First screens of Major Minor's Majestic March look ... Parappa-esque
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 25th 2008 at 2:01AM }
click to enlarge
There are few games with an aesthetic as immediately recognizable as Parappa the Rapper, so our expectations were understandably high when we first read about Parappa designer Masaya Matsuura and Parappa artist Rodney Greenblat's latest collaboration: Major Minor's Majestic March.
Publisher Majesco (enough with the M's!) has released the first batch of screenshots of the Wii-destined marching game and we're not disappointed. Sure, the screens aren't knocking the collective wind out of us the way Parappa's 2D-slash-3D graphics did back in 1997, but c'mon, look how cute the whole thing is!
Gallery: Major Minor's Majestic March
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
OMGOMG @ Jun 25th 2008 2:09AM
KICK, PUNCH, IT'S ALL IN THE MIND!
Obie @ Jun 25th 2008 2:35AM
...If you wanna test me, I'm sure you'll find
The things I'll teach ya is sure to beat ya
But nevertheless you'll get a lesson from teacher!
Slayer @ Jun 25th 2008 3:26AM
KICK!
OMGOMG @ Jun 25th 2008 4:07PM
Chop turn and kick it!!
Donald @ Jun 25th 2008 4:25PM
PUNCH!
Booxatron @ Jun 25th 2008 4:57PM
Come on now, why don't you follow my words
Because we're almost done I'll make it easy at first
I wanna see if you wanna see what it means
To be the man with the master plan
Are you the man now?
I swear, I seriously just recited that from memory. When I first got my Playstation when I was about ten it came with a demo disc with Jet Moto and PaRappa on it, and that was all I had for like a month...I must have played that first level eleventy billion times. What an awesome game.
OMGOMG @ Jun 25th 2008 5:37PM
The Pizza Hut demo discs will always hold a dear place in my heart. ALWAYS.
YOU HEAR THAT, GUYS???
Ridgecity @ Jun 25th 2008 3:14AM
If these guys could create a music game using regular controllers, I can't imagine what idea they came up to come back and make a game for the Wii...
Parappa & Final Fantasy 7 were the games than made me drop Nintendo and get a PS1...
mandark @ Jun 25th 2008 4:36AM
I know that graphical exellence isnt that important on games like this, but it too much to ask that WII games at least got dreamcast level graphis ?
Just look at the ground textures ! I have seen better from N64 games !!!
bm @ Jun 25th 2008 7:03AM
Yeah, I don't see any reason for this. I hope it's just because it's an early version. This is very literally something that would not look out of place on an N64. I'm serious. I could load up, say, Goldeneye or Perfect Dark right now and point out some higher resolution floor and wall textures, and that's fucking ridiculous. It doesn't have to look realistic, just don't make it look like it's supposed to run on the DS.
Chilly Willy @ Jun 25th 2008 8:18AM
Never understood the hangup some ppl have over graphics. Find a game that's fun to *play* and go play it. Oh wait, it's super fun to play, but the graphics don't make my eyes bleed with realism, so this fun game to play must actually be garbage.
bm @ Jun 25th 2008 11:33AM
Realism? LOL
You're talking to the wrong person. Go play the -completely- unrealistic looking Wind Waker, then come back to these screenshots, and tell me which you'd rather look at.
Hell, even the original PSX Parappa looked better than this, and that's just horrible, no matter what kind of excuses you come up with.
It looks like either it's a very early alpha, or they should get a new art director.
klepto88 @ Jun 25th 2008 6:56AM
*grimaces*
this is a trainwreck.
John Z @ Jun 25th 2008 8:33AM
It's a music game. So of course let's all focus on the graphics.
A screenshot for a music game is like a photograph of a roller-coaster. You might see something unique, but it's totally useless in determining if the object in question is actually any good.
Laurel @ Jun 25th 2008 9:45AM
>>>Chilly Willy
Same here. I don't get either. Graphic whores will be graphic whores. Their never going to change. (well maybe when they get older or even more older. Not all graphic whores are young gamers/Born in 1992)The funny thing is, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker still looks better than most realistic games today.(because of the style) Put that game on a big screen t.v. and WOW! Beautiful.)
Well, I'm sick of all the realism in games. So this game is perfect for me. I hope it plays well.
bm @ Jun 25th 2008 11:37AM
"The funny thing is, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker still looks better than most realistic games today."
Yes, you're right, and funny how you mention that, because WW also looks about a million times better than this. WW shows how you can have "cute" and simple graphics and still impress with technical and artistic proficiency. This just looks half-assed.
Ryura @ Jun 25th 2008 9:55AM
Am I the only one who read this as Majora's Mask and got all giddy until reading the article?
Joe @ Jun 25th 2008 12:23PM
This looks exactly like Parappa.
Which came out 11 years ago, two console cycles ago.
I'm not going to say "WII GRAFIX HURR", but there's something wrong here.
Ridgecity @ Jun 25th 2008 1:22PM
Just don't buy it dude. If it's too ugly for you, it will be for most of the hardcore. Unless it comes with some pom-poms, then the hardcore will love it, like EA says.
benmully @ Jun 25th 2008 1:40PM
I know this is a music game, but theres no excuse for it looking like a turd. Just up the res a bit on the grass, so it doesn't look like a smudgy mess, theres no excuse for lazy graphics just because its a music game!
Mr Khan @ Jun 25th 2008 3:21PM
Does look kinda hideous in stills, but maybe the eye is distracted from the bad backgrounds through the gameplay
Only time will tell