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PaRappa the Rapper 2

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PaRappa the Rapper 2
European cover art
Developer(s)NanaOn-Sha
Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
Designer(s)Masaya Matsuura
Artist(s)Rodney Greenblat
Writer(s)Gabin Ito
Composer(s)Masaya Matsuura
Yoshihisa Suzuki
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • JP: August 30, 2001
  • NA: January 22, 2002
  • EU: April 5, 2002
  • AU: December 14, 2002
Genre(s)Rhythm
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

PaRappa the Rapper 2 (パラッパラッパー2, Parappa Rappā Tsū) is a 2001 rhythm video game developed by NanaOn-Sha and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. The game is the third title in the PaRappa the Rapper series following Um Jammer Lammy. The game was made available for the PlayStation 4 through the PlayStation Network in December 2015.[1]

Gameplay

See also: PaRappa the Rapper § Gameplay
An example of game-play, where the player must match their button presses to the symbols shown on screen.

Gameplay follows that of its predecessors, in which the player must press buttons to make PaRappa rap in response to a teacher's lyrics. Players earn points and progress by rapping in time to the music and maintaining a Good rating through to the end of each level. By successfully improvising raps, the player can obtain a Cool rating, during which PaRappa will be given the chance to rap freestyle by himself, although it can be lost if they player performs badly, which will drop the rating down to Good. However, they will drop down a rating to Bad and Awful if they are currently on Good, with the player losing if they drop below Awful or end the song with a Bad or Awful rating. PaRappa 2 features some tweaks to the gameplay, as some of the teacher's lyrics may change based on the player's performance. For example, the lyrics may become simpler if the player is struggling, or become tougher if they perform well. After clearing two stages in a row, players can participate in a minigame where they must hit targets held out by Chop Chop Master Onion's Tamanegi students, earning bonus points which are added onto the previous level's score. Clearing each level with a Cool rating unlocks music tracks that can be listened to after completing the game. Each time the player clears the game, the color of PaRappa's hat changes from blue, to pink, to yellow, with each hat remixing the lines in each level. In addition to the single player campaign, the game features a two-player Vs. Mode, in which players are given a line to rap to, which they must improve upon by freestyling better than their opponent.

Region differences

Similar to Um Jammer Lammy, the North American release of PaRappa the Rapper 2 features some censorship when compared to the Japanese and PAL (European) versions of the game, replacing lyrics referring to alcohol and religion in order to ensure an E rating from the ESRB. In Stage 1, the lyric "Tastes better than wine" was changed to "You better get in line" in the North American version to avoid an alcohol reference, which would've led to a T rating. In Stage 3, the line "I am the lord, everybody knows my name" was taken as a religious offense by the ESRB, so the developers had to change it to "I am the man, everybody knows my name".

In Japan, McDonald's released a demo disc alongside its Happy Meal, containing a demo of the first level which was changed to resemble a McDonald's restaurant. The disc also came with a demo of Ape Escape 2001.[2]

Plot

PaRappa, having won a lifetime's worth supply of instant noodle products from Beard Burger's burger shop, has become nothing short of weary from eating nothing but noodles for every meal every single day. When PaRappa complains about being served noodles by his crush, Sunny Funny, he becomes shocked when she calls him a baby, causing him to question his own maturity. When PaRappa and his friend P.J. Berri go to eat at Beard Burger instead, they are shocked to discover that for some reason, the burgers have turned into noodles. From a poster, the Beard Burger Master, the founder of Beard Burgers, comes back as a ghost and helps PaRappa make a "Traditional Parappa Town Burger". Afterwards, PaRappa and P.J. learn that a mysterious phenomenon is turning all the food in town, not just burgers, into noodles. Papa PaRappa and General Potter, PaRappa and Sunny's respective fathers, try to develop an invention that can stop the "noodlization." However, they inadvertently shrink themselves in the process. Afterwards, PaRappa and P.J. participate in a workout on an adult show run by Chop Chop Master Onion, not knowing that Papa PaRappa and Potter are stuck small by Papa PaRappa's invention. PaRappa presses a remote for a different T.V. show but accidentally shrinks both P.J. and himself, along with their friends and some other people. They are soon helped out by the Guru Ant and return to normal size. After undergoing army training under Instructor Moosesha, PaRappa helps rescue Hairdresser Octopus from being hypnotized into giving people afros. Later, PaRappa discovers "Food Court", a video game cartridge, to be the cause of the "noodlization". PaRappa's father warns them that if a player loses the game, the cartridge will curse them to only be able to eat noodles. Despite this, PaRappa insists that he should be the one to complete the game.

Upon winning the game, PaRappa's father reverse engineers the cartridge to create a device that can reverse the noodlization. PaRappa and the others use sweets and the de-noodlization devices to combat against the Noodle Syndicate, who are behind the town's noodlization. They soon confront the mastermind, Colonel Noodle, who is revealed to be the son of Beard Burger Master who, similar to PaRappa's situation, had grown nothing short of weary from eating burgers for every meal all his life (not helped by his friends rejecting him for it upon his first birthday party and his mother turning into a burger from eating so many) and decided upon discovering a love for noodles that they should rule the world instead. Thankfully, PaRappa manages to convince him to be more open-minded about various types of food, and he becomes good. As everyone celebrates with a party from MC King Kong Mushi, Sunny assures PaRappa that he's more mature than what he thinks himself to be. Everything returns to normal excluding the situation repeating itself when he wins a lifetime supply of cheese.

Soundtrack

PaRappa the Rapper 2
Soundtrack album by
Yoshihisa Suzuki and Masaya Matsuura
Released2001[3]
GenreVideo game music
Length65:41
LabelSony Records

PaRappa the Rapper 2 had its soundtrack named after its game.

All tracks are written by Yoshihisa Suzuki and Masaya Matsuura

PaRappa the Rapper 2
No.TitleLength
1."Noodle Monster"0:28
2."Boring"1:07
3."Enter Parappa 2"0:47
4."Say "I Gotta Believe!"" (featuring De La Soul and Double, also written with Kelvin Mercer, Dave Jolicoeur and Vincent Mason)4:15
5."Now Loading"0:06
6."Open The Door"0:07
7."Noodle Talk"1:02
8."Listen To Boxy Boy!"1:14
9."Enter Daydreams Part 2"0:10
10."I Gotta Believe! Part 2"0:11
11."Toasty Buns"2:53
12."Completion Of The Noodlizer...?"1:28
13."Opening Theme Of Romantic Karate"0:51
14."This Is Pleasant"0:20
15."Romantic Love"3:34
16."Karate Funk"2:20
17."Channel War"1:46
18."BIG"4:00
19."Strategy Meeting"1:58
20."You Guys Go That Way"0:11
21."Sista Moosesha"3:38
22."Uproar At The Gym"0:58
23."Afro Forest"0:27
24."A Lovely Hairstyle"0:11
25."Hair Scare"3:04
26."Dad's Secret"2:41
27."Food Court"3:51
28."Candy Attack"2:48
29."Noodles Can't Be Beat"3:21
30."Come A Long Way"4:08
31."Always Love!"5:02
32."Boring Again"1:59
33."Say "I Gotta Believe!" (Funkyboard Mix) - Bonus Track" (featuring De La Soul and Double, also written with Kelvin Mercer, Dave Jolicoeur and Vincent Mason)4:29
Total length:65:41

Reception

The game received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4]

GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann gave the game a 6.6, stating that "an almost total lack of innovation makes the game seem pretty dated when compared with other games on the market. ... Even when played to perfection, though, the rapping still sounds just as stuttery as it did in the previous game. While it was excusable then and perhaps even a little charming, it would have been nice to see the developers make better use of the PlayStation 2's higher specs". Though the game "features the same 2D graphical style as its predecessor, but it's not without its share of enhancements", he added: "The music in the game covers a lot more ground, genre-wise, than the original did, but none of it is especially funny or toe-tapping – with the exception of the level that takes place inside an old video game machine. PaRappa 2 isn't a bad game, but it doesn't have as much of the same off-beat charm that the original – and to a lesser extent, Um Jammer Lammy – had".[12] However, IGN's Douglass C. Perry gave the game a slightly better score of 7: "The game concept hasn't changed, leaning neither toward an evolutionary or even a moderate change in the way gamers play music games. ... [PaRappa 2 is] not as hard as Um Jammer Lammy (which may be good for some folks), and it certainly covers familiar territory when it comes to the essentials – gameplay, graphics, and sound – but it's still fun and happy-making".[15]

References

  1. ^ Copeland, Wesley (Dec 11, 2015). "PaRappa the Rapper 2 is Coming to PS4". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved Dec 11, 2015.
  2. ^ Spencer (14 February 2008). "PaRappa, Sony and the McDonald's Happy Disc part 2". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Parappa The Rapper 2 "Original" Sound Track | TFCG-88189 - VGMdb". Archived from the original on 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  4. ^ a b "PaRappa the Rapper 2 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Parappa the Rapper 2 Review". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  6. ^ Miller, Skyler. "PaRappa the Rapper 2 - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  7. ^ Scott, Dean (2002-02-23). "PS2 Review: Parappa the Rapper 2 Review". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  8. ^ Taylor, Martin (2002-04-21). "Parappa The Rapper 2 Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  9. ^ "プレイステーション2 - パラッパラッパー2". Famitsu. Vol. 915. 30 June 2006. p. 89.
  10. ^ "PaRappa the Rapper 2 Review". GamePro. January 23, 2002. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  11. ^ "PaRappa the Rapper 2 review for the PS2". Game Revolution. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  12. ^ a b Gerstmann, Jeff (2002-01-22). "PaRappa the Rapper 2 Review for PlayStation 2". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2014-03-29. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  13. ^ Alupului, Andrei (2002-01-31). "Parappa The Rapper 2 Review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2002-06-11. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  14. ^ Bedigian, Louis (2002-01-28). "Parappa the Rapper 2 Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  15. ^ a b Perry, Douglass C. (2002-01-22). "Parappa the Rapper 2 - PlayStation 2 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-11-06. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  16. ^ Keil, Matthew (11 January 2002). "'PaRappa the Rapper 2' (PS2) Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on 17 January 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  17. ^ Robischon, Noah (1 March 2002). "Parappa the Rapper 2 Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
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