your army.

From a handheld gameplay stand point the game does very well; an overall goal for the game with 2-5 minute missions that allow you to pick it up and put it back down.

The only place that I really see this game failing is in the tutorials. Maybe I’m a little slow, but there are somethings that I had to go and look up in order to not continually bone it in the same way.

I want to go more in-depth with this post, but I think that would be forcing my viewpoint onto you. I want you to look upon this game with a fresh set of eyes, because the game deserves it. I can honestly say that I have never played a game like this, and to be able to say those words is a little refreshing. You could definitely spend $20 on something far less enjoyable.