Following up on their quest to decide the greatest horse in video game history, the guys and gals of MTV Multiplayer have recently announced the greatest video game dog. And the winner is Parappa, the adorable two-dimensional hip-hop legend, and star of Parappa the Rapper.

Runner-ups include the ubiquitous zombie dogs from the Resident Evil series, the annoying dog that mocks us with his laughter from Duck Hunt, Amaterasu from Okami, and K.K. Slider from Animal Crossing (though presumably the in-game incarnate, and not that creepy real-life version). We're looking forward to seeing which animal MTV sees fit to vote on next. We're hoping for frog, a category clearly dominated by Fred from Blaster Master.

How could you not get excited hearing that you're being asked to create a character for PaRappa The Rapper? Sony has posted the contest on their website and the rules are basically this: make a character. That's it. Be creative, be unique, be insane with your ideas. If you need help brainstorming, we'd love to assist you. How about a tap-dancing octopus who needs help finding this rhythm? Or perhaps a sentient rock who just wants to roll, but can't get pumped enough without some good tunes?

If your creation is chosen as one of ten finalists, you'll get a PSP skin, a keychain, and a beanie. If you're the ultimate champion, your character will be redrawn by Rodney Greenblatt and framed just for you -- and you win a copy of the PSP game. Have fun!

We all have fond memories of PaRappa the Rapper when he first arrived on PlayStation 1 a decade ago. Now, our beloved rapping puppy is back on the PSP. However, nostalgia doesn't make a good game. Although PaRappa fathered the modern music game genre, it simply doesn't offer enough content or gameplay to compete with modern games.

Threadless, the hep cats who brought you the Bioshock t-shirt contest, are going back to the old school with their latest video game-inspired contest: PaRappa the Rapper. Things are just getting underway and, already, one of our favorite designs – this PaRappa meets 8 Mile mashup – has been dropped early. If that doesn't embody the "I gotta BELIEVE!!!" theme, we don't know what will. Maybe Chop Chop Master Onion? We just don't know what to believe anymore ...

PaRappa the Rapper used to be the coolest kid on the block when he came out ten years ago. Although this game was the pioneer of a genre ten years ago, our recent hands-on with the upcoming PSP version has left us underwhelmed. PaRappa is back, but he's just not as cool as you remember him. Like parachute pants, PaRappa hasn't aged very well.

The greatest flaw we see with the game so far is its awkward input mechanism. Sure, music games have always been about pressing buttons at the right time. The problem with PaRappa is that its hard to tell if you're doing well or not ... until it's too late. In Dance Dance Revolution, for example, one would receive a confirmation of a "Great!" or a "Bad" immediately after pressing the button. Without an instant response, its hard to tell how you're performing ... and how to improve yourself.

Also, navigating the menus is a chore, and it's far from intuitive. We're also disappointed to see that the cinematic sequences in the game are bordered horribly: where's our full-screen video? There's still a lot of potential in the game: the game is charming, moves at a brisk pace, and the downloadable content will be available immediately at game's launch. We still have to play through the game some more, but our initial impressions are far from glowing. Stay tuned for more. Until then, check out new images in our gallery.

U Gotta Believe!

Sony is hosting a new contest, encouraging wannabe rappers to perform their best PaRappa rap. It just takes some ambition, a camera, and some YouTube know-how to enter. Choose one of three songs provided on Sony's official contest page, and swallow your pride.

There are some awesome prizes: PaRappa PSP skins, PaRappa PSP charms, PaRappa's signature beanie and a copy of the game. The first 100 entrants will get the awesome PaRappa tee. Finally, one winner will get to go to Penny Arcade Expo with a friend ... absolutely free. If you're thinking of entering, definitely show us. We'd love to see your moves!

Want this ill-lookin' PaRappa the Rapper tee? We sure do. To help promote the upcoming PSP version, Sony has contracted Paul Frank Industries and PaRappa's "co-creator and artist", Rodney Alan Greenblat, to create a limited edition t-shirt. The shirt will display Paul Frank's signature character Julius and Sony's adorable PaRappa the Rapper. According to Sony, there will be several PaRappa promotions throughout the summer: both online and at numerous PlayStation promotional events including Wizard World, ComiCon, LollaPalooza, PAX and more.

We begged Sony to give us a couple of shirts to give away to our readers. Let's hope they've heard our pleas.

PSP Fanboy offers the latest and greatest movie and game trailers, formatted for the PSP in this new weekly feature. Check it out every Saturday. PSP owners can download files wirelessly via m.pspfanboy.com.

Instructions: Save all movie and thumbnail files to the VIDEO folder. These high resolution 480x272 videos require firmware 3.30 or above. (Note: OE custom firmware will also play these videos.)

Do you want to share your PSP-related fan art? Send us an e-mail. A new piece of fan art will be shared every Friday.

Seeing new info on the PSP rendition of PaRappa at Sony's Gamer's Day, makes this particular fan art even sweeter. This hippin' and hoppin' piece comes from illjules. Impressively made in the online Oekaki art program. I like the more realistic and 3D take on PaRappa, though I do worry that he might try to throw down if I got on his bad side. I'd take that chance though, just to see him work his magic in the club.

Let illjules know what you think of this PaRappa fan art in the comments or go to her deviantArt account and see more of her colorful and beautiful art.

Sony Gamer's Day was filled with tons of goodies, such as the new PSP version of PaRappa the Rapper. There isn't much new to see here, considering its simply a port of a PS1 classic. Regardless, feel free to check out some screens in our new gallery below.

The game hits PSP systems this July.

It's not the only technological powerhouse having trouble finding a home -- the Xbox 360's critical flaw is "not the size of the hardware but of the AC adapter." Matsuura's obsession with size doesn't extend to his Wii though, as he's currently planning a title for Nintendo's comparatively diminutive box. He calls it a "very good piece of hardware," noting that the unique controls pose quite a challenge from the designer's point of view. He confidently asserts that development on the game begins "soon,maybe."

Masaya Matsuura, of Parappa the Rapper fame, also created another one of our favorites, the higly creative Vib Ribbon. In a interview with Gamasutra, Matsuura-san said he was in talks with the powers-that-be to rework the title for release on the PS3. No dates were given, but further speculation by 1UP suggests the title would be more appropriate as a downloadable game on the PLAYSTATION Network than a simple rerelease.

Originally released for the Sony PlayStation, Vib Ribbon allowed the user to insert any audio CD and transform the music of their choice into a playable level, where successes were viewed as an evolution of the main character you were controlling: (a common theme amongst another PLAYSTATION Network exclusive).

[Via 1UP]

Battle of the ports: which do you want more?
	PaRappa the Rapper
	Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
	Neither: PSP doesn't need any more ports!
Free polls from Pollhost.com

If you haven't noticed, the PSP Fanboy team is totally "t3h b145!!!1" We've been bashing Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars for its sloppy Dreamcast-era graphics. However, we've been going totally gaga for the barely enhanced PaRappa the Rapper. Isn't that unfair? We're going to let you, the PSP Fanboy reader, tell us which of these hotly anticipated PSP ports we should be more excited for. Just check out the videos after the cut, and tell us which one you want more. If you're digging both of them, feel free to vote for both. Of course, if you're feeling particularly jaded today, you can also admit that maybe we shouldn't get so excited over ports--don't we have too many already?

While we've already had our greasy paws all over PaRappa the Rapper for the PlayStation Portable, we're gracing you with some video goodness from the same game.

It's just a port of the original game from the original PlayStation, but it achieved a cult following, a sequel, and a spinoff with UmJammer Lammy. It looks pretty slick, the music was always a lot of fun, and it's another good reason to grab a PSP, now that they're cheaper.

PaRappa the Rapper is largely accredited as the first modern rhythm game. More than ten years after its first release on PS1, gamers will be able to relive the game on PSP. In light of the US announcement, we wanted to take a brief look into the history of the game, and offer you some new screenshots (after the break).

The game was developed by NanaOn-Sha (roughly translated as Seventh Sound Company), and has seen release in over 70 countries. The story of the rapping dog that "gotta believe" became so popular that the series branched off into new areas. For example, McDonald's promotions. It eventually transformed into a 30-episode anime series in 2001. The franchise grew with the eventual sequels, PaRappa the Rapper 2 and Um Jammer Lammy.

Its initial release was met with nearly universal critical acclaim. Rodney Alan Greenblat, a popular artist in Japan, created illustrations that came to life in a way the gaming world had never seen before. The music was also unlike anything the gaming world had experienced. It wasn't long before it built a dedicated fan community. We hope the upcoming PSP version will revive the long-dormant franchise. Isn't it time for an entirely new addition to this series?