Cacapa The Rappa
PLOT
Cacapa The Rapper sees the player take on the role of Cacapa, a paper-thin hamstringed rapping centre-back, who can also be used in a defensive midfield capacity. ‘Cacapa’ is Brazilian for “injury prone”. Cacapa is trying to win the heart of an Irish Cockney called Sweary Joe and secure an improved contract into the bargain. He is aided by his friends Butty Butt and MV Duka (a fat teddy bear DJ with a huge appetite). Also vying for Sweary Joe’s attention is Cacapa’s arch rival Joe Barton, a rich, narcissistic dog.
To impress Sweary Joe, Cacapa learns to ‘get out’ quickly after a corner to avoid playing an opponent onside, takes a FIFApro course to get his coaching badge, learns the art of the transfer-market to raise money for a new midfielder, learns to swear and finally performs a Hip Hop song at a packed St James Park, to the self-appointed Best Fans In The World. The stakes are high as they are easily impressed, yet quick to turn.
GAMEPLAY
Players are required to repeat a sequence of sounds and buttons and points are awarded for correctness and “style”. The first levels are set in a post-match press conference. Pressing the buttons in the correct order, with the correct timing, provides an intelligible imitation of the words spoken by the character; pressing the buttons in an incorrect order or with incorrect timing rewards the player with nothing more than unintelligible gibberish. Or the Geordie dialect, as they insist on calling it.
Completing sequences correctly adds points to the ‘U Fackin Meter’ however only by freestyling can the player achieve the top ‘U Fackin Cool’ rank. If the U Fackin meter becomes empty, you get subbed at half-time and subjected to a tirade of incomprehensible abuse, made all the more threatening by it being in another language.
RECEPTION
Although innovative in its employing of rhythmic button sequences, the basic controls were unwieldy and the main character Cacapa was unresponsive. Players were often left shouting at the screeen as even the simplest tasks were botched, and he constantly failed to respond to dangerous situations. Also, the poor sound recording meant that Sweary Joe was unable to pronounce many of the player’s names.
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