While visiting Sony's Tokyo office we got a chance to talk with Patapon 2 designer Hiroyuki Kotani and check out the game's new multiplayer mode. These two-part adventure levels let up to four players work together but can also be played solo with the computer controlling the other three. In the first section, the players fight across the level to secure a giant egg. Once secured, they then carry it to a shrine for the second part, a rhythm-based ritual performed together to "hatch" the egg releasing the new items inside.

In this mode you get to play the new customizable hero class Patapons. Kotani's hero (which he'd named "Hero") rode a horse, but others we saw included an archer-type hero and one mounted on an eagle. Along with the hero class, Kotani said that the game will include three new Patapons, but remained mum on whether one of those would be a hoped-for flying unit.

The new game doubles the song count with all those of the first returning and an equal number of new ones. While discussing the music we asked Kotani about the dramatic rise in difficulty towards the end of the first game that turned off many players. He explained that they had listened to that feedback, and as a direct response included a new easy mode in the sequel. This mode lengthens the window for hitting each timing beat. However, he did not comment on whether the more advanced of the new songs had been toned down any.