Friday, December 08, 2006

Parappa the Rapper + Bonus

Playstation gamers were first introduced to Rodney Greenblat's illustrations of Parappa characters a decade ago. There was the lead mongrel named Parappa who spoke in a strange manner and spit lines like, "I Gotta Believe!" and the apple of his eye, Sunny Funny. Parappa's love for Sunny Funny is perhaps the first recorded attraction between canine and flower that didn't involve the process of urination.

Other cast members included Parappa's friend Katy Kat, the sloth-like PJ Berri, and the indomitable kung-fu stylings of Chop Chop Onion Master. Parappa was an early rhythm game where players tapped buttons in the sequence and meter of the cues on screen. Perform well and Parappa raps with a smooth staccato and is congratulated with "U rappin' Good" which makes the player feel warm and fuzzy inside. However, if you're off your game and botch the button tapping motions, Parappa won't bust rhymes and receive a soul crushing "U rappin' Bad." That's "Bad" in the bad sense of the word.

The PSP version of Parappa is a direct conversion of the Playstation original with the same story, the same rhythm challenge, the same episodes, and the same characters. What is new is the 16:9 aspect ratio and the ad hoc multi-player mode where up to four rappers may participate in the game.

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