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Sony celebrates PaRappa the Rapper’s 20th birthday with a huge PS4 controller

PS4版「パラッパラッパー」を「デカコントローラー」でプレイするとこうなる
Before Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, there was PaRappa the Rapper, a title that ushered in the rhythm game revolution. It was released in 1996 and came to the U.S. the following year. The PaRappa the Rapper franchise includes spinoffs and sequels to the original on multiple consoles, and a remastered addition was released just last week.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original game, Sony released a massively scaled-up version of the Dualshock 4 controller, as reported by Gigazine. As you can see in the video, the controller is larger than the screen displaying PaRappa the Rapper Remastered.

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Console controllers have always been an issue for hot debate, and one big factor that adds fuel to the fire is size. This one might be too small, while a competitor’s is too big. Sony threw all that out the window when it set up the colossal controller at the SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) headquarters in Tokyo.

According to the article, the triangle, circle, cross, and square buttons, as well as the L1 and R1 shoulder buttons and directional pad, are functional. It appears that the R1 and R2 triggers and the touchpad are just for show. The analog sticks can be moved, but they don’t have any function. The light bar does illuminate though, which is a nice touch.

While it looks like fun, this should be viewed as more of a novelty, as gameplay is impeded. However, this adds an interesting to element to the game, which normally relies on the player’s rhythmic tapping of buttons. With the scaled-up controller, the player’s upper body gets involved, as you move your arms and hands to tap each button. This creates a sort of Dance Dance Revolution of the hands. It seems some strength is involved as well, as the buttons have to be pressed hard enough that you hear a bang.

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MLB The Show 23 returns to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this March
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Sony San Diego Studios announced MLB The Show 23 today, and confirmed that it will launch across all major PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems on March 28. 
No new platforms were added this year, so PC players aren't getting in on the fun. Still, this announcement makes it clear that MLB The Show is a multiplatform series across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms for the foreseeable future. Xbox's version of the trailer also confirms that MLB The Show 23 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, making this first-party Sony series a day-one Game Pass title three years in a row. 
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As is typically the case with sports games, MLB The Show 23's reveal was primarily focused on its cover athlete. We learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, will grace the cover of the game. Like last year, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game will cost $60, while players  on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without Xbox Game Pass will need to pay $70. So far, no new gameplay features have been teased, although a blog post confirms that cross-platform multiplayer, saves, and progression across all versions of the game will return this year. 
So far, there's not a lot that actually seems new about MLB The Show 23, but this reveal concludes the genesis of a new era for the long-running baseball series. MLB The Show 23 will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on March 28. 

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Move over Zelda: Tchia is officially my most anticipated game of 2023
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There are many big-budget games to look forward to in 2023, like Starfield, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But after going hands-on with a much smaller indie title, I have a new most anticipated title of 2023. The game in question is Tchia, a vibrant, cheerful, and free-flowing open-world game about a girl exploring a tropical archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
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Tchia first caught my attention in a hands-off preview of Kepler Interactive's Gamescom lineup last year, but it took me going hands-on to really understand the magic of Tchia. A freeing open-world game in the same vein as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, or Sable, Tchia lets players loose on beautiful islands in the Pacific and gives them tools to explore by climbing, gliding, possessing animals and objects, and sailing wherever they want. Its deep understanding and respect for the culture it represents enhance the experience too. If you're wondering what indie darling will wind up becoming this year's critically acclaimed game of the year dark horse, you'll want to keep an eye on Tchia.
What is Tchia? 
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I had the chance to play some main story missions during my preview where Tchia befriends a young girl and explores one of the game's biggest islands, completing various objectives and even hunting for treasure. The story was fairly light in what I played, but the gameplay really shined. Although I had some objectives, it was just as fun to climb up the trees near the starting town and fling Tchia into a glide to travel a longer distance.
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Oh, and did I mention you can play the ukulele? Because Tchia features a fully playable ukulele.
At a couple of narrative beats during my preview, I encountered rhythm-game-like segments as Tchia performed specific songs, but I could also play the ukulele at any time while I was exploring if I wanted to. While you can play whatever you want, specific melodies have additional effects, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time style. The results of these tunes range from simply changing the time of day to giving Tchia a buff that allows her to breathe underwater infinitely.

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In 2006, developer Atlus would pave its future with an important game release: Persona 3 for the PlayStation 2. It was a smash-hit, finally taking the JRPG series mainstream in a way that its first two games didn’t. Persona 3 laid the groundwork for what would eventually be Persona 5’s monumental mainstream success and Atlus’ crown jewel.

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