You either like Bovril or Marmite. You can’t like both, that’s a given. Oh, of course there are the Vegemite splinter groups, but let’s face it, you’re only putting that stuff on your toast to be avant-garde, and if you are, we’ve got news for you, it’s not in the least bit progressive, we’ve all tried it. Anyway, most people around here seem to be firmly in the Marmite camp, but that’s not really the point. Our point is this: what happens when you mix a genre you love with a genre you hate? Marmvil? Bovmite? Nope. Patapon.

Now let’s get it straight from the outset. Patapon is a great game. As a tight, enjoyable, handheld experience it’s easily one of the best out there, and coming from the creators of LocoRoco, you’d have to expect that. In many ways it’s a similar game. Cute characters, decent music, bite-sized levels, and simple controls, but Patapon has taken a step towards more complex gameplay with an RTS base. All your resource management and troop building is done at your home village of Patapolis, where a number of activities can be performed. Play trumpet to a tree for pieces of meat, chat to the only lady in the village, and admire her sexy legs and eye, revive your fallen troops or watch your minions chow down on your last conquest’s head. Yup, it’s all pretty weird stuff, some of which has a use, and some of which is merely there to add to the ambiance and to drive home the weirdness of the game.

It does require a little explanation, as it’s unlike anything you’ll have played before, and while there’s little to compare it to, there are a number of minor frustrations that could be something of an annoyance to many people early on. It’s a rhythm-action title first and foremost, and for a majority of the time you’ll be thumbing Circle, Square and Triangle in the same three combinations with the very occasional deviation. To start with, this isn’t the most appealing prospect, especially given that it’s reasonably slow to take off.

The second irritation is that being a rhythmaction title, you don’t have the level of control you might want from an RTS. Once you get over those minor niggles, and you will get over them whether it takes a minute or an hour, you realise that the rhythm action is the core of the game, and it’s almost the point that you don’t have full control over your troops. It gives them more character apart from anything else. Similarly, when you’ve accrued enough perfect combos to start Fever mode, where your troops get stronger and acquire new skills, you’re treated to a seriously off-putting jingle, which can screw up your rhythm and add to that early frustration. Again, once you realise that this is a considered part of the gameplay, things become a good deal more playable. Indeed, after a few hours, you’ll forget that Patapon ever annoyed you, and get on with the joyous business of saving the Pataponians from a civilisation of misery and disgrace.

Away from the combat and adventure on the plains, where you attack and defend against rival tribes and legendary monsters, it’s more of a traditional title. Troops can be managed, equipped, and deployed in varying formations, resources can be dealt with, and narrative delivered. In all honesty, there’s little remarkable about the menu-based action, especially when compared to the delicious originality and genuine innovation present in the rest of the package. That’s really where you’ll start enjoying Patapon. Although it’s comprised of a paltry list of commands, the brow-furrowing concentration required to plow through the levels is the draw that will keep you entertained for the long haul. It’s worth noting that you’ll be unable to play this for any serious amount of time without significant breaks, but then that’s not how the PSP works, is it?

It is a magical game, that’s for sure, and when you get past what could be irritants for many, it really comes into its own. There’s probably not a distinct genre waiting anywhere to be exploited, but as a one-off, Patapon shows that you can pretty much mix any style of game as long as you give it the time and attention it deserves. It can be as wacky as you like but if it’s been created in a balanced, and slick way, it doesn’t matter. Patapon, above all, is the most original title since LocoRoco, and as PSP owners, that’s one of the greatest joys – getting your hands on innovative ideas that make the most of your handheld. Patapon works, where Marvil doesn’t because nobody cared about the bastard child of Marmite and Bovril. No one bothered to find and mix the right qualities of each one together competently. Patapon did . That’s why we’re reviewing Patapon, not Bovmite.

Tom Leclerc