These past few years, it has felt likeFortniteand music go hand-in-hand. There’s the obviouscollaborations betweenFortniteand real-world musicians, but also Epic Games' purchase of Harmonix, the studio behind the once-ubiquitousRockbandfranchise, which opened the door toFortnite Festival, a rhythm-based event that borrows heavily from Harmonix’s previous iconic releases.
GivenFortnite’s expansion into something of a metaverse — a virtual space housing a number of distinct interactive experiences — the sky is seemingly the limit for what the game could look like in the coming years. Indeed, it’s hard to think of another title that has morphed so much from its initial identity, adapting to changes in the industry while leading the charge when it comes to trends and popular design practices. Essential toFortnite’s metaverse success is its relentless collaborative content, bringing both real-world figures and fictional characters and concepts into its fantastical, absurd world and extending its reach far beyond what it was in the first years of its life. This reliance on collaboration and referential content has been criticized by many over the years, but within it lies an important power, which could be used to revive dormant franchises.
PaRappa the Rapper Could Live On in Fortnite
PaRappa the Rapper Remains One of PlayStation’s Most Iconic IP
Despite hopes that it would appear on modern PlayStation consoles, thePaRappa the Rapperfranchise has seemingly been deadsince its last official release in 2001. The original PS1 title helped birth the rhythm game genre, particularly on home consoles, with many of its fundamentals still appearing in titles like Ubisoft’sJust Danceseries.
PaRappashone through its unique art style, charm, and sense of humor. Indeed, there are remarkably few games that have managed to recapturePaRappa’s bizarre papercraft aesthetic and comedic chops, making its absence in contemporary gaming all the more painful. There are a number of possible reasons why the franchise hasn’t been revived, including audience expectations for grander, more epic AAA experiences, but as paths other than traditional, stand-alone game releases become more prevalent, there could be a renewed hope for IP likePaRappa the Rapperto make a comeback.
What PaRappa the Rapper in Fortnite Could Look Like
Fortniteseems to have no boundaries when it comes to crossovers, so the arrival ofPaRappa the Rapperwould be far from unusual. If this were to happen, then some rendition of the series could arrive inFortnite, reprising the series' simple rhythm-based gameplay. It could land as some sort of side activity or alternate game mode, likeFestivalorInfiltrated, and get expanded with each season, which could add new songs or even different skins for PaRappa himself. Since multiplayer sits at the heart ofFortnite, players could challenge each other to “rap battles” within thePaRappalandscape, making for a unique spin onFornite’sRockband-esque gameplay opportunities.
PaRappa would not be the firstPlayStation mascot to appear inFortnite, as the likes of Kratos and Aloy have arrived in the game in the past.
APaRappa the Rappercrossover of this type would also be a solid way forFortniteto experiment with its overly polished visual style, which has come to be regarded as a touchstone for uninspired and too-safe art design in modern gaming. A faithful recreation ofPaRappa the Rapper’s unmistakable graphical flair, however, would be a welcome change of pace, and would arguably be essential to avoid the ire of the classic franchise’s fanbase. At the same time,Fortnitecould seize the opportunity to meld its visuals withPaRappa’s, making for an uncanny, but not necessarily unpleasant, mashup of different styles, with the old meeting the new.
