PaRappa The Rapper Remastered (PS4)
The reason the controls feel so laggy and and the sound is buggy is because this is a remaster of the PSP version of PaRappa, NOT the PS1 version.
Graphics = 9/10
Sound = 8/10
Extras = 5/10
Control = 2/10
Final Score 4/10
PaRappa the Rapper looks fantastic with upgraded HD visuals, and has never sounded better than it does here on thePaRappa The Rapper Remastered (PS4)
The reason the controls feel so laggy and and the sound is buggy is because this is a remaster of the PSP version of PaRappa, NOT the PS1 version.
Graphics = 9/10
Sound = 8/10
Extras = 5/10
Control = 2/10
Final Score 4/10
PaRappa the Rapper looks fantastic with upgraded HD visuals, and has never sounded better than it does here on the PlayStation 4. The problem though, is the severely imprecise controls, which can turn this game from fun nostalgia to pure frustration very quickly.
For some reason the game feels broken on the 4th stage (Cheap Cheap the Chicken). I have very few problems up until this point, often getting near perfect on all button presses, but on this stage I failed 10 times in a row even though the button timing is matching up. I've played the original probably hundreds of times on the PS1 and PS2, and something is definitely off with the Remastered port. It reminds me a bit of the PSP version, which also had its share of problems.
It's a shame they didn't bother tightening up the rhythm portion of the game as it makes up about 90% of the experience! As well as what I feel is broken on stage 4 (and possibly later levels). If Sony can fix this with a patch it would go a long way to improving this flawed experience.
Other stuff...
The game remains virtually the same as the PS1 version, with the ability to save just 1 song replay and when a new one is saved it overwrites the previous one... Why?! They should have allowed you to save one replay for each song.
It would have been cool had they included other extras to celebrate the hiphop puppy's 20th anniversary. Extras such as; character bio screens, archived English and Japanese TV commercials, or early artwork sketches. Developer interviews. Had this game been remastered by Naughty Dog, Insomniac, or Sucker Punch we would surely have some of these things.
Also, while the main game is remastered in HD (or 4K if you have a 4K display and PS4 Pro), the rest of the game's FMV sequences are in their original low resolution format. It's slightly jarring to go from sharp looking HD back to a small windowed, what looks to be 240p, resolution movies. It would have been great if they stored the original videos in a higher resolution, such as what Sonic CD had done with their animated intro in the Sonic CD remaster release, but you can't really fault them for it.
There also appears to be some remixed versions of the main stage tunes in which you can play with.
This is a great addition to the game.
I would only recommend this to someone who is a huge PaRappa fan and someone who doesn't easily frustrate when it comes to imprecise controls.
I'm also not sure I'd recommend PaRappa the Rapper Remastered at it's current price of $14.99 ($11.99 for Plus members). This might be one to wait for a sale on. Unless, of course, if Sony fixes the issues.
*UPDATE**
A new patch seems ro have made it slightly more responsive.… Expand