SCEJ's recently announced PSP rhythm game Patapon looks nothing like any rhythm game we've seen before -- hell, it looks nothing like anything we've seen before.



Famitsu has a few more details on this game of little fighting eyeballs marching towards the end of the world. The player's rhythmic accuracy is what keeps these little spear-wielding eyeballs going; the better the beat sounds, the more fierce the fighting. Button presses determine how the fighters react, with each acting as a command of sorts: attack, defend, advance, and so on.

After taking down baddies in battle, the fighters can return to their village with the spoils of war, making themselves more powerful for future battles.

This all sounds great, and the screenshots look fantastic, but to really understand what's going on, this game needs to be seen in motion. The video above is a trailer shown at this year's E3. It's jam-packed with strangeness, but it's wonderful to look at. Keep an eye out for the singing tree (yep, really) at the end. He must be serious about singing, as he says, "Listen to my song, god damnit!!"



It's surprising that we haven't heard more about this title, so here's to hoping we do soon. All we know so far is that a winter release date is expected in Japan, but seeing as how all the dialouge is mumble-talk and all of the text is in English, this should be pretty import-friendly.