Gitaroo Man Lives! [PSP]

The PlayStation Portable is well on its way to being considered a reincarnation device for past titles that were rare and/or overlooked. First came the port of Square Enix's excellent PSone RPG, Valkyrie Profile; now comes this update to Koei's cult classic music game for the PS2, Gitaroo Man.

Here's the plot: Bumbling nerd U1 finds out he's from an ancient bloodline of guitar-playing heroes -- from his talking dog, no less. He's got to save Planet Gitaroo, and anyone else who may be in a bind, using his newfound powers of rock. Only in Japan would this story be concocted, and it's quirky enough to work.

Gitaroo Man Lives has U1 battling through 10 stages of music-themed showdowns with some of the best original music you'll hear on a video game -- every bit as good as Parappa's tunes. Encompassing every genre from reggae to jazz to rock-opera, the soundtrack really outdoes itself. At the same time, the stages keep things interesting as you're chased by a hammerhead shark spaceship, for example, or square off against a trumpet-blaring bee guy.

Gameplay is split into two portions: the attack/charge phase, and defense. In the former, Gitaroo Man must use the analog nub to follow a runaway line of notes, holding circle to strum the cords. On PS2, it felt kind of like playing guitar (at least, until Guitar Hero came out); but on PSP, it's a little less natural. Part of this is due to the lack of grip support on the PSP unit. However, it still works remarkably well, and the cursor is mercifully equipped with a subtle lock-on.

The other half of battles involve pressing face buttons that fly to the center of the screen, thereby dodging enemy attacks. Triangle comes from above, X comes from below, and so on. The more you vibe with the song itself, the better you'll do. This isn't quite as unique as the strumming mechanic, but it was wise to offer two types of play. Both work well, and Gitaroo Man is both tons of fun to play and unmistakably charming and quirky. While the game doesn't offer much replay, you'll find yourself going back to it often, just to experience the great songs and infectious control.

Those familiar with the PS2 version know all this already, and have been waiting patiently to hear what's new for them on PSP. For starters, Koei has included two new stages. However, they're tied into another addition: Duet mode. Here, you alternate phrases with a human or AI-controlled alley. Co-op is always welcome, but it's a little thin here. Likewise, the new jukebox is barebones, and doesn't allow you to set up a custom listening playlist.

The graphics are identical to the PS2 version, which is a blessing in most ways. Gitaroo Man is a vibrant, artistic game that's almost as fun to look at as it is to play. The one downer is how nothing had been done to accommodate the PSP's widescreen presentation: The HUD crowds the screen; you have less time to react to notes from above or below; and you'll miss parts of the cutscenes. Some people may not notice this, however, so maybe we should've kept our fool mouth shut. Level load times are in the 30 to 40-second range.

Gitaroo Man Lives delivers an awesome performance on PSP. However, its short length leaves it feeling more like an opening act than a headliner. Despite this flaw, music fans are urged to not miss the game a second time. Like a great song, you'll cherish your time with Gitaroo Man, and will undoubtedly play through several sessions.