Gitaroo Man Lives!
2006
- music
- fantasy
- comedy
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
In this strange music rhythm game, you play Gitaroo-Man as you go against various music themed villains. The game puts a new twist on music games as you not only have to time button presses but you have to move the analog stick around in a radar circle to follow a line that passes through the center point. You can play up to 4 players using the multitap and choose from a variety of characters, songs, and locales. Along with local Ad-Hoc multiplayer and additional difficulty options, the game adds a new Duet mode, in which two players control Gitaroo Man and Kirah in two exclusive new stages, "Metal Header" and "Toda Pasión". These levels may also be played alone if the handheld's Ad-Hoc is activated.
What it’s like
Bright, cartoonish anime-pop with saturated primary colours and bouncy, hand-drawn character art that stays crisp on a small PSP screen. The mood is goofy and boisterous rather than moody: a cast of flamboyant rock-and-pop villains, quick comic cutaways, and a soundtrack of loud guitar riffs, synth-pop and punchy J-rock that drives every stage. Gameplay is built around rhythm: you tap buttons on the beat while steering the analog stick around a radar circle to trace a line through its centre, so the hands stay busy and the energy stays high. Sessions are short, one song at a time, which suits a commute, a flight, or a playful evening with friends. Violence is cartoon-style and bloodless, with explosions and fantastical battles but no gore, and nothing sexual or frightening. The emotional register is upbeat and earnest, with a hero's-journey warmth. It suits players who want a lively, low-stakes challenge with a sense of humour, especially those who enjoy multiplayer rhythm play in the same room.
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