I've been playing and watching patapon games since i was child. These games never fail to amaze me with their incredible soundtrack and artstyle.
However the lack of guides and tips in the game (especially the first one) can be a obstacle for new players. So i tried to pack most important stuff into this guide.

Sources:

• Patapedia[patapon.fandom.com],
  
• Patapon Central[pataponcentral.wordpress.com],
  
• Gamefaq[gamefaqs.gamespot.com],
  
• Reddit
  
• Owocek Devianart[www.deviantart.com]

i just want to note that guide below has images stolen from mine. i've spend a lot of time creating these tables and text for bosses/rarepons. (i can provide ps/indesign file just dm me, also members of patafour community can vouch me with screenshots)
Right now he claims my assets as his, stealing them is one thing but claiming them as yours is crazy.




(you can join patafour discord and check it out)

Drums are the most important part of the game you acquire them by following the story. In total there are 4 of them.



Also known as the Bravery Drum or The Drum of Bravery, this is the first Drum seen in every Patapon game and the main component in almost every command song in the Patapon album; There are only two command songs that don't use the Pon Drum (the jump song and the miracle/summon song). It is blue and has a circle mouth, it is the thickest drum and the second tallest, being only shorter than Don/but sometimes it's the second shortest, even shorter than Pata due to this, it is slightly straighter than other drums except sides/edges.



The second Drum to be obtained early at both games. Also known as the Strokes Drum or the Drum of Strength, this drum is a red, deep-voiced drum with a square motif, and it is somewhat shorter than the other drums. It is traditionally in the care of Hatapon when the Almighty is not present, but he will gladly relinquish it to the Mighty One when he hears the sound of the Pon Drum. It can apparently make the Patapons fearless indeed. It is said that the Patapons only ever march forwards. Usually this is the second shortest drum, and sometimes it's the second tallest.





The third Drum to be obtained. Also known as the Roots Drum or The Drum of Wisdom. Despite being a drum, this drum resembles and sounds like more of a green tambourine with a triangle motif and a high voice. It is the shortest drums of all the drums. This drum is usually taken from the boss, Dodonga, and becomes integral for survival against the deadly dragon.




The fourth and final drum to be obtained. Also known as the Verve Drum or the Drum of Miracles, this instrument is found near the entrance of Majidonga's lair in Patapon and held by Gong in Patapon 2. It is yellow-orange in color, with an X motif and a dull, male voice, and it's the tallest drum than the other drums. It seems to be the strongest of the four drums, holding unique powers that allow for the Almighty to use miracles, make the Patapons jump incredibly high, or even heal their status ailments.

Allows the Patapons to move forward.



Commands Patapons to use their weapons on the nearest target. Each Patapon has a set range in which they will attempt to hit foes.



Pulls the Patapons back around Hatapon, increasing their damage resistance. Tatepons will raise their shields to further decrease damage. Some Patapon classes will still attack during this song, but their weapons will be aimed mostly in front of the squad to deter enemies. This is mostly used to reduce the effect of an enemy strike, but the changed range of attacks can be used to strike enemies that would normally slip under the projectiles.



Causes Patapons to stop whatever they're doing and run for their lives. This provides an escape. Best used against bosses, whose attacks are both more predictable and more powerful than those of standard enemies, beware this doesn't dodge all attacks, nor does it defend if you get hit.



Charges up the Patapons' energy, increasing the power of their next attack or defence. Tatepons and Dekapons have some attacks that only the Pon Chaka command can activate. Megapons have a special defense only seen after using the Pon Chaka song, and then using the Chaka Chaka song.



The Song of Miracles activates the currently equipped miracle. After performing the song, the player has to match the beats shown on-screen to charge up the miracle's power: the better the player does, the longer the miracle's effects last.

Unlike other Patapon units, Hatapon has no combat abilities whatsoever; despite this, he carries the most important role of all (to the point where the game itself states that he is the backbone of their entire force). He relays the Almighty's commands to other Patapons, filling them with vigor and allowing them to coordinate themselves in battle; without him, the Patapon army falls into complete disarray. He is also the keeper of the Pata Drum in the Almighty's absence, guarding it with his life until his deity returns. He has only a tiny HP of 200. His death immediately results in a mission failure.



Yaripons are spear-throwing Patapons. They are the initial unit type and first units to be given to the player to control in both Patapon and Patapon 2 (unless you count Hatapon), and are useful for both hunting and combat. A full Yaripon unit consists of 6 Yaripons. Their unit name comes from Yari (槍), which means "spear" in Japanese.
They are also moderately resistant to fire and sleep attacks. Yaripons are always the first units in the game (apart from Hatapon and the Uberhero). They are also good hunters



These Patapons are the primary melee units of Patapon that can normally be equipped with axes/swords and shields and are the primarily melee fighters. They are useless when hunting, as their attack range is near at best and their approach scares off prey. Tatepons are possibly the best defense Patapon Units, as their shields can protect the entire army from enemy attack. While in Fever Mode, their shields increase in size and provides better protection. A full Tatepon squad consists of 6 Tatepons. "Tate" (盾) means "shield" in Japanese.



Yumipons are bow-wielding Patapons who believe that offense is the best defense. These Patapon have one of the largest attack range in the games (wind can increase or decrease the range of their attack, depending on which way it is blowing) and are always placed in the back of your army. While they are extremely effective and can rain down arrows on enemies from afar, they are vulnerable to fire. While in Fever, they fire three arrows at once. A full Yumipon squad consists of 6 Yumipons. "Yumi" means "bow" (弓) in Japanese



Kibapons are the cavalry unit of the Patapon army, riding horses and wielding halberds). While normally ineffectual, their speed and knockback greatly increases in Fever Mode, allowing them to charge forward and send enemy troops into disarray. A full Kibapon squad consists of 3 Kibapons. According to Patapon lore, there was once a Kibapon warrior who was able to charge with enough force to part the ocean. Its name comes from kiba (騎馬), which means "horse-rider" in Japanese.



Dekapons are club-wielding Patapons. "Dekai" (でかい) means "gargantuan" in Japanese. Unlike most Patapons, the Dekapon's Japanese prefix does not describe its weapon. These monstrous brutes are extremely large and bulky and as a result, they do massive damage to their targets. They also have high HP that can be further increased by shoulder armour,



Megapons are quite possibly the oddest unit in the games. They are taller than other Patapons, and carry around massive horns. To attack, they play their horns and launch soundwaves or sonic balls that are projected to take on physical form, flying at the enemy and causing damage. Megapons have a variety of attacks, but the two most utilized are: a wave of 3 blue notes that bounce off of and around the enemy, causing ricochet damage, and a massive red note only used during Fever that pierces and hits multiple times, causing massive damage, and possibly ignite.

︾ The only Patapon that can wear helmets ︾

• 1 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 1 + lvl 1 (2) ⭐⭐

︾ High movement speed and stagger rate ︾

• 2 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 1/2 + lvl 2/1 (3) ⭐⭐⭐
  
• +30 HP for Dekapons
  
• +50% movement speed
  
• +3 / +3 damage (+5 / +5 for Dekapons)
  
• +30% stagger rate (+50% for Dekapons)
  
• Immunity to stagger.

︾ Better attack speed and critical rate ︾

• 3 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 1/2/3 + lvl 3/2/1 (4) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
• +50 HP for Dekapons
  
• +20% faster attack speed
  [*+5 / +5 damage (+8 / +8 for Dekapons)
  
• +10% critical rate (+20% for Dekapons)
  
• +20% critical and stagger resistance (+30% for Dekapons)
  
• -20% defense against spears (-50% for Dekapons)
  
• Immunity to ignition

︾ Great defense against zigotons and high sleep rate︾

• 4 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 1/2/3/4 + lvl 4/3/2/1 (5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
• +100 HP (+200 for Dekapons)
  
• +30% sleep rate (+20% for Dekapons)
  
• +20% defense against infantry
  
• +50% defense against spears, arrows, and lances.
  
• -100% defense against fire
  
• -50% fire resistance
  
• Immunity to knockback

︾ Best critical rate and high attack speed︾

• 5 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 2/3/4 + lvl 4/3/2 (6) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
• +50 HP (+100 for Dekapons)
  
• +50% faster attack speed
  
• +80% critical rate (+60% for Dekapons)

︾The best damage rarepon, has also a great critical rate and stagger rate. Lacks in movement and attack speed.︾

• 6 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 3/4 + lvl 4/3 (7) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
• +100 HP (+200 for Dekapons)
  
• +30 / +50 damage (+0 / +80 for Dekapons)
  
• +50 knockback and stagger rate (+80% for Dekapons)
  
• +10% defense against infantry, spears, arrows, lances, and fire
  
• +20% critical, knockback, stagger, ignite, and sleep resistance
  
• -30% movement speed
  
• -30% slower attack speed

I recommend him for range units (Megapons,Yumipons,Yaripons)







︾The highest HP, great movement and attack speed also great critical rate.︾

• 7 x Kaching ✨
  
• Req: lvl 4 + lvl 4 (8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
• +150 HP (+300 for Dekapons)
  
• +50% movement speed
  
• +20% faster attack speed
  
• +10 / +15 damage (+20 / +30 for Dekapons)
  
• +50% critical rate (+60% for Dekapons)
  
• +20% ignite and sleep rate (+10% for Dekapons)

I recommend him for units that are in the front (Tatepons,Dekapons,Kibapons)

Dodonga resembles a large dinosaur-like boss, slightly similar to a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He has a black body with blue splotches on his legs, and has a large blue jaw. He's the first boss that you encounter in the game.








Majidonga is the red, stronger and evolved version of Dodonga. It has a large horn, a squarish jaw, hairs on it's back and neck and over its eyes, and it is bigger and more powerful than Dodonga, with whom it shares all its moves. Majidonga's devour attack consumes your patapon with cap as well, make sure to avoid attacks! By defeating Majidonga you obtain Don Drum and Rain Juju






Zaknel is a worm-like desert creature and has many plants and trees growing on his back and has unknown yellow-orange spots on him, they may be eyes. Zaknel is the guardian of Kibapon's Memory in Patapon. He and Dokaknel make up the "Kunel" Family.







Dokaknel is the faster, stronger version of Zaknel. It is a part of the Kunel family. Physically, the only differences that Dokaknel has from Zaknel is that it has green eyes and mostly harpoon-like weapons sticking out of its back (compared to the orange-eyed, tree-covered Zaknel).







Gaeen is a massive, wooden (or stone) goliath created by an ancient civilization. He looks like a humanoid goliath, with a massive upper body and arms. He has a large, lolling tongue as well.
Gaeen is highly resistant to critical hits, but is extremely vulnerable to knockback.







Dogaeen is a wooden giant with a large upper-body and arms. He is a more powerful version of Gaeen, and looks almost identical to Gaeen except for his blue markings (instead of red), and the larger protrusions on his head, back and arms.









Ciokina is a large crab, with oversized claws. She has orange circles on her claws, an orange beak on her lower body, and her fore-legs have orange tips. Her eyes are on stalks, and one of her eyes is also poked out.








Cioking is one of the strongest bosses. This creature is the upgraded form of Ciokina. In coloration, it sports crimson (red and black) instead of orange and a carapace studded with spikes and old weapons; Cioking is faster and stronger than Ciokina.

Shookle is a carnivorous plant. It's main body is shaped like a flower-pot or vase with leaf-like protrusions. The main body also has a large, yellow circle (the stomach) and pink polka-dots. The head is supported by a thorny stalk, and is tear-drop shaped. The tip of the "tear-drop" splits open to reveal Shookle's fangs. Shookle also has three long stalks protruding from the main body, each tipped with what seems like a pink claw. These are used in most attacks.






Shooshookle is the upgraded form of Shookle. She has blue markings instead of pink, appears more thorny, and has jagged edges lining her (now green) stomach. Her "claws" are blue and now have black circles on them.







The final demonic boss of Patapon 1. It should be noted that he has two forms, listed below:



In this form, Gorl can create black balls of flame and throw them at Patapon, dealing large amounts of fire damage (he puts his hand in front of him and charges up energy). His other attack in this form is grabbing one Patapon and instantly killing it with lightning. Caps cannot be recovered when Gorl kills Patapon this way. Gorl will place both hands in front of him and stare down your army when he is about to pick up a Patapon.




His stronger of the two forms. Gorl can crouch and spit dark bolts of fire at your Patapon in this form, which deals fire damage and puts them to sleep. His most powerful attack is retreating, then lunging forward and chomping. He will stay on the floor for a few seconds, giving you time to deal extra damage.

Ubo Bon is a talking tree that lives in Patapolis. His crown is always itchy, and he enlists the help of his friend Pan Pakapon to help him. Pan Pakapon is a normal Patapon with a trumpet and special urn-like hat.
You obtain Pan Pakapon's hat from the tombstone in Mission 2, before getting Tatepon's Memory from Ban the Tatepon.


Pop Bean is a giant legume who has beauty problems. She enlists the help of her friend Fah Zakpon, a Patapon farmer. Fah Zakpon wears a hat that looks like a straw hat and carries a pitchfork for farming. To get the Zakpon hat on "Creatures of the Sand", use the Rain Juju, and defeat the Gancheek.



A mini-game involving repeating the rhythm given by Rumble Thump - in this aspect it is very important for Mr. Pakapon. However, here the rhythm is emergency and more irregular. We repeat it by playing on the fingers of the mountain.
In Sandy Paradise, defeat the Poocheek to retrieve the Kimpon Cap.




Completing the minigame rewards the player with a Stew, the quality of which depends on the amount of errors committed throughout the minigame, Stews are only obtainable through this minigame. Stews are an important addition to your army. Equipping one in the barracks will improve the stats of all your Patapon for its duration. However they are a single-use item, disappearing after successfully completing a mission. As such, should not be wasted without need. Only one stew can be equipped at a time. Unlocked in "A World of Ooze", defeat the Parcheek to retrieve Rah Gashapon's Cap.



He can be recognized by a long hammer and a white bandana tied around his head. He is a blacksmith and runs a mini-game for us. Just like Dekapony, it has a "mouth".
Get the Ton Kampon hat in "Search for a Lucky Star ", hunt when it's not raining and talk to the star; you must get the Black Star first.

Completing the Rah Gashapon minigame rewards the player with a Stew, the quality of which depends on the amount of errors committed throughout the minigame. Stews are only obtainable through this minigame.

Stews are an important addition to your army. Equipping one in the barracks will improve the stats of all your Patapon for its duration. However they are a single-use item, disappearing after successfully completing a mission. As such, should not be wasted without need. Only one stew can be equipped at a time.

Rewards:
Missed 3+ chops: Gnarly Stew
Missed 2 chops: Tasty Stew
Missed 1 chop: King's Stew
Perfect: Divine Stew

Throughout the Patapon world exist Miracles (a.k.a Jujus), special totems that can invoke incredible effects. They can increase your army's efficiency, change the weather for a time, or bring devastation upon your foes. However, you are forced to sacrifice your Fever to begin the ritual, weakening your army for a few verses, so use them with caution.

You can equip one miracle before going into a mission. To perform the miracle, enter Fever Mode, then drum Don DonDon DonDon (X XX XX). When the screen changes, follow the beats being chanted. If you hit most of them, you'll activate the Miracle. The better you do, the longer it will last. Attempting to perform a miracle while not in Fever Mode will count as you drumming incorrectly, and thus break your combo and interrupt your Patapon army.







The Rain Miracle is the first Miracle, and is also one of the most important. The sudden downpour reduces the effectiveness of fire, making it harder to set things alight. The rain cools the land around it, making it invaluable when crossing infernally hot areas. It also dulls the senses of otherwise-alert animals, allowing you to sneak up on them. It even has the ability to reduce the frequency of lightning strikes in stormy weather. Some levels even change when it rains, awakening rare creatures or revealing hidden treasures.
The Miracle has a maximum duration of 120 seconds
Found by: Defeating Majidonga



The Tailwind Miracle causes the wind to blow from the left of the screen (behind your Patapons). This increases Yumipons and Megapons' attack distance, while heavily limiting enemies range concurrently. It's useful for anyone who uses ranged units heavily, but works best against standard foes, as bosses won't suffer any drawbacks.
Found by: Hunting a Motsitsi in World of Ooze




The Earthquake Miracle causes massive tremors to shake the ground, staggering enemies for a few seconds. It has a very short duration, but skilled commanders can use it to gain a breather against overwhelming odds.
This Miracle is so poweful, that it will stagger most bosses, allowing skilled players the ability to get rare items.
Found by: Defeatinjavascript:ShowPreview()g Cioking


The Storm Miracle combines the Rain and Tailwind effects into one Miracle, making it an effective hunting and battle strategy.
Found by: Defeating Shooshookle

Used to create Patapons.

One Of The Easiest Ways of earning A TON of Ka-ching is by going to the level “Search For A Lucky Star” only when there is no rain. Kill The Picheek and out pops the lucky star. Stand Still(Dont do any kind of command) and he will start dropping a ton of Ka-Ching. By the end of the level, you could end up with 800+ Ka-ching. Also Be aware that there is a Gold Motiti about half an advace to the right of the Picheek.

(thanks hemlol for this one)

• Hero
  
• More bosses
  
• More equipment
  
• More minigames
  
• Patagate
  
• New units
  
• New rarepons and new rarepon system
  
• Karmens

The Hero is the most valued unit in any Patapon army. Capable of being any class and wearing powerful Masks with a variety of skills, the Hero is the most valuable asset in your army, an important story character in the game, and is used as your Patagate avatar.

Hero Mode

Hero Mode is a special ability exclusive to the Hero, which grants various types of bonuses to either the Hero or your army,

Depending on the Hero's class. Each Hero Mode is different, and is unique in its own way:

• Tatepon: Energy Field
  Surround all Patapons in an impermeable protective shield. A major drawback is that the hero can't attack while the shield is up!
  
  Effect = Creates an indestructible shield that surrounds the Patapons. They become invincible to all damage and status effects (except Tumble) but do not gain immunity to instant-killing attacks such as Dodonga's devouring attack.
  
  
• Yumipon: Broken Arrow
  A blazing-fast volley of arrows darken the sky and leave all enemies looking like used pincushions.
  
  Effect = Shoots golden arrows that ignore wind and pierce all objects and enemies in their way. The more arrows that are fired, the more powerful they become (there are 3 levels). The rate of fire scales with attack speed.
  
  
• Yaripon: The Iron Fist
  Causes damage over a wide area. Effective against enemy structures and any enemy nearby.
  
  Effect = Throws a spear with green energy around its tip that explodes when it lands. Deals damage over the area of the explosion.
  
  
• Kibapon: The Destroyer
  Discharge a lethal projectile capable of slicing through any objects that stand in its way.
  
  Effect = Charges forward with a pinkish energy around the tip on the weapon. Continuously moves forward deals damage.
  
  
• Mahopon: Hail Mary
  A hail of flaming stones fall from above, armagedon-style. Slow but effective!
  
  Effect = Slow moving meteors rain from the sky in a unpredictable pattern. It is highly effective aganist buildings and bosses.
  
  
• Toripon: Bunker Buster
  Projectiles drop from the heavens above destroying within a local radius. Even the earth itself will shake in fear.
  
  Effect = Like Yaripon's, it explodes when the Javelin lands and it pierces anything. The projectile is blue instead of green.
  
  
• Dekapon: The Hammer
  Each swing of this giant hammer liquifies and enemy that dares stand in the way. Its massive weight makes for slow movement.
  
  Effect = Dekapon will spin around with his weapon, dealing continuous damage and slowly inching forward.
  
  
• Robopon: Tornado Punch
  Simultaneously swing both arms and pummel enemies into submission. Causes great damage to facilities and even destroys big iron walls.
  
  Effect = Robopon swings both of his arms around, in a similar effect to The Hammer, dealing bonus damage to buildings.
  
  
• Megapon: Icicles of Death
  Freezing projectiles hover over a wide area and then explode, dropping a cold blizzard fury on those below.
  
  Effect = Shoots 3 projectiles that have a chance to freeze enemies.

A bird-riding Patapon. They use javelins. Their attacks are similar to Yaripons. During fever, they throw three javelins when attacking. They provide excellent air support and as long as you keep the rhythm going, they cannot be affected by melee attacks. They are extremely effective units when fighting bosses with no air attacks, like Garuru. Also, they are great when facing Karmen fortresses - as long as you can keep the enemy Yarimen and Yumimen busy. A full Toripon squad consists of 3 Toripons. "Tori" (鳥) means "bird" in Japanese.



Robopons are powerful robotic melee units that fight with their extraordinarily large robotic arms. They can do relatively high damage, and have decent defense but can take damage. If using PonChaka~PonPon, they will throw big rocks. Each Robopon will throw 1 rock. A full Robopon squad consists of 3 Robopons. Robopons are one of the most powerful units.



The Patapon tribe's spellcasters. They wields a variety of staffs or scepters and wears boots. Mahopons are frail, but are able to perform a variety of duties for the team. Unlike most Patapon units, the Mahopons' abilities change depending on what staff they currently wield. A full Mahopon squad consists of 3 Mahopons. There are approximately 11 Mahopon magic spells with a wide variety of effects, like: restoring HP; cure status effects, boosting defenses, causing explosions, fire or thunderstorms, summoning hails of meteors, etc.

Bosses will always drop a material when staggered. If the boss is afflicted by a status effect, such as sleep, knockback, or freeze, a stagger will guarantee a level 3+ material. The most effective combination of Rarepons for staggering bosses are Menyokki and Mashu Rarepons. Menyokki Rarepons excel in the CNC, or Stagger, rate. Mashu Rarepons specialize in both Sleep and Knockback rates, making them the most multi-purpose Rarepon for inflicting status effects.

Yumipons are the ideal Class to evolve as they have the greatest range of attack and shoot thrice as fast when in Fever mode. However, a melee squad is viable as they can easily and quickly pick up materials dropped by bosses.