
"Patapon 2 expands on the rhythmic strategy of its predecessor without undermining the approachability or the depth that made it such a success in the first place."

Patapon 2 continues from where the original left off: the Patapons have completed construction of their boat and they have set sail for new lands. On their journey, the Patapons are attacked by a
Kraken that easily defeated them and washes them ashore in a strange new land where they meet a new tribe of people called the "Karmen". They must now defeat the Karmen and find out who their real enemy is.
Patapon 2 is, like its predecessor, a fusion of rhythm and real time strategy games. The player takes the role of the commander of the Patapons on their quest, and controls them with the beats of a drum. A different drum is assigned to each of the face buttons, and a different drum beat will result in different actions. There are beats for marching forward, attacking, defending, moving, and many other battlefield actions. The units will move across a two dimensional plane, where they will encounter treasures, obstacles, and enemies. An example of a beat would be square, square, circle, square (Pata, Pata, Pata, Pon!) which commands units to march forward. The player must input the beats in sync with the rhythm to order the patapon, and make it through each level safely. If the player stops beating the drum, then the patapons will not do anything.
If the player successfully enters a number of beats in sync with the rhythm, they will enter fever mode, which grants attack and defense bonuses.
The game progresses through a variety of missions, accessed from a main hub camp. The player will embark on rescue missions, treasure hunts, and great patapon battles. Players can also revisit completed missions to train for harder challenges. The hub world also allows the player to equip their patapon by buying and crafting new equipment. Spoils can be gathered in each mission, and used to create new and better weapons.
There are many new characters such as the bird-riding Toripon, Robopon, Mahopon, and Akumapon. Gong also makes a return from the first game.
Patapon 2 will have a 4 Player (ad-hoc/game sharing) multiplayer mode in which the player must capture an egg and simultaneously create a beat in rhythm to crack the egg.
Patapon 2 requires firmware 5.03.
