Patapon (PSP)

One of the most unique titles for the Playstation Portable (PSP) handheld game console, Patapon crosses genres to provide an intriguing mix of music and rhythm with strategy and combat.  

The game is presented in a cartoonish, silhouetted 2D environment, giving it a signature style all its own.  Players assume the role of a deity in charge of the Patapon tribe, a noble race of miniature creatures who have been overpowered by the evil Zigoton Empire.  The player must lead the Patapons as they wage epic battles against opposing tribes and gigantic monsters in order to reclaim their former glory.  

The Patapon tribe consists of infantry, ranged troops, and cavalry.  More warriors and greater weapons can be added as the tribe progresses through the game and wins battles.  The true twist comes in how players control the Patapons.  The buttons on the PSP controller are mapped to correspond with specific drum beats, producing the sounds of Pata, Pon, Chaka, and Don.

How the players beat the sacred drums determines the Patapons' behavior.  Certain rhythms will make them charge, attack, or defend.  The longer players can keep the music rolling, the more successful the Patapons will be in their efforts.  But one missed beat can prove disastrous.  

Since its release in February of 2008, Patapon has been received with universal praise.  IGN and Gamespot were only two of the many reviewers heaping praise on the title, proclaiming it as perhaps the best games to ever find its way onto the PSP.