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.

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 ...

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."

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.

When we heard PaRappa the Rapper was coming to the PSP, we were elated. When we discovered it would simply be a remake of the original title, we were conflicted. While we adore the original PaRappa, we also wouldn't mind a new installment to the franchise, with lessons learned from the underwhelming PaRappa 2.

The PSP demo shown on the floor is the exact same demo Sony used for the PS One PaRappa the Rapper demo, which is also the first level in the game. For those who don't remember, PaRappa the Rapper is a rhythm game in the vein of Simon Says. Your opponent will bust a few grooves, and by pressing the displayed button combinations in sync with the tempo you can spit your foe's words back in his or her face. The demo has PaRappa up against Chop Chop Master Onion, a karate teacher with an onion for a head.

The graphics have been cleaned up and the audio is a bit crisper than the original, but our lovable rhymester still stutters his words even when we hit the buttons perfectly. None of the new features have been revealed, including the promised multiplayer mode. We recommend dusting off the original game for now, and wait to see if the extra features / multiplayer warrant a new purchase.

Check out the awesome PaRappa sticker they had on the PSP demo units after the break.

GameSetWatch stumbled upon something special on YouTube: American rap group De La Soul performing a song titled "U Gotta Believe" for the Japanese release of Parappa the Rapper 2.

Two Parappa music videos in less than a month? This is what nerd Heaven must be like.

See also:
The intro to the short-lived Japanese Parappa anime series.

Andreas Wieslander's bachelor thesis, entitled "IN REAL GAME," is "a project about marketing games through live performances, in order to focus on the games feel, rather than its graphics and sfx."

He has chosen the infectious beats and charms of the PlayStation classic Parappa the Rapper to illustrate this concept. They act out the roles of Cheep Cheep and Parappa in a rendition of "Cheep Cheep Cooking Chicken's Rap," complete with seafood cake, live backing band, and Parappa's jerky delivery. "Crack. Crack. Crack. The egg. Into. The bowl."

The idea is clever and captures some of the fun, and certainly the oddity, of Parappa the Rapper, but how well would it work on other games that didn't lend themselves so well to the idea. Try acting out Prince of Persia.

[Via Re:Retro]