One of the PlayStation's oldest franchises is due for a comeback, and thanks to a fan mockup on Reddit, it's finally here. While PaRappa The Rapper is a far cry from the intense graphical showcases common of first-party releases nowadays, the mockup shows there's always room for quirky charm in players' lives.
PaRappa The Rapper was one of the first rhythm games ever released. In fact, it came out before the genre of "rhythm games" was an established concept, leading many to initially label it as a puzzle game. The game features a call-and-response rap battle format, where passionate teenager PaRappa faces increasingly difficult opponents for the sake of impressing his love interest, Sunny Funny. While the game was almost included in the PlayStation Classic, it didn't make the cut, surprising for a game that was so unique at the time of its release.
The mockup, created by Reddit user bendygamer716, depicts a new entry in the series called PaRappa the Rapper 3 for the PS5. In line with other modern titles, the cover includes a PlayStation Studios logo, indicating that Sony would frame the game as one of its premier releases. The cover also reveals that the hypothetical game would be rated E10+. This is a bit surprising, as the remastered version of PaRappa the Rapper released for the PlayStation 4 with an E rating.
In a move that would be sure to please series fans, the cover also notes the game to be developed by NanaOn-Sha, the developer of the original game and its sequel. Even though the new game cover is fan-made, it would be wrong to assume that Sony has forgotten about NanaOn-Sha entirely. One of the PlayStation 5's biggest launch games, Astro's Playroom, includes references to both PaRappa the Rapper and fellow NanaOn-Sha PS1 game Vib-Ribbon. Given this is the case, it wouldn't be a shock to imagine Sony calling on NanaOn-Sha one more time for PaRappa the Rapper 3.
To be fair, in one sense, there are already three games in the PaRappa the Rapper series. The first follow-up to the original game is a spin-off known as Um Jammer Lammy, which tells a story set in the same world as the main games. In fact, players can unlock a secret PaRappa campaign that replaces protagonist Lammy with PaRappa, allowing the game to effectively serve as a full-on sequel to the original PaRappa the Rapper. Plus, if NanaOn-Sha had its way, there would be even more games in this style. While a spiritual successor entitled Project Rap Rabbit was launched on Kickstarter, the project did not succeed.
Even if PaRappa the Rapper 3 isn't coming any time soon, there are other games that carry on its legacy. As of early 2021, the most notable is Friday Night Funkin', which uses the same call-and-response structure that the PaRappa games use. Given that Friday Night Funkin' has become quite popular, this could perhaps motivate Sony to bring the franchise to life once again. While a hypothetical sequel would not be a game to highlight ray-tracing or other trademark PS5 capabilities, it would let Sony reassert its dominance in the world of rhythm games.
