This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Eric Dayday.

About ten years ago, a two-dimensional happy-go-lucky rapping dog came out of nowhere and gave the fledging music rhythm genre a jump start into the mainstream fast lane. While the genre itself hasn't looked back with such giants as Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, PaRappa the Rapper, its one time poster boy, hasn't aged well as made evident by this port of the original PlayStation game to the PSP.

For those of you unfamiliar with one of the grandfathers of the music game genre, PaRappa the Rapper tells the tale of a young pup's journey to win the heart of Sunny Funny, his sunflower best friend. To do so, he'll have to learn how to fight, drive, peddle wares, bake a cake, and even fight his way to the head of a bathroom line by rapping. If it sounds too outrageous, it's because it is. However, it's delivered with such great humor and charm, you can't help but smile. From PaRappa's irritable bowel to Joe Chin's obliviousness to his own narcissism, there's something for everyone to laugh at.

Surprisingly, the graphics have held up decently too. They were simplistic even by the standards in 1997, but the vibrant colorful palette translates well onto the handheld's screen. What also helps is that a lot of the rough edges were smoothed out, giving both the characters and backgrounds a much cleaner look.

The sticking point of any sort of music rhythm game is the title's soundtrack. It can easily make or break a game. Of course, PaRappa's catchy and original tunes are easily its strongest points and they still hold up well after all this time. The fact that people can say a mere two words – "Kick, punch" – and have someone else finish the line with "it's all in the mind" speaks volumes of how great PaRappa's was and is. Going back through the PSP version brought back a massive wave of nostalgia especially when I realized that I still remembered all of the lyrics and their cadences. That said, you would think that would make the game easier since I have that head start, but that's another story.

Sadly, the gameplay doesn't hold up nearly as well as the rest of the game. It consists of simply pressing the right button at the right time to keep PaRappa's rhymes flowing with the music. Timing is kept track of by a small icon of our titular hero moving across a meter at the top of the screen. When the icon passes over a button icon, that's when you should press the corresponding button. At least, that's how it's supposed to work in theory. In reality, the timing is a bit off and you'll need to press the button just as the PaRappa icon gets to the button. The unforgiving timing is what may be somewhat frustrating. As I said earlier, I remember all of the tracks and what not, so seeing myself fail a line I know I hit perfectly was a common sight that I just could not shake. It's a lot easier to just remember the button sequence, totally ignore the meter, and press the buttons to the beats. In other words, playing the game with an audio focus versus a visual focus may actually serve some of you better.

The game itself is also horribly short. Six stages, six tracks and then you're done. Of course, you could always replay the levels and attempt to maintain a "Cool" rating in order to freestyle a stage. Even then, there really isn't any reward to do so other than full completion, and freestyling isn't all that fun. A sequence you may find interesting and fitting to the music may get graded badly while a mindless repeat of one word will keep you going. No one ever said the AI judges were all that smart.

An addition to the PSP port is a number of downloadable tracks. Unfortunately, they are nothing more than variations of the original six and pale in comparison to the originals. They're bland and uninspired. They felt more like an afterthought to add material to the game so that it wasn't just a straight port. It was also odd seeing six different remixes for the first stage and then one or two for each of the other stages.

Lastly, the $30 price tag seems a little steep for what essentially is port of a ten-year-old PS1 title. While I won't dock points off the game's overall score for that, it is something to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to purchase it.

If you played Parappa ten years ago, seeing it in a handheld format is initially mind-blowing. After that, you'll feel some nostalgia, and then after tearing through it in 45 minutes, you'll realize that once is enough. If you never had a chance to play it, then this is a good opportunity to check out a classic. Just beware when shelling out the cash for it as the mileage you'll get out of it will vary.

Unforgiving timing can make what seems like an easy line frustratingly difficult.

Hold up well after a decade. The clean-up of the jaggies helps a lot.

One of the best game soundtracks even if only 6 tracks long. Downloadable remixes disappoint.

Fun for as long (or short) as it lasts, and once you get pass the stubborn timing.

Only six stages long, not much incentive to replay stages. Additional songs are an afterthought