Gitaroo Man

"Everyone Looks Cooler Holding a Guitar!"

Words like quirky, inventive, and seizure-inducing are thrown around a lot these days, especially in games. But very few games fit all of these said categories (which is good depending on how you look at it). One game in particular is Gitaroo-Man for the Playstation 2. Taking a wild step forward in the music genre, Gitaroo-Man follows a young boy named U-1 (seriously, his name's U-1) who just doesn't seem to fit in, and is clumsy besides. Until one fateful day, his talking dog Puma (again, don't question the motives) informs him he's the last in the Gitaroo blood-line. His life is altered after a tiny demon-like, axe-wielding baby called Panpeus raids his room, forcing Puma to transform into his true form, a robotic dog! With that, Puma tosses U-1 a strange looking Guitar, which transforms him into the Legendary Gitaroo-Man! In a nutshell, that's the first level. After Panpeus gets owned, U-1 learns he must acquire the last 8 remaining Gitaroo's by defeating his enemies to become his ultimate form, and save Planet Gitaroo! This is the first time I've ever crammed that many "Gitaroos" into one paragraph.

The game works like most other's in the genre. You push the buttons to the rhythm of the music. Gitaroo-Man has one catch though. A line will be constantly moving through the middle of the screen, and will alter direction as you progress. You must use the left analog stick to keep a fan-shaped icon in the direction of the line. While doing this, circles will also appear on the line, in which you must hit the circle button (all buttons work, but they say to use circle) in sync with the music. You will also be defending attacks from opponents attacks by pressing the corresponding buttons in time with the music. It's made easier, as the buttons will come from their designated directions as they are on the PS2 controller. In other words, the triangle button will come from the North into the middle, circle comes from the East, etc. Songs segments are broken up into categories, ranging from "charge" (where you must successfully complete the riffs to charge your Gitaroo for the upcoming battle), "attack" and "defense" (where you will either play a segment or defend as your opponent attacks), and "final" (where it all comes down to defeating the enemy). Once you complete a song, you are ranked by how many times you scored either a "great", "good", "ok", or "miss".

About the story, the jist of it has already been mentioned. What draws you in is how wonderfully wacky all the cutscenes are. The game is colorful and offers a lot of Japanese-esque type of situations when it comes to the dialogue . Even after you beat a stage, the game weirds you out with a female voice saying (in an almost sexual voice) "yoooou wiiin! Hehehe!". You'll start out wondering about each character, but as the game comes to a close, you'll love each one of them, even the villain. Puma is my personal favorite! The graphics are good, but nothing we haven't all seen before. And like I said, the game is NOT for those who are prone to epilepsy. After a few levels, the flashing from playing the Gitaroo will become so agitating you'll have to take a rest between levels. I recommend playing in a very well-lit room, otherwise Koie could be facing a lawsuit. Each level has a very unique and catchy tune, making you want to replay them over and over. Quite a few of the music genres are intact, like rock, jazz, reggae, a grunge. One problem I did notice was how the game's difficulty is obviously much too high for young children, yet the game is very childish to an extent. Also, it's rated E, so why are the characters (in the songs) swearing? Okay, Koie, at least let the kids keep their innocence until they reach the teens!

With some extras to unlock, and a great selection of songs, Gitaroo-Man is a must-own for anyone who loves music games. I was disappointed to find the game was over much to quickly. However, a harder, professional mode is unlocked when the initial game is complete. I have to once again reiterate that if you are a parent buying this for a kid, be warned about the difficulty level. Pro mode will be nearly impossible for them. Maybe some of these tiny flaws will be fixed if they ever make a sequel.

Now for the pop quiz class! To conclude, Gitaroo-Man is great while it lasts. The characters and music will grow on you, making you want to replay each stage to beat your score. Still, if it had been longer, it would have made a bigger impression. The game is considered somewhat of a rarity, although some claim it was reprinted, if you happen to spot a copy, snatch it! It shouldn't cost you more than $30 new. This is the perfect rhythm game for a party, though it's no Guitar Hero. Keep in mind some of the stated problems and judge what you think for yourself. I, however, enjoyed it very much. "There's no future in your dreams!"

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/18/08

Game Release: Gitaroo Man (US, 2002)