PaRappa the Rapper 2

"Not as good as it used to be, but it won't ruin the day you play it in"

PaRappa the Rapper was perhaps the only really inventive game in the past few years. It basically created a new genre, the rhythm game, and became a instant classic. I too was amazed by the quirky yet addictive fun the game had and was elated when the sequel came out. And then I got....this. I'm sorry to say that this sequel only improves upon the graphics, and nothing else. Still, it would be a nice buy if you could get it cheap.

Graphics 7/10
Interesting, but not incredibly so. Each character looks like a cardboard cutout, and moves like one. The colors are very bright and clean, but not incredibly spectacular. The ''stages'' are full of activity, but it's not really that interesting. The world map consists of a few locations and a road that leads to each. I believe that conveys the total lack of anything graphically interesting besides the character models in this game.

Sound 7/10
The one thing that PaRappa the Rapper is well known for is rapping, and the songs that go with it. Well, the music is perfect for the certain situations, and it's okay to listen to. The voice acting is well done, but not very noticeable. Any sound effects are nonexistent, because in a rhythm game all of your interaction revolves around pressing buttons in order. Once again, you get a minimal of sound, but it doesn't really matter because after the music, everything else is secondary and of no importance.

Gameplay 7/10
''It was fun while it lasted.'' That phrase describes the gameplay of PaRappa the Rapper 2 vividly. Once again you assume the roll of PaRappa, the ambitious puppy dog to rid his town of the incredibly evil menace of...noodles. Yes, that's right. Noodles. What follows is a adventure around town to get all the good food back and play with your band.

In each area you visit, you participate in a ''Simon Says'' type game, where the person/thing(which varies from a hairdresser to a aerobics instructor) sings a song and does certain movements, which you are to follow along using a bar at the top of the screen. For instance, the person would use 4 movements at intervals, in which you must reciprocate using the X,Square, Circle, Triangle, R1, and L1 buttons following the pattern. This sounds tedious, but it's quite fun as you are quite pressed put in the right buttons at the right time. You get points for doing it correctly, and are rated on your skill. If you do too bad, you fail the ''stage'' and have to repeat. The songs start easy, but get somewhat hard.

Unfortunately, there are only 8 stages. That's right, only 8. I beat this game in a day. And I by no means am a prodigy or skilled in any way at this game. A expert play could breeze though this in a afternoon. 2 player and other options increase the playing time, but not significantly. There is one minigame, but it's not hard and becomes tedium after awhile. The songs are nowhere as interesting or catchy as the infamous ''Kick, punch, it's all in the mind'' songs of the past.

If you want a REAL good experience, I suggest you get the original PaRappa the Rapper. It's cheap, and it's better than this game, unfortunately. I would suggest you rent this game, beat it, and then return it and save some money to get a game with actual Replay Value.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/08/03, Updated 07/08/03