Ratata Arts
Ratatan is basically Patapon 4, and its Kickstarter deserves all of your money
The creators of the Patapon series come back to the musical fray with Ratatan, a spiritual successor that’s now on Kickstarter and deserves all the attention it’s getting.
The Avengers of rhythm games are back. Hiroyuki Kotani, designer of Patapon, and Kenmei Adachi, composer not only of Patapon, but also of LocoRoco. Both developers have joined forces again in Ratatan, a new project that is obviously reminiscent of their previous creation and that looks great. Now that Sony has restructured Japan Studio and that licenses like Patapon’s have ended up in the freezer, we could not be happier with how many rescue attempts are being carried out.
“Ratatan’s gameplay incorporates a unique combination of rhythm and strategy where the player takes the role of a conductor controlling the actions of a cute army of “Ratatan” characters,” reads the first description of the title. “Using commands on the controller, each button represents one of four musical phrases and must be struck in sync with an established rhythm in order to give instructions to the army. Ratatan doubles down on the musical theme by introducing characters equipped with musical instruments that can unleash special skills in battle, along with a more modern movement system while maintaining the same four beat attack-defense gameplay that fans love.”
“Ratatans” are music-loving heroes brought to life with the power of Medama and look like animals that once lived on the planet Redo. They demonstrate their mysterious power by singing and playing musical instruments. Each Ratatan has a unique instrument and skill that the player can use to get an edge in rhythmic battle. For example, Keroronpa, a support-type character, uses a megaphone to stir up the battlefield, raising both party morale and enemy agitation. While Harigittan, a defense-type character, protects allies with numbingly good riffs on guitar.”
Rattan’s Kickstarter
Without the embrace of Sony, Ratatan will be an independent project that needs the support (and savings) of the community to see the light of day. TVT and Ratata Arts’ game started a crowdfunding via Kickstarter this Monday, July 31
Depending on how much it raises, the creators of Ratatan will consider expanding the goals of the campaign, such as adding new minigames and modes or developing a port for consoles. There is even the option of physical collector’s editions with gifts for the most music-loving fans.
Give it a chance! Tan, tan, rat-ta-tan!
