Gitaroo Man

Last updated
Gitaroo Man
Gitaroo Man Cover Art.png
North American PS2 box art
Developer(s) iNiS
Publisher(s)
Director(s) Yukio Shimomura
Designer(s) Keiichi Yano
Artist(s) Kotaro Umeji, Mitsuru Nakamura
Composer(s)
  • COIL
  • Tomohiro Harada
  • YUAN
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Release
  • PlayStation 2
    • JP: June 21, 2001
    • NA: February 18, 2002
    • EU: June 21, 2002
  • PlayStation Portable
    • JP: June 8, 2006
    • EU: September 29, 2006
    • NA: November 14, 2006
Genre(s) Music
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Gitaroo Man [a] is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Koei for PlayStation 2. The game features visual production by Mitsuru Nakamura and an original soundtrack by Japanese band COIL. The game was released in Japan on June 21, 2001, in North America on February 18, 2002 and in Europe on June 21, 2002. A port of the game for PlayStation Portable, titled Gitaroo Man Lives! [b] , was released in 2006.

Contents

Story

Gitaroo Man follows a young boy named U-1 [c] who is often picked on by his rival Kazuya and passed over by the girl of his dreams, Pico. One day, as U-1 is suddenly attacked, his talking dog Puma transforms and gives him a weapon known as the Last Gitaroo, which transforms U-1 into the legendary warrior Gitaroo Man. After defeating many enemies, sent by Prince Zowie of the Gravillian Empire, and obtaining their Gitaroos, Puma brings a reluctant U-1 to Planet Gitaroo, which had been invaded by the Gravillian Empire. Upon arriving there, U-1 befriends a girl named Kirah, only to later discover that she is Zowie's gladiator. Refusing to fight her, U-1 uses the power of music to convince Kirah to stand up against Zowie. Obtaining all eight Gitaroos, U-1 becomes the True Gitaroo Man and defeats Zowie, after which he returns home as a more confident person.

Gameplay

An example of Gitaroo Man's charge mode Gitarooman.image1.jpg
An example of Gitaroo Man's charge mode

Gitaroo Man is a rhythm game in which the player character, U-1, faces against various opponents in musical battles. In each level, both the player and opponent has a life bar, with the player tasked with depleting the opponent's life bar and reaching the end of the song without running out of life. With some exceptions, each level consists of three main phases; Charge, Attack, and Guard, followed by the Harmony and End phases at the end of the level. During the Charge and Attack phases, players follow a "trace line" using the analog stick, upon which red "phase bars" will appear. By pressing and holding down the button at the start of a phase, timing it to its appearance at the center of the screen, and releasing the button at the end, the player plays music. In the Charge phase, successful notes restore the player's health, whereas in the Attack phase, successful notes damage the opponents whilst missed notes will hurt the player. During the guard phase, players must hit corresponding buttons as they reach the center of the screen to avoid attacks from the opponent, taking damage should they miss. Unlike the player's life, which ends the game if depleted, the opponent's life bar indicates the progress of the player. Most levels are split up into different sections, which can have multiple variations on each playthrough, and the player must damage the opponent enough to move onto the next section. Otherwise, they will have to repeat the section until enough damage is dealt. At the end of a level, players play through the Harmony phase, which is similar to the Attack phase, and keep on playing til the End phase, at which point the player will no longer take damage. After each level, players are given a rank based on their performance, with good ranks earning items for the collection, which unlocks character bios.

Masters' Play is an additional mode unlocked after clearing the game once. In this mode, gameplay is harder as more complex notes appear, the "trace line" becomes more complex with more twists and turns and thus harder to follow and players take more damage from mistakes. Versus Mode is a game for up four players, where players battle against each other in two teams playing Gitaroo Man's parts and his opponent's parts respectively. Not all songs are available in the mode, and some songs are altered to provide better balance for both players compared to the single player mode. The PSP version additionally features Duet Mode, in which two players can play co-operatively ad hoc in two exclusive new levels; "Metal Header" and "Toda Pasion".

Soundtrack

The Gitaroo Man Original Soundtrack is an audio CD released in 2001, containing the majority of the songs found in the PS2 video game Gitaroo Man. While it is missing the background music played during the Collection viewing and the Masters' Play versions of songs, it does have four "Ropeland" remixes of certain stages.

Release

Gitaroo Man One (ギタルマン ワン, Gitaru Man Wan), a budget trial version of the game, was released prior to the full game's Japanese launch, on April 5, 2001. [1] It features the original TGS trailer, alternate versions of some of the game's songs, an art gallery mode, and a mini game starring Puma. Each copy also included three collectible cards with which players could play rock paper scissors. [2]

Gitaroo Man Lives!

Gitaroo Man Lives!, known in Japan as Gitaroo Man Live! (ギタルマン ライブ！, Gitaru Man Raibu!), is a port of the game released for the PlayStation Portable in Japan on June 8, 2006, in Europe on September 29, 2006, and in North America on November 14, 2006. 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.

Reception

According to the game's designer Keiichi Yano, the game was commercially successful in the United States, where it sold more copies than it did in Japan. [22]

Edge awarded the game a score of 7 out of 10; [23] the game was later included in that magazine's staff- and reader-voted "Top 100 Games" list published in July 2007. [24] Despite a number of positive reviews, the North American and European versions of Gitaroo Man were produced in very low quantities by Koei and, as a result, have become somewhat rare; it is regarded as a cult video game.[ citation needed ] Around November 2005 in North America, copies of Gitaroo Man began popping up in GameStop game stores. This was due to a reprint by GameQuestDirect, similar to their previous reprints of PlayStation RPGs Persona 2 and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure , both of which were previously very rare. The game was also reissued in Europe around this time.

Blake Fischer reviewed the PlayStation 2 version of the game for Next Generation , rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "The genius here isn't in any bold gameplay innovations; it's that it delivers a fun, well-rounded package that is beautifully crafted." [25] It was a runner-up for GameSpot's annual "Best Music on PlayStation 2" and "Best Game No One Played on PlayStation 2" awards. [26]

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ Gitaru Man (ギタルマン)
  2. ↑ Known as Gitaroo Man Live! (ギタルマンライブ!, Gitaru Man Raibu!) in Japan
  3. ↑ Pronounced "Yuuichi" in the Japanese version and "you-one" in the English version

Related Research Articles

<i>Mario Kart: Super Circuit</i> 2001 video game

Mario Kart: Super Circuit is a 2001 kart racing game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third Mario Kart game and retains its predecessors' gameplay: as a Mario franchise character, the player races opponents around tracks based on locales from the Super Mario platform games. Tracks contain obstacles and power-ups that respectively hamper and aid the player's progress. Super Circuit includes various single-player and multiplayer game modes, including a Grand Prix racing mode and a last man standing battle mode.

<i>Lumines: Puzzle Fusion</i> 2004 puzzle video game

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion is a 2004 puzzle game developed by Q Entertainment and published for the PlayStation Portable by Bandai in Japan and by Ubisoft elsewhere. The gameplay tasks players to arrange descending two-colored 2×2 blocks to create 2×2 squares of matching color. A vertical line called the "time line" sweeps across the field, erases completed squares, and awards points. Each stage has a skin that affects the background, block colors, music, and the speed of the time line.

<i>Tekken 6</i> 2007 fighting video game

Tekken 6 is a 2007 fighting game developed and published by Bandai Namco Games. It is the sixth main and seventh overall installment in the Tekken franchise. It was released on arcades in November 2007 as the first game running on the PlayStation 3-based System 357 arcade board. A year later, the game received an update, subtitled Bloodline Rebellion; both versions also saw a limited release in North America. A home version based on the update was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October 2009; this was the first time a main installment was produced for another console. A port to PlayStation Portable was also released shortly after.

<i>WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006</i> 2005 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 is a professional wrestling video game and developed by Yuke's that was released on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable by THQ in 2005. It is part of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and is the successor to the 2004 game of the same name. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was also the first game in the series to be released on PlayStation Portable and the last game in the SmackDown!/SmackDown! vs. Raw series that was PlayStation exclusive.

<i>Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection</i> 2005 fighting video game

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is a 2005 fighting game and a standalone update to the PlayStation 2 game Tekken 5. The arcade version was released in Japan in December 2005 and later worldwide in February of 2006, while the PSP version was released later that year in July 2006. The game was also released as a downloadable game on the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network online service in Japan in 2006 and the rest of the world in 2007. A sequel, Tekken 6 was released in 2007.

<i>Armored Core: Last Raven</i> 2005 video game

Armored Core: Last Raven (アーマード・コアラストレイヴン) is a 2005 mecha-based vehicular combat game developed by FromSoftware. It is part of the Armored Core series and is a direct sequel to Armored Core: Nexus (2004). The game was originally released for the PlayStation 2 and was ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2010. Gameplay remains largely unchanged from the game's predecessors and is centered around piloting a large mech in combat missions for various clients. The game is also notable for being the debut project of future FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki.

<i>OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast</i> 2006 video game

OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, released as OutRun 2 SP in Japan, is a 2006 racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega for home systems. It is the ninth title in the Out Run series, and the final one to have a physical release. The game is an updated version of OutRun 2 and is split into two parts: a conversion of OutRun 2 SP and "Coast 2 Coast", which includes single-player races and challenges, and local network and internet multiplayer.

<i>Mega Man Powered Up</i> 2006 video game

Mega Man Powered Up is a 2006 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console in March 2006. It is a remake of the original Mega Man game released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Players control the eponymous star Mega Man who must stop Dr. Wily from conquering the world using eight robots called Robot Masters. Unlike the original game, players can control these eight Robot Masters under the right circumstances. Other new features include a level creator mode and a challenge mode.

<i>Kollon</i> 2003 video game

Kollon (ころん) is a 2003 Arcade puzzle game developed by MagicPot and published by CyberFront. Kollon was later ported to the PlayStation Portable as a launch title in 2004.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007</i> 2006 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ in 2006. It is the third game under the WWE SmackDown vs Raw name, the eighth game overall in the video game series based on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestling promotion, and is the successor to 2005's WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006. The game was released worldwide in November 2006 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, and a month later for PlayStation Portable. The Xbox 360 version was the first game in the series to be published on a seventh-generation video game console. A PlayStation 3 version was also planned as a launch title but was later canceled.

<i>Metal Slug Anthology</i> 2006 video game

Metal Slug Anthology is a video game compilation for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PC and the Wii. The Wii version boasts different controller configurations, most taking advantage of the Wii Remote, with the Japanese version supporting the Classic Controller and all regional variants supporting the GameCube controller. The game also marks the return of SNK Playmore as a third-party developer for a Nintendo console since the SNES era.

<i>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is a 2006 action-adventure game based on the film of the same name developed by Griptonite Games and Amaze Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and mobile phones.

<i>Marvel Trading Card Game</i> Video game for Nintendo DS, Windows, and PlayStation Portable

Marvel Trading Card Game is a video game for the Nintendo DS, Windows, and PlayStation Portable. It was developed by Vicious Cycle Software and 1st Playable Productions and published by Konami. The game is based on Upper Deck Entertainment's Marvel Comics-based collectible card game, and was released across all three platforms in several regions in 2007.

<i>Jackass: The Game</i> 2007 video game

Jackass: The Game is a party video game based on the MTV reality stunt show of the same name. It was developed by Sidhe for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, while the Nintendo DS version was developed by Sensory Sweep Studios. The game was published by Red Mile Entertainment.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008</i> 2007 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is a professional wrestling video game published by THQ in November 2007, and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation Portable video game consoles, with Amaze Entertainment overseeing development for the Nintendo DS version.

<i>Dissidia Final Fantasy</i> 2008 video game

Dissidia Final Fantasy is a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign for the Final Fantasy series' 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in North America on August 25, 2009, and in Australia and Europe in September. It was then re-released in Japan, based on the North American version, as Dissidia Final Fantasy: Universal Tuning, on November 1, 2009.

<i>Echochrome</i> 2008 video game

Echochrome is a 2008 puzzle video game developed by Will and Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). A PlayStation 3 was released the same year in North America and Europe. The gameplay involves a mannequin figure traversing a rotatable world where physics and reality depend on perspective. The world is occupied by Oscar Reutersvärd's impossible constructions. This concept is inspired by M. C. Escher's artwork, such as "Relativity". The game is based on the Object Locative Environment Coordinate System developed by Jun Fujiki—an engine that determines what is occurring based on the camera's perspective.

<i>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009</i> 2008 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360 video game consoles, with TOSE overseeing development for the Nintendo DS version. The game was first released on November 9, 2008, in North America. It is the tenth overall installment in the video game series based on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the fifth game under the SmackDown vs. Raw name, named after the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brands. It is the sequel to 2007's SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 and the second game to feature the promotion's ECW brand.

<i>MotorStorm: Arctic Edge</i> 2009 video game

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is the third game in the MotorStorm series of video games, developed by Bigbig Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2, which was released in 2009.

<i>Marvel Super Hero Squad</i> (video game) 2009 video game

Marvel Super Hero Squad is a video game developed by Blue Tongue Entertainment, Mass Media, and Halfbrick and published by THQ. It was released in October 2009 for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii. The game features cartoonish super-deformed versions of the Marvel Comics superhero characters, as seen in the Marvel Super Hero Squad toy line by Hasbro, as well as the television show made by Film Roman and Marvel Animation for Cartoon Network.

References

  1. ↑ Amazon.co.jp： 先行マキシシングル ギタルマン ワン: ゲーム
  2. ↑ Benfield, Lee (2017-08-23). "Gitaroo Man". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
  3. ↑ "Gitaroo Man for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Gitaroo Man Lives! for PSP Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ Reed, Kristan (July 6, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Gitaroo Man". Game Informer . No. 107. March 2002. p. 78.
  7. ↑ Kato, Matthew. "Gitaroo-Man Lives". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on 2007-01-29. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  8. ↑ Hurh, JP (November 16, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". GameRevolution . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ Davis, Ryan (February 14, 2002). "Gitaroo-Man Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  10. ↑ Davis, Ryan (November 30, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ Osborne, Scott (March 22, 2002). "Gitaroo-Man Review". GameSpy . Archived from the original on 2004-12-20. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  12. ↑ Theobald, Phil (November 14, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". GameSpy . Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  13. ↑ Sewart, Greg (October 24, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ McElfish, Carlos (March 8, 2002). "Gitaroo-Man Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2005-08-27. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ jkdmedia, GameZone (4 May 2012). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! - PSP - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ Smith, David (February 25, 2002). "Gitaroo-Man Review". IGN . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  17. ↑ Castro, Juan (December 5, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". IGN . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Gitaroo Man". Play (UK magazine) . No. 3. March 2002. p. 43.
  19. ↑ "Gitaroo Man". Play (UK magazine) . No. 144. September 2006. p. 78.
  20. ↑ Parkin, Simon (October 6, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives!". GameSpy . Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  21. ↑ Orry, Tom (October 9, 2006). "Gitaroo-Man Lives! Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  22. ↑ Kohler, Chris (2004). Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life . Indianapolis, IN: BradyGames. p. 236. ISBN   978-0-7440-0424-3.
  23. ↑ Anon. Edge staff (September 2001). "Gitarooman". Edge . No. 101. Bath: Future plc. p. 83.
  24. ↑ Edge staff (2 July 2007). "Edge's Top 100 Games of All Time". Edge . Future plc. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  25. ↑ Fischer, Blake (November 2001). "Finals". Next Generation . Vol. 4, no. 11. Imagine Media. p. 105.
  26. ↑ GameSpot Staff (December 30, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot . Archived from the original on February 7, 2003.
  27. ↑ "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006". IGN. Archived from the original on 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.