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- Tickets -
We play games in a world of copycats and sequels. With "Tekken 2," "Resident Evil 2" and "Final Fantasy VII" riding high on the tops of the Playstation sales lists, it begins to feel as if the players are comfortable with new versions of old ideas. Game designers know when they're on to a good thing, and they seem to increasingly hide behind tried-and-true formulas to sell games. Because of this, it is refreshing when a game is released that gives originality a try. "Parappa the Rapper" is just such a game.
Its premise seems, well, wacky. Parappa, a two-dimensional hip-hop puppy, is in love with the lovely Sunny Funny. He would do anything to win her love, or even just her attention. You must help him learn the martial arts, get his driver's license, get a job at a flea market and bake a cake, among other things, all with the purpose of getting Sunny Funny, that beautiful anthropomorphic daisy of desire, to look Parappa's way. To accomplish these tasks, Parappa must outrap -- stay with me here -- some of the "phattest" rap-masters in the world. Yes, Parappa's gaining a driver's license depends on just how well he can carry a rhythm. It's a concept that is original to say the least, and which, honestly, is perhaps the way these important matters should be decided in real life. But I digress.
"Parappa the Rapper" is unique from the opening cinema. The cartoony, 3D rendered world is inhabited by characters which resemble paper cutouts. The characters are very colorful, very cute and very paper-thin. The voices of Parappa and the various other rappers in the game are performed by real hip-hop musicians, and so the dialogue sounds as cheesy as it needs to be but not a bit more. Watching the game is like watching a cartoon, one based in a perfect, deep and entertaining world where a sense of rhythm can buy you a car.
Okay, it looks nice, but how does it play? That's the trick. As a rap-master performs, a rhythm line appears at the top of the screen, and the buttons the player will need to press and the rhythm in which they must be pressed will show up there. The master raps a bit, and then Parappa must match the master's rhythm. The game scores the player on how well he or she keeps to the beat and how accurately he or she presses the right buttons, keeping track of the quality of Parappa's rhythm on a "U Rappin'" meter, which goes from "Cool" on the good end to "Awful" on the bad. Needless to say, the action gets intense, and if you don't know which button is where on your PSX controller, you will after you finish playing "Parappa the Rapper." As the game progresses, the rhythms and button series grow more intense and difficult, and the player's knowledge of the PSX controller grows.
Now, now, that might sound dry. But it's not. The scenes in which Parappa raps are colorful and filled with sight gags, such as "Cheap Cheap the Cooking Chicken" hopping out of the television and rapping over Parappa's shoulder if the player isn't doing so well in Stage 3. It's entertaining to watch someone play, as there are a lot of graphical and musical touches that really make this game shine. The music changes in tone to match how well the player is doing, and in one stage even the weather changes, from a sunny day to a raging storm as the "U Rappin'" meter falls from "Good" to "Awful." Before and after each scene there are short cinemas detailing what occurs as a result of Parappa outrapping the master and the events leading up to the next obstacle. It all comes together into a rather uplifting tale of how a little 2D puppy can learn to rap, become a hero and win the girl of his dreams. Once the game is won, the player may go through and play each stage as his or her leisure, trying for the coveted "Cool" rating. When the player reaches "U Rappin' Cool" status, the master will step aside and let Parappa freestyle, and if the player can beat each stage with the "Cool" rating, it opens up a fun little secret which is more for fun than for play value.
The music is pure hip-hop fun. The musical styles range from Master Chop-Chop's simple rhythmic karate lesson, to Prince Fleaswallow's mellow reggae flea market theme, to Cheap Cheap the Cooking Chicken's syncopated cake-making jam, all the way to the final scene, where Parappa is made the star. The lyrics fit the odd, cartoony feel of the game, and the music is simply well-done. These tunes are the sort which will remain in your head for days. Whether that is a good point or a bad point is up to the player.
Bad points? Sure. For one, the game is very short. There are six stages, each with four or five lessons. All of the lessons in a stage are contained within one song. There is a song for each of the four masters, one in which Parappa must defeat all of the masters at once, and then the final song, in which Parappa is the star. The idea of replaying the levels to gain the "Cool" rating lengthens the game somewhat, but nowhere near enough. "Parappa the Rapper" does seem to be a party game, however, and a party game which lasts more than an hour or so (it takes maybe 30-45 minutes to win the game in one sitting, without trying for "Cool" afterwards) could potentially doom the party. Some of the button combinations are difficult, though not impossible, and the scoring seems to be somewhat random, as I found my "U Rappin'" going up sometimes when I thought I had done badly and going down when I thought I was doing well. The "Cool" rating seems most random of all. There must be some method in this madness, but I couldn't find anything.
Overall, "Parappa the Rapper" is a very well-designed, very well thought-out musical game. The gameplay is easy to pick up, and the concept is not too complex. This is a great game to show to non-gamers and beginning gamers, as it is very entertaining and very simple and it acquaints the player to the positions of the buttons on the controller. The characters are endearing and cute without being annoying, and the sense of humor is such that people older than 8 years old can actually enjoy the game without feeling silly. The music is incredible, catchy and well-written. But best of all, the concept is original. There is nothing out there quite like "Parappa the Rapper," and that alone makes this game worth a look. Take a moment, put down that high-profile sequel, gather some friends, and give "Parappa the Rapper" a shot.