Gitaroo Man

"Koei has made a great rhythm game."

I have spent many hours playing this game, and early on I decided that this is a very good game. I have played games like Dance Dance Revolution, Pop 'n' Music, etc., yet I've liked this one the most.

Gameplay - 10/10

The way you play the notes with the Gitaroo is easy to catch on to, and is incredibly hard to master. It becomes gradually more difficult until it comes to things that seem almost impossible. Hitting the notes perfectly gives a sense of satisfaction, and only makes me more addicted to the game. The music is difficult to get tired of, too.

The game consists of music battles with a Charge Phase, an Attack Phase, and a Defend Phase. In the Charge Phase, your music builds up your life meter to prepare for losing health, in the Attack Phase, you play music to damage the enemy, and in the Defend stage, you press the buttons that come on the screen to make sure the opponent's music doesn't hurt you.

Plot/Setting - 6/10

Well, I didn't expect a rhythm game to have a plot, but this one does. You are a shy young boy name U-1 with a low self-esteem. You have a pet dog named Puma. This dog has fused itself to a legendary Gitaroo, an instrument that is supposed to have the power to free the people of the planet Gitaroo. The dog teaches you how to play this legendary instrument, and you learn that you are the Gitaroo-Man. It's a mediocre plot, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the gameplay.

Graphics - 8/10

The graphics are pretty good, and the game uses a weird style of animation. It can look bad at some points and accentuate the cheesy plot, but it isn't essential to the game's entertainment.

Sound - 10/10

Like I said, the music is great. I can play some songs over and over again and still not get tired of them.

Replay Value - 9/10

With an extra, much more difficult mode to try and character descriptions to earn, this game will keep you motivated to play. The only problem is there are only 10 stages for each mode (each mode has the same music), which will leave you wondering what to do next. For most people, it would take quite a while to beat the second mode, too (I know it did for me), and I'm sure that not everyone will like the music enough to keep playing over and over.

Overall - 9/10

With great music, exciting (and frustrating)gameplay, and an extra mode to play, this game is definitely worth taking the time to play.

My Recommendation

This game was only released a few years ago, but it might be difficult to find, and I don't know of any places that rent it. If you can find it, I'd suggest buying it if you like rhythm games and wouldn't mind playing some stages over and over again.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/26/04