About ten years ago, a two-dimensional happy-go-lucky rapping dog came out of nowhere and gave the fledging music rhythm genre a jump start into the mainstream fast lane. While the genre itself hasn't looked back with such giants as Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, PaRappa the Rapper, its one time poster boy, hasn't aged well as made evident by this port of the original PlayStation game to the PSP.

For those of you unfamiliar with one of the grandfathers of the music game genre, PaRappa the Rapper tells the tale of a young pup's journey to win the heart of Sunny Funny, his sunflower best friend. To do so, he'll have to learn how to fight, drive, peddle wares, bake a cake, and even fight his way to the head of a bathroom line by rapping. If it sounds too outrageous, it's because it is. However, it's delivered with such great humor and charm, you can't help but smile. From PaRappa's irritable bowel to Joe Chin's obliviousness to his own narcissism, there's something for everyone to laugh at.

Surprisingly, the graphics have held up decently too. They were simplistic even by the standards in 1997, but the vibrant colorful palette translates well onto the handheld's screen. What also helps is that a lot of the rough edges were smoothed out, giving both the characters and backgrounds a much cleaner look.

The sticking point of any sort of music rhythm game is the title's soundtrack. It can easily make or break a game. Of course, PaRappa's catchy and original tunes are easily its strongest points and they still hold up well after all this time. The fact that people can say a mere two words – "Kick, punch" – and have someone else finish the line with "it's all in the mind" speaks volumes of how great PaRappa's was and is. Going back through the PSP version brought back a massive wave of nostalgia especially when I realized that I still remembered all of the lyrics and their cadences. That said, you would think that would make the game easier since I have that head start, but that's another story.

Sadly, the gameplay doesn't hold up nearly as well as the rest of the game. It consists of simply pressing the right button at the right time to keep PaRappa's rhymes flowing with the music. Timing is kept track of by a small icon of our titular hero moving across a meter at the top of the screen. When the icon passes over a button icon, that's when you should press the corresponding button. At least, that's how it's supposed to work in theory. In reality, the timing is a bit off and you'll need to press the button just as the PaRappa icon gets to the button. The unforgiving timing is what may be somewhat frustrating. As I said earlier, I remember all of the tracks and what not, so seeing myself fail a line I know I hit perfectly was a common sight that I just could not shake. It's a lot easier to just remember the button sequence, totally ignore the meter, and press the buttons to the beats. In other words, playing the game with an audio focus versus a visual focus may actually serve some of you better.

The game itself is also horribly short. Six stages, six tracks and then you're done. Of course, you could always replay the levels and attempt to maintain a "Cool" rating in order to freestyle a stage. Even then, there really isn't any reward to do so other than full completion, and freestyling isn't all that fun. A sequence you may find interesting and fitting to the music may get graded badly while a mindless repeat of one word will keep you going. No one ever said the AI judges were all that smart.

An addition to the PSP port is a number of downloadable tracks. Unfortunately, they are nothing more than variations of the original six and pale in comparison to the originals. They're bland and uninspired. They felt more like an afterthought to add material to the game so that it wasn't just a straight port. It was also odd seeing six different remixes for the first stage and then one or two for each of the other stages.

Lastly, the $30 price tag seems a little steep for what essentially is port of a ten-year-old PS1 title. While I won't dock points off the game's overall score for that, it is something to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to purchase it.

If you played Parappa ten years ago, seeing it in a handheld format is initially mind-blowing. After that, you'll feel some nostalgia, and then after tearing through it in 45 minutes, you'll realize that once is enough. If you never had a chance to play it, then this is a good opportunity to check out a classic. Just beware when shelling out the cash for it as the mileage you'll get out of it will vary.

Unforgiving timing can make what seems like an easy line frustratingly difficult.

Hold up well after a decade. The clean-up of the jaggies helps a lot.

One of the best game soundtracks even if only 6 tracks long. Downloadable remixes disappoint.

Fun for as long (or short) as it lasts, and once you get pass the stubborn timing.

Only six stages long, not much incentive to replay stages. Additional songs are an afterthought

]]> Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:52:00 -0500 Tim Grube http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_parappa_the_rapper_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_parappa_the_rapper_psp1 http://www.gamebump.com/go/gh_preview_parappa_the_rapper_psp1# This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Remember back in 97’ when Sony Computer Entertainment released their first rhythm game entitled PaRappa The Rapper? How about that thin paper looking dog? Or even the famous line, “Kick, Punch, It’s all in the mind”? Well, he’s back and this time coming to the PlayStation Portable. Today at the annual Sony Gamers Day in San Diego, we had a chance to go hands-on with the game and were quite shocked with what we saw.

Gamers take on the role of PaRappa, a paper-thin rapping dog who is trying to win the love of Sunny Funny. Your job is to learn the moves of fighting, driving, raising money, baking, and so much more. To do this, the teacher will rap a line that consists of the buttons on the PSP handheld such as the D-Pad and shoulder buttons. Once the teacher raps a line, you will need to repeat it. There is a grading structure, so you must stay above good, avoiding the bad or awful areas.

PaRappa isn’t getting a makeover, but the game will indeed receive a couple more modes that will keep the replay value up high as it’s pretty much the original that was released back on the PlayStation. Some of the new modes consist of Ad hoc, in which players can connect wirelessly and share a demo level with four PSP systems simultaneously. Essentially it’ll download onto the gamer’s PSP even without the game, and then friends who don’t own copies of PaRappa will be able to play with you. Once the gamer turns off his or her handheld, the game will then disappear.

As stated, the game is basically the PlayStation original, but players will be able to download eight remixes from the internet. These remixes can be downloaded from the PSP or downloaded onto your computer and then transferred over via the memory stick. Visually, the aspect ratio was tweaked tremendously making it look really crisp and smooth on the PSP’s screen, but there weren’t any graphical modifications made according to a Sony representative.

Sound-wise, nothing has been changed or tweaked as far as we know. The sounds of the characters, background music, and interface remain untouched.

One thing that totally didn’t make sense to me was the fact that Sony plans to release this on the PSP as a “packaged title” instead of being made available via PlayStation Network. If you go on the PSN now, you will see other classic titles such as Cool Boarders, Crash Bandicoot, and Medieval. I understand there’s a bit more being put into PaRappa, but the extra items are mainly multiplayer, making a “physical” release unnecessary. 

Being on the PSP, the game does look really incredible. It’s very smooth, no glitches, the sound is spot-on, and the controls still function as they did in the original. No complaints there. Unfortunately, multiplayer wasn’t working at the time, so we were unable to check out the whole Ad hoc functionality and the downloading interface for the remixes.

I am happy that Sony is bringing this classic title back, but it just seems more logical to put it on the PlayStation Network (and why not include PaRappa 2 while they’re at it?) The game is due out in July and more than worth picking up. We will have a full review as release gets closer.  ]]> Thu, 17 May 2007 12:16:04 -0500 The Gaming Horizon Archive http://www.gamebump.com/go/parappa_the_rapper_this_july_new_imagery http://www.gamebump.com/go/parappa_the_rapper_this_july_new_imagery http://www.gamebump.com/go/parappa_the_rapper_this_july_new_imagery#
Parappa was first introduced to the industry 10 years ago on the original PlayStation and helped pave the way for the music genre within the videogame industry.

“Bringing PaRappa The Rapper to PSP allows true PlayStation fans to re-connect with this timeless classic,” said John Koller, Senior Marketing Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment America. “This also introduces the beloved PaRappa and his cast of colorful friends to a new generation of fans and potential hip-hop stars on the move.”

Here's the news from Sony:

Featuring all the characters, levels and songs from the original, PaRappa The Rapper increases the franchise’s social appeal by offering a host of new PSP exclusive features, including the ability for up to four PSP systems to go head-to-head in ad-hoc battles; wirelessly share a demo level through Game Share; and use the PSP Infrastructure Mode to download eight additional playable remixes for players to rap along to.

Parappa The Rapper for the PSP system stays true to its stylish flattened animation technique and gameplay, combining fun and vibrant characters with hip music and a humorous storyline. Masaya Matsuura’s infectious music and lyrics accompany PaRappa as he attempts to rap his way into the heart of his dreamy love interest, Sunny Funny, through various musical adventures. Using a rhythm, timing and coordination-based gameplay mechanic, players will bob their heads along with PaRappa and a cast of vibrant characters as they master its addictive gameplay. Players will first have to harmoniously press a designated controller button to help Parappa mimic the actions and lyrics of the Masters. As the player’s skill level progresses, they will be able to break free into a one-of-a-kind freestyle session, giving them the freedom to create a new experience with each play.