The rapping puppy belts out a few more hip-hop grooves bringing the original 1997 Playstation hit to the portable format on the Playstation Portable. The encore performance is like a classic rock band returning to the stage for "one more" reunion tour, it's not the same, but still pretty damn cool. Dig out your headphones and get down with the dog in orange and blue.

If you where gaming in the late 1990’s then you’ll remember the surprise on Playstation hit, Parappa The Rapper. The storyline follows a hip-hop puppy who wants to impress his lady friend Sunny Funny by rapping your way into new skills and warming the strings of her heart. In this tale of “puppy love”, Parappa, learns kung-fu, learns to drive, bakes a cake which then comes to a climax in a final concert. The plot is right from the mushroom patch and its creative spin on reality made the masses in love with long eared rapping dog.

You might not have guessed it, but Parappa was a revolutionary game that mixed music with punching a button on time. The fun nonsense vibe, simple controls, and easy to learn gameplay helps the numbers in Parappa’s fan club grow.  This gameplay formula also has become a popular format for mini-games and full length rhythm based games. Parappa the Rapper isn’t a pushover either, I found the timing and button presses a little tricky. Since I have never been that great at Parappa on the PS1, it’s not surprising that I had a little trouble getting into the groove. Parappa will likely test your button pressing skills and your patience. There is even room to improvise if you become proficient with rhythm of the beats which has also been adapted to newer games. Parappa The Rapper is one of the originals and like other originals, legacies can go on forever.

Parappa is a loveable character that has been forgotten from Sony’s memory for sometime. I believe Parappa has some pulling power that Sony hasn’t exploited. If Nintendo had the rights to the little puppy I’m sure you would see a number of unrelated spin-offs. The writing in Parappa can be a little annoying at times with some of the repetitive lyrics; however the majority of the games penmanship is cleaver and remains fresh even after ten years. This flows through the games plot line and into the art and concepts in game. 

What’s changed in the presentation of Parappa isn’t much. Sony has refitted the scale of the game to fit the widescreen perspective and made a few touch up to the games textures. This version of Parappa looks a little cleaner and natural on the PSP then the old technology in the original Playstation. I’m sure they could have redone the graphics with a more updated look and I’m glad they didn’t entertain that idea. Parappa the Rappais the real deal and it’s nice to see a classic game that still has the goods to compete years after its prime.

For specifics the gameplay only requires you to follow the leader and make the correct button presses in time. Besides the whacky content there isn’t much variety in Parappa the Rapper's six stages. I have heard rumours that you can finish the entire game in under an hour, if you’re a skilled Parappa pro. For the average gamer I would give the life of Parappa the Rapper about three hours off and on. Its longevity is a little short, but Parappa tries to make up for it with original gameplay and humour.

Parappa the Rapper has also thrown in a few extra’s to keep long time fans happy. Their inclusion is the ability to play remixed versions of the original songs. To do this you have go online and download them off the network to your memory device. It’s a step that is totally unnecessary since they should have been able to slap them on the UMD. If you have the time, or if you’re looking for some more value out of your disc this is an option, it’s a good idea that was unfortunately executed in a strange way. The remixes aren’t the greatest either, but they can extent the value of the game giving a little more hop to Parappa’s steps.

Multiplayer was another addition which can be hooked up on ad-hoc for four players. The multiplayer is a little weak since the gameplay doesn’t translate over to multiplayer competition. If you’re want to give it shot you might have a few laughs, but don’t look for a new innovative twist. The online component also lets you share the games demo which is isn’t worth the time since you can just let them try your full copy of the game. All in all the multiplayer component to Parappa the Rappa is a bust and feels totally unnecessary which becomes just another bullet point on the back of the box.

Parappa the Rapper returns to the main stage for one more encore on Sony’s PSP. The remixed version slimmed down to UMD size is a close reproduction of the original and will satisfy gamers who want to relive the “good old’ days”. For all new groupies Parappa might seem a little dull and short on content. Even with the laughable downloable options there isn’t much to keep your ears entertained for more than a few hours. I suggest you wait until the price drops on this remade classic before you slap on your dog collar.

Gameplay: 6, Graphics/Sound: 7, Innovation: 4, Mojo: 6. Final: 6 / 10