There's an air of suspicion amongst British gamers towards Japanese games, we tend to look on them as oddities. Rather than cutting edge realism, they go for an almost indescribable blend of daftness, cuteness and, well, Japaneseness that most people just can't figure out. Because of this, many Japanese games don't get brought over to the rest of the world. So, be thankful that Gitaroo Man has made the leap. Yes, it's daft and blatantly Japanese, but it is also insanely addictive, superb in multiplayer and one of the best things to come out of Japan since the Yamaha R1.

You play a character called U1, the last in the line of Gitaroo men and the holder of the last Gitaroo - a kind of guitar that acts as a weapon that gets more and more powerful the better you play. A typically evil guy needs your gitaroo to join it up with the other 9 gitaroos to take over the planet and you have to stop him. After a training session you take on other gitaroo-wielding foes in a duel for their gitaroo, to stop the evil guy getting them all.

Got it so far? Great. Now this is where it might get a bit silly. The gameplay is based on the guitar riffs of the track instead of the beat. To explain the control system would be insane, as if you've never even seen it I wouldn't have any idea how to explain it, but basically you use your controller like a guitar with the buttons as frets and the left analogue as the pleccing. And daft as it sounds, it works pricelessly. A game like this would never have worked without a perfect control system, and this game has got it nailed.

So, the story is there, and the control method is there but it's the tunes that really make this game. The absurdity is the bait, the control method hooks you, and then the tunes just reel you in. Every tune is unique, from the pumping Jap-club to the sensitive lullaby to woo your girlfriend, to the extravagant finale, the music compliments the game perfectly and your guitar solos over the top are so fitting, each lick you pull off gives a wave of satisfaction!

Guitaroo Man is packed with options too. Completing the main Story Mode gives you the Masters Mode. This is basically story mode again but with a new guitar line that is considerably harder than the last. The first mode can be completed in just over an hour, but this will take you ages. Then there are clever touches, like going back to get higher rankings on the levels to unlock more characters for your collection. Possibly the best touch though, is the ability to configure the pad so that you hold it upside down like a guitar. Fantastic!

On top of all that is the multiplayer. Because the training level is so comprehensive and the control method so easy to understand once you see it, it only takes your mates a couple of levels to get to grips with the game, so there is none of the Tekken-esque "But you know all the specials" stuff. Plug in the multitap and up to four players can battle each other to the tracks featured in the game, taking on different instruments. It's a close fight to the finish, with the winner of the round getting to triumphantly play out the final solo. A true party classic of the future and it already is in my house!

Guitaroo Man is a superb game. You'll probably look at the screenshots and think that it seems like nothing special, but please at least try it - because you really don't know what you're missing! Once you have the controls sussed out, you'll ache for more and your need for Guitaroo will not be satisfied until you complete the Masters level. This is an amazing game in every way!

Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).