Gitaroo Man Lives!

7.9
Good

Gameplay	8.0	"A great, but niche and difficult rhythm game."
Graphics	7.0
Sound	8.5
Value	7.0

By Liam O'Connor

And here we are with yet another PlayStation 2 port for a PSP. But wait a second; this isn’t any old PS2 game quickly thrown onto the PSP to cash in on an already lacklustre franchise. No, this is a port of the highly acclaimed but oft-forgotten Guitaroo-Man.

Guitaroo-Man was perhaps the most original rhythm-action game since Parappa the Rapper. Indeed, the title has a lot in common with Sony’s offering, including a simliar crazy, whacked-out, and simply Japanese story to tie the game together.

Unlike Parappa, which saw players pushing buttons in time with the music, Simon says style, to complete a range of tasks, Guitaroo-Man sees players competing in a series of matches that loosely resemble those of a two-on-two fighting game. Each match can consist of any combination of three elements.

The first element is a charge element, where players rotate a dial so that the music line passes directly through it, while pressing and holding the circle button, as required to create music. Getting the timing right will increase your health, while failing to hit the notes of trace the line will earn you nothing.

The mechanic works well, as life can be precious, so every note is as valuable as the rest. Obviously in early stages line tracing is easier than in later stages, where the rhythms can become so frantic that it’s almost impossible to tap them out fast enough.

Another segment is attack, which works like the charge segment, but you’ll be chipping away at your opponent’s health, rather than building your own. The more notes you hit, the more damage you do.

The last segment consists of defence, where the opposing character attacks you with some sweet tunes, and Guitaroo-Man must defend by pushing buttons at the right moment. Like the charge and attack sections, these aren’t too hard in earlier stages, but in later stages they can become quite difficult.

The original Guitaroo-Man was a blast for anyone who could get past the quirky, silly Japanese melodrama – or even enjoyed it. The mechanic was fresh, the tunes were catchy and original, and the game basically oozed style and quality. With like all things precious, it quickly faded into the realm of the rare, and it’s quite a sought after prize in hardcore circuit.

But now gamers have a chance to once again play the game thanks to the PSP version. How does it hold up? The game is basically intact, with a few minor graphical concessions. And they are minor, because Guitaroo-Man was never graphically amazing. The soundtrack is intact, thanks to the PSP’s UMD format, although the loading times are a bit long.

The game-play is replicated well, thanks to the PSP’s analog slider. However, the close proximity of the buttons and the awkward placing of the d-pad coupled with the fast and frantic nature of the game means that your hands are likely to start cramping up after a few matches. It’s fun, but it’s also very, very painful.

At the end of the day, Guitaroo-Man Lives! is a shining example of how rhythm-action games do not need to be limited to tapping in time to falling blocks. Those elements are present, sure, but the music line means the game requires control and finesse. Completing a stage isn’t enough; you’re going to want to master these songs.

If you have even a passing interest in the rhythm-action genre and you have a PSP, you should certainly look into getting Guitaroo-Man Lives! If for no other reason, you should appreciate being given the chance to play this classic again. Everyone else, providing you don’t have some ridiculous too-cool complex, might wish to check it out, but be warned this is a rather niche and difficult rhythm-action game. It’s great, but it’s not for everyone.

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