History VideoGame / Patapon

* InASingleBound: Several characters through the series. Dark Heroes are, again, the main offenders. Curiously, no Patapon character is seen doing this, just enemy characters.

* ImpassableDesert: Better get the rain juju. It is 'technically' possible to cross it even without the rain juju, but [[SandWorm Zaknel]]'s fire attacks hit harder in the heat and your 'pons will randomly burst into flames the longer you stay in the scorching sun. Also, the strongest Rarepon you can create this far into the game actually has a '' plus 50 percent weakness'' to fire. So it's generally a terrible idea.

* ImpossibleItemDrop: While the kaching, the currency, may be justified as it is sort of representation of life force, things like enemies dropping potions and rocks may be not. The ''Patapon 3'' website justified it on the Bonedeth's part by stating that they bring these potions to battle on purpose, [[TooDumbToLive they just forget to drink them]].

* ImpassableDesert: Better get the rain juju. It is 'technically' possible to cross it even without the rain juju, but the Giant Sandworm monster fire attacks hit harder in the heat and your 'pons will randomly burst into flames the longer you stay in the scorching sun, also the strongest Rarepon you can create this far into the game actually has a ''+50% weakness'' to fire. So it's generally a terrible idea.

The main gameplay of ''Patapon'' is a unique blend of rhythm and strategy that the developers gave the unique label of "Command Carnival"; it has you issuing orders to your army of 'Pons via the four Sacred Drums, each corresponding to a button on the joypad/[=PlayStation=] controller. There are plenty of commands, each with preset drum sequences, that you have to input in time with the rhythm to successfully issue an order (Advance, Attack, Defend, and Run Away, among others). When you successfully enter your orders in time with the rhythm, your army can then enter into a "[[SuperMode Fever mode", greatly increasing their effectiveness in battle]].

There are also other rhythm minigames back in your Patapon village that you can play to either acquire materials or currency (Kaching), used to upgrade your army.

Part RhythmGame, part tactical war game, part ear worm, pure fun, ''Patapon'' is a game by Creator/SonyComputerEntertainment for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable that has you as the deity of a tribe of eyeball villagers, the titular Patapons, waging war in their quest to reach Earthend and gaze upon IT.

The main gameplay of ''Patapon'' has you issuing orders to your army of 'Pons via four drums, each corresponding to a button in your joypad. There are plenty of commands, each with preset drum sequences, that you have to input in time with the rhythm to successfully issue an order (Advance, Attack, Defend, and Run Away, among others). When you successfully enter your orders in time with the rhythm, your army can then enter into a "Fever mode", greatly increasing their effectiveness in battle.

** One of the early levels in ''Patapon 3'' takes place in an area with lots of birch trees. Arabian-style fever theme plays there.
** When attacking a heavily fortified oasis in ''Patapon 3'', a jolly circus music fever theme plays.

* TankGoodness: The Zigotons build one in the first game called the Ziggerzank that serves as a miniboss. In ''Patapon 2'', [[HeelFaceTurn now that the Zigotons are on your side,]] the Ziggerzank provides much-needed support in the assault against [[StormingTheCastle Sokshi Gate.]] The karmens get in on the action when Black Hoshipon builds one for them, called the Zugagaang.

** Kacchidonga in ''Patapon 2''.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: The Karmen leader, Ormen Karmen, is said to be -- well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin over seven hundred years old]]. And then Meden says that's not older than she is. Hmm. Many characters in ''Patapon 3'' too.

* CoolHorse: Warhorses, elemental horses, divine horses, [[HellishHorse demonic horses...]] there are tons of options, just take your pick.
** [[HellishHorse Ponteo!]]
** [[HorseOfADifferentColor Then, of course, we have the toripon birds...]]

* {{Cthulhumanoid}}: The Legendary Gigantus, Gigante King, and Terantus, the {{Superboss}}es of ''Patapon 3''. They're also Cthulhu-''sized'', being the three tallest bosses in the series.

* SuperBoss: if you can tolerate watching the unskippaable end cutscene over and over again, defeating Dettankarmen 10 times in ''Patapon 2'' unlocks [[spoiler:Zuttankarmen, a HarderThanHard version of the final boss.]] The Gigans that randomly appear in ''Patapon 3'' also qualify, as they're mountain-sized monstrosities that look like they've been ripped straight out of ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' and are some of the hardest fights in the series.

%%* {{Musical Gameplay}}

* BagOfSpilling: Mostly.

** In first two ''Patapon'' games, the army uses things like spears, bows, swords, clubs, magic, and so on. However, in ''Patapon 3'', cannons and laserguns are added to the mix. In addition, there is a minigame about launching tactical missiles into the opponents' side of the area.

** Kanogias and Ganodias are building-sized living war machines that are tricked out with every weapon imaginable, such as a wrecking ball, [[MoreDakka machine guns]] and a {{BFG}} that's as big as their entire head. Fortunately, being equipped with so much weaponry makes them [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome extremely top-heavy and easy to stagger]], especially since they're [[ChickenWalker bipedal]].

* NintendoHard: If you don't know what you're doing.
** ''Patapon 3'' in general. Specially, the multiplayer dungeons. Even the first of these requires a well-coordinated lvl 25+ team with decent equip and rhythm skills to be completed. [[OhCrap And it only gets harder from there.]]
** The last floor of the last multiplayer dungeon features bladed pendulums that are a one-hit K.O. Expect a lot of losses this way.

* {{Engrish}}: Zig-zagged with Gorl, the final boss of ''1''. In the second game, it and its' stronger version are written as "Goruru" and "Garuru" respectively, implying that they were either accidentally translated as having "L"s in the first game due to the "uru" suffix or the developers went for a more literal translation in ''2''.

* GiantEnemyCrab: Present as bosses or larger enemies in hunting missions.

* RPGElements: The squad levels up in ''Patapon 3''.
* SandWorm: Making your way across the desert brings you to a confrontation with Zaknel, a huge fire-breathing worm that apparently has vegetation growing on it. Its primary form of attack is slamming its huge bulk on top of your Patapons. Averted with Dokaknel, its stronger version, which is just a normal giant worm without the "sand" part.

* SmashMook: Dekapons (and its analogues). Giants in ''Patapon 3''.

** Call a dragon a Dodonga. ''Patapon 3'' justifies calling them dodongas, as less cartoonish real dragons are present in that game.

* DinosaursAreDragons: Dodonga and its variants.

* CanisMajor: Both Fenrir and Ragewolf are very big lupines.

* CartoonConductor: Shuraba Yapon, who doesn't even ''have'' an orchestra.

* DamnYouMuscleMemory: The Tsukupon's minigame. For some unexplained, godforsaken reason, the character that requires the Square button, which is on the '''left''' of the controller, is on the '''right''' of the screen, and vice versa for the Circle button, and they've even swapped the buttons' colors! This means that you ''will'' accidentally default to pressing the wrong button and probably fail the whole minigame at least once.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: the ''entirety'' of Tsun and Tsuku Tsukupon's minigame, in which they prod a furnace who sounds like a [[DirtyOldMan grunting old man]] with their [[FreudWasRight sticks]] in order to prevent it from getting too hot, before it [[TheImmodestOrgasm overflows and squeezes out some of its' "secret juice."]]. They also keep asking you to try said "secret juice" because [[HoYay they know you'll love it]].

* TeamChef: Rah Gashapon.

* AntiMagic: Slogturtle has this ability.

* BeehiveBarrier:
** Slogturtle from ''Patapon 3'' can activate it when metaphysics need to be denied.
** Pingreks, a defensive class in ''Patapon 3'', can also create one of these around each ally by defending with certain staffs.

* BigEater:
** The Patapons; much ado is made about going hunting to feed them at the start of the first two games, and the second comes right out and says they need a ton of food. How much food you may ask? A small tribe of a couple dozen pons eats at the very least one animal 4-5 times their size ''per day''.
** Buzzcrave in the third game, justified as he is the Dark Hero of Gluttony. He even declares in a letter he'll wait for you while munching on a cyclops!

* AndNowYouMustMarryMe: Ormen Karmen captures the Patapon Princess in the second game and tell her that she will become his bride. Luckily, [[spoiler: you kill him before that happens.]]

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Subverted with Queen Kharma. [[spoiler: It looks like she's being set up to be the irredeemably evil final boss of ''Patapon 1'', but she's actually just as misinformed as Gong and sold her bloodline to [[DealWithTheDevil Goruru]] in exchange for power to defeat you. She undergoes a HeelFaceTurn at the very end when she realizes that the Patapons reaching Earthend ''won't'' cause the world to end.]]

* BigBadWannabe: Standoffish Sonarchy acts like he's the "leader" of the Dark Heroes, despite his allies not really respecting his authority. Justified, since as the Dark Hero of Pride it would make sense that his ambitions would exceed his actual status.

* ExplainingYourPowerToTheEnemy: Played with in ''Patapon 3''. Ragewolf taunts your Uberhero, informing him that heroes can't revive inside dungeons. Your hero drops to his knees in apparent defeat, but cheers himself up by pointing out aloud that in that case, Ragewolf probably can't revive in there either. Then Ragewolf laughs and gloats that he can revive there anyways, by usage of a Summon. Your hero then drops the act, thanks Ragewolf for the info, and ponders aloud how to learn to use a Summon.
-->'''Ragewolf:''' Erk! Curses!

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Makoton, a normal soldier, once you killed his best friend. He turns into a general, then he turned into the [[spoiler:demonic, evil, and hard Dark One.]] It's also heavily implied that he was [[spoiler:resurrected a third time as Madfang Ragewolf, Dark Hero of Wrath,]] due to him having lost someone very close to him in his backstory.

* ThisCannotBe: "Impossible... Bababaan is weakening... it can't be... it... I can't let it happen".

* WaifProphet: Meden.

* WhoDares:
** Ragewolf has a variant of this line:
--->'''Ragewolf:''' You rotten little spherical scoundrels! How dare you!
** Several enemies through the whole game series as well.
%%* WidgetSeries