1997

PaRappa the Rapper

FROM: SCEA

BEHIND THE MUSIC: A quirky Japanese PSOne import which challenged players, as a paper doll pooch, to bust a move by pressing buttons in time to featured beats. Do so correctly, and you drop mad science on onion-headed senseis, moose driving instructors, Rastafarian frogs and chickens that pass for chefs. Captivating domestic audiences with its sing-song vibe, hypnotic play and psychedelic cardboard cutout aesthetic, it's still one of the freshest interactive approximations of MCing hip-hop heads will find.

WHY IT ROCKS: Brought the "rhythm game" category home to North American shores, which eventually gave birth to countless hip-wiggling rivals from Unison to Bust a Groove.

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