Without This One Game the PlayStation Classic Will Be a Failure

The retro games craze will officially move past the 8-bit and 16-bit eras this December with the release of the PlayStation Classic. Sony announced the nostalgic microconsole at the Tokyo Game Show this morning, and in true classic console fashion it’ll look like a smaller version of the original PlayStation. It will come with 20 games, although only five have been announced so far. Those five games don’t include the one title that would most make this device worth a purchase, and indeed, a game so important that its absence would make the entire PlayStation Classic a waste of time and money for anybody who bought it.

We’re talking, of course, about Um Jammer Lammy.

The Parappa the Rapper spin-off didn’t set the world on fire when it was released in 1999, but those who did play it at the time couldn’t help but appreciate its absurd brilliance. Although similar to Parappa—the rhythmic action, stylish art and surreal story are all indebted to its more popular predecessor—Um Jammer Lammy stands on its own as a singular work. Named after the main character—an insecure rocker who’s only confident when she has her guitar in her hands—Um Jammer Lammy’s core message is one of self-acceptance and self-love. It’s the story of Lammy learning how to be comfortable in her own skin, even when she’s not reeling off sick licks up and down the fretboard, and through that process the player will hopefully also grow more comfortable in their own skin.

Everything that works in Parappa returns in Um Jammer Lammy, from the infectious music to an exalted playfulness that’s apparent in almost every aspect of the game. Lammy is the stronger work, though, for two main reasons. Guitar licks are a more satisfying match for the PlayStation controller’s face buttons than the purely beat-based matches of Parappa. Parappa’s delivery, hampered by the technology of 1996, is clipped and monotone, which turns him into a pretty bad rapper. That’s not the case with Lammy’s guitar lines, which have more space to breathe and flow. You can put your own unique stamp on songs with Lammy’s effects pedals, too. And if you do prefer Parappa as a character—or his style of rapping to Lammy’s guitar work—you can replay every stage as that rapping dog after completing the game.