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One of the most innovative titles to ever be created.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 23 / 24
Date: March 25, 2002
Author: Amazon User

It's not everyday someone is attacked by a red demon that wears a diaper and fights by playing music with an "axe" that's an axe. It's not everyday a boy named U-1 - who has a dog named Puma that can change into a mechanical beast and is bonded molecularly to an instrument called a Gitaroo - one day discovers he is the legendary Gitaroo Man. And it's not everyday he has to battle enemies as bizarre as keyboard-playing UFOs and a disco-loving man in a giant bee suit. Sounds weird, huh? What's weirder is the fact that all of this actually makes sense once you start playing the game!

This is the world of "Gitaroo Man", one of the more interesting titles to arrive on American shores from Japan (and you thought things like this would forever remain hidden in the Land of the Rising Sun!). The game comes from Koei, the company famous for historical games such as the "Kessen" series. So how does Koei's foray into the musical genre hold? Thankfully, it holds up very well and is probably one of the better offerings of the genre!

As said before, you play U-1, aka Gitaroo Man, who must use his legendary Gitaroo to defeat enemies. This is done when he and his adversaries take turns playing music selections, which is actually attacking each other. The story borders on the lines of silliness, but it actually makes sense in the context of the gameplay. If you're familiar with games like "Bust-a-Move" and "Dance Dance Revolution", you'll understand at least part of this game. I said a "part" because in this game, the player uses not only the four action buttons but also the left analog stick. I won't go into detail about the control scheme, but I will say that it requires a lot of hand-eye coordinartion with both hands at the same time, concentration on the music beats and rhythms, and a lot of practice. So this game is not a mindless button-masher like "Parappa the Rappa 2". In fact, it's one of the most rewarding music games ever created. Players who finish this game will feel a sense of pride in mastering this incredibly fun title.

But what's a music game with great gameplay without good songs? Certainly not "Gitaroo Man"! There haven't been songs this good since the first "Bust-a-Move", and there probably won't be for a long time. But if you're worried there's only mindless Japanese dance music in this game, fear not! This game has 10 levels filled with very differing music genres, including J-pop, disco-funk, electronica-reggae, rock-opera, and more! And virtually all the songs are teriffic, so a player is guaranteed to have at least several favorites.

And the voice acting is surpringly good. It's not as good as, say, "Soul Reaver 2" or even "Silent Hill 2", but it's still very well done. And considering Koei's other past attempts at voice acting *cough* "Kessen II" *cough* "Gitaroo Man" holds up very well.

Graphically, the style suits the game very well. The styles is very anime-ish, although it looks nothing like, say, "Princess Mononoke" or "Cowboy Bebop"; the characters' heads are big compared to their bodies. But the graphics still work with the game, and there are no slowdowns or framerate issues to speak of. Lip-synching of voices can be little off or even non-existent, but again, it works with the quirkiness and style of the game.

And the replay value of the game? For most, it'll be through the roof. If you think the 10 levels of exciting music action are too easy, try the Master's Level, which features the exact same songs with more difficult gameplay. Believe me, they are hard. And considering the difficulty of the American version of this game was toned down from impossible to almost impossible, we shouldn't complain. Plus, gamers can try to get better scores on songs, which unlock hidden collectables. For completists, this game is a dream come true.

All in all, "Gitaroo Man" is undoubtedly worth a spot in any PS2 owner's collection. It seems quirky and very "Japanese" (and it is), but behind its oddball facade is very deep gameplay that has to be experienced by everyone. There is nothing like "Gitaroo Man", and there probably never will be again. It would be a shame for this "niche" game to be lost in the sea of quality PS2 titles, because this game definately has quality written all over it; you just have to look for it past its strangeness!

Time for a More Serious Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 17, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Hi, I'm not going to be your typical "This GaME Kicks ...!" type of reviewer because I believe in intelligent reviews (it is my only outlet for venting my repressed anger and opinions).

Gitaroo Man is a music game that most people will be familiar with as long as they have played something like Parapa the Rappa. Like all games in this growing genre it is essentially timed button presses but fortunately Koei added some inovation. Thanks to the use of the analog stick you feel like you are playing an instrument but herein lies a problem. You need hand-eye coordination. If anyone reading this has a problem coordinating their hands and eyes please look at another product because this will be too difficult for you.

It took me alone a good while to learn how to perform these functions all at once. The songs are fun and catchy and, unlike Parapa, are very challenging. What I like about this is that even if you've beaten the same level 8 times, try it again and you'll probably have to resart a few times.

Initially you won't like the weird Japanesee feel or the steep learning curve but give it a try and soon you'll be hooked. While things like the battle mode seem wild at first soon you can pass by without much trouble. Just follow these steps and you'll be fine.

1. Listen to the music. It is easy to get lost in guard mode but once you learn the music more it is much easier to dodge the musical onslaught.

2. Follow the buttons as they go on the screen, not as they sound. I found myself pressing the buttons before they got to the center and I lost fairly quickly, concentrate on them getting to the center before pressing them and soon the music and the buttons coordinate perfectly.

3. Don't worry about the CPU's health. First concentrate on your own hide by dodging. When the tracker comes so you can attack, don't worry about hitting him, just hit the buttons at the right time. If you can save your own skin for a while and not screw up while attacking then the CPUs go down much much easier.

Well, I like the game but I am also disapointed on how few people will play it. Oh well, I guess some things just aren't going to happen.

Sleeper Hit!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Gitaroo-Man is almost perfect. The gameplay is very complex at first, but after getting the hang of it, you'll love it, as its very fun, addictive. But one con: its tiring. It kind of hurts your thumb keeping it on the left analog stick so long. But, just getting used to it makes it not so bad. The sound is the best part of Gitaroo-Man. A Japanese band called COIL does the music, and boy do they do a good job. It blends in perfectly with the theme of the game, and it almost seems as thought the music was designed FOR the game, rather than the other way around. Also, some decent voice acting is done, although it doesnt always match the characters mouths, and some above average sound effects. The gameplay is music- but its different from games like say- PaRappa. Instead of pressing the buttons that your "icon" passes over, the buttons come to your icon. Confusing? At first- but what happens is you highlight your notes with the analog stick, then play them with any of the 4 main buttons. Then, there is a mode where the 4 main buttons come from 4 sides of the screen. Your job is to press them when they reach your icon. You won't understand it until you fully play the game. Everything else about the game is fine. The menus are decent. But one thing- this game may be a bit too hard at first. It takes LOTS of practice. Its pretty short- but the levels will take you so many trys to beat, that it wont matter. But its progress- and you'll know it when you get better. You can always replay levels to get better ranks- and also, there is a Master Mode after you beat the main game. The graphics aren't that good- they're kind of blocky and plain looking. Luckily, there is no slowdown or anything, and they're very colorful. This game is great- I love it. I HIGHLY recommend buying it.
MY SCORE: 95/100

Hours/Months of Fun For Coordinated People

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: March 30, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I first played Gitaroo Man at the 2001 E3 show in LA. It had no interest at the booth, so that meant I could play it there for hours. I was totally enthusiastic about the control setup, which uses the left analog stick and the 4 shape-buttons to play songs. The wildly odd, endearing characters fit in perfectly, as did the music. The demo stage at this show was the funky Mojo King Bee stage, which along with the characters really had a Funkadelic mid-1970s vibe.

Most of the songs really are pretty good. Some of my friends bagged on the very foreign feel of the game. No denial- this is a heavy load of Japanese weirdness. I really dig the whole deal, though, and I have soo much fun picking the game up any given time and playing through stages I've already beaten 100 times. It's that fun. At times, the control scheme allows the music to flow through you to where you truly feel you're playing an instrument.

Beginning with easy mode level 3, almost every song seemed absolutely impossible the first couple tries. You really just have relax and feel the music- the type of note sounds and sequences each stage has. Hard mode was a fun new challenge because you suffer more damage when you mess up, so near-mastery is required.

And then, there's the Master mode. The verses are entirely new, faster, and more complex... but the songs are even better. Every level blows you away your first few tries. At this point, if the music doesn't flow through you, you've got no chance. This highlights one problem, though- if you miss a note, then you don't get to hear it. So it's really tough to learn new, challenging verses when you can't hear how they go. Each song that you do master on this level, though, remains fun and challenging as long as you own the game. I still play through Master Mode levels 2, 3, and 4 once or twice almost daily for fun.

Level 7, though, the Sanbone Trio stage, is INSANELY DIFFICULT! You have to pass an opening sequence that requires you change the controller's position in your hands on the fly twice, just to get to some damn near impossible verses. If I ever beat this level...... I'll be very happy. This is my big, and probably only gripe with the game. Maybe also that levels 5 and 6 are not a chellenge at any difficulty. But [the money I paid] has never brought me more entertainment.

The Best Game Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: September 07, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I first watched my kids play this game from a demo disc we got from PS Magazine. They seemed to like it, and I liked to watch them play it. I purchased it used and they coaxed me into playing it with them. I've been practicing in secret... This is The Best Game Ever! The music is catchy, and the characters are adorable. Even the story is cute. It is challenging, but oh so fun. Did I mention it's The Best Game Ever?!

Rock'n out Anime style

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you ever wanted to be in your own music video then Gitaroo Man is a must play for you. The story is pretty straight forward, you play as a kid named U-1 how does battle against some very odd character using your trusty guitar. The gameplay and music are this game's strong points. The controls are simple, you follow a green line with your left annolog stick pressing eithier the O or the X button to strike the notes indicated on the blue line.THis is attacking your opponet. The X,O,square, and triangle buttons are used to doge an enemy's attack. The game progressively gets harder with new songs to conquer only to unlock a hard mode. The music is great and the animation, dispite being bizzare, is cool to look at. This game also has a multi player mode in which you and a friend do battle musicly to one of the game's many songs. This game is never boring, it's fast paced action will glue you to the screen and never let you go.

"OH YEAH!"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: May 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I'd make LOVE to this game if it were so possible.

I had to get this game out of my house.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I owned Gitaroo Man for well over a year, close to two years probably. I finally ended up selling it on here for $30. (Who knew it was worth so much?).

Gitaroo Man is your standard (read: Japanese Weird) rhythm game, where you punch buttons and move the analog stick in accordance to the 'music'. Whether you have any sort of rhythm is really arbitary to your success in this game. Gitaroo Man really measures your ability to remember the button patterns, your reflexes, and your knowledge of where those buttons are on your PS2 controller.

I had to get this game out of my house, though. I had been stuck for 6+ months on the 6th song, and I knew it was hopeless for me to try and finish it.

only ps2 game i bought 2wice

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 14
Date: December 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I had this game for a long while me and my friend bought the game when it game out, we split the cost. It was a great game, i just had a very bad experience with playing it, see i sucked at it. And whenever i pointed out my mistakes my friends brother would bash me down. I ended up hating the game and never wanting to play it again, until my sister played it. Then i started playing it alot again. I showed her how to play and she ended up surpassing me, and beating the game. She beat it before any of my friends or firends brothers beat it. Then she beat it on hard; and was going for master. Until, i gave the game back to my friend, onos. My friend now says he gave it back to me which, i could of sworn was true but as it seems, i dont have the game. SO i know have to buy it again, i'm going to give it to my sister as a late x-mas present since she was so worried about getting it back when he had it.

Mega Amounts of Fun!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you liked Parappa the Rapper or UmJammer Lammy (or if you like funky Japanese techno music), this game is for you! You are the star of this music-based video game as Gitaroo Man. Your goal (as always) is to save the universe. The catch? You must do so only with your amazing musical skills.

Using the left analog stick and buttons, you play some amazing riffs on your 'magical' guitar - thereby destorying the evil boss's minions (and saving the universe.)

The game is a lot of fun, and the programmers made sure to include an extensive training level so you can get the hang of it before attempting any life-threatening battles. It takes a bit to get used to (especially since the game makes extensive use of the otherwise-dormant analog sticks) but once you have the hang of it you'll be addicted in no time!

The best part is that once you've beaten the game on easy/regular mode, you can play the entire thing again on Master! (Which, by the way, is really pretty difficult.)

Beware: This game is not for those lacking in the hand-eye coordination department.

Enjoy!

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