parrapa the rapper

Over the last 15 years, the combination of hip-hop and video games has had decidedly mixed results. While fans of rap and the electronic arts seem like an obvious match with their mutual love of colorful characters and escapist fantasy, hip-hop has often failed to translate across the gaming medium. Too many cheap cash-ins by artists and video game companies looking to make a quick buck off the fanatical devotees of particular artists have littered the scene with sub-par efforts from their licensed artists. Make no mistake, there are games worth your time, though. You can only look to the success that Def Jam has had in marketing video games for their artists over the years to know that video games and rap can make great partners.

XXL has compiled a list of some of the most noted and fondly remembered games in the medium.

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Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style – PlayStation – (2000)

If you ever wanted to force The RZA to battle Ol’ Dirty Bastard in a fight to the death, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style was the game for you. Released in 2000, the game was 3D fighter in the style of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter that let you control your favorite member of the Wu-Tang Clan.  The game was lauded for its storytelling and innovative four-player matches but often criticized for the difficulties of its controls and poor graphics.

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Def Jam Vendetta – PlayStation 2/Nintendo Gamecube – (2003)

Hip-hop has often been compared with the world of professional wrestling, and in 2003, the connection was solidified with the release of Def Jam Vendetta. The game pitted a roster of Def Jam artists like Redman, Method Man, Joe Budden and DMX in the ring against one another. The game response was mostly positive citing superb game play and basic control but lamenting the loss of “gimmick matches” like ladder and cages matches. The game would go on to spawn two more sequels over the years.

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Def Jam Rapstar – Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 – (2010)

Def Jam Rapstar was a rap-themed karaoke game in which players would perform and rap along with classic hip-hop songs such as “Gin & Juice,” “I Get Around,” “Scenario” and “C.R.E.A.M.”  The game was designed to be used by Xbox’s Kinect and PlayStation Eye Camera sensors to capture your vocal movements and allow you to progress through the game as you mastered each rap song.

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50 Cent: Bulletproof – PlayStation 2 – (2005)

50 Cent: Bulletproof lets you play as 50 Cent as he attempts to seek vengeance on the hitmen who tried to kill him. The game features cameos from Interscope artists such as Dr. Dre, Eminem and G-Unit as 50 cuts a swath through the New York underground. Critically panned, the game went on to spawn a 2009 sequel, 50 Cent: Blood In The Sand.

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DJ Hero – PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii – (2009)

In the vein of the classic video game Guitar Hero comes DJ Hero, a game that allows players to simulate turntablism on a turntable-style controller that comes with the game. The game features playable avatars of famous DJs and mix artists including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Z-Trip, DJ Am, Grandmaster Flash and Daft Punk. The game would spawn positive reviews and go on to inspire two popular sequels.

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Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure – PlayStation 2/Xbox – (2006)

Marc Eckō's Getting Up was an open-world video game set in a dystopic future involving an amateur graffiti artist bucking the system. The game featured a score by noted underground hip-hop producer RJD2 and allowed the player to follow the protagonist as he completed side missions and stories as he moved about the city.

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The Black Eyed Peas Experience – Nintendo Wii/Xbox 360 – (2011)

After the popularity of games like Just Dance, the Black Eyed Peas decided to get in on the action and released the dance game in 2011. The game allows players to mimic choreography shown on the screen and acquire points based on performance. The game received middling response from fans and critics.

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Parappa The Rapper – Playstation - (1996)

One of the earliest and well-remembered hip-hop games was 1996’s Parappa The Rapper. The game involves following a cartoon cardboard dog on his journey to win the heart of an anthropomorphic flower girl through the power of rap. Parappa would learn to master the art of rap from a series of cartoon teachers, and players would press a sequence of buttons on the control pads in time with the stage, in order, to pass and move. The game is most remembered for its ridiculous premise, annoying protagonist and nigh impossible controls.

 

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