Gitaroo Man
After my almost embarrassingly lazy Christmas break in Maine, I came home to something truly magical. The first game for PS2 that's been able to hold my attention since God of War. I had never heard of Gitaroo Man, but Liam, after looking up something about Elite Beat Agents, found a refernece to this cult classic, and found himself a semi-rare American version on eBay, and it was waiting for my perusal when I got home. And peruse I did. I really can't seem to stop perusing.
It's kind of like Parappa the Rappa (for Playstation, and then I think some updated version for PS2), but it looks more like a seizure, it's a lot more enjoyable to listen to, and the gameplay is a lot more interesting (and challenging). You're still doing pretty much impossible button combinations, but you're also "playing guitar", meaning follwing a line with your joystick which ebbs and flows as the melody does. It probably sounds kind of easy, but it's really not.
Since commands are coming from all corners of the screen, and coming fast, you have to keep your eyes peeled the whole time. And underneath the scrolling action is the ridiculously colorful and quick animation that is Gitaroo Man battling with various bad guys (including a hammerhead shark and a cross between James Brown (RIP) and a bumblebee). Pair these visuals together with the absolute necessity of never blinking, and it can be...dizzying. Which is why I recommend frequent breaks when playing Gitaroo Man.
I think the best part about this game is the music itself. It's pretty varied, one moment, Japanese pop, then funk, then rock, then accoustic guitaring (with which to woo Pica, who is cute, but they could've stood to make her hotter, object of Gitaroo Man's affection), but every song has a good beat, and in "Born to be Bone", you battle xylophone playing skeletons, and the music is just sooo cool. And impossible to beat.
You know when your playing Guitar Hero, and you can't get through the song? And the music just slows down and everyone in the crowd is booing at you? It hurts. It hurt a lot. In Gitaroo Man, when you can't get through a song, a ghostly woman's voice coos, "ohhhh, you looooose." It sounds so sympathetic, it makes losing okay (almost). It's a great touch.
They came out with a sequal for PSP called Gitaroo Man Lives. I think they should make one for the Wii.
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