I was bullied while playing the Patapon 1+2 Replay demo, and I enjoyed it.

      At PAX East 2025, I had the chance to try out numerous games, but Patapon 1+2 Replay is the one that made a lasting impression on me. Before my appointment, I was unfamiliar with Sony's cult classic series. The only thing I knew was that I struggled with pronouncing its name at first and that it was some sort of rhythm-based game.

      Just before my appointment, a colleague (let's say John) asked if he could join me to watch, which I agreed to, and Bandai Namco approved. When I started discussing Patapon 1+2 Replay with the team, they quickly picked up on my mispronunciation and playfully teased me while correcting it. This set the tone for a demo that would reveal the comedic delight and excitement of a classic series designed for casual, laid-back fun.

      Discovering Patapon

      As soon as John and I took a seat, we were welcomed by Savannah Ho, the marketing lead for Patapon 1+2 Replay. After a brief introduction, Ho provided a quick elevator pitch to get me up to speed: “Patapon is a rhythm action game perfect for fans of... rhythm and action! It's easy to start but has a high skill ceiling. Especially with the Patapon 1+2 Replay bundle, we've introduced new difficulty levels to the series.” This last point became particularly relevant as my appointment progressed. As someone not particularly coordinated, the easy mode sounded very appealing.

      Following my chat with Ho, I was instructed to load into the game and given a set of commands to press that would prompt my cute little eyeball characters to perform various actions, such as moving, attacking, and jumping. The twist was that these commands had to be executed in time with the music, and any mistake meant starting the input sequence all over again.

      When I timed my actions correctly, not only did my little characters respond, but I was also rewarded with a charming, catchy tune. Ho assured me that the songs in 1+2 Replay were the same as in the original titles. Successfully hitting the combos gave me a nice boost of serotonin, and the visual upgrades made it wonderful to see games from older handhelds reimagined to feel modern again.

      In the first level, I had the task of hunting a few animals before they could escape my tribe. I expected to have a great time due to the cheerful atmosphere and the fact that I was playing on easy mode. However, my poor coordination meant that it took me far longer to get through the introduction than I would have liked, to the point that John began to tease me about it. Ho even joined in on the laughter at first. While it might have seemed like bullying, their humor only added to the enjoyment of an already lively game. It’s hard not to find joy in watching my little characters perform actions or chase after creatures — or, in my case, make mistakes.

      Even though the first level had no real consequences, it was disheartening to know that I allowed one creature to escape and it took me nearly ten minutes to finish. Naturally, John and Ho were right there to highlight my blunders, which only made the situation more amusing.

      The stakes only rose from there. For the second level, Ho informed me that I would be battling a T-Rex-like monster that would actively fight back. By this stage in the demo, I was focused and ready to show them what I could do — or so I thought. I was feeling the rhythm, and before long, I found myself face-to-face with the T-Rex, ready for combat. As soon as it started, John and Ho began cracking jokes about my lack of skills, which completely distracted me and had me laughing uncontrollably.

      The cute dinosaur quickly took down my frontline troops, which was quite an achievement. Ho pointed out that those characters were specifically designed to withstand damage; the fact that I managed to get them defeated was impressive. Even though I lost some good characters in the battle, my eyeball creatures and I ultimately emerged victorious from a challenging fight filled with catchy music.

      Throughout my demo, when I performed certain actions consecutively, I built up an ultimate attack. Every time I got close to unleashing it, John or Ho would tease me with quips like “oh look, he's getting closer!” like clockwork, which made me laugh and disrupted my combo.

      Despite being the subject of many jokes while playing Patapon 1+2 Replay, I wouldn't have preferred it any other way. My playtime perfectly conveyed the essence of Patapon, offering me a crash course in a series that was new to me. It’s designed to be lighthearted and enjoyable, something casual that becomes even more fun when played with others. That's why Patapon 1+2 Replay is definitely worth checking out. Even if you're someone like me who lacks rhythm, the upbeat energy is contagious, especially when shared with friends who can