PaRappa the Rapper 2 - PlayStation 2

This time around PaRappa must stop the evil Noodle Syndicate that's turning all the food in the world into noodles. The wacky story unfolds in Rodney Greenblat's unique visual style: the playful graphics are 2-D with heavy cel-shading, but aren't much of an advancement from the original; a 3-D PaRappa would have been nice. Similarly, the gameplay is virtually identical to the original's. Although there's a two-player mode that adds replay value, the eight levels in single-player mode can easily be beaten in less than four hours. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the game's music: although cute, the tunes aren't nearly as memorable as those in the original. Still, players new to the series will find the game charming, though fans of the original are bound to be a bit disappointed. --Raymond M Padilla