I was genuinely caught off guard by Patapon 1+2 Replay when I first saw it during the March 2025 Nintendo Direct. I know the rails have come almost all the way off in terms of first-party exclusivity, but, like with Crash Bandicoot before it, I never would’ve thought to see something that was pretty indicative of the PlayStation—namely, the PlayStation Portable—winding up on a Nintendo console.
But it’s certainly an excellent time for Patapon to land on the Nintendo Switch because I question how many people got a chance to play it back in the day. I know the PSP technically sold well, but I genuinely don’t remember anyone owning one, outside of a cousin who always seemed to have all the consoles—he was the only person I knew who had a Dreamcast. I liked Patapon when I first played it back in 2008, and that feeling continues to this day—Patapon 1+2 Replay are excellent, albeit somewhat flawed games that combine creativity with genuine ingenuity.
The stories in Patapon 1+2 Replay are fairly straightforward. An ancient race known as the Patapon, led by their deity known as The Mighty Patapon, once marched across the land, defeating man and beast and conquering any lands they came across. They journeyed to a land known as Earthrend in search of a mysterious object simply called “IT.” However, as time went on, the Patapon have fallen from their former glory as The Mighty One seemed to leave them.
“…it never loses that sense of lighthearted fun that makes the Patapon 1+2 Replay such an enjoyable set of games to experience.”
In the first Patapon, players take on the role of The Mighty One and restore the Patapon to their former glory; however, Patapon 2 begins with the Patapon still in search of Earthrend and the IT. After a terrible shipwreck, the Patapons find themselves on a strange new land. The Mighty One returns and helps the Patpon reform their broken ranks and venture into this new land where they’re sure they’ll find Earthrend, and the enigmatic IT.
It’s certainly more story than I would’ve given the game credit for, but there’s a simplicity to it that makes it enjoyable for almost any player. There’s a sort of dark tone that runs under a lot of it, evocative of something like Pikmin, but it never loses that sense of lighthearted fun that makes the Patapon 1+2 Replay such an enjoyable set of games to experience.
But the gameplay is where Patapon 1+2 Replay really stands out. If you missed them when they came out, it’s essentially a rhythm-based 2D strategy game with a bit of action mixed in—the game’s lead designer called it a “Command Carnival.” Each of the four face buttons (here A, B, X, Y) corresponds to a specific beat, and combining them will yield different commands. Players need to time their presses to the beat, and if they can string together a big enough combo, they can enter Fever mode, giving the Patapon increased abilities.
“But the gameplay is where Patapon 1+2 Replay really stands out.”
Once you get into it, it becomes incredibly engaging, requiring a high degree of concentration and coordination, but never feeling overwhelming or overly complicated. The combinations of PATA and PON almost become like second nature, and you almost disconnect from your hands, just feeling the beat and watching your enemy’s behaviour to react accordingly.
The gameplay is expanded by players needing to hunt for materials to summon stronger Patapon and equip them with better weapons and armour. And while Patapon 2 is fundamentally the same, it’s bigger and bolder with added Patapon units, more command songs and mission diversity. Thankfully, if any player might lose track of all the various songs, the games have always offered players a list at the bottom of the screen, should they need help, so it’s never too obtuse.
However, it’s not a totally flawless experience. Patapon 1 can feel especially grindy, especially as the game progresses and starts throwing harder, more complex boss monsters at you. Keep in mind also that this is a straightforward rerelease of the original Patapon and Patapon 2, lacking any real QoL features or bonuses. Furthermore, I did notice a slight bit of input lag while playing the Nintendo Switch version in handheld mode, and while it wasn’t bad enough to make the experience unbearable, it was noticeable at times—I’m sure this isn’t an issue on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Visually, Patapon 1+2 Replay are excellent, taking the minimalist graphics from the originals and presenting them in crips 1080p (or 720p if you’re playing in handheld on the Switch 1), and a clean 60fps in docked. The music is incredibly fun, equally minimalist, but incredibly catchy and becomes more expansive if you hit a Fever. I challenge you to play this game and not spend the rest of the day chanting, “Pata, Pata, Pata, Pon!”
Patapon 1+2 Replay is two fantastic games, and it makes sense that they should find new life on a modern handheld console. And while part of me wishes this re-collection would’ve come with some bonus features like art or the BGM, I’m still happy these two icons of the weird and wonderful days of the PSP got a revival. Now let’s see LocoRoco 1+2 on Switch!
