PaRappa Sans Wrapper
We gotta believe this is a pretty bum deal for all but the most hardcore fans of the rhythm game pioneer.
Published: July 16, 2007
Getting PaRappa the Rapper on PSP is like getting a birthday present of something you already own, then being asked for $30 to re-play it all over again. Actually, it's not like that at all, that's exactly what Sony's re-release of the game entails, and while I'm all about playing PaRappa in 16:9 and the promise of new downloadable remixes was a nice touch, it sure as hell ain't worth $30.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to discount the impact that the game had when it first hit almost 10 years ago; PaRappa almost single-handedly kick-started the whole rhythm music genre that's given birth to everything from follow-up Um Jammer Lammy to the Bust-A-Groove series to more modern games like FreQuency or its eventual evolution, Guitar Hero. It's just that paying more than $10 for a game that you can play through in about a half hour and then play again with remixes that just aren't nearly as good as the original versions means this is a one-way ticket to rip-off city.
For those that haven't experienced the adventures of the rappin' puppy and his infatuation with anthropomorphic sunflower (or even those that have), there's likely to be an almost overwhelming dose of WTFs and awwwwws. There's no denying that the good-hearted nature of PaRappa's quest to earn the love of the girl he fancies by way of getting a driver's license, baking a cake and taking martial arts lessons (not to mention getting his swap meet on and, uh, rapping his way up the line to use the crapper) all before finally wooing the girl with a big ass concert is endearing. And I understand that Sony is trying to tap the teen market these days, but a rip-off's a rip-off.
Either I have really good muscle memory or PaRappa just doesn't present the same level of challenge that it used to. Sure, there are some tougher sections in the game, but those have always been due more to the game's questionable tracking of rhythm than the patterns being tough. Offering more than just downloadable alternate tracks would have helped, but in all honesty, this is a game that would best be served as a PSN download for the PS3/PSP. At $10, it would be cheap enough to get drunk guys to pick the game up on a whim, and since downloadable PSP/PS3 games can be shared between the two, it'd make it a little more compelling.
Honestly, though, I'm not sure what else besides the new tracks (which can be played as soon as you beat the original level) was done to the game visually or aurally. It looks cleaner than I remember, and of course it's in 16:9 natively, but the sound effects, voices and music are all the same, which is to say they're cute and delightfully weird, but nothing new.
So there you have it. At about three times the price and on the wrong delivery medium entirely PaRappa is just way too little game for the buck. Hopefully Sony will release it as a dual PS3/PSP game at dirt cheap because it's hard to recommend this re-release at any price.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to discount the impact that the game had when it first hit almost 10 years ago; PaRappa almost single-handedly kick-started the whole rhythm music genre that's given birth to everything from follow-up Um Jammer Lammy to the Bust-A-Groove series to more modern games like FreQuency or its eventual evolution, Guitar Hero. It's just that paying more than $10 for a game that you can play through in about a half hour and then play again with remixes that just aren't nearly as good as the original versions means this is a one-way ticket to rip-off city.
For those that haven't experienced the adventures of the rappin' puppy and his infatuation with anthropomorphic sunflower (or even those that have), there's likely to be an almost overwhelming dose of WTFs and awwwwws. There's no denying that the good-hearted nature of PaRappa's quest to earn the love of the girl he fancies by way of getting a driver's license, baking a cake and taking martial arts lessons (not to mention getting his swap meet on and, uh, rapping his way up the line to use the crapper) all before finally wooing the girl with a big ass concert is endearing. And I understand that Sony is trying to tap the teen market these days, but a rip-off's a rip-off.
Either I have really good muscle memory or PaRappa just doesn't present the same level of challenge that it used to. Sure, there are some tougher sections in the game, but those have always been due more to the game's questionable tracking of rhythm than the patterns being tough. Offering more than just downloadable alternate tracks would have helped, but in all honesty, this is a game that would best be served as a PSN download for the PS3/PSP. At $10, it would be cheap enough to get drunk guys to pick the game up on a whim, and since downloadable PSP/PS3 games can be shared between the two, it'd make it a little more compelling.
Honestly, though, I'm not sure what else besides the new tracks (which can be played as soon as you beat the original level) was done to the game visually or aurally. It looks cleaner than I remember, and of course it's in 16:9 natively, but the sound effects, voices and music are all the same, which is to say they're cute and delightfully weird, but nothing new.
So there you have it. At about three times the price and on the wrong delivery medium entirely PaRappa is just way too little game for the buck. Hopefully Sony will release it as a dual PS3/PSP game at dirt cheap because it's hard to recommend this re-release at any price.