Ratatan Kickstarter campaign launched
Seeking 20 million yen in funding for a PC release.
The Kickstarter campaign for Ratatan, the newly announced rhythm strategy game from the creators of Patapon, is now live. It is seeking 20 million yen (approx. $141,000 USD) in funding for an initial release on PC, with a stretch goal of 75 million yen (approx. $527,900 USD) for console versions.
Get the details below.
■ Welcome to the Planet of Adventure
Once upon a time, a great goddess resided on a deserted planet. Nary a soul to play with, the goddess took to song to inject the planet with a little fun:
♪ Rat-tat! Rat-tat! Rat-tat-tat! ♪
Gather childlike souls and sing, dance, have fun,
♪ Rat-tat! Rat-tat! Rat-tat-tat!♪
Mirth and merriment will take us to The Everafter,
♪ Rat-tat! Rat-tat! Rat-tat-tat! ♪
The Everafter’s lovely, just come and see,
Yummy sweets and fluffy beds await thee!
The goddess’s song echoed on the wind across the planet, beckoning what slumbered there and inviting them to join her in The Everafter.
■ Gameplay
Ratatan is diving onto the roguelike scene in this combination of rhythm and side-scroller action. Players can move to the groove alone or team up with friends in multiplayer mayhem suitable for up to four players! Engage in huge melee brawls with more than 100 characters duking it out for supremacy. Defeat your enemies by riding the rhythm of Ratatan‘s catchy, toe-tapping soundtrack in this delightful, heartfelt adventure!
Rhythm Commands and Cobun Orders
Feel the beat and use rhythm commands in time with the music to order your Cobun in the direction you want them to go. The Ratatan can be moved freely, so use your better judgment to decide where best to give orders, where to stand when on the offensive, and when to retreat. A sense of rhythm and strategy is crucial in order to survive long adventures while losing as few Cobun as possible!
Fever System
Keep to the beat and your party will enter FEVER MODE, a feature no good rhythm game can do without! Feel the vibes shift as the background music dynamically changes and your Cobun erupt in a flurry of frenzied dance moves that’ll really get the heart pumping! And if everyone’s party goes into FEVER MODE at the same time, you’ll really bring the house down!
Adorable 2D Animations
Ratatan makes use of charming 2D animation with movements filled with vivid personality. The Cobun, your faithful and lovable servants, will wibble-wobble as they follow your orders, while your enemies will try to intimidate with their often hilarious movements, breathing even more life into the world of Ratatan.
■ The World
A brand spanking new planet with boundless potential for fun. Blue skies, azure seas, reddy-brown canyons, gold deserts and deep green jungles… A world like a picture perfect sky awaits your wonderful surprise filled adventures!
PIrates of the Paraddean
Beautiful mermaids and sparkling blue sea… Is this heaven? Eh, not quite. This is the paradisiacal Paraddean Sea of the southern waters, patrolled by Captain Barbatoid and his merry band of Swashbuckling Mantaneers.
Bad Day on Yeehawler Mountain
It’s said that, many moons ago, a railcar once carried gilded treasures across the arid, windswept wilderness of these canyons. But now Scorpswoosh Bill and his ragtag team of Stinger Diggers threaten the peace of this here town! You gotta do something!
More coming soon…
■ Ratatans
The Ratatan are groove loving adventurers that use the power of song and magical instruments called “Melodium” to command their armies of Cobun.
Using the power of the Melodium, each Ratatan has what’s called a Ratatan Skill they can unleash to dominate the battlefield!
- Keroronpa (voiced by Masay Fukunishi) – An agitator born to agitate with its super-duper megaphone. Capable of raising both enemy tempers and party morale, this egomaniac is utterly enamored with the sound of its own raspy voice.
- Harigittan (voiced by Hika Tsukishiro) – Loves protecting its allies with numbingly good riffs. Proficient in both defense and counter offense, this poor little guy is often misunderstood as being thorny and unapproachable.
- Nyandola (voiced by Haruna Yuzuki) – An assassin that likes to toy with the enemy using fast swipes and hip dance moves. Great at sneaking up on and obliterating targets, it’s desperate to nibble on the fish-like Chorus.
- Mimizukyun (voiced by Youhei Azakami) – A sniper that targets far off prey with its blinkless stare. Great at concentrating their attacks on enemy weak points, they’ll aim for the heart and never let go!
More coming soon…
■ Other Characters
- Chorus – Mysterious, fish-shaped creatures that inhabit every corner of Redo. Also referred to as Ototo, these dangerous creatures devour everything in their path if left to their own devices, but transform into faithful Cobun when exposed to the songs of the Ratatan.
- Cobun (voiced by Gaku Kato / Ann Yamane) – Chorus transform into these creatures when they are gifted a Medama by a Ratatan. Carrying the appearance and characteristics of its master, they can be made to act in various ways through music and song.
- Fortrun (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita – A carefree, shanty singing ship. Encaptured by the song of the goddess, they set out on an adventure to join her in The Everafter, but fearing the dreadful Chorus they instead wandered the Nowhere Sea.
Baddies
Did you really think that traversing the world of Redo wouldn’t be fraught with danger and excitement? Each of the world’s realms is crawling (sometimes literally) with armies of ne’er-do-wells that have acclimatized to their surroundings. Here are some examples of what to prepare your mettle for!
- Dekadon – A big grumpy dragon with a big grumpy attitude. Once the guardian deity of a world born by a different god, his presence is out of place in the world of the Ratatans.
- The Swashbuckling Mantaneers – Beware, the Swashbuckling Mantaneers who cruise the famous Paraddean Seas, self-proclaimed “Nice Guys” who promise to shed neither tears nor blood. Sailing aboard The Jolly Hermit and under the watchful eye of Captain Barbatoid, they dye the southern seas red with the blood of— Oh, uhm, or not, actually. They said they wouldn’t do that…
- The Singer Diggers – Times are tough, driving the Stinger Diggers to a life of crime after their dreams of striking rich fell apart, and things are only getting tougher with Wagoon (♀) rolling in and plundering the town yet again! Outraged by the constant pillaging of food, drink, and even the occasional maiden, the Ratatan’s seek to overthrow the Stinger Diggers’ leader, Scorpswoosh Bill, and return peace to their town!
Sound
Now, what kind of troupe would you be leading without the perfect tune to march your minions to?! Worry not! We’ve got you covered with the perfect musical accompaniment for crushing your enemies in a wave of adorable terror!
- “Fortrun’s Theme” – Fortrun loves to sing, drawing Ratatan, Cobun and all manner of creatures as his hums his happy tune, and before long everyone is marching along in a parade of song! We wanted to capture this joy in a song that everyone can sing along to!
- “Pirates of the Paraddean Theme” – You know you’re in the presence of the Swashbuckling Mantaneers and their leader, Captain Barbatoid, as their party tune grows nearer You won’t be able to stop yourself chanting along! Rat-taradee! Paraddean! Ahoy!!
- “Bad Day on Yeehawler Mountain Theme” – The Stinger Dingers are on their way, singin’ and dancin’ as they ride their carts through the mines and arid wilderness. This tune has some real hustle to it!
Watch the Kickstarter campaign launch trailer below.