Parappa the Rapper (1997)

Parappa the Rapper is not only one of the best PlayStation games; it’s also one of the most PlayStation games. By that, I mean it’s emblematic of the spirit of the original PlayStation, a spirit of playful innovation and experimentation that sought to produce new kinds of home console games and to create new kinds of fun and memorable experiences. Parappa proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that tapping buttons on a controller in rhythm with a song could be great fun, and that concept would go on to power some of the biggest games of the decade to come. And yet, it all could have failed if Parappa itself hadn’t been so great–so creatively distinctive, so vibrant, so packed with unforgettable songs. Thankfully, however, within a few minutes of starting the game, an anthropomorphic onion is teaching you to rap and do martial arts with the words, “Kick, punch, it’s all in the mind!” and it’s all so wild and surreal and committed to its own vision that you know, immediately, you are never gonna forget it. — Carolyn Petit