Most Americans probably know Masaya Matsuura mainly as the creator of the Parappa the Rapper series, or at least they might if they spent a little less time paying attention to Britney Spears' pregnancy rumors. Anyway, what even many American gamers don't know about is Maatsuura's Vib Ribbon, an incredibly minimalist PlayStation rhythm game that could create dynamic levels based on audio CDs. The game was a cult classic in Japan and Europe, but never got a chance to become the same in the U.S.Is there hope for a Vib Ribbon comeback? VideoGamer.com has noticed that the PEGI website lists the game as a 3+ release for the PlayStation Network in a variety of European territories. Such a release wouldn't be that surprising, given that Matsuura said in a May Gamasutra interview that his company was "discussing the possibility of making a downloadable version of Vib Ribbon for Sony." Then again, he's also hinted at a PSN Parappa sequel that has yet to become more concrete, so make of that what you will.
When VideoGamer.com asked Sony about the PEGI listing, a spokesperson responded that there is "no new version in the works," and that the company "regularly have our games rated so this may not mean it's actually going to be released." Not quite the confirmation we might have hoped for, but not exactly a denial either. The spokesperson said we "always keep your fingers crossed," though. We're going to do him one better and hope Sony sees the wisdom in an American release as well.
