Sorry please excuse my over the top use of exclamation marks in the title but it is rather exciting, Patapon was within the top 5 best games I played on my PSP and I still take it out from time to time. !up reported that during a visit to Sony’s Tokyo office they got a chance to talk with Patapon 2 designer Hiroyuki Kotani and check out the game’s new multiplayer mode.
The multiplayer portion will be made up of two-part adventure levels that let up to four players work together but can also be played solo with the console controlling the other three. In the first section, the players fight across the level to secure a giant egg. Once secured, they then carry it to a shrine for the second part, a rhythm-based ritual performed together to “hatch” the egg releasing the new items inside.
So in fact its more of a co-op experience which is really cool, turning couch co-op into bus, park, work, street, train or backyard co-op if you get my drift. Something not really so viable for us as i doubt you’ll hop on a bus in Joburg and be asked by a stranger if your up for some Patapon 2 action when you take your PSP out your bag but anyway.
The are some new Patapons available in this mode however such as the new customisable hero class Patapons. Kotani’s hero (which he’d named “Hero”) rode a horse, but others they saw included an archer-type hero and one mounted on an eagle. Along with the hero class, Kotani said that the game will include three new Patapons, but remained mum on whether one of those would be a hoped-for flying unit.
The new game doubles the song count with all those of the first returning and an equal number of new ones. Kotani was asked about the dramatic rise in difficulty towards the end of the first game that turned off many players. He explained that they had listened to that feedback, and as a direct response included a new easy mode in the sequel. This mode lengthens the window for hitting each timing beat. However, he did not comment on whether the more advanced of the new songs had been toned down any.
Well Patapon 2 seem destined to be a great sequel. I’m excited, are you?
Last Updated: October 8, 2008
