So, I picked up Gitaroo Man on Saturday as per the recommendations here. It is a bit different than I thought it would be. I was expecting a little more of a dance oriented game rather than a music video. I got up to stage 8 in a sitting and put it down. The game is pretty addictive but I have found it pretty easy for the most part. At least as far as I have been. The “opera” guy right after you free the people from whatever that planet is named is harder because the trace line is more angular and you block faster.
It is a goofy game and fun. The only major complaint I have is that when you get the bad guy down to nothing before the “final” begins he doesn’t die. You die when you go to nothing the enemy should too. I have consistently gotten all of the baddies down to nothing well before the final starts and it is frustrating to have to sit through the rest of the battle. Damnations, if you get him down to nothing and start the final and continue keeping him at nothing and then sit back to watch it, you can still die even though you essentially won already. This is bad planning I think and a major irritant in the game.
Another complaint I have is that the backgrounds are by and large static. Sly Cooper had an interesting little music part for one of the bosses (the crocodile woman). That was a lot of fun. You had to dodge the “voodoo magic” with the corresponding keys on the control pad. The graphical representation of it in Sly Cooper was much better as it didn’t seem so un-artistic. Now, if they could just do something with the way the traceline works and a graphical interpretation of it rather than following a stupid line around the screen.
The next time I play it, I expect to finish off the game. I have a B Average on every song and don’t know if I will want to go back to upgrade all the songs to an A average. The majority of the stages were beat within the first two attempts (if not the first). Are there other games out there that are a little more challenging that are along the same lines? How about others that have better graphical representations of the dodging/playing aspect of the game?
It will take you a long long time to finish this game. I had to try the last few songs maybe 30 or 40 times EACH. It’s amazing how much better you get with practice though, as I can play through all 27 songs now without failing one easily.
If you want something different, check out Mad Maestro. It’s the only music game based on classical music. The gameplay isn’t as fun as Frequency or Gitaroo Man, but it’s great to play some classical songs on occasion.
And if you’re just a rhythm-game freak like me, of course you’ll need Parappa the Rapper (the original PS1 game, and part 2), Um Jammer Lammy (psuedo-sequal to Parappa for the PS1), and Unison (bizarre dancing game).
I assume we’re just talking about the PS2 here, but if you have a dreamcast, I hear that Space Channel 5 and Samba de Amigo are great as well.
Also - you sound like you might get a kick out of Rez. It’s an ambient shooter-type game, and everything pulses and changes with the beat of a techno song. A lot of people didn’t like it, and it sold terribly, but it’s one of my favorite games (the last level alone is worth the money I payed for it).
Well, for what it’s worth, I’m impressed – I always thought I was good at rhythm games because I got most of the way through Space Channel 5 and Parappa the Rapper in one sitting (each), but can’t finish a stage in Gitaroo Man without at least four or five tries.
Anyway, I’ve yet to find one of those music/rhythm games (and I’ve tried all the ones Slacker mentioned) that wins on being a fun game – it’s all about the style and presentation. And of course, the music. Gitaroo Man is hands down my favorite, if only because it’s so goofy and the tracing line is a little more fun than the gameplay of the others. And the level with the Sanbone Trio made me happier than just about any other videogame has ever been able to.
Space Channel 5 was my previous favorite just because it’s so damn cool, and the music’s good to boot, but it has the worst gameplay, IMO. It’s basically just a glorified version of Simon. Still, it’s got enough style to carry it while it lasts – if you don’t have a Dreamcast, the original and its sequel are being released on the PS2 next month.
Samba de Amigo is fantastic, but only with the maraca controllers. And they were difficult to find (and extremely expensive) even when the Dreamcast was still a going concern. (May it forever rest in peace as the best game console ever). Don’t be fooled into getting the knockoff maraca controllers – I tried it and within 10 minutes realized I’d wasted my money.
I don’t recommend Parappa the Rapper 2; they somehow seemed to drain all the fun and charm out of it.
And again, Rez is very cool, but I can’t say that it’s a good game. It’s one of those you have to classify as an “interactive experience,” and it’s pretty engaging while it lasts.
From www.gamespot.com, but it looks like I may have been mistaken. It’s not clear whether the original will ever be released in the US on the PS2, and the sequel is next year in Japan with no word on a US release.
Well I took more than a week and a half off from playing this game and came back to it last night. I finally beat the Cathedral Queen then did Kirah number 2 in one round and beat the last guy after the second time.
I then went back and started pounding out A’s on all the previous levels where I made B’s or C’s. That seemed insanely easy after some of the later levels. That was of course until I tried the master levels that showed up. Now those are really tough. I guess I became complacent enough to play the level and expect the same things. However, it was nice to see things moving faster and the line actually move around.
