Gitaroo-Man defies description. One look at a movie clip of the game or even a close examination of the front cover will make you realize that it isn't a normal game - whatever normal is anyway. And after playing the game, you still won't adequately be able to describe it - perhaps simply saying "It's weird, but good," is enough. The story of the game involves a boy named U-1 and his dog, Puma. Apparently U-1 is the legendary Gitaroo Man, and when a distant planet and its ruler decide to try and take over the universe, U-1 must rise the the challenge and defeat all his opponents in order to collect gitaroo (which sequentially light up a ring on his guitar). During the course of the game U-1 will grow from the whiny, shell of a boy (dare I say 'loser'?) and come to understand things a little better. The story carries the game, but it too is extremely odd, as are the opponents you square off against in gitaroo battles. The battles themselves are the rhythm components of the game, which move from a charge stage (where you charge your health bar) to the battle, and finally an end solo of sorts where you finish off the enemy. During the battle stage you must use the face buttons to dodge the enemy's instrument, while firing off your own onslaught. How you play your gitaroo, however, is the unique bit - rather than carefully timed button presses (which exist only to block), you use a button and the left analog stick. The 'notes' you must hit slide at you along a line, and you must press and hold the button according to the indicators, as well as rotate the stick in order to keep it aligned with the direction of the flow. It's difficult to describe, but it works well, and as the complexity of the songs increase, it becomes very difficult. Indeed, after you've beaten the game the first time, you unlock Master mode, which is extremely difficult. A music game wouldn't be much of a game without good music, and Gitaroo Man has a wide variety of selections, with most of them being quite catchy. There are a couple, however, that can get a bit grating (namely the song where you're fighting while U-1 is in a robot), but the others are good enough it won't really matter. There is one melody that enters midway through the game that is extremely catchy. Graphics are clean, and although the textures are vibrant and detailed, they're really quite ugly. However, it's intentional, and you won't be able to pay much attention to the graphics while you try to nail most of the sequences; they're mostly for the benefit of anyone watching your performance. Gitaroo-Man is odd and hard, but addicting. It's a wholly unique music game that everyone should try at least once, and the art style, music and storytelling are so utterly bizarre that it's hard to not fall in love with its crazy charm.
Other Helpful Reviews for Gitaroo-Man One (Trial Version)
I tend to hate rhythm/music games, which is why I was surprised by how much I enjoyed playing this game. With a steep learning curve, it is initially difficult to get used to the unorthodox controls. However, once it "... Read Full Review
12 year olds are whiney, little brats. That's true, but piss this guy off and he'll show you the passion of rock and the majesty of roll. Gitaroo Man is his name. The game is a combination of Sony's PaRappa the Rapper... Read Full Review
