Gitaroo Man is a rhythm video game that wants to be a rock opera, a comedy, and a platformer all at once. It mostly succeeds at being none of them completely, which makes for a strange but occasionally rewarding experience. Developed by iNiS and published by Koei for PlayStation 2, the game launched in Japan on June 21, 2001, reached North America on February 18, 2002, and Europe on June 21, 2002. It was later repackaged as Gitaroo Man Lives! for the PSP in 2006.
The game’s central idea is simple: U-1, a young boy mocked by his classmates, discovers he is the last legendary hero of Planet Gitaroo and wields a guitar called the Last Gitaroo. He fights enemies across a fantasy world while his talking dog Puma teaches him the game’s controls and serves as his companion. The music comes from Japanese band COIL, and the visuals are the work of Mitsuru Nakamura.
The Fighting System
Gitaroo Man is not a conventional fighting game. It is a rhythm game dressed up as one. Each stage is a song, and the player moves through charge, attack, guard, harmony, and end phases. The action is guided by a trace line on the screen, and players press and hold a button at the start of a phase, release it when it reaches the center, and let go at the end. This creates a rhythmic motion that feels distinct from other games in the genre.
Charge phases heal the player, while attack phases deal damage to enemies and leave the player open to harm if they miss. Guard phases require hitting buttons to avoid enemy attacks. The harmony phase at the end of each level is similar to the attack phase, but the player takes no damage during it.
Story and Characters
The plot follows U-1 as he faces rivals like Kazuya and pursues Pico, the girl of his dreams. His dog Puma teaches him to play guitar and transforms into Puma AC-30 to help him fight. The story proper begins when Puma reveals U-1’s destiny and gives him the Last Gitaroo, which transforms him into Gitaroo Man.
After defeating enemies sent by Prince Zowie of the Gravillian Empire, U-1 travels to Planet Gitaroo, which has been invaded. There he meets Kirah, a girl who turns out to be Zowie’s gladiator. Rather than fight her, U-1 convinces Kirah to oppose Zowie using the power of music. Collecting all eight Gitaroos grants U-1 the title of True Gitaroo Man, and he defeats Zowie before returning home as a more confident person.
The story is light and often absurd, leaning on comedy rather than drama. The humor works best when the game commits fully to its premise, less so when it tries to balance jokes with stakes.
Sound and Look
The soundtrack is the game’s strongest asset. COIL provides the original score, and the visuals are bright and colorful, with character designs that lean toward cartoonish fantasy. The game’s perspective is auditory, which gives the whole package a distinct identity.
The presentation is uneven. Some stages are packed with personality, while others feel like filler between set pieces. The game’s split-screen multiplayer mode adds replay value for players with friends nearby, though it is not required to enjoy the campaign.
Where It Falls Short
Gitaroo Man is not a deep game. Its levels are short, and the difficulty rarely rises above easy. The game repeats its core loop without much variation, and players who want a challenging rhythm game will find the game’s pace frustratingly slow.
The story also suffers from pacing issues. Character development is thin, and the plot moves quickly through major events. The game’s humor often overshadows its dramatic moments, which makes the final confrontation feel anticlimactic rather than triumphant.
Final Verdict
Gitaroo Man is a game with a strong identity but a weak foundation. Its rhythm system is innovative, its soundtrack is excellent, and its presentation is memorable. But the content beneath it is thin, and the difficulty never rises to meet the player’s growing skills.
Key Facts
– Developer: iNiS
– Publisher: Koei
– Platforms: PlayStation 2, PSP (as Gitaroo Man Lives!)
– Release dates: Japan — June 21, 2001; North America — February 18, 2002; Europe — June 21, 2002
– Original soundtrack by COIL
– Visuals by Mitsuru Nakamura
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
