This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.The original author is Gaming Horizon Staff.

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Eric Dayday.

About ten years ago, a two-dimensional happy-go-lucky rapping dog came out of nowhere and gave the fledging music rhythm genre a jump start into the mainstream fast lane. While the genre itself hasn't looked back with such giants as Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, PaRappa the Rapper, its one time poster boy, hasn't aged well as made evident by this port of the original PlayStation game to the PSP.

For those of you unfamiliar with one of the grandfathers of the music game genre, PaRappa the Rapper tells the tale of a young pup's journey to win the heart of Sunny Funny, his sunflower best friend. To do so, he'll have to learn how to fight, drive, peddle wares, bake a cake, and even fight his way to the head of a bathroom line by rapping. If it sounds too outrageous, it's because it is. However, it's delivered with such great humor and charm, you can't help but smile. From PaRappa's irritable bowel to Joe Chin's obliviousness to his own narcissism, there's something for everyone to laugh at.

Surprisingly, the graphics have held up decently too. They were simplistic even by the standards in 1997, but the vibrant colorful palette translates well onto the handheld's screen. What also helps is that a lot of the rough edges were smoothed out, giving both the characters and backgrounds a much cleaner look.

The sticking point of any sort of music rhythm game is the title's soundtrack. It can easily make or break a game. Of course, PaRappa's catchy and original tunes are easily its strongest points and they still hold up well after all this time. The fact that people can say a mere two words – "Kick, punch" – and have someone else finish the line with "it's all in the mind" speaks volumes of how great PaRappa's was and is. Going back through the PSP version brought back a massive wave of nostalgia especially when I realized that I still remembered all of the lyrics and their cadences. That said, you would think that would make the game easier since I have that head start, but that's another story.

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This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

The folks over at Sony just released a slew of brand new screenshots showing the upcoming SOCOM title for the PSP.

Insomniac Games has announced a new title for the next Ratchet & Clank title in the series.

The game will be entitled, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Brian Allgeier, design director said, "The name Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction works on many levels. It signals a new era for the franchise, ties into the game's story, and includes one of our signature subtitle double entendres."

Nintendo has announced that they are currently working on the next version of Super Smash Bros. titled, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The game will feature Gamecube combat and not require the use of the Wii motion-controller. Already announced is the feature of a handful of playable characters including Pit from Kid Icarus, Solid Snake from Metal Gear, Zero Suit Samus from Metroid, Metaknight from Kirby and Wario. A handful of characters have been confirmed to be in the title as well including Mario, Kirby, Pikachu and Link.

One other thing to note about Brawl is that it will be fully online compatible and include a full multiplayer mode too. Although previously thought to be a launch title, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is now scheduled to release in 2007.

This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

In Jeanne D’Arc, players take on the role of the French heroine during the 100 year war between the French and English. The role-playing game by Level-5 brings an interesting and unique look to the historic story when it arrives next month on the PlayStation Portable handheld.

Sony recently sent along a preview copy for us to check out before the anticipated August 21 release date. As stated above, players take on the role of Jeanne D’Arc or more commonly known stateside as Joan of Arc along with two of her partners Liane and Roger.

In the game, Jeanne heads home to Domremy where she finds the town burnt to the ground. In the battle that follows, Jeanne turns into a warrior who has even more power to take down enemies and take on damage.

Following the devastation by English forces, Jeanne’s motive is clear to return freedom to France. During her journey, Jeanne meets plenty of other companions including Colet, Bertrand and La Hire. In the actual game, players will make decisions on which warriors will battle in each stage.

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This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Brian Mohr.

Plenty of other classic titles have made their way over to the Nintendo DS after being largely successful on the original consoles. So it’s no surprise that the classic city builder SimCity has made its way to the Nintendo handheld too. Although it features the same addictive gameplay all the previous versions do, the experience isn’t quite the same with SimCity DS.

First and foremost, Electronic Arts didn’t mess with the formula that makes the game successful, allowing players to take on the role of mayor and giving you the opportunity to build a city as you see fit. Just like in every other version, players are responsible for building residential, commercial and industrial properties and keeping everything in perfect harmony. Of course it’s much more detailed than that as you must build roads, power lines, water towers, hospitals, schools, police, fire stations and much more. Accomplishing that feat and keeping the city vibrant while still balancing the budget and making your citizens happy is what makes the game addictive and thankfully EA didn’t mess with that formula.

In addition, the game features an extensive tutorial in case you aren’t familiar with the city building experience. SimCity DS features 15 lessons that break down everything you need to know before getting to work. It was a solid inclusion as the game can overwhelm some players if jumped into too quickly.

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Capcom producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, confirmed in the latest Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine that they are indeed under development with Resident Evil 5. He states, "We are going to do a Resident Evil 5, of course, but as for exactly what it will be like...that's something we're busy thinking about right now. He also mentions that Resident Evil 4 will be the start of the brand new storyline for RE5.

Not much information has been released, but expect further confirmation around E3 time.

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Ubisoft has announced today that Far Cry 2 is being developed for the PC and is slated for a Spring 2008 release.

"Far Cry marked the beginning of a new era for shooters. An era of gorgeous graphics and of advanced artificial intelligence," stated Tony Key, Ubisoft VP of Marketing. "We are confident that Far Cry 2 will have the same impact again on the FPS genre landscape."

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