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Vib-Ribbon's return began with an attempt at stage cred
When president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America Shawn Layden praised Vib-Ribbon's outside-the-box concept during this year's E3, he hoped it would show his legitimacy as a nerd worthy of standing beside better-recognized faces of PlayStation like Adam Boyes or Shu Yoshida, according to a report from Wired. Excited fans flooded social media in response, but their joy turned to rage when Layden took a sharp turn from his fond remembrance to introduce the gameplay debut of Mortal Kombat X. As he was drinking in the backlash the following morning, Layden remembered that Vib-Ribbon was never actually released in North America. Instead of finding common ground with fans of the cult classic, he had reminded part of his audience of what they had never had a chance to play.
Rumor: Sony working on a Smash Bros-esque fighter featuring Sony all-stars
The hat of "Sony Mascot" has been worn by many, many different critters and folk since the days of Crash Bandicoot and, uh, Croc. In fact, Sony's stable of lovable household names is so fully stocked that they've decided to pit their creations against one another to determine who lives and who dies. Okay so, that last part might be a little hyperbolic, but the rumor mill is operating at full capacity over Title Fight, a Super Smash Bros.-ish cross-franchise brawler reportedly in development at SuperBot Entertainment, according to The Paul Gale Network. If rumors are to be believed, the game will feature a cast of Sony-console specific characters like Nathan Drake, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, that guy from Killzone and Fat Princess. Fights will take place in various Sony related locations such as Sandover Village or a golf course from Hot Shots Golf. The gallery of images below, which shows Sweet Tooth, a blank female form that may or may not be Heavenly Sword's Nariko and a debug screen that mentions Kratos, were tweeted (and subsequently deleted) by SuperBot Entertainment's senior level designer Chris Molina. Apparently, this hullabaloo is also what that franchise-rich teaser trailer from September was all about, which would also indicate the inclusion of Parappa the Rapper, as well as a representative from FOXHOUND. If all this pans out, Title Fight will be the latest in a long, proud history of SCEA-published fighting games like Battle Arena Toshinden and Cardinal Syn. We'll keep our ear to the ground for more as this story develops.%Gallery-140432%
Parappa the Rapper could return via new business models or Vita
Parappa the Rapper hasn't been heard from since the PS2's Parappa the Rapper 2 -- unless you count the Japan-only cartoon, or the PSP port of the first game. However, creator Masaya Matsuura told me during a pre-TGS meeting that the flat, self-doubting puppy remains in his thoughts. "We always think about the possibility of remaking or rebuilding or making sequels," Matsuura said. He told me that he prefers handheld platforms to consoles for rhythm games, because the built-in screens reduce the risk of latency between the controller input and the on-screen display. And thus the PlayStation Vita represents a "good chance" for him to revisit his signature series.
Mega64 raps along with Parappa
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. That's an axiom proven by Mega64 in their latest video, where they tap into the raw, delicious comedy vein of "rapping about random things people are doing." We've put the result of their mind-meld with Parappa the Rapper right after the break.Though some of the components of the faux-Parappa's flow are a bit hurtful, they're almost all irrefutable. It is, after all, a good day not to be in a hearse.
American PC Store update for July 24th
Not a brilliant update today, but at least you get a better full game than those poor Europeans. Parappa The Rapper hits the US PC Store in game, trailer and wallpaper form today. What's that sneaking in with it? Two Killzone 2 wallpapers? That's not even a PSP game! We're not complaining though -- they look pretty. Here's the full release list: Parappa The Rapper full game ($22.99) Parappa The Rapper trailer 2 Killzone 2 wallpapers 4 Parappa The Rapper wallpapers
Parappa crowned greatest game canine
Following up on their quest to decide the greatest horse in video game history, the guys and gals of MTV Multiplayer have recently announced the greatest video game dog. And the winner is Parappa, the adorable two-dimensional hip-hop legend, and star of Parappa the Rapper. Runner-ups include the ubiquitous zombie dogs from the Resident Evil series, the annoying dog that mocks us with his laughter from Duck Hunt, Amaterasu from Okami, and K.K. Slider from Animal Crossing (though presumably the in-game incarnate, and not that creepy real-life version). We're looking forward to seeing which animal MTV sees fit to vote on next. We're hoping for frog, a category clearly dominated by Fred from Blaster Master.
PaRappa dev targets Wii
PaRappa the Rapper developer NanaOn-Sha has announced it will be making a new music-centric game for Nintendo Wii due out in late 2008. It will be published by Majesco. The developer is also responsible for UmJammer Lammy and Vib-Ribbon (never released on the US), as well as the non-musical Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop series. The as-of-yet untitled game reunites the development studio with PaRappa artist Rodney Alan Greenblat. No other details are currently available, but here's hoping for another catchy soundtrack to go alongside our PaRappa- and Katamari-infused playlists. For a refresher on what a collaboration between Greenblat and NanaOn-Sha can produce, check out the visual reminder after the break.
Majesco believes, publishing new NanaOn-Sha game
We knew the folks behind one of the best and earliest rhythm-based video games around were thinking about working their magic with the Wii, but now word has hit the street that Majesco will be handling publishing duties for the new game, which is being made exclusively for the Wii. Sweet, right? Well, it gets better. The new game is in the rhythm-based genre. That's right, the folks behind one of the most influential and amazing rhythm-based titles ever created are working to repeat that kind of success on the Wii. Head past the break for the full press release.
PaRappa character creation winner crowned
Sony wanted fans to create a brand new PaRappa the Rapper character -- and they've finally selected a winner! Character designer Rodney Greenblatt will redraw the winning creation, the "Metragnome," and send it to Dominik K with a free copy of PaRappa the Rapper for PSP. Congrats to the winner, and great job to all the contestants. To check out the other finalists, click here.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: PaRappa the Rapper
PaRappa the Rapper used to be the coolest kid on the block when he came out ten years ago. Although this game was the pioneer of a genre ten years ago, our recent hands-on with the upcoming PSP version has left us underwhelmed. PaRappa is back, but he's just not as cool as you remember him. Like parachute pants, PaRappa hasn't aged very well.The greatest flaw we see with the game so far is its awkward input mechanism. Sure, music games have always been about pressing buttons at the right time. The problem with PaRappa is that its hard to tell if you're doing well or not ... until it's too late. In Dance Dance Revolution, for example, one would receive a confirmation of a "Great!" or a "Bad" immediately after pressing the button. Without an instant response, its hard to tell how you're performing ... and how to improve yourself.Also, navigating the menus is a chore, and it's far from intuitive. We're also disappointed to see that the cinematic sequences in the game are bordered horribly: where's our full-screen video? There's still a lot of potential in the game: the game is charming, moves at a brisk pace, and the downloadable content will be available immediately at game's launch. We still have to play through the game some more, but our initial impressions are far from glowing. Stay tuned for more. Until then, check out new images in our gallery.%Gallery-3221%
U rappin' good? Go to Penny Arcade Expo for free
U Gotta Believe!Sony is hosting a new contest, encouraging wannabe rappers to perform their best PaRappa rap. It just takes some ambition, a camera, and some YouTube know-how to enter. Choose one of three songs provided on Sony's official contest page, and swallow your pride.There are some awesome prizes: PaRappa PSP skins, PaRappa PSP charms, PaRappa's signature beanie and a copy of the game. The first 100 entrants will get the awesome PaRappa tee. Finally, one winner will get to go to Penny Arcade Expo with a friend ... absolutely free. If you're thinking of entering, definitely show us. We'd love to see your moves!
Limited edition PaRappa tee by Paul Frank
Want this ill-lookin' PaRappa the Rapper tee? We sure do. To help promote the upcoming PSP version, Sony has contracted Paul Frank Industries and PaRappa's "co-creator and artist", Rodney Alan Greenblat, to create a limited edition t-shirt. The shirt will display Paul Frank's signature character Julius and Sony's adorable PaRappa the Rapper. According to Sony, there will be several PaRappa promotions throughout the summer: both online and at numerous PlayStation promotional events including Wizard World, ComiCon, LollaPalooza, PAX and more.We begged Sony to give us a couple of shirts to give away to our readers. Let's hope they've heard our pleas.
PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 20
PSP Fanboy offers the latest and greatest movie and game trailers, formatted for the PSP in this new weekly feature. Check it out every Saturday. PSP owners can download files wirelessly via m.pspfanboy.com.Instructions: Save all movie and thumbnail files to the VIDEO folder. These high resolution 480x272 videos require firmware 3.30 or above. (Note: OE custom firmware will also play these videos.) Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow [PSP]Download MP4 (8.1MB) | Download JPG The following Gamers Day videos are featured after the break: Jeanne de Arc (PSP), PaRappa the Rapper (PSP), Pursuit Force Extreme Justice (PSP), SOCOM Tactical Strike (PSP)
PSP Fan Art Fridays: PaRappa the Rapper
Do you want to share your PSP-related fan art? Send us an e-mail. A new piece of fan art will be shared every Friday.Seeing new info on the PSP rendition of PaRappa at Sony's Gamer's Day, makes this particular fan art even sweeter. This hippin' and hoppin' piece comes from illjules. Impressively made in the online Oekaki art program. I like the more realistic and 3D take on PaRappa, though I do worry that he might try to throw down if I got on his bad side. I'd take that chance though, just to see him work his magic in the club. Let illjules know what you think of this PaRappa fan art in the comments or go to her deviantArt account and see more of her colorful and beautiful art. %Gallery-3450%
SGD '07: PaRappa the Rapper
Sony Gamer's Day was filled with tons of goodies, such as the new PSP version of PaRappa the Rapper. There isn't much new to see here, considering its simply a port of a PS1 classic. Regardless, feel free to check out some screens in our new gallery below.The game hits PSP systems this July.%Gallery-3221%
Parappa designer raps PS3 for being 'too big', plans Wii game
In what's either a stunning triumph of naiveté or a startling display of practical knowledge, Parappa the Rapper creator, Masaya Matsuura, has opined that the PlayStation 3's sluggish sales in Japan are largely to blame on its physical size. Speaking to GamesIndustry.Biz at the Nordic Game Conference (they have those, you know), Matsuura describes Sony's black behemoth as being "too big for the Japanese." It's not the only technological powerhouse having trouble finding a home -- the Xbox 360's critical flaw is "not the size of the hardware but of the AC adapter." Matsuura's obsession with size doesn't extend to his Wii though, as he's currently planning a title for Nintendo's comparatively diminutive box. He calls it a "very good piece of hardware," noting that the unique controls pose quite a challenge from the designer's point of view. He confidently asserts that development on the game begins "soon,maybe."
Could Vib Ribbon go to PLAYSTATION Network?
Masaya Matsuura, of Parappa the Rapper fame, also created another one of our favorites, the higly creative Vib Ribbon. In a interview with Gamasutra, Matsuura-san said he was in talks with the powers-that-be to rework the title for release on the PS3. No dates were given, but further speculation by 1UP suggests the title would be more appropriate as a downloadable game on the PLAYSTATION Network than a simple rerelease. Originally released for the Sony PlayStation, Vib Ribbon allowed the user to insert any audio CD and transform the music of their choice into a playable level, where successes were viewed as an evolution of the main character you were controlling: (a common theme amongst another PLAYSTATION Network exclusive). [Via 1UP]
Battle of the ports: PaRappa versus Crazy Taxi
Battle of the ports: which do you want more? PaRappa the Rapper Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars Neither: PSP doesn't need any more ports! Free polls from Pollhost.com If you haven't noticed, the PSP Fanboy team is totally "t3h b145!!!1" We've been bashing Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for its sloppy Dreamcast-era graphics. However, we've been going totally gaga for the barely enhanced PaRappa the Rapper. Isn't that unfair? We're going to let you, the PSP Fanboy reader, tell us which of these hotly anticipated PSP ports we should be more excited for. Just check out the videos after the cut, and tell us which one you want more. If you're digging both of them, feel free to vote for both. Of course, if you're feeling particularly jaded today, you can also admit that maybe we shouldn't get so excited over ports--don't we have too many already?
Today's what's old is new again video: PaRappa on the PSP
While we've already had our greasy paws all over PaRappa the Rapper for the PlayStation Portable, we're gracing you with some video goodness from the same game.It's just a port of the original game from the original PlayStation, but it achieved a cult following, a sequel, and a spinoff with UmJammer Lammy. It looks pretty slick, the music was always a lot of fun, and it's another good reason to grab a PSP, now that they're cheaper.
A brief history of PaRappa the Rapper (with screenshots)
PaRappa the Rapper is largely accredited as the first modern rhythm game. More than ten years after its first release on PS1, gamers will be able to relive the game on PSP. In light of the US announcement, we wanted to take a brief look into the history of the game, and offer you some new screenshots (after the break).The game was developed by NanaOn-Sha (roughly translated as Seventh Sound Company), and has seen release in over 70 countries. The story of the rapping dog that "gotta believe" became so popular that the series branched off into new areas. For example, McDonald's promotions. It eventually transformed into a 30-episode anime series in 2001. The franchise grew with the eventual sequels, PaRappa the Rapper 2 and Um Jammer Lammy.Its initial release was met with nearly universal critical acclaim. Rodney Alan Greenblat, a popular artist in Japan, created illustrations that came to life in a way the gaming world had never seen before. The music was also unlike anything the gaming world had experienced. It wasn't long before it built a dedicated fan community. We hope the upcoming PSP version will revive the long-dormant franchise. Isn't it time for an entirely new addition to this series?
