Why Retro PlayStation Fans Shouldn’t Sleep on Ratatan

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 19, 2024 4 Views 7 Min Read
Why Retro PlayStation Fans Shouldn't Sleep on Ratatan

The early eras of the PlayStation brand were defined by experimentation. During the PS1 generation, Sony Interactive Entertainment developed and published games that many would consider too unorthodox for mainstream audiences. These included titles like the monochromatic rhythm game Vib-Ribbon, the surreal 3D platformer Kula World, and the restaurant management game Ore no Ryuori, among many others. PlayStation continued to fund niche, lower-budget titles in the PS2, PS3, and PSP generations. Throughout those periods, the publisher produced dozens upon dozens of eclectic video games, each of which was distinct in their ways.




One of the more acclaimed video game franchises that was conceived during this era of PlayStation history was Patapon. This short-lived series of rhythm action games was developed exclusively for the PSP by Japan Studio, the now-defunct Sony first-party developer behind cult classics like Shadow of the Colossus, Gravity Rush, and Ape Escape. Even though the Patapon franchise only received three installments, it garnered a small but passionate fanbase over the years. Many have advocated for Sony to bring the series back in some way, but it seems like the company isn’t interested. At this point, a fourth entry in the Patapon franchise probably won’t be released anytime soon, but Ratatan, an upcoming game from the creators of the series, may be the next best thing.

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Ratatan May Scratch the Itch for PlayStation Fans Longing for a New Patapon Game


Ratatan is a Rhythm Action Game That Takes a Lot of Cues from Patapon

Ratatan, for those who don’t know, is a spiritual successor to the Patapon series. It’s being developed by two newly established independent companies called Tokyo Virtual Theory (TVT) and Ratata Arts. The game was originally announced in July 2023 with a brief teaser trailer, and a Kickstarter campaign for it was launched shortly thereafter. Even though the developers hadn’t shared any gameplay at the time, Ratatan quickly became one of the fastest-funded projects in Kickstarter history, amassing over $141,000 in just 41 minutes. Eventually, it surpassed most of its stretch goals by August 2023.

Like the series it’s inspired by, Ratatan is a side-scrolling rhythm action game that features dynamic background music and a distinct art style. In it, players control cute one-eyed creatures called Ratatans, who can command armies of Cobuns (e.g. soldiers) with magical instruments. Using the power of music, the Ratatans must order the Cobuns around to defeat enemies and take down challenging bosses. Strategy and rhythm are key components of Ratatan‘s gameplay; if players fail to keep to the beat when issuing commands and are unsure when to retreat during a combat encounter, they can easily be trounced in battle.


Some of the Developers That Worked on the Patapon Series Are Involved With Ratatan

Although the companies developing Ratatan don’t have an established track record in the gaming industry, they do have a lot of talent behind them. Hiroyuki Kotani, a game designer who worked on the first entry in the Patapon series, is involved in the project. Kenmai Adachi, the composer that made the soundtrack for the original Patapon games, is working on Ratatan as well. Meanwhile, the illustrator and character designer Nelnal, best known for their work on Deltarune and the Pokemon series, is handling the artwork in the game.

Ratatan is Coming Out in 2025 For All Current-Gen Platforms

TVT and Ratata Arts recently announced that Rataton would be published by the Hong Kong-based company Game Source Entertainment. It is scheduled to be released, according to the developers, sometime in 2025 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Physical copies of the game are also planned, though the studios have yet to specify what platforms they’ll be available on. On its official Kickstarter page, Ratatan has a tentative release window of April 2025, but since this was posted more than a year ago, it’s likely that date is outdated by now. Regardless, fans should expect to hear more about this Patapon spiritual successor in the near future.


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