:) Unforgettable...
Written: Jan 22 '01 (Updated Jan 22 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beating the game doesn't take long
Cons: Soundtrack could be downright annoying for some players
The Bottom Line: RENT IT. Don't buy it. Check out the songs at Napster. Enter "Parapa the Rapper" under ARTIST.
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| UCturboBoii's Full Review: PaRappa the Rapper for PlayStation 1 |
Parappa The Rapper is one game gamers will have a hard time forgetting. The catchy tunes, "paper" like characters, and crazy storyline make Parappa The Rapper one of the most original games released in the market. However, players will either love Parappa's music or think it is completely annoying.
Gamers have to control Parappa, the rapping puppy, on his adventure to win Sunny Funny, his girlfriend. On top of the TV monitor are Playstation buttons. The X, triangle, circle, and square button has to be pushed with the rythm altogether. This is similar to karokes and the popular game, Dance Dance Revolution. If the gamer pushes the wrong button, his rank drops from "good" to "bad." If he continues to be out of rythm, the rank will drop from "bad" to "awful." After "awful" the game is over. The gamer must have a rank of "good" or "cool" to pass each stage. To get cool, the gamer has to freestyle and memorize buttons to push at the right rythm. The points will shoot up, exponentially. At the first stage, gamers who beat the stage with "good" will have 450 points. At "cool" the player will have 2,000-3,000 points! Gaming is difficult at first. With practice it becomes more of a memory game that ends in less than twenty minutes.
Original
A rapping onion wearing a karate uniform. A moose, who is a driving instructor. A rapping frog working at the flea market. A rapping chicken, who is a cook. An M.C. who is a beetle. It is all overwhelmingly strange. Even the title Parappa The Rapper sounds strange. In addition, there are different outcomes. If the gamer fails stage four, the chicken will lay an egg. The egg cracks open and a chick will blame Parappa for not following the proper directions for baking a cake. Also, if the gamer fails stage 5, Parappa will accidently "take the major one" in his pants. The game's tunes and beat changes with the gamer's performance. Furthermore, the background will also change with the gamer's performance. At the fifth stage, the weather becomes sunny, cloudy, rainy, and pouring as the player's rapping rank drops. Parappa The Rapper stands out of the competition as the most original game.
The Plot
Parappa is a rapping puppy that wears a red beanie, red pair of sneakers, and baggy blue jeans. he has a girlfriend, Sunny Funny. Although she is a walking sunflower, Parappa loves her with every heart. The game begins with two bullies bothering Parappa and his friends. To deal with this, Parappa enters his first stage to learn karate. After he learns karate, Parappa dreams of taking her girl out for a date. Parappa then goes to stage 2 to pass his driving test. Parappa gets his driver's license and takes his girl out for a date. Unfortunately, Parappa falls asleep behind the wheel, falls off a cliff, and gets hit by a Mack truck. The impact takes Parappa, Sunny, and his car out into space before falling apart after it slams back earth. Because Parappa's car is totaled, he feels that his parents are going to be angry at him. To buy his parents a new car, Parappa becomes a merchant at a flea market. After Parappa buys a new car for his parents, Parappa wants to bake a cake for his girlfriend. In the fourth stage, Parappa bakes a cake to impress Sunny. However, Parappa moves on with driving Sunny back home when he suddenly needs to use bathroom for a "major, major one." After rapping through the fifth stage, over the bathroom, Parrapa moves onto the final stage where he sings on stage with the entire rapping crew from the game. The game ends happily with Parappa winning the crowd. Both Sunny and Parappa goes out and watch a movie at the local movie theater.
The Lyrics
First stage's song is catchy but gets annoying after a while. "Kick, punch, chop" and "punch, punch, punch" are low budget lyrics that is successful grabbing gamers, but fails to keep gamers hooked. The second stage's song is my favorite and the most memorable. "Check and turn, the signals to the left" will make some gamers crack up. Although the lyrics at the third stage are poor, the rythm will entertain gamers. "The skunk over here will bring you love...Oh yes I had a lots a lots of fun and I made bunch of bucks and I am on the run..." will surprise gamers. The lyrics are nowhere close to the lyrics of low budget songs today. At the fourth stage, "Cheap, cheap, cheap is the name of is all...M.I.X. the flower into the bowl" is definitely catchy. "I need to go just as bad as you..." fits perfectly with the fifth stage's rap over the bathroom. Finally, the game ends with a DJ on stage. "Everybody say Ho...say Ho, Ho...Now scream!" is a song that is very well done that is completely different from "classical" video game tunes of other video games in the market.
The Pros---The Music
Songs vary widely. The first level is more of hip hop. The second level is hip hop with piano melody from the early 1900s. The third level's music is a slow paced Jamaican song with slow paced lyrics. Fourth level's song is light hip hop with saxophone. In addition, fifth level's song is a slow alternative with bass and keyboard. Finally, the sixth stage is hip hop with piano and deep bass on beats.
The Cons
The game is short! Only six stages? The creator of Parappa should have put trance and heavy metal to make the game more addicting! Dubbing must have not gone too well because the sound is poor for a CD. Also, the high score feature is not programmed very well. A 300 point score could overwrite a 3000 point score just because the gamer accidently hit the "X" button.
Recommended for
Music lovers. Music fans will love the idea that a video game and music has blended together. Parappa The Rapper is a low budget game comparing with Bust-A-Groove(Bust-A-Move@Japan). It is also similar to Dance Dance Revolution. Parappa The Rapper 2 has already been released, though it might be more complicated than Parappa The Rapper.
Not Recommended for
Buyers: this game is too short. At less than twenty minutes, the game is worth renting. Some Dance Dance Revolution and Bust-A-Groove game fans will not be satisfied with Parappa The Rapper because the graphics could be too bland to meet their needs. All the characters in Parappa The Rapper are like live papers.
Overall, I loved Parappa The Rapper until I beat the game on hard mode. My friends will never forget the tunes and lyrics, that seemed so silly at first. If you want to check out the tunes, download it form Napster. Enter " Parappa the Rapper" under "Artist", then decide whether the tune is annoying or unforgettable.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
UCturboBoii
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Member: Erik Yoshizaki
Location: Torrance, California
Reviews written: 128
Trusted by: 14 members
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