Review: ‘Patapon 2′ leads a parade of fresh rhythm games

Review: ‘Patapon 2′ leads parade of rhythm games

Thanks to “Dance Dance Revolution,” ”Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band,” music games have become an increasingly popular part of the video-game universe. But you don’t need a plastic floor mat or a phony guitar to get your groove on.

In Nintendo’s excellent “Rhythm Heaven,” you use a DS stylus to match the beat. In the popular iPhone series “Tap Tap Revenge,” you just use your fingers. Of course, if you still want to shred, you’ve probably already bought “Guitar Hero: Metallica.”

Here are three games that find new ways to turn the beat around:

—”Patapon 2″ (Sony, for the PlayStation Portable, $19.99): Last year’s “Patapon” proved an irresistible mix of the music and strategy genres. The sequel offers more of the same, with enough enhancements to make a second trip worthwhile.

You control the Patapon — an army of eyeballs with arms and legs — by tapping out rhythms on the PSP buttons. Various beats cause them to march, retreat, attack or unleash special powers. “Patapon 2″ gives you more of everything: more beats, more warriors, more enemies and more worlds.

The major addition is a customizable “hero” Patapon, whom you’ll need to build up to conquer the game’s toughest bosses. There are also zippy new minigames and an online multiplayer mode. “Patapon” remains one of Sony’s freshest franchises, and this sequel is one of the best games on the PSP. Three-and-a-half stars out of four.

—”Major Minor’s Majestic March” (Majesco, for the Wii, $19.99): As a recovering high-school band geek, I wanted to love this game. And it has an impeccable pedigree, coming from the creators of the landmark “PaRappa the Rapper.” Alas, “Major Minor” is nearly a disaster.

Your job is to lead a band of animal musicians in a series of parades. You move your baton (the Wii remote) up and down to set the tempo, and side to side to pick up new musicians. As simple as the controls are, they’re surprisingly flaky, and it’s awfully easy to lose the rhythm.

“Major Minor” is a very short game, and you spend a lot of time watching static cut scenes. The graphics are colorful and charming, but the kids this game targets will get frustrated quickly. One-half star.

—”Zubo” (Electronic Arts, for the DS, $19.99): Here’s another hybrid, this time mixing the rhythm genre with a “Pokemon”-like RPG. Your mission is to recruit Zubos to help save the planet Zubalon from the evil Zombos, and all those Zs translate into a decent adventure.

Whenever you meet a Zombo, you have to tell your Zubo how to attack. To make that attack effective, you then have to tap the screen in sync with visual cues. The battles are lively, with a solid variety of amusingly animated attacks, and there’s plenty to do on Zubalon. But the story is uninspired, leaving you without much motivation to collect all the creatures. Two stars.

On the Net:

www.us.playstation.com/PSP/Games/Patapon_2

www.majescoentertainment.com/games/nintendo-wii/major-minors-majestic-march/

www.zubo.ea.com/us/