I didn't really replay this in full but I've wanted to talk a bit more on it for a while now just because it's such a bizarre case. Today I ask, how far do pure vibes and comfort carry a game?

Pretty fucking far, honestly. I don't really like playing this one, but it is bar none one of my favorites.

This does not play like a perfect 10, or particularly close to one. It honestly plays kinda rough even, only worse in the age of emulators. This game, alongside the first Parappa game to an even greater extent, has pretty major issues lying in the sheer precision required. I'm not sure if it corresponds more with the actual music or the commands on screen, but a lot of the time the two don't really feel like they're on the same wavelength and it becomes really disorienting. This becomes borderline unplayable on emulators due to additional lag and input delay. These are super early examples of the rhythm game (especially Parappa) so I suppose there's not a lot you can do if you're basically the codifier for the genre, but in the current times it's really jarring to play after growing up with Rock Band 1 & 2 for example.

On the other hand, Um Jammer Lammy basically reaches perfection in every aspect relating to presentation. The visuals, characters, music, and goofy ass story are all incredibly charming and have pretty much occupied my brain all the time ever since my first playthrough. I really do just love it all too much to dock any points for playing kinda poorly. What actually made me replay a bit of it today was a good friend telling me Lammy reminds him of me, which as instantly turned me into a sopping wet puddle due to my intense brainrot over this series.

It's a bit difficult to recommend playing this, especially with it performing a bit lousy on emulators and going for high prices on physical copies, but I can't stress enough how fun it is to watch a playthrough online. It borders on essential media, at least in my eyes. Make sure to watch a playthrough of Parappa 1 and 2 also. Maybe the Parappa anime as well for good measure (though Lammy is missing in it smh)

Yeah, this game fucking slapped. Not sure what compelled Greenblat and NanaOn-Sha to make their first PaRappa spin-off about a lesbian failgirl rock band, but I'm def all for it. So many neat little upgrades to how the game is played and how the game conveys success and failure. It's still not quite where I'd want it to be, the strict pass or fail depending on if you're in the "Good" range or not when the song ends worked better for the much shorter tracks of PaRappa 1, but I was still able to complete the game in a couple hours so I guess that's basically a non-complaint!

The borderline nonsensical and frantic storytelling has been turned up even further, and it feels like the plot was more consciously constructed around the arcade-y rhythm game format thanks to how delectably chaotic both the stages themselves and the cutscenes between can be. I think I enjoyed the tracks on offer a bit more than PaRappa's as well. The sound editing was already impressive in the first game, but they really took it a step further with how dynamic Lammy feels by comparison. Definitely can see myself coming back to play this again, though next time I'll probably play the Japanese version since I heard that stage 6 was censored in the NA version for some lame ass reason.

Thank you to FleeFleet for introducing me to this game!
Damn, I love this game. Um Jammer Lammy pretty much fixes my major issue with Parappa the Rapper, while still being a great game in it's own right. I finished this one in about two days, and I genuinely had a good time for most of the run time. Here's my notes:
This game is completely bonkers. Alot of people have told me that this game's plot is like a trippy fever dream which I assumed was an exaggeration, but nope, this game is NUTS. I'm watching these ludicrous cutscenes wondering what the hell I'm even viewing and I love it. Somehow all the events in this game take place in like 15 minutes which makes zero sense but I think that's the point. Don't ask questions and just enjoy the madness being shown before you.
Also, I really like Lammy as a character herself. She has major social anxiety AND is left handed (just like me fr!), and is generally just a charming protagonist especially for the time. I think I slightly prefer her over Parappa, but both are undeniably great.
Going back to the presentation, this game absolutely digs into that trippy aesthetic, especially with stages 3 and 6. The series art style really feels correct for this game's insanity. The music is also pretty good too! I think I overall prefer Parappa 1's iconic track selection, but there are some BOPPIN tracks here 100%. I like that stage 1 is a spin on Master Onion's rap from the first game, and how it actually predicts all the events that will happen in the game, for example. I didn't find the lyrics as memorable this time, but I'm pretty sure it's because I'm playing a guitar rather than repeating what my "teacher" sings first. Regardless, the lyrics are still as cheesy as ever.
GUYS THE GAMEPLAY IS GOOD HERE. After Parappa 1's ball crushingly strict note timing, Lammy is MUCH more lenient on the input window here, making the game feel more balanced then last time. Believe me, I still struggled, especially on stages 4 and 6, but most of the time I felt my failures were my fault. Another change is that now you can earn cool mode without having to beat the game first. I actually pulled this off in the entire latter half of stage 7 and it was the greatest feeling in the world, I was so happy. It was such a fantastic way to wrap up this journey. This game ALSO has plenty of extra content, with a mode to face off of Lammy's doppelganger Rammy, as well as an ENTIRE campaign to play through stages 2-7 as Parappa himself, with new lyrics and note charting making it a fresh experience.
In short, I adore this game. It's definitely very hard for me still, so I won't revisit it very often presumably, but I'm glad I pulled through this charming PlayStation classic. I definitely recommend playing this one if you liked Parappa 1, or if you couldnt get behind Parappa 1's difficulty and want something more fair on the player. Now I sure hope that I actually wrote this review and that it wasnt just all in my mind.

Um Jammer Lammy is a spin-off of PaRappa the Rapper, taking place in that same world, but with a different cast.
Katy from the last game is back, as part of Lammy's band, MilkCan, but the focus of the plot is more on Lammy herself.

I can see a lot of people relating to Lammy, because she is a nervous wreck who has trouble speaking her mind, and as such, she finds herself in various wacky situations, that she needs to go through if she wants to pass and make it to the MilkCan Concert on time.

Because of this, cutscenes in this game can get quite frantic, chaotic and fast-paced, due to the sheer insanity of what Lammy is being put through. I couldn't help but feel a bit bad for her.
Unlike last time, the cutscenes actually do fill the entire screen, which is nice.

The gameplay hasn't seen many changes from last time. The UI is different, but you're still pressing buttons at the right time alongside that level's specific character. It's just instead of rapping, you're playing your guitar... or something else, depending on the situation.

I feel like the timings aren't much different from last time. They're a bit more forgiving, and it feels like if I follow the groove of the song, I can pass just fine, but by the end, it once again got difficult understanding the exact timings of the songs. However, tt does feel overall better, which is a good thing.

Just like last time, the songs themselves are also pretty good, and I do like the genre shift from PaRappa the Rapper, being more focused on the guitar solos, which I liked. And one of the cooler things about this game is that after you beat it, you can play through the stages again with different stipulations, like playing as a team of Lammy and Rammy, or playing as PaRappa himself! It gives the game a bit more replay value, which is appreciated for a game that can be beaten in less than an hour.

Overall, Um Jammer Lammy is a cool spin-off to PaRappa the Rapper, and while it's still not at the best it can be, it does add more to the overall experience.

I played Parappa the Rapper (remastered version) and its sequel back in 2018 and I didn't really care about them all too much. Parappa 2 is an improvement over the original in terms of its gameplay, but I struggle to remember most of the tracks. Um Jammer Lammy on the other hand, is exactly what I've been wanting out of these games. The gameplay is improved over the first game, more of Rodney Greenblat's charming art, and a fun soundtrack. Probably not better than Parappa 1's soundtrack, but definitely more memorable than Parappa 2's. The story is a complete fever dream and I like it because of that. In the Japanese and European version, Lammy fucking dies and goes to hell. The biggest gameplay improvement is that the UI isn't a complete mess like in the original. There's a bit in the final song in Parappa 1 where Parappa takes the lead, and the player gets no chance to prepare for the upcoming notes. I remember failing that part a few times when I originally played it. In Lammy the notes scroll up and there's a character icon to the left of the notes displaying who is playing and who's next to play. So anytime I messed up, it actually felt like it was my fault. Although there were a few instances where I clearly pressed the wrong button and the game counted that as good? I don't think I'll ever truly understand how these games function. I also like Lammy as a character way more than Parappa. She rocks both literally and figuratively!

Every bit as charming as Parappa the Rapper, but equally as frustrating with its precise input timing. I have no rhythm, so these kinds of games are already hard for me, but I also played Um Jammer Lammy via emulation and the added layer of input lag doesn't do it any favors. It's a real shame physical copies run anywhere from 60-80$ as I'd love to replay this on actual hardware and see how much it improves the experience. By a lot, I bet. Still, excellent art direction and great music more than makes up for any personal and technical difficulties.

tbh girls i think a few of u should change your profile pics to anything but her. feel like that stupid tiktok audio that’s like we can’t allllll be donatello. it’s like true lol like which character has more profile pics on here lammy or asuka

don’t understand rhythm games and honestly never fucking will, my coordination is like actually so bad lol. so played this w cheats on and still couldn’t beat a single level but I did see them all and watched all the very cute cuntscenes. skill issue or w/e
big mtv animation/early adult swim vibes going on here. cool mixture of a bunch of diff aesthetics and styles and everything feels so bouncy and alive. lammy’s reflection on that guys teeth is rly fucking cool. reminds me of like mission hill or downtown or like home movies/metalocalypse, great stuff. prob the best loading screens in any game.

sara ramirez is genuinely such a funny person, rlly like her in and just like that even though that’s like not a great show where it would be so easy to phone it in I think their work there kind of elevates the rest of the show. doing like lazy pothead bimbo-cent here and it fucking rules honestly
parappa looks like dominic fike, should reboot it w him lmao