When rhythm
games were still trying to catch fire, PaRappa the Rapper lit the wick to start
the flames. When the genre was fighting to gain respect, PaRappa gave it a
starting point to gain mainstream notoriety. But when the year is 2007, and the
genre has advanced to guitar and dance-pad themed titles, questions need to be
asked if PaRappa is relevant anymore.
Sony decided to
release PaRappa the Rapper as a full-fledged title on the Playstation Portable.
With new content that includes a multiplayer mode, downloadable remixes and
smoothed out graphics, is the game worth a trip down memory lane?
Let’s begin with
the storyline. It follows PaRappa, a skinny rapping dog who is out to win the
love of a girl named Sunny Funny. PaRappa isn’t alone in the world though – his
friends Katy Kat (which of course is a cat) and PJ Berri (a teddy bear DJ) are
there to support him throughout the game. Through the course of the game,
PaRappa will learn kung-fu, how to drive, baking, to use the restrooms and of
course how to rap. All of this won’t come without opposition from PaRappa’s arch
rival, Joe Chin, a dog obsessed with his looks.
There are six
stages in total which all play out similarly. In each stage, buttons will scroll
across the top of the screen for players to memorize and then repeat in the same
order. This is how the rapping plays out as players keep the rhythm. The
difficulty can ramp up in a few levels and may be the only reason why players
play through the game a second time because of failure the first time. The best
portion of PaRappa’s gameplay is the option to play through the stages after
completion to change up the beats by pressing different combination of buttons.
The most
essential segment of the game, the audio, is superb. The raps aren’t going to
make careers out of development team in the hip-hop industry, but they were
catchy enough to get stuck in my head. The soundtrack and presentation are still
exquisite – especially since they hold up to today’s standards. Unfortunately,
the downloadable songs aren’t up to par with the originals.
As for the
graphics, the characters resemble paper cutouts with a 2D style. The characters
are all entertaining in a comedic fashion that will attract a wide variety of
new fans. From a technical standpoint, this PSP version has been touched up a
smidgen with smoother graphics. Outside of the technical specs, I am glad they
left the art style alone. The art style has its own distinct look that it would
be easy to pick out of a line-up of video games. Thankfully, the art is nicely
drawn in 2D and doesn’t fail to impress. As for the game stages, each one is
unique on its own right, but it isn’t too hard to diversify only six stages.
There is an
option to download new songs which livens up the game compared to the original,
but once again I stress that it isn’t a huge leap from the original. The
multiplayer is ad-hoc play and allows up to four players to play simultaneously.
Outside of these two additions, this is practically the same game released in
1997.
PaRappa the
Rapper is a bit expensive for what is offered. The game can be completed in
under an hour if players are PaRappa veterans. The formula hasn’t changed so
longtime fans shouldn’t fret about a complete makeover. But in the end, there
isn’t anything significant included to warrant a retail purchase.
Review Scoring Details for PaRappa the Rapper |
Gameplay: 6.5
The gameplay
wasn’t fascinating enough for me to play each level more than three to four
times separately.
Graphics: 7.0
There are no new FMV clips to enjoy – instead the developers opted to resize the
originals. Perhaps the biggest upgrade to PaRappa is the addition of widescreen.
Sound: 8.0
The audio is solid, but there isn’t anything new offered like I was crossing my
fingers for.
Difficulty:
Easy/Medium
The difficulty
isn’t based on the game but the gamers themselves. If they have trouble with
rhythm games, PaRappa the Rapper will of course provide a few problems along the
way. Players that have no trouble with Guitar Hero shouldn’t have to
worry about ever failing.
Concept: 8.0
While the concept of rhythm game is growing a little
tired with the usual “hit each button at the precise time.” I can’t argue over
how fun PaRappa remains today.
Multiplayer:
5.2
Avoid bragging
to your buddies about how the PSP version offers multiplayer as it’s dismal.
Overall: 6.9
PaRappa the Rapper has transitioned into an ancient
old remnant from yesteryear. It’s a nostalgic look at the groundwork laid out
for games such as Space Channel 5, Guitar Hero, and Gitaroo Man.
But in the end, gamers should only pick up PaRappa the Rapper as quick trip down
memory lane with a rental or borrowing from a friend.
