This game is great. The story is compelling, and it has all the cool and fun side stories and games you expect from this studio’s games. The combat is solid - I had a frustrating time with Yakuza 0’s combat as Kiryu, and here I only ever really got annoyed fighting Koga’s wack gunkata ass. The deadly attacks and EX boost system are mostly just a pain in the ass, but I managed to beat the game on hard difficulty without any trouble while still feeling reasonably challenged (where Y0 had me switching from normal to easy relatively early on and feeling underwhelmed by combat the rest of the game). If you think Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s games seem cool, I think this is a great entry point. Fuck Koga!

This game rules. The presentation is fantastic, and the games themselves are largely unique and fun to play. I loved to read the manuals and magazines to hype myself up for each new experience, and chatting with Kid Arino was a good time. I just wish there was more dialogue available (especially once Adult Arino gives you the final challenge and Kid Arino refuses to say anything to you).

I see other people upset with the final challenge (to beat all the games) but I really don’t see why. Apart from Haggleman 3 they’re all pretty straightforward, and if you’re having trouble finishing a certain game there’s a 100% chance that you can use some kind of cheat code or warp or trick to make things easier on you. They definitely could have included more challenges for each game, or made them feel more spread out. Maybe by making them harder, or unlocking new games after 3 challenges are complete and making you come back to each game later (before issuing the inevitable final “beat every game!” challenge).

Rally King rules so fucking hard. I’d love to see that one developed into a full-on multiplayer racing game.

This game is pretty chill. I didn’t love the tone of the dialogue or the character designs (pretty tumblr-core stuff tbh), but the overall plot kept me playing. Good music, too. Definitely has a bunch of small shit that makes it feel a lil cheap despite the effort they went to to keep the story compelling and try to nail down an aesthetic. Like, in a game that’s 95% text boxes, why are there this many typos? It’s not TOO bad, but I think there were even a few in the final trial sequence. Each character also only really has the one pose with a couple facial expression and arm placement variations. Does nobody move their legs? I do recommend giving this one a go if you’re interested in mystery games or narrative-driven games, though. It’s pretty solid, and it doesn’t ever waste your time.

Man, every Parappa game is fantastic. People kinda hate on this one because it’s definitely way too hard, but it’s 2023 and I can save state my way through relatively painlessly so I don’t care. People say the songs suck but honestly I think that’s bonkers. The lyrics aren’t anything to write home about (and it can be difficult to follow the rhythm of the vocal lines with your guitar - they shoulda just had it be all guitars), but I think the songs are still great! The guitar lines are really good, and the songs are fun to listen to despite the lyrics.

The biggest issue is that it’s kind of impossible to tell what timing the game wants you to follow, even when you know what rhythm to play and you seem to have done it perfectly. There are lots of complicated patterns that feel good to hit but then you end up losing points somehow anyway and it can really take the wind outta your sails. This game makes me want the exact same game but with more functional rhythm mechanics, or even one where you can press any button as it suggests a pattern to you. It’s fun and usually sounds great to hit the wrong button at the right time, and a game like this would still be totally functional if it just roughly scored based on rhythm and let players hit whatever button they wanted for different preset sound clips.

This one definitely has some of the best cutscenes in the Parappa series. “I gotta believe” is way snappier than “My guitar is in my mind,” but Lammy’s story feels much more intentional than Parappa 1’s, and her insecurity feels very real and tangible compared to stuff in either Parappa. There’s a lot of bonus stuff after you beat the game to keep you playing, too. Parappa 2 is my true favorite, but in a perfect world this one would probably be the best one!

If you don’t like this game, youuuu might be a hater. Use them save states. You gotta believe!