On magic, background symbols and rain in Patapon

Most of you are already familiar with the concept of rhythm games, but how about rhythm games that have you hunting for magic? According to associate producer Sony Computer Entertainment America”>SCEA associate producer”>Chris Hinojosa-Miranda, that’s exactly what Patapon will have you do and believe in. More on the “rain dance” after the jump.

In the days of old, some peoples would perform rain dances to beseech their gods to send them much-needed water. While that’s not exactly what you do in Patapon, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEA) associate producer Chris Hinojosa-Miranda would have you believe in the power of magic to call upon rain – magic background icons, that is.

According to Hinojosa-Miranda, there will come a point in Patapon where you will need the assistance of the rain Juju in order to progress further in the game. It’s hidden, though, and you will have to backtrack a bit to the first hunting level in order to find it.

This is where it gets interesting. See the familiar symbols in the picture above? Who knows what you might trigger if you press the corresponding buttons on your PSP…

That one example best sums up Hinojosa-Miranda’s point: SCEA put certain kinds of art in the background to serve more than just aesthetic purposes, so don’t be afraid to explore and experiment with things in Patapon.