Post by cj iwakura on Jan 6, 2005 2:18:35 GMT -5
In this little, and rather rare, PS2 gem, the player follows the adventures of the low self-esteemed skater U-1, and his trusty dog Puma, on his quest to rid the universe of the evil Gravillian empire, and fulfill his heritage as the legendary Gitaroo Man.
However, to do so, U-1 must defeat the powerful Gravillian Gitaroo Masters, before he can finally return home.. and just maybe win the heart of his beloved Piko.
Thus starts the tale of rhythmic hardcore that is Gitaroo Man. Gameplay is rather simple, involving the manipulation of the analog stick to follow an ever-changing trail of melody, during which the buttons are used to play the Gitaroo(unsurprisingly utilized like a guitar) to the theme of the song in question.
While the regular mode is completed easily enough, the Master level of difficulty staggers many accomplished rhythm gamers to this day. But before deciding to set off on this daunting task, why not enlighten yourself on the cast beforehand?
(Besides, you'll have a pretty hard time getting your hands on this game if you haven't already, most likely.)
SPOILERS FOLLOW, by the way.
Main Cast
U-1 / Gitaroo-man
Legendary hero of Planet Gitaroo. Wants nothing more than just to go home and win the heart of his beloved Pico. However, fate (and his dog) has other plans..
It is said he will show his true form when all 8 Legendary Gitaroos are collected.
Puma
Gitaroo Man's partner. He aids Gitaroo Man in destroying the Gravillians.. and making U-1's life rather painful in the process. Has a cutesy facade, but is likely just a demeanor for..
Puma AC30
The 'insufferable mutt' 's true form, revealed when Puma fuses with the Last Gitaroo on the molecular level(for safekeeping).
Pico
A girl who is the object of Gitaroo Man's desire. She's cute, nice, and has a penchant for being oblivious.. especially to U-1.
Kazuya
Another acquaintance of U-1's who also has designs on Pico. Unfortunately for U-1, his superior skills on a skateboard usually result in Kazuya's distracting Pico from him.
An only child who lives in an upscale residence.
Kirah
A shy and reserved girl with the heart of a warrior. U-1 meets her later in his quest, and it's practically love at first sight. Maybe because she bears a particularly strong resemblance to a certain crush..
She excels at baking Gitaroo Apple Pies.
Kirah is later revealed to be the most powerful Gravillian Warrior, trained from childhood to be a Gitaroo Master. She is said to be undefeated.
Zowie
Prince of the Gravillians. Soon reveals himself as the one in charge of all the generally bad things going on, making him a primary target for U-1 to halt the Gravillian assault. Occupied with his conquest of the universe, all that remains is his acquisition of the eight legendary Gitaroos.
No one has ever seen his Gitaroo, and it's considered unwise to try.
Also bears a strange resemblance to a particular rival..
MingMing
Zowie's cat. A mean critter with an inclination towards mocking Zowie's adversaries.
Gravillains
Panpeus
A baby-faced demon who rips through space-time to hunt down U-1, and claim his Gitaroo for his own.
Gitaroo: An axe.
Flying-O
A synthesizer-driven UFO who brings along a series of henchmen(aptly dubbed the 'Little-Os') to wreak havoc on Earth with his 'Dance-Until-Death-Rays.'
Mojo King Bee
A soulful musician who rules the darkness from the forest with his Trumpet Gitaroo. Always wears shades.
Ben K
A robotic space shark sent to intercept U-1 on his way to fight the Gravillians.
Later takes on the form of a humanoid with a Turntable Gitaroo, whose karate moves prove him a man of many talents.
Carrot, Soda, and Pine: The Sanbone Trio
The guardians of Zowie's lair, and some of the most menacing rivals ever devised. Three mariachis who use their bones as Gitaroos, and have unparalled staying power in a fight.
Gregorio Siegfried Wilheim The III
Maintains The Great Cathedral of the Gravillian lair, which was liberated from the Gitallines. The Cathedral itself is Gregorio's Gitaroo, and he's not a foe to be taken lightly.
Finds inspiration for art in tragedy and pain.
Angel(s)
Caretakers of the Great Cathedral, which now follow the will of the Gravillians- Gregorio in particular.
Supporting Cast
Miranda
Leader of the Gitalline people. Once the greatest Gitaroo player in the universe: reduced to a Gravillian prisoner. Can come in handy as a voice of wisdom.. that is, if he doesn't drive you crazy with his holier-than-thou nature first.
Noren, Mr. Yasuda, (unknown)
Three mysterious cosplayers who follow U-1 around on each of his battles, seemingly to provide backup instrumentation. Have no real role in the story apart from this.. but they ARE playable in the VS battles.
Music
Boogie For An Afternoon
Genre: ?
Level: Tutorial
Difficulty: N/A
Setting: U1's room
Twisted Reality
Genre: Rock
Level: Panpeus
Difficulty: Normal * / Master ****
Setting: U1's home
Flyin' To Your Heart
Genre: Eurobeat
Level: Flying-O
Difficulty: Normal ** / Master ******
Setting: Town
(FunFact: The Flying-O's and the afflicted citizens all do the ParaPara.)
Bee' Jam Blues
Genre: Blues
Level: Mojo King Bee
Difficulty: Normal *** / Master *******
Setting: Forest
VOID
Genre: Techno
Level: Ben K [First]
Difficulty: Normal **** / Master ******
Setting: Outer Space
'Nuff Respect
Genre: Reggae
Level: Ben K [Second]
Difficulty: Normal * / Master ***
Setting: Space Station
The Legendary Theme (Acoustic Version)
Genre: Acoustic
Level: Kirah [First]
Difficulty: Normal * / Master *****
Setting: Shore at sunset
(FunFact: the cosplay trio float by on a canoe while U-1 woos Kirah.)
Born To Be Bone
Genre: Latin
Level: Sanbone Trio
Difficulty: Normal **** / Master *********
Setting: Gravillian Courtyard / Prison
Tainted Lovers
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Level: Gregorio
Difficulty: Normal ***** / Master [TBA -estimated 8/9 *]
Setting: The Great Cathedral
(FunFact: Gregorio references his mother upon winning.)
Overpass / The Legendary Theme (Original Version)
Genre: Electric Guitar
Level: Kirah [second]
Difficulty: Normal **** / Master [TBA - estimated 7/8 *]
Setting: Gravillian Concert Hall
Resurrection
Genre: Arena Rock
Level: Zowie
Difficulty: Normal ****** / Master [TBA - estimated 9/10 *]
Setting: The Atmosphere
Gameplay
Every level in Gitaroo Man(save one) follows a simple outline of three parts: Charge, Battle, and Final.
During Charge, the player must get as many chords on key as possible to build up the life as high as possible.
(Life starts out MUCH lower on Master Level, and is tougher to gain, so this is crucial.)
No damage is taken during Charge, but if enough life isn't gained before the next section, it might not make a difference.
The accuracy of the notes performed are graded by Great, Good, OK, and Miss. The better the performance, the more damage you'll inflict/health you'll regain.
It occasionally also helps to perfectly time the entry/departure into a new bar of chords.
During Battle, the player fights the opponent with not just the chords, but occasionally by pushing the face buttons (X/O/Square/Triangle) to the beat of the song. This is rather easy on Normal, but on Master, expect 8th note fests coming from all directions. Also, the notes are tighter together on Master, roughly the equivalent of using a 1x speed mod instead of 1.5. While nailing the chords harms the opponent, missing causes damage.
Battle Mode can go on until either the player is defeated, or until the enemy's life reaches a certain point. The song may cycle endlessly until either happens.
Lastly, during Final, the player and the enemy go at it in an all-or-nothing showdown. An endless trail of analogal guitar chords. Make it to the end and win, otherwise, it's over.
The only exception to this setup is the Acoustic Level, during which the player can only perform chords and try not to lose health(there is no charge), and during certain levels like Nuff Respect and Resurrection, where Charge/Battle conflicts happen repeatedly.
Also, by performing well on songs and getting the highest grades(As), the player can unlock information on the cast in the gallery: narrated by none other than Gregorio himself, who has a distinctly.. unique take on the different characters.
Edits forthcoming with imagery(hopefully) and any additional information I can find, such as BPMs, notecounts, grade prerequesites, FMV synopses, all that good stuff.
If you have any of the preceding, feel free to submit it.
If you don't know of Gitaroo Man, and this interests you, there's the minute chance of finding it at a store somewhere.. but your best bet is through e-bay or something of the like. Odds are, you won't be disappointed.
