PaRappa The Rapper
The Sega Dreamcast may have been the console for bizarre Japanese releases, but it's not like PlayStation didn't see some as well. In 1997, two years before the Dreamcast's release, one of the earliest rhythm games showed it's face on the American market. Rhythm games, which picked up speed a bit after this release, are like a variation on your usual puzzle game. Most of the time they require you input particular button sequences as shown on screen, typically with little room for error on the timing. This is assisted by a musical track however, so the idea is that you are 'tapping along with the beat' in a sense similar to how someone plays Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero.
It seems to me that PaRappa was popular with a lot of people for a few good reasons. It wasn't a 'hardcore' game that went out of it's way to be both cinematic, dark and violent like a lot of the mainstream games at the time. It was light hearted, unique and in a sense, 'casual'. It was easy to pick up, playable by anyone, though some people have a better sense of rhythm than others and it followed a nicely stylized visual design that separated itself from most other games at the time. PaRappa's characters were all paper-thin cutouts a-la Paper Mario and the camera angles made sure to reveal this as a stylistic choice and not simply poor design.
PaRappa was not only a great game for it's design, but the 'rap songs' that the game follows were cute and memorable. PaRappa raps about everything he's doing it as he's doing it. So the story is told as you follow the beat. He spends time learning Kung Fu at a dojo, taking driving lessons, making a cake and more in an attempt to win over a girl he likes. Lines like "crack crack crack, the eggs into the bowl" may not be award winning lyrics, but most people who gamed in the 90's can tell you what it's from even if it was simply because they heard it in the commercial.
I didn't exactly go out of my way to buy PaRappa the Rapper and it's not exactly the kind of game I've plugged hours into as I have with other titles. But it's charm stuck with me since I rented it a few decades ago and it's clear where it's influence lies nowadays with other rhythm games.
It's also interesting to note that this game was first released in Japan and when it was all the songs were still in English, they simply had Japanese subtitles.
The Sega Dreamcast may have been the console for bizarre Japanese releases, but it's not like PlayStation didn't see some as well. In 1997, two years before the Dreamcast's release, one of the earliest rhythm games showed it's face on the American market. Rhythm games, which picked up speed a bit after this release, are like a variation on your usual puzzle game. Most of the time they require you input particular button sequences as shown on screen, typically with little room for error on the timing. This is assisted by a musical track however, so the idea is that you are 'tapping along with the beat' in a sense similar to how someone plays Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero. PaRappa was not only a great game for it's design, but the 'rap songs' that the game follows were cute and memorable. PaRappa raps about everything he's doing it as he's doing it. So the story is told as you follow the beat. He spends time learning Kung Fu at a dojo, taking driving lessons, making a cake and more in an attempt to win over a girl he likes. Lines like "crack crack crack, the eggs into the bowl" may not be award winning lyrics, but most people who gamed in the 90's can tell you what it's from even if it was simply because they heard it in the commercial. I didn't exactly go out of my way to buy PaRappa the Rapper and it's not exactly the kind of game I've plugged hours into as I have with other titles. But it's charm stuck with me since I rented it a few decades ago and it's clear where it's influence lies nowadays with other rhythm games.
It's also interesting to note that this game was first released in Japan and when it was all the songs were still in English, they simply had Japanese subtitles.
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