4/7 - Let's Talk GITADORA!

By Ann Nakamura

At the Arcade Hub, we’ve gone over many music games such as MUSECA, Sound Voltex and Crossbeats. However, there is one particular game we have not covered, and it’s because we wanted to save the best (in my opinion) for last! GITADORA is currently a Round 1 exclusive and we talked to David Aerts and Simm Broome for their insights!

GITADORA Tri-Boost is the most recent iteration of the GITADORA series.

As many of you may or may not be aware, GITADORA, a drum and guitar simulator game created by Konami, has been gaining popularity not only for the vast amount of songs, content and unlockables the game presents, but the community that is growing from it.

GITADORA was formerly known separately as Guitarfreaks and Drummania (herein after GF/DM). If you are familiar with Rock Band or Guitar Hero, the gameplay mechanics are very similar: with the guitar, you hold down a fret and strum the note when prompted, and with drums, you hit the corresponding drum pad you see on your screen. GITADORA’s gameplay has upgraded since its “mania” and “freaks” days where the guitar features 5 frets instead of the classic 3, and the drums are now equipped with another pedal and two other pads. "Beyond just the controllers, the game has also received a significant interface overhaul, making the leap to HD and bringing many new gameplay modifiers that bring it close in line with more competitive Bemani games such as IIDX and Sound Voltex." veteran David Aerts says. "Finally, there's a new 'Master' difficulty which challenges players with some of the most insane charts of any active music game."

The general look of the cabinets: two guitars on one side, drum set on another.

The music in GITADORA is varied all across the board. You have licenses from artists such as Galneryus, BABYMETAL and Dragonforce, and also BEMANI originals from GFDM artists such ASAKI, Thomas Howard Lichtenstein and Akhuta. Every single song has a guitar chart, bass chart and drum chart, each ranged from the easy level 1.0 to the difficult 9.0 and above. Like many music games, GITADORA's learning curve may seem kind of intimidating at first, especially when a player has to keep in mind certain chords or drum patterns. This game also requires some amount of physical movement, especially for the drum counterpart where you are constantly moving your arms and legs. Simm Broome, another veteran player who has been playing the games for more than a decade, goes, "It is one of the few current rhythm games that try to simulate an actual instrument and it is probably one of the best rhythm games to do a good job at it."

What also makes GITADORA truly unique is the concept overall: it is the Rock Band before Rock Band and the Guitar Hero before Guitar Hero. Being able to "session" with your friends, meaning cooperatively play with each other during play, adds a great social element to it where each player is responsible for each of their instruments. "While games such as Pump it Up have cooperative features such as Couples charts, there's nothing else that lets two (or three!) people playing completely different games combine their efforts to jam out a single song." Aerts exclaims, "Beyond simply being fun, it also lets people with varying gameplay preferences and skill levels work together seamlessly--- Rather than waiting on someone else to play drums, why not just grab the guitar and jam along?"

Tri-Boost's current unlock system consists of growing Oto-bear Flowers and gaining stickers for your profile.

The game itself, GITADORA, is very new to Northern California. GITADORA was only playable in Southern California Round 1's, leaving Northern California denizens to play on classic Guitarfreaks and Drummania (in particular, V6 and V8). Because of having such a new game, both Aerts and Broome agree that there are some new players giving the game a shot. These two veterans agree that because GITADORA is new in many aspects (gameplay, e-amusement support, etc), people are starting to take an interest in the game and are at least trying the game out. 
When asked what advice should be given to new players, Broome noted the importance of bringing your own sticks. "The sticks at the machine are not comfortable to play because it is attached to the machine with bulky metal pieces." he says. "I also recommend resisting the urge to put on any sort of 'auto' mod. It may seem useful but it only holds you back once you try to progress to the harder songs." 

"Just have fun!" David notes. "Grab a couple of friends, pick something easy and just rock out. We all look ridiculous doing it, but we do it anyway."