Parappa the Rapper: Is It Still Fun Today?

In this episode of "Is It Still Fun Today?", the hosts revisit the classic rhythm game *Parappa the Rapper*, released in 1996. The game, developed by Na Na On Sha and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, is noted as the first true rhythm video game, establishing the template of timing button presses with on-screen symbols, a mechanic later seen in games like *Dance Dance Revolution* and *Guitar Hero*. Its distinct visual style, featuring flat, paper-like humanoid animal characters, also sparked comparisons to *Paper Mario*. Despite its unique concept, *Parappa the Rapper* was a significant hit, especially in Japan, and its titular character became somewhat of a PlayStation mascot, even appearing in *PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale*. Many of the hosts recalled playing the game's demo on a PlayStation interactive sampler CD, a common method of distributing game demos before widespread internet access. Nick Leone, for instance, remembers playing only the first level for hours, captivated by its anime-like aesthetic and the catchy "Kick, Punch, It's All in the Mind" song from Master Onion. Sam Clayborn also had formative memories of the demo disc, though he found the game's rhythm sections annoying at the time, preferring later rhythm games like *Jammer Lammy* and *Guitar Hero* which he felt were better designed. Logan Plant, a self-proclaimed rhythm game enthusiast, had never played *Parappa* but was eager to experience what is considered the genre's progenitor. The hosts played *Parappa the Rapper* using different setups. Nick played on a Mr. FPGA, emulating original PlayStation hardware and upscaling to 4K, while Sam and Logan played the PS4 version. A significant point of discussion was the latency issues present in the PS4 port, which is an emulation of the PSP remaster from 2006. This port, which received a poor score in a previous review, was described as "brutal" due to its desynchronized rhythm. Despite the technical issues with modern ports, the game's original charm, personality, and distinctive art style by Rodney Greenblat, combined with Masaya Matsuura's music, were universally praised. The hosts appreciated its "weirdo animation" that felt ahead of its time, akin to *Ren & Stimpy* or *Adult Swim* cartoons, and its experimental nature, especially considering Sony's mandate at the time to avoid 2D games. The game’s limited playtime—only about 30 minutes if played perfectly through its six levels—was noted, but offset by the hours players would spend trying to master stages. However, the gameplay itself proved frustrating. The timing window for button presses is incredibly tight, and unlike modern rhythm games, *Parappa* offers little visual indication of when to hit buttons. Players often found more success by ignoring the visuals and trying to "feel the music," or even muting the sound entirely and focusing solely on the on-screen symbols. Nick recalled the "chicken stage" (level four) as particularly difficult, requiring him to mash buttons to progress despite the resulting audio sounding incorrect. Sam suggested that the game’s core problem might be a "desync" issue, possibly even present in the original game for certain levels, which was then exacerbated by subsequent ports. The lack of a proper tutorial, forcing players to learn by failure, was also highlighted. A unique aspect of the game is the "cool mode," which encourages players to freestyle within the rhythm after mastering a song. While this concept was praised as innovative, its arbitrary trigger conditions made it difficult to achieve consistently. The game's narrative, following Parappa the dog's journey to win the affection of a flower girl named Sunny Funny by learning various life skills from different masters, was described as quirky and charming, despite some bizarre elements like Parappa's "nightmare fuel" dad and unexplained plot points. The game’s positive message of "believing in yourself" was also acknowledged. Musically, the game was lauded for its catchy, goofy rap songs, drawing comparisons to artists like Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest. The clever use of sample chopping for Parappa's vocals was also appreciated. The game's UI elements, such as the 4x3 aspect ratio framing the gameplay and the tape deck-inspired save/load screens, added to its overall charm. Ultimately, the consensus among the hosts was that while *Parappa the Rapper* is still charming to look at and listen to, it is not fun to play due to its frustrating and often broken rhythm mechanics. It remains an important "museum piece" in video game history, a pioneering title that laid the groundwork for the rhythm game genre, but its execution makes it a difficult recommendation for modern play, especially on current hardware due to unresolved latency issues.