Where are the good hip-hop influenced games at? Am I alone here?

I've been a hip hop head forever.

Every time I play a game touting itself as hip-hop (Def-Jam, I am looking at you) it's just some real cheesy stereotypes and some *nods* to hip hop fans.

I'm looking for something that goes together organically.

Sort of like the Samurai Champloo anime series...

I would totally play a Diablo-style Action RPG with hip-hop undertones....

Am I alone here?

Same place as the country music themed games, and the heavy metal themed games, and the punk music themed games. They're either non-existent, or there aren't that many of them, due to the limited audience they would have.

But off the top of my head, Mad World, Def Jam games, 50 Cent Bullet Proof, Parapper the Rapper, and GTA: SA

Also, there is a Samurai Shampoo game.

I'd also love something that was the hip-hop version of Brutal Legend (I never played that game so I'm not necessarily saying a strategy/action adventure hybrid, just a third person 'open world' game with a bunch of people that like rap music in it).

Duh.

/thread

Came in here to see who was talking about San Andreas...found nobody? That game was basically Boys 'N The Hood the video game.

There has been other stuff too, from the 50 Cent games to the Def Jam games, but I am not even sure what a "hip-hop Influenced Game" means at this point. A game with a hip-hop soundtrack? There are literally hundreds that have at least partially hip-hop soundtracks. A game with a gritty urban setting? There are a good number of those too.

Hip Hop influences all of Western culture and has obviously had a huge influence on lots of games. I mean, have you heard a sports game soundtrack these days? They ain't playing Good Charlotte anymore! (Why were they EVER playing Good Charlotte?)

Have you checked out the fashion in games recently? A ton of it is inspired by hip-hop fashion trends.

Do you even Saints Row, bro?

If you mean a game that is explicitly ABOUT Hip Hop like the Def Jam games or whatever, well there are a combination of issues with that. Limited audience, the danger that a big company will turn off consumers by what looks like half-hearted pandering, and licensing fees (this probably prevents a lot of Indie hip-hop games from coming out.)

But hip-hop is everywhere in games. Notice all the games with the word "Underground" in the name? Almost all are going for a hip-hop vibe.

Also least we forget

Toejam and Earl anyone?

Shame we'll never see another, better, Def Jam Rapstar. Or Icon, for that matter.

Surprised nobody's talking about Jet Set Radio. I always felt it had some serious inspiration from hip hop in general. I wouldn't really say it's JUST hip hop but it's certainly a focus of it.

Modern Hip Hop is is way more diverse than old school gangster rap and harder to distill into a 'game.' I mean what do you do with Kid Cudi or Vince Staples to make a video game out of them? What do you do with Kanye (other than Saints Row the Third's use of him on the soundtrack) or Nicki Minaj? Need for Speed the Run the Jewels?

Hip hop music exists in all kinds of games and hip hop fashion and style too, but what would a modern "hip hop" game even look like? It's too broad an idea at this point.

DJ Hero.

Getting up is probably the most hiphop influenced game, i remember it being alright. The basketball games have heavily hip hop influenced soundtracks, well 2k not so much anymore.

Man I loved the def jam games. I thought Icon was great but Fight for NY was my favourite.

Agreed. It's a little less specifically hip hop and sort of more... urban youth styles, I guess, but I think it counts.

I think its rare you would see a music focus of any AAA type game. Brutal Legend and Def Jam are exceptions. Personally I live Def Jam Fight for NY a whole lot. I think it deserves more credit. Its a really great wrestling game of that style and has a huge roster of rappers.

I think one thing that is too bad is you don't really hear a hip-hop styled ost for more games. There are a lot of excellent producers out there. Instead we got a lot of Dubstep or similar electronic music or chip tune stuff. That's fine but it feels like Hip-Hop should have a bigger representation. As others have mentioned, Japan might do more.

One game I have to shout out is GTA San Andreas. GTA has long had a Hip-Hop element that felt authentic across multiple games but especially the early parts of SA felt so Hip-Hop. Of course there are clear gang drama inspirations in that mix but you practically rolled around with Eazy E. The music selection was fantastic.

NBA Street Vol. 2. Great soundtrack, tons of style, and I think you could play with nelly. So 11/10. I did play lots def jam vendetta, that was really good. I would love a hip hop themed action adventure game thats not super corny though, thatd be dope. Also, this: http://2mellomakes.bandcamp.com/album/final-fantasy-the-3-6-chambers

Run The Jewels have been featured in the Gears of War 4 marketing. Close enough?

@bleekmajeek: NBA Street Vol 2 is a great call. TROY on the main menu music and Bobbito Garcia doing commentary.

You probably shouldn't go around telling everyone about that. That fight circuit is underground and based on the game it seems like it was illegal!

I have always wanted a Fire Emblem style game re-skinned with an hip-hop soundtrack and aesthetic.

GUN GODZ tho. I like this one too but I guess it's cheesy: Will You Ever Return: In da Hood.

I wonder if Kanye West is still making his game.

I see someone listened to the first episode of Austin and Patrick's new podcast.

Seriously, R&B influenced games. Where are they?

Not necessarily good, but a very hip-hop game nonetheless: Sideway: New York. Jeff's commentary on that one is just great.

Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy has a great hip-hop soundtrack on it.

@oursin_360: Definitely agree in regards to Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Jeff fought the good fight for that game when it came out 10 years ago. It has flaws but is really trying for something. Not sure how it would hold up now and it may be a bit hard to track down due to all the licensing keeping it off places like Steam and GOG (at least last I checked) but it deserves some consideration. It was the first game that came to mind when I read the thread title.

EDIT: Should have checked BEFORE I replied but it is in fact on Steam. Give it a try if it intrigues you.

Def Jam Fight For NY is still the best fighting game ever made of that style.

Basically they had their day in the late 90s early 2000s. Now we're into electro new wave stuff.

In a more serious note music genre and counter culture does show up intermittently throughout the years and generally follows the most prevalent youth* culture of the time. That's why it was grunge/metal moving into rap/hip-hop followed by house/electronic into dubstep. Right now we're living in the "age of the geek baby," and we are seeing youth less into specific musical genres (because internet) and more into social counter culture which explains why there's all these games about hacking and anti government covert stuff. Young people are always demanding change and their art consumption generally reflects that.

*note: When I say youth I mean 18-34 year olds.