Some folks griped that the original Patapon was a grind. They didn't like the fact that they had to replay levels. Because there's a lot of that in Patapon. A lot. You have to kill the same bosses, the same birds and hippo-like creatures, the same spidery legged beasts, the same crab-like monstrosities, the same tribal adversaries in their elaborate masks, over and over. You'll kill a Dodonga (pictured) many times over. You do not fight something and prevail and move on. You continuously hunt its kind to harvest its bones and fangs and skins. You repeatedly raid enemies and steal their armor and weapons and ka-ching.

So what makes this different from games that pad out the playing time by forcing you to replay levels?

I'll tell you after the jump.

This is not a game where you keep moving forward. Instead, it's a game where you unlock levels as you play, offering you more places to hunt and fight battles. If you think of Patapon as having a certain number of levels in the same way that a shooter or a platformer has a certain number of levels, then you're in the wrong game. The idea is that your tribe is moving out into the world, basically claiming territory where it can hunt and gather resources. The model for your adorable whooping hopping band isn't lemmings who eat and run or Mongol hordes constantly on the move. As cute as these guys are, they're worse. They're invaders who seize land and then exploit it. They're really rather ruthless.

So if you don't enjoy the basic gameplay of Patapon - which is basically putting together a custom army and then leading it into battle by drumming out 4/4 beats - then it's going to feel like a grind. But if you do enjoy the basic gameplay of Patapon, you'll appreciate it as the gradual conquest of the world by a band of hungry hunter/gatherers who worship you.

And this land changes. This is a game where weather matters. At its most basic, rain will affect fire weapons, and storms will occasionally bring lightning, which hurts. So when you hunt in Nyokiri Swamp, it's going to be a bit different based on the weather. There are also special exceptions with certain types of weather in certain places.

For instance, let me tell you about the Dongara Ruins. This is where you'll go early on for minerals. Here you'll hunt Dodongas, huge dragons that can breathe fire and swallow hapless patapons whole. Every time you slay a Dodonga to gather stone, hard iron, or titanium, a more powerful Dodonga takes his place. Starting with your 11th, they'll do a powerful roar attack that you can't simply run away from. It changes how you hunt in the Dongara Ruins.

On very rare occasions, it snows in the Dongara Ruins. When this happens, the Kacchindonga appears. This hoary be-icicled dragon is apparently quite a prize, but I can't tell you what happens if you kill him. I've fought him once. I failed. But now, whenever I hunt, I make sure to peek over and see if there's snow falling on the Dongara Ruins. I plan to return.

No matter which way the wind blows, each level is like twisting the handle on a gumball machine. What loot will I get this time? Will I find some awesome weapon? Will I be able to drive the enemy back to take it? Will I find better armor? Will I find a treasure map to secret ruins? How many and what kinds of rare bones will I get from the ungainly cheeping Mochichichi bird or hides from the dragon-bunnies in the snow? Will I get a new egg to hatch creatures my hero patapon can fight?

And speaking of my hero patapon, he adds a whole new dimension that wasn't in the original Patapon. I'll tell you about it next.

Tomorrow: the hero Espe's remarkable 129th mission
(Click here for the previous game diary.)