Last Dance: Gitaroo Man
When most people think about music rhythm games, the "Simon Says" gameplay of titles like Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Dance Dance Revolution are probably the first things to come to mind. While these are fine examples of the genre, all of them feel rooted in the same base mechanic: hit the falling note when it reaches the line. Each put their own spin on it with dance pad, microphones, or replica instruments, but none of them seem to explore music structure much deeper than that. I'm a big fan of these games and the music rhythm genre as a whole, but will be the first to admit that some of the experiences are extremely shallow and only have the player reacting to a rigid pattern instead of interacting with their worlds, visuals, and sounds. This week's Last Dance recalls a music game that passed up controller gimmicks for gameplay that has the player think about the concepts of choruses and verses through an intuitive language of offense and defense. Featuring a soundtrack that spans a full spectrum of music genres and a cast of memorably bizarre characters, Gitaroo Man for the PS2 is a refreshing reminder of the exactly what makes the music genre so extraordinarily unique.
I have the awful habit of just jumping into a game without reading a manual. Lucky for me, most games today don't usually require reading their instruction booklets. But when I played Gitaroo Man for the first time, I knew I was missing something. The gameplay is pretty simple and I was able to pass the first level on my first try, so I wasn't missing any vital information about the game itself, but the thing was that the game's story goes from zero to sixty almost instantaneously. In order for it to make any sense at all, I was forced to read manual, which clearly states...
Gitaroo Man is the story of a young boy who is often picked on at school and constantly passed over by the girl of his dreams, Little Piko. However, U-1, the young boy, has a secret, unknown even to him until the day his beloved dog Puma tells him of his true heritage; that he is the last in the line of the legendary Gitaroo Man and that his destiny is to save the planet of Gitaroo from the clutches of the evil Gravillians family. Does U-1 have the courage to save his planet and his people? And himself?
...so basically with the help from his dog, U-1 transforms into an out of this world Gitaroo-ist space man and takes on intergalactic baddies. Each song is a one on one fight between U-1 and one of the Gravillians. Not unlike a traditional fighting game, there are two health bars at the top of the screen and the player's goal is to knock the villain out. "Combat," for the lack of a better word, comes in the form of some back and forth between the two characters with distinct phases to the battle. There's a guard phase that will send circle, X, square, triangle icons at the player to block, a charge phase that has the player using the right analogue stick to trace of music to regain energy, a battle phase works similarly used to attack the Gravillian, and ultimately a final phase were the player pounds the remaining crap out of the monster and saves the day.
The structure is simpler in practice than it sounds and manages to find a natural flow through each songs verses and choruses. Throughout the adventure you'll play through some standard music genres you would expect to find, such as some fairly generic techno and heavy metal, along with some surprises here and there to spice things up. One of these surprises has to be one of the most emotionally evocative experiences I have yet to behold in a music game. After crashing landing on planet Gitaroo, the player is greeted with a soothingly gentle acoustic guitar ballad. Traditionally the music game genre tends to emphasize and reward games that encourage manic button smashing accompanied with a cacophony of abrasive noise, but it's rare that designers will strive for something much more subtle and restrained. It's difficult to put into words how delightfully jarring the event is, but it easily ranks among one of my most favorite levels ever. Other fantastically offbeat moments include an incredible showdown with a trio of maraca wielding skeletons, a synthesized UFO, and my personal favorite, a character by the name of Mojo King Bee. As a cross between the Simpson's Disco Stu and Bubble Bee Man, Mojo "reigns over the darkness with his Trumpet Gitaroo." Seriously, the game throws a human sized disco bee toting a lethal trumpet at you, what's not to love?
The proof in any music game is in the musical pudding. Right next to other memorable games like Pa Rappa The Rapper and Space Channel 5, Gitaroo-Man's music is full of character and life, making the experience feel more like a traditional musical than game. I figure there's no better way to convince someone of this than to include on my favorite number from the game...
It's hard to gauge just how much of a success Gitaroo Man was upon initial release in 2002. It didn't exactly set any sales charts on fire, but somehow found enough of an audience through word of mouth to generate interest in a PSP remake that would get released in 2006. Either version of the game is worth looking into, though the PSP port may be easier to find since the original didn't get much of a production run the first time around. You'll get a few extra songs with the portable version, but PS2 players won't be missing much from these rather weak additions.
It's fascinating to think about the fact that this is one of iNiS's first titles. Before we would meet the Elite Beat Agents and Ouendan cheer squads or put our Lips to the test, right out of the gate the team was able to not just able to produce an adequate music experience for it's time but excel at creating a unique title that would still be considered ahead of it's time years after its release. It may sound strange, but playing Gitaroo Man reminds me of playing through Treasure's first effort and action staple, Gunstar Heroes. Both games use an established genre as a base but added something undeniably fun, quirky, addictive, and distinctive that it feels like a literal breath of fresh air. The games signaled the arrival of a new approach that shaped how the developer would craft games from that point on and left a long lasting mark on the genre as a whole in the process.
Game-Boy
Posted to Video Games on 17 December 2008
· Comments (7)
Other stuff like this: gitaroo man, inis corp, last dance, music game, ps2
One of the best games in my PS2 library. I don't know how many times I've finished the game and how many times the second and third song on Master's Play handed my ass to me.
I still keep my fingers crossed for a sequel.
Oh Gitaroo man... We have a copy at the Gamestop where I work, and if it weren't for HD lag fears, it'd still be in my library. Oh well, I'll have to get a PSP and Gitaroo Man Lives!
I still have not beat Zowie...bastard.
@SuperTimsy
I actually did beat Zowie... but it took me a lot of time and effort, and of course, I had to use my secret weapon.
The same secret weapon that led me to victory against Dracula's 3rd form in Castlevania X.
The same secret weapon that allowed me the ability to defeat any opponent and overcome the worst odds.
I finished it on the terlit. XD
DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!
Oh man, this is one of my most favorite games evar.
I still hold out hope for someday finishing it on Master Mode... I can only get to the Sanbone Trio and they totally own me. :(
@JeffSpender Yeah, ditto on that. Though I can beat the entire game on Master Mode on the PSP version. But I think the game is a bit easier on the PSP in general.
So weird how this was posted the day after I had ordered it online for PSP. I Love the game and will have to play it over again.
It would be great to see a sequel of some sorts come out.