Gitaroo Man PS2

The Japanese public's appetite for rhythm action games is quite staggering, with variation after variation on the genre's blueprint being snapped up by gamers hungry for more rhythm. Happily, the latest of these quintessentially Japanese titles to make it's way to these shores is among the best rhythm actioneers ever made, and it's as eye-catching as it is ear-friendly.

The story concerns the fate of U-1, an imaginatively named young lad who has no friends, save for his talking dog, Puma. U-1 gets the shock of his life one day, when he is chosen to be the new Gitaroo Man, and is charged with the task of ridding the universe of the evil Gravillians, through the music of the mysterious Gitaroo instrument. This is par for the course in the unhinged world of rhythm action, and as usual you must face off against a number of opponents in a battle of skill and timing, set to a largely excellent soundtrack covering several musical styles.

U-1's battles with the Gravillians take place over 10 levels of eye-poppingly colourful madness that seems extravagant even by the unconventional standards of the genre. Each confrontation comes in three phases - Charge, Battle, and Final. In the Charge stage, you and your opponent trade riffs in a game of one-upmanship, each trying to outdo the other's musical skills in order to build up your defensive power. Once that's out of the way, the Battle proper begins, with the precious energy you built up during the Charge phase being drained every time you miss a note. Finally, when one of the combatants are on their last legs, play switches to the Final mode, allowing the stronger musician to move in for the kill.

That's the action covered, but what of the rhythm? Playing your Gitaroo is both simple to learn and tricky to master. There are two modes of play, attack and defence, each with their own control system. When attacking, a curved, zig-zagging note line emanates from the dot in the centre of your display, with note markers placed on it, denoting where each note begins, and how long it lasts for. As the line moves along, you must press a button when the note reaches the central dot, and hold it for the duration of the note. The catch is that you must also keep the analogue stick facing in the same direction as the note line throughout each note, which can involve some serious stick-twirling on even the simplest levels.

Defence is easier, with notes converging on the central dot from the four sides of the screen. All you have to do to repel these attacks is hit the corresponding button when the note reaches the centre - mess it up, and you'll lose energy. Lose too much energy, and you'll lose the game. Sounds simple? It's anything but...

It may not be as simple as it sounds, but it's definitely as playable as you could hope for. Once you get the hang of the tricky attacking controls, the rhythm of the game will suck you into it's bizarre but compulsive little world. The music covers a wide range of musical styles, from Japanese guitar rock to skanking reggae numbers and beyond; and the colourful, busy visuals provide a strangely hypnotic backdrop, while you concentrate on the curvy little line that snakes it's way through the bizarre goings-on. With only ten levels, the single-player game is a little lacking in longevity, but the inclusion of a superb simultaneous 2-4 player mode means that Gitaroo Man offers plenty of replay value. If you're a fan of rhythm action titles, then this should be right at the top of your must-have list; if not, Gitaroo Man might just be the game to change your mind.

* Fight musical battles across 10 stunningly animated levels

* Keep the rhythm with the unique Gitaroo control system

* Musical death matches and harmonising team play for up to 4 players.

Last updated on 10 December 2007