Drumming up fun
By Paul Hunter
March to the rhythm and command your troops through beats—Patapon 1+2 Replay is back, cleaned up and tuned for modern play. Originally developed by Pyramid and Japan Studio and now re-released by Bandai Namco, this version fixes technical hiccups while keeping the charm intact.
Gone is the input lag that dragged down earlier remasters. The controls now respond precisely, with a timing adjustment option to fine-tune your rhythm. Visuals are sharper too, with textures that polish up the entire experience. A difficulty toggle is also included, letting you ease in or take on a bigger challenge right from the start.
Nothing here is drastically reworked. The gameplay loop remains the same, with repeated missions and resource collecting baked into the structure. You’ll still come across the occasional vague objective, but the improvements go a long way in smoothing out the ride.
If you’re looking for a loud, unusual, and compact rhythm-command experience, this package delivers that with confidence. It’s not about spectacle—it’s about timing, flow, and drumming your way to small victories.
So, does this remaster have the beat skills to lead a chanting tribe to victory? Let’s find out!
At first glance, Patapon 1+2 Replay might look like a rhythm game with cute characters and a few chants. But underneath all the drumming, there's a journey that gives this strange little world purpose. The Patapons follow a god they call the Mighty Patapon. That’s you. Your goal? Guide them across dangerous lands toward a place they believe holds the key to their destiny—Earthend.
The first game starts with your tribe rebuilding after a fall from power. It sets the stage with a sense of desperation and a steady march toward hope. The second game drops you into a new land after a shipwreck, where the Patapons continue chasing “IT,” a mysterious force tied to their beliefs. That sense of myth keeps things moving forward even when the story stays simple.
Most of the storytelling happens between missions in short text scenes. There’s no voice acting, no cinematic moments. But that stripped-down delivery gives the game its playful tone. Faith, survival, and curiosity drive the Patapons forward. They might be eyeball creatures, but they march with purpose.
It won’t leave you pondering lore for hours, but the charm is in how little it tries to impress. The story exists to serve the rhythm, and it does just enough to carry the beat forward.
Controlling your army in Patapon 1+2 Replay relies on rhythm. Using the face buttons, you enter simple beat patterns—like “Pata Pata Pata Pon”—to issue commands. March, attack, defend. Each beat pushes the squad forward, and missing the tempo breaks your momentum.
There’s no traditional joystick movement or direct control. Every action hinges on hitting those beats at the right time. Early on, it’s simple. But once the action picks up, you’ll be juggling squad types, managing cooldowns, and reading enemy behaviour—all through sound.
The game’s structure is built around repeating maps to gather materials and level up your troops. Whether you're farming for better gear or building out your unit classes, you’ll be revisiting missions often. It can get repetitive, but once you geet a hang of the chants, it's hard to stop.
Difficulty ramps up as you go, especially in Patapon 2. Boss fights demand precision and patience. I found myself replaying a desert stage five times, just to unlock the right helmet and weapon upgrades to progress. It wasn’t frustrating—it was satisfying once I nailed the rhythm and handily beat the boss.
Thanks to tighter controls and input lag fixes, your timing is now fully in your hands. You can even tweak the timing window if needed. That small setting kept me locked in during tougher stages where timing mattered most.
There’s still something oddly compelling about commanding a chanting army using nothing but beats. The grind can wear thin, but when the rhythm kicks in and everything syncs up, the experience becomes its own reward.
You probably don’t boot up Patapon 1+2 Replay expecting a visual feast—but what you get is surprisingly slick. The remaster does a solid job cleaning things up without breaking the style that made these games memorable.
Textures are much sharper now, and the contrast between the black shapes and bright backgrounds really helps you stay focused, especially when things get frantic. The art style remains clean and confident.
Menus and HUD elements are neatly arranged and easy to read. They don’t take over the screen or get in your way. Nothing feels cluttered, which is a nice bonus when your main job is keeping the rhythm going.
Animations are snappy and make each action easy to follow. The original Patapon games looked great, but they look even better.
Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: SAS Co.
Genre: Rhythm, Action
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
March to the rhythm and command your troops through beats—Patapon 1+2 Replay is back, cleaned up and tuned for modern play. Originally developed by Pyramid and Japan Studio and now re-released by Bandai Namco, this version fixes technical hiccups while keeping the charm intact.
Gone is the input lag that dragged down earlier remasters. The controls now respond precisely, with a timing adjustment option to fine-tune your rhythm. Visuals are sharper too, with textures that polish up the entire experience. A difficulty toggle is also included, letting you ease in or take on a bigger challenge right from the start.
Nothing here is drastically reworked. The gameplay loop remains the same, with repeated missions and resource collecting baked into the structure. You’ll still come across the occasional vague objective, but the improvements go a long way in smoothing out the ride.
If you’re looking for a loud, unusual, and compact rhythm-command experience, this package delivers that with confidence. It’s not about spectacle—it’s about timing, flow, and drumming your way to small victories.
So, does this remaster have the beat skills to lead a chanting tribe to victory? Let’s find out!
At first glance, Patapon 1+2 Replay might look like a rhythm game with cute characters and a few chants. But underneath all the drumming, there's a journey that gives this strange little world purpose. The Patapons follow a god they call the Mighty Patapon. That’s you. Your goal? Guide them across dangerous lands toward a place they believe holds the key to their destiny—Earthend.
The first game starts with your tribe rebuilding after a fall from power. It sets the stage with a sense of desperation and a steady march toward hope. The second game drops you into a new land after a shipwreck, where the Patapons continue chasing “IT,” a mysterious force tied to their beliefs. That sense of myth keeps things moving forward even when the story stays simple.
Most of the storytelling happens between missions in short text scenes. There’s no voice acting, no cinematic moments. But that stripped-down delivery gives the game its playful tone. Faith, survival, and curiosity drive the Patapons forward. They might be eyeball creatures, but they march with purpose.
It won’t leave you pondering lore for hours, but the charm is in how little it tries to impress. The story exists to serve the rhythm, and it does just enough to carry the beat forward.
Controlling your army in Patapon 1+2 Replay relies on rhythm. Using the face buttons, you enter simple beat patterns—like “Pata Pata Pata Pon”—to issue commands. March, attack, defend. Each beat pushes the squad forward, and missing the tempo breaks your momentum.
There’s no traditional joystick movement or direct control. Every action hinges on hitting those beats at the right time. Early on, it’s simple. But once the action picks up, you’ll be juggling squad types, managing cooldowns, and reading enemy behaviour—all through sound.
The game’s structure is built around repeating maps to gather materials and level up your troops. Whether you're farming for better gear or building out your unit classes, you’ll be revisiting missions often. It can get repetitive, but once you geet a hang of the chants, it's hard to stop.
Difficulty ramps up as you go, especially in Patapon 2. Boss fights demand precision and patience. I found myself replaying a desert stage five times, just to unlock the right helmet and weapon upgrades to progress. It wasn’t frustrating—it was satisfying once I nailed the rhythm and handily beat the boss.
Thanks to tighter controls and input lag fixes, your timing is now fully in your hands. You can even tweak the timing window if needed. That small setting kept me locked in during tougher stages where timing mattered most.
There’s still something oddly compelling about commanding a chanting army using nothing but beats. The grind can wear thin, but when the rhythm kicks in and everything syncs up, the experience becomes its own reward.
You probably don’t boot up Patapon 1+2 Replay expecting a visual feast—but what you get is surprisingly slick. The remaster does a solid job cleaning things up without breaking the style that made these games memorable.
Textures are much sharper now, and the contrast between the black shapes and bright backgrounds really helps you stay focused, especially when things get frantic. The art style remains clean and confident.
Menus and HUD elements are neatly arranged and easy to read. They don’t take over the screen or get in your way. Nothing feels cluttered, which is a nice bonus when your main job is keeping the rhythm going.
Animations are snappy and make each action easy to follow. The original Patapon games looked great, but they look even better.
The Verdict
Patapon 1+2 Replay fixes the old problems—no lag, clean textures, and tighter rhythm control. That polish goes a long way, especially when the beat hits and everything falls into place. You’ll still run into the same grind-heavy loops, especially in the second game, but the core remains strong. This isn’t a reinvention, but it's the same style and same rhythm combat, just without the clunky bits. If you’re looking to revisit old favourites or try them for the first time, this is easily the most polished way to play both games.Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Patapon 1+2 Replay details
Platform: PS5, Nintendo Switch, PCDeveloper: Bandai Namco
Publisher: SAS Co.
Genre: Rhythm, Action
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.