49. PaRappa the Rapper 2 || PlayStation 2 || 12.29.21
As the third and final installment to the PaRappa the Rapper franchise, Parappa the Rapper 2 left me with a lot more opinions than previous series entries and for sure more than other games I've experienced. After having played through all three entries in quick succession, I can see what elements the debut title introduced for better or for worse and see how the series was able to evolve from such starting point. To me, what the debut title aimed to achieve at conception in its gameplay is what PaRappa the Rapper 2 presents. Conversely, there are some aspects to this title that move backwards.
Releasing on next-gen hardware with the PlayStation 2, PaRappa the Rapper 2 quickly impressed me with its visuals. The environment and characters are much more colorful and detailed which ultimately bring more life to the world. Retaining its cartoon-style world, the game's scenario is unbelievably silly and is never questioned by anyone. The overarching plot revolves around the growing threat of Noodlization which is the act of all foods—and eventually all things—in town being transformed into noodles and is led by a villain character. A more subdued sub-plot once again features young titular character PaRappa as he works toward impressing his love interest Sunny Funny.
In previous entries, the narrative moved automatically which required the player to move from song to song. In PaRappa the Rapper 2, however, an overworld has been crafted that allows players to revisit stages whenever they want. When moving from stage to stage, distinct stage selection music is featured which is akin to a remixed music box with rap lullaby sounds which provide a peaceful contrast to the narrative taking place. At the same time, the overworld provides new game modes such as VS Player 2 to be played immediately upon completing a stage. Before, extra game modes were only available once finishing the story mode entirely.
While the previous two series entries were action-packed and full hectic tension, PaRappa the Rapper 2 provides a more subdued manner of storytelling. In this third entry, a more straightforward narrative was written that sees more conversation taking place without much excitement happening. While this does provide more details and the same style of humor being preserved, I realized after getting partway into the plot how static the game felt. Before, the games revolved around high tension with the narrative moving in expected directions. However, this is not the case with this installment. For instance, in succession, three of the eight stages all take part inside PaRappa's living room. The humor remains, although its level has been slightly diminished.
Prior to beginning stages, a never-ending practice mode starts. At first, I thought critically of such a feature, as stages are only a few minutes long with there being no consequence to failing a stage. However, I soon realized that the practice mode offers a means for players to see what kind of player input experimentation works out for certain sequences in the stage to come. That being said, I ultimately didn't have much success in heavy freestyling throughout the game's eight stages. Nevertheless, freestyling is perhaps best explained in this entry throughout visual cues along the call-and-repeat line. Unlike the original game, spamming buttons is not how you're going to succeed by any means. Throughout the narrative, characters repeatedly mention how PaRappa needs to find his own groove while rapping instead of following orders as strictly shown.
Eventually, three scoring meters appear which each relate to a different style of player input. While not explained in-game, the three meters measure obedience (following commands as shown), freestyle (variety in word choice), and funk (rhythm.) These meters are coupled by the unmentioned availability to add D-pad controls throughout sequences which manually control word choice, as most buttons offer two different words that automatically are said back-and-fourth with repeated presses. With these two aspects, there is certainly more depth in the gameplay but is an aspect that can easily be ignored by the casual player without any repercussion. Upon clearing a song, a bonus stage to boost one's score may ensue. I'm not sure if these stages are scripted after certain songs or not. To me, they felt a little tacked on and unnecessary, although nothing is inherently bad about its presence.
With all these finer details to the gameplay experience, the ranking and scoring system remains ultimately the same. When the player's rank shifts, a slight pause in the song has been added with dialogue to indicate such a change. Such pause is a design choice I am critical of as the natural flow to the song is often lost multiple times throughout each stage. The added pause provides nothing that the previous two entries, and even this entry itself, does not already successfully provide, as the music becomes heavily distorted when performing poorly and reverting to its normal quality upon improving performance.
Unlike my time with the previous two entries, I was able to successfully achieve Cool rank twice for extensive periods. And, honestly, I don't enjoy it. Upon achieving, the call-and-repeat element ends, and the player entirely freestyles. At the same time, the scenes change to become considerably less dynamic with, again, abrupt pauses being present between both entering and leaving Cool rank. With that said, I believe how Cool rank operates is the same throughout all three entries, so this opinion of mine is not exclusive to PaRappa the Rapper 2. When thinking about how exceptional performance could have instead been designed, I thought about how a scoring multiplier would have been more successful and seamless and especially so for a series that already places some emphasis on achieving high scores.
As for the music itself, I have to unfortunately report that not every song is as memorable and successful as what the previous two entries offered. While PaRappa the Rapper 2 once again features PaRappa as the player-character, the series' iconic groove returns as opposed to the more rock-centric focus of Um Jammer Lammy. However, most songs simply don't go above and beyond in leaving a lasting impression. Many of the songs are still good, although one retro video game-styled song certainly left more to be desired.
Overall, I think that PaRappa the Rapper 2 is okay for what I was looking to get out of the experience. Personally, I am not someone invested in achieving high scores and besting previous scores, although others may find this emphasis pleasing as it provides a game that can easily be played but challenging to master. In this regard, this final entry is the most successful one to date. However, I cannot overlook the plot's mild execution and choices in plot progression. While there is a much more plot-heavy scenario, it is just too tempered. Before, the situations were so ordinary, but the ridiculous circumstances throughout them are what made PaRappa the Rapper and Um Jammer Lammy so iconic, and, to me, it is this aspect of the series which ultimately sets it apart from other games.
