PJ the DJ (A Parappa the Rapper fan game)
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, and Linux
This is a Parappa the Rapper fan game starring the character PJ Berri. The current build (meant for SAGExpo 2024) only has 2 proper stages and 1 tutorial stage so it's a bit on the shorter side. There's still a lot of things that need to be refined (mainly the charting). The game has gamepad support, it natively only supports Playstation controllers but you can use software like DS4 to use an Xbox or Nintendo controller. In the options menu you can change the button icons to match what you're using(by default it's Playstaion). A wired controller connection is recomended over wireless, and one stage contains copyrighted music so if you're streaming the game or making a video on it you should keep that in mind.
Some songs contain explicit lyrics I know it's very unfitting for a game like this but it's hard finding clean hiphop music that I really mess with.
Download
Install instructions
Windows:
Use winrar or 7zip to extract the 7z file select the .exe and play.
Linux:
Go on the properties and permissions of the appimage file and click allow executing file as program after that you can simply run the appimage.
Mac:
Extract and go into \PJ the DJ-1_0_1-macos\PJ the DJ.app\Contents\MacOS open the file with the game's name.
Development log
- Read this shit58 days ago
Comments
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Okay so I tried this bc there's almost no parappa fangames, I HAD to check this.
The idea of a PJ game about being a DJ isn't exactly a "Woah thats so unique", but I like it, bc after all nobody had maked it real anyways.
I don't want to judge things like the "lol moment" cutscenes or the boring tutorial stage bc obviously the game is a demo so is not totally polished at all.
Instead I want to give feedback of the game itself. My first impression were the DJ scratches sfxs, they're always the same with no variation at all, so it gets kinda annoying to hear after... Dunno, 1 minute LOL
My reccomendation would be have different variations of the sfx for every button (for example one for triangle, one for circle, ect), this would be kinda repetitive too, but would work better than just always the same.
For the stages, I love some of them, I mean the ideas are cool, but the DJ sfxs just feels off in most of the moments. That makes me go to the notechart/mapping. The HUD buttons are placed in moments where the sfxs doesnt feel correctly placed in the song so it just feels weird sometimes
Also this is just a standart on parappa games (except parappa 2) but the timming is kinda "AAA WHY IT SAYS I DID IT WRONG" sometimes but at this point Im used to it LOL
Now the good stuff. I LOVE the game is on 3D, the animations are weird, yeah, but is still impressive considering no one (as far I know) had done a Parappa fangame in 3D.
I also love the game does have a plot, it kinda feels like a excuse to make the plot stuff happen so we can play, but is a Parappa game so I'm okay with silly plots.
And I love the DJ bot, no idea if is a OC or a official rodney character but I love the desing.
And I have to mention the multiple gamepad icons, that's cool ngl.
I know making games can be kinda hard bc, well, I do it too, so I can appreciate this not only from the poinf of view of a player, but as a developer too.
I'm not the more experienced game dev on the world, and I think Im very far from that, but I think I can say this does have potencial, and if it is fully explored we can have something really cool here.
Hope to see how much/if it envolves in the SAGE2025! Keep working on it! You gotta believe!
Thanks, I really appreciate your feedback! This game obviously needs a lot of refinement and some of the issues can be fixed easily but the note chart mapping in particular is really difficult to fix due to the engine I'm using and me just not being that experienced. Also I don't have a proper chart editor meaning the button placement is complete estimation.
I think I focused too much on getting as much levels made as possible rather than refining the core mechanics. I don't really know what to do with the game right now, I have a solid foundation for something good but I'm too incompetent to fix all of its glaring issues. I was actually planning on turning this into a parappa the rapper rap remix mod which would make song creation way easier but it means I would have to restart this whole project and I feel as if making it a rap remix mod would be stealing your hard work.
I'll try to fix this game and hopefully in a few months from now it should be way higher quality.
I can TOTALLY understand what you're saying because I was in the same boat. I also struggled a lot with the same notechart mapping problem. You can use the Rap Remix engine if you want to, but you would need to modify it more than the usual in order to have different stages in the game instead of just one. And about the time, no need to worry, rushing games is exactly what makes games like Sonic 2006 be Sonic 2006. If sometimes needs to take you time, then so be it. Even if it takes you months, make sure to take your time, and obviously make sure to enjoy what you do, because if you don't, then you will leave it unfinished and hate what you created (I'm on that boat right now LOL)