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By Contributing Writer Rob Pecknold The original PaRappa the Rapper was well recieved in most circles of gaming, mainly those interested in Japanese culture. The Land of the Rising Sun will soon see the release of Un Jammer Lammy, the oddly-titled spiritual successor to PaRappa. Un Jammer Lammy is being made by the same development team at Sony that made the original title so odd. Unfortunately, while the game is nearing completion, things aren't looking very bright. While PaRappa was quirky in its style, but global in its appeal, Um Jammer Lammy looks to be just quirky. First off, here's the lowdown on the story line: You are Lammy, a lamb (no word yet if it's a clone or not- stay tuned) in the rock band Milkcan. Supposedly, they have collected all animals who can produce milk and placed them in a can... hmmm... Well, speaking of animals, other members of the band include Katy the Kat and Mah-san the Mouse. Hmmm (you'll be seeing that a lot in this column). They are a rock band, so the music in the game will definitely be very Un-PaRappa in its musical appeal. Lammy, who plays the guitar, is obviously out to win some award with her band and wants to obtain super stardom. Hmm. One of the problems immediately noticeable in Um Jammer Lammy is the title. Um Jammer? UM JAMMER? First of all, what’s an Um? And second of all, is Lammy really that jammin'? Hmmm.... It looks like they were aiming for a title similar to PaRappa's, only reversed. Hmm... (I should stop that, eh?). Another thing this cookie cutter sequel seems to suffer from is blatant lack of originality. It features a two-player mode, but that was something the original PaRappa should have had. Other than that, it's basically PaRappa 1.5. It's got improved graphics and new sound, but little else. This is all based on what I’ve seen, mind you, not from what I've actually played, but right now Um Jammer Lammy looks like nothing more than PaRappa- New N' Improved Version. Not what I'd call innovation. I'm scared that Um Jammer Lammy is too much like PaRappa for its own good. Tomb Raider is a prime example of if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it syndrome, and Um Jammer looks like it suffers from the same disease as Tomb Raider. And rock music fitting into a softcore rap-style game isn't what I call quality, but I could be wrong. We'll all know for sure later this year when Um Jammer Lammy is released in the US, won't we? You can e-mail Rob at rob@mastergamer.com
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