PaRappa the Rapper Remastered

PaRappa can be as punishing as it is unconventional but, with an open mind, it may also be one of the best games you’ve experience on PlayStation 4.

An excellent re-release of a PlayStation classic, even if it feels as though it squandered some of the potential it has as a new PlayStation 4 release. It still has the same excellent music, memorable characters, and zany charm it had when it originally released, and if you never got a chance to check it out, you’re in for a real treat. I hope Um Jammer Lammy gets the same treatment going forward.

One of the most beautiful remastered games in the PlayStation library on the PlayStation 4.

Parappa the Rapper Remastered reaches a good level and remains, after many years, a very nice game: technically this remastered is great although leaves a few aspects out and some extra content make it richer the the original one. The result overall is positive, but for a special occasion like this anniversary, honestly, we expected more.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

PaRappa The Rapper Remastered is your occasion to play a PS One classic, now with the dynamic 4K support for PS4 Pro. Besides this, it's exactly the same game from twenty years ago.

This remastered edition of PaRappa the Rapper is a nice and lovely trip down memory lane, especially if you lived the golden age of the first PlayStation. Unfortunately, that's all there is.

We enjoyed this game as much as we enjoyed the original, but as a remaster it isn't that good, and Sony should've, at least, included more content.

With PaRappa the Rapper Remastered you will have a good time with its funny characters and catchy songs, especially if you play with the kids. It lacks new content for the PlayStation 4, but it is worth a try.

Although games that old and classic are the first that should be remastered, editions so poorly worked on don’t help anyone. Neither the gamers nor the game itself.

PaRappa the Rapper Remastered doesn’t take long to get through, if the fourth stage goes smoothly for you. Songs only take a few minutes to complete and sometimes the cutscenes seem longer than the gameplay. After you complete the game and finish each stage with a “Cool” rating, there isn’t much else to keep you around other than a few miscellaneous trophies if that interests you. PaRappa the Rapper Remastered is beautiful to look at, and the soundtrack is catchy enough that I’ll be listening to these tunes for some time.

Quotation forthcoming.

PaRappa the Rapper is a legend, but even legendary status doesn’t prevents its latest remaster from being a let down. The charm is still there in the music and its visuals, the problem comes with the archaic mechanics and some technical issues. If only Sony would have went beyond the graphic remaster, maybe the game could have fulfilled our nostalgic expectations.

A nostalgic game that lives better in our minds that in reality.

[PaRappa the Rapper is] possibly worth buying if you’re a huge fan wanting a nostalgia trip. Just be prepared to have your fond memories of the title tested somewhat.

PaRappa The Rapper looks amazing in its visuals but the gameplay hasn't aged all that well. The lack of a tool to calibrate our screens is perhaps the worst part of this new edition of the classic rhythm game.

It may not hold up to the current crop of rhythm games, but there’s still lots to love about this 20-year old classic. Besides, who doesn’t appreciate a love story between a rapping dog and a sassy sunflower?

It's a disappointing remastered game.

From the three musical comebacks that are about to occur in PS4, PaRappa The Rapper is the least interesting due to its easy formula and how old the game is. Playing it again is a really nostalgic moment and we are thankful that Sony is bringing back all those classics, but it offers the same, minimal content of the days of yore for 15 bucks and it doesn't surprise at all anymore.

PaRappa the Rapper Remastered is a time capsule from the late 90s – warts and all. The high-definition gloss might make the game look better than ever, but it can't mask how the genre has moved on in PaRappa's absence. The mechanics don't hold up against the competition of today, but the fantastic soundtrack, charming characters, and budget price should prove more than enough to get the nostalgia juices flowing in anyone who remembers the old dog's first outing 20 years ago.

A great throwback aurally and visually, but the frustratingly tight timing required and delay of PaRappa’s audio samples make it a chore to play. It’s a shame that the menu wasn’t reworked to highlight the additional arrangements or to take advantage of how control schemes were updated over time, and I’d rather just listen to the songs than hear PaRappa freestyle his own messy groove over the tracks for the sake of a high score.

One of the most influential rhythm action games ever made, but the graphics and gameplay definitely show their age – remaster or not.

The aesthetics and vibe are still unlike anything else out there, and they’re still worth the hassle. But the greatest trick Parappa the Rapper ever pulled was convincing the world it's not a broken game.

As much as I love PaRappa and his quest to find love with Sunny Funny, the experience was significantly marred with the visible lag and the lack of calibration options. For a remastered rhythm game, this is practically a must-have given calibration difficulties with modern televisions. I still enjoyed my time with the updated, clean-looking PaRappa, but I might just go back to playing the PSP version if I got the funky flow.

A rhythm game that can't match the standards of today's gaming in almost any department. You could be interested in it because of nostalgia, but there isn't any more substance to it than that.

If it worked perfectly this would still be a pretty limited game, but with no way of fixing input lag, it's a huge disappointment. PaRappa deserves better. [June 2017, p.83]

PaRappa will always have a place in my heart, but if the original game was Snoop Dogg, this disappointing upscale is Lil' Bow Wow. [June 2017, p.87]

PaRappa The Rapper Remastered is not quite the hero’s welcome PaRappa deserved. I wanted to believe, and there’s evidence here of why the game is fondly remembered, but this particular dog has had his day.

Ouch! The remastered PaRappa is not the one you remember from the PSX heyday. Serious lag issues and a primitive game system irreparably harm the game.

I love PaRappa and his ‘I gotta believe’ attitude, but this early rhythm action game no longer holds up. That’s no slur on its charming visuals, great music and superb animation, all of which look great in this HD update, but the gameplay just doesn’t really work. Enjoy PaRappa in your memories or on YouTube if you must, but this remaster will leave you thinking bad of the rapping pup and, really, who wants that?

Despite its lovable characters, fun songs and absurd humor, PaRappa really hasn't aged all that well. The gameplay is severely imprecise, there's not really any replay value and the lack of cutscene polish is quite jarring.