Release Date: December 6, 1996
Developer: NanaOn-Sha, Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago tomorrow, a game like PaRappa the Rapper was released in the United States. It’s even harder to believe how much of a risk the game was. The premise sounded so silly to me in 1996, I kept thinking it was the product of some demented Mad Libs game created by a crack smoker.
So let me get this straight. This is a Japanese game about a rapping cartoon dog that has a crush on a talking sunflower and has rap battles against an onion-headed sensei; a moose driving instructor; a rastafarian frog; and…a chicken Julia Child. Okay, gimme a hit. I want that buzz!
Yeah, it sounds silly when I write it like that. The resulting game, however, is absolutely brilliant!
The game plays out like a trippy cartoon, with cutscenes in between the gameplay fleshing out the story more. PaRappa the Rapper for the PlayStation follows the titular pup and his friends: Sunny Funny, PJ Berri, and Katy Kat. During the dame, PaRappa tries to build up the courage to ask Sunni out. To do so, he relies on his trusty motto, “I gotta believe!”, and his ability to rap.
Gameplay is divided into different stages where PaRappa is trying to learn a new skill, like karate or driving.. Each stage pits PaRappa against four different teachers, each with his or her own style of rap. To get past each level, you must follow along and respond to the teachers’ rap. You do so by following onscreen cues and furiously pressing buttons in time to the tune. They raps start simple in level one, but by the time you reach later levels, the pace is breakneck and the timing is tricky.
The idea of rhythm games like PaRappa the Rapper is not such a stretch now, but it was risky back in 1996. Even dance games like Dance Dance Revolution and Bust a Groove didn’t arrive until later in the console’s life. Pairing the concept with a cartoon about a rapping dog must have been bordering on lunacy for many. I know it was for me.
As a fan of hip-hop for years and a gamer for even longer circa 1996, I remember not looking upon the game with much favor. Then I went to a Toys ‘R Us for some late Christmas shopping and heard some of the game from a distance. I walked up to the display, saw and tried some gameplay, then couldn’t get the damn game out of my head for the rest of the day!
That’s the thing about the game that impressed so many the most: the game is not as cheesy as it sounds. I mean, PaRappa’s not spitting fire like Eminem. Shit, PaRappa is not really rapping, he’s just repeating other peoples’ rhymes. But the songs are not bad in the least. Nas and KRS-One might not bless the lyrical poetry in this game, but the tunes are far from offensive. In fact, they’re kinda infectious.
The above video is for the Bathroom Rap stage, where you battle all four teachers for the right to use the crapper first. It encapsulates everything corny, trippy, and beautiful about the game. The hand-drawn paper-like characters are animated wonderfully, the visual cues are easy to follow, and the music…dear Lord the music! PaRappa the Rapper’s soundtrack is arguably my favorite non-chiptune soundtrack in gaming! Arguably. Depends on how much vodka I had that day.
The visual cues do more than tell you when to press buttons. There is a gauge that lets you see how well PaRappa is going with his lyrical flows. That visual cue, however, is secondary. When PaRappa messes up his cadence, the game shows and tells you he messed up. Odd sounds will play along with the music, and PaRappa’s demeanor will change, showing disgust and embarrassment with the flubs. In the driving lesson stage, the car will swerve left and right as a way to mock your skills.
Everything about the game’s presentation is top notch. The gameplay matches the presentation in step. The button presses are all registered sharply with no lag. The story, as cheesy as it is, has you invested enough that you want to see it through. Playing through the game is a lot of fun.
Too bad that there’s no real gameplay reason to play through it again. Once you beat the story, there is no real replay value. Sure, you unlock the ability to improvise the raps some and score so high that you reach “cool” and can freestyle. And yes, once the songs get stuck in your noggin, you’ll want to play again just to hear the madcap tunes. But gameplay wise, one playthrough is it. Is that enough to hurt this game? Not at all. The joy and laughs I get from this game are enough to get me to replay the story eventually.
Does it still hold up? I think it most definitely does. Rhythm games have become a legitimate genre in the 20 years since PaRappa the Rapper dropped, and the thought of just using a controller instead of a dumbed-down guitar controller or a smartphone as input is a bit quaint. But the game’s style and presentation are absolutely top-notch.
The good news is, anyone wishing to try this game out for the first time – or dive in and spit fire once again – will be able to do so soon. A 20th anniversary remaster of PaRappa the Rapper was announced over the weekend at PlayStation Experience. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and all the gameplay is still intact.
Retro owners and collectors can still find the original PS1 disc or the 2006 PSP release through the usual second-hand methods.
However you experience it, PaRappa the Rapper is a game that I think everyone should try. It may have been a ridiculous-sounding concept in 1996, but today it is awesome.
Oh, and just try to get those songs out of your head.
Good: Awesome visuals; catchy tunes; tight controls; memorable characters; OMG THE BATHROOM RAP!!!
Bad: Limited replayability
Final score: 9/10
