From Mario to Zelda, to Final Fantasy and Undertale, there’s no doubt that music plays a huge role in the video games that we all know and love. But what about the music from lesser known video games? What about the jamming tunes and fire tracks that may have gone under the radar of most gamers? Join us, Fair Gamers, as we dig through the crates and uncover some amazing games and music you might have missed… This is Hidden Tracks!
Hidden Tracks Vol. 3: Gitaroo Man (PS2)
Game: Gitaroo Man
Release Year: 2001 (JP), 2002 (Worldwide)
System: Playstation 2/PS2
Publisher: Koei
Developer: iNiS
Composer(s): COIL, Tomohiro Harada, YUAN
Selected Tracks: Flyin’ to Your Heart, Bee’ Jam Blues, Born to be Bone
Gitaroo Man, developed by iNiS and published by Koei, is a rhythm game that has flown under the radar of a lot of PS2 collectors. Gitaroo Man follows the story of U-1, a young boy who gets picked on by his bully Kazuya. But when his dog Puma transforms and gives U-1 the Last Gitaroo, he becomes the Legendary Hero known as Gitaroo Man! The story and aesthetic of this game are anime as heck, and the soundtrack of Gitaroo Man is perhaps one of the best of any music game for the PS2!
Gitaroo Man plays like a sort-of hybrid rhythm/fighting game - Gitaroo Man’s enemies will challenge you to musical battles, and it’s up to you to jam out and defeat them before your life bar runs out!
While the core gameplay and story of Gitaroo Man are both wonderfully whimsical, the highlight of this game is, of course, the soundtrack. The main driving force of the soundtrack comes from the Japanese two-person band COIL, who composed eight of the game’s 14 tracks. Gitaroo Man’s music draws inspiration from tons of different musical genres, which keeps the game’s soundtrack feeling fresh as you follow U-1’s story. Some of the musical influences include straight up rock n’ roll (The Legendary Theme), Japanese Pop (Flyin’ to Your Heart) and Funk (Bee’ Jam Blues), just to name a few. Gitaroo Man even includes a Latin/Spanish inspired tune where you have to fight a trio of skeletons… Spooky!
Sadly, there was only one installment of the Gitaroo Man series on the PS2, with an extended port called Gitaroo Man Lives! on the PSP. But the jamming tunes live on in the hearts of Gitaroo Fans everywhere, and it is definitely a game we recommend for anyone who likes music games!
For more jamming games like Gitaroo Man, other music games, and more, check out FairGameRetro.com!