DANCE OFF

Patapon’s first sequel introduced revivable heroes, who can equip masks to use various special abilities, and a multiplayer mode in which up to four players must transport an egg to an altar, then hatch it through the power of percussion. The third game doubled up on the concept of customisable heroes while adding competitive multiplayer, in which teams vie for control of fortifications. Both were well-received, but they elaborated upon, rather than expanded, the first game’s appeal, and the increasing focus on heroes as personifications of the player is a betrayal of Kotani’s original premise, which kept you at a distance.