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Keiichi Yano wants to make a music game with heart
"Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild West. A state that's untouchable like Eliot Ness." It's rare for a video-game developer to rap during an interview. It's rarer still for him to recite a Tupac track with perfect pitch and cadence. But that's Keiichi Yano, the Tokyo-based game designer behind cult classics Gitaroo Man and Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, better known as Elite Beat Agents in the West. He loves music and will happily talk for hours about jazz, electronica or the intricacies of mumble rap. His latest game, Project Rap Rabbit, fell woefully short of its Kickstarter goal this week. I met Yano a few days prior, during the chaos of E3, when it already seemed inevitable the campaign would fail. We talked about the title, its development and how he might proceed without public funding. To my surprise, Yano was unfazed by the Kickstarter's fate and hinted that there might be another way to bring the game to market. "I can't comment on anything we're doing right now or anybody that we're talking to. But yeah, I hope we can get this out one way or another."
'PaRappa' and 'Gitaroo Man' creators team up for 'Project Rap Rabbit'
PaRappa the Rapper and Gitaroo Man are some of the brightest, weirdest and catchiest music games I've ever played. They're crazy for sure — how many titles let you spit rhymes with a humanoid onion in a kung fu dojo? But they're also bold, imaginative and constantly surprising, begging you to tap X and see what happens next. Now, Masaya Matsuura, the creator of PaRappa and Vib-Ribbon, and Keiichi Yano, the mastermind behind Gitaroo Man and Osu! Tatakae! Oeundan (the original inspiration for Elite Beat Agents on the DS), are teaming up for a new game called Project Rap Rabbit.
Elite Beat Agents dev working on Xbox 360 project
No doubt communicating to Gamasutra via boisterous cartoon speech bubbles, Keiichi Yano of the annoyingly capitalized iNiS confirmed that his team is currently working on an unnamed Xbox 360 project. "Yeah. We are currently working on a title," he said when prodded about Microsoft's console during Seattle's GameFest event. "I can't really get into it more than, 'Yes, we're working on something!'" With iNiS' past creations consisting of feel-good rhythm games such as Gitarooman, the Ouendan series and Elite Beat Agents, said something could easily involve catchy tunes, rhythmic button presses and unintentional gyration. We're certain the iNiS co-founder isn't pressed for ideas, but even if he was, he'd only need to holler for help. The strange men leaping out of his closet in response would probably share some sort of song about putting Gitarooman on Xbox Live Arcade ("it was the best decision ever made!").
Build your very own Puma, from Gitaroo-Man
If it isn't obvious, I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession over Gitaroo-Man, the first music game from iNiS. The lovable music game featured the titular hero and a biting sidekick, Puma. Thanks to the efforts of one Nick Hayes, you'll be able to build your own papercraft version of Puma in incredible, high-definition, 3D life. You won't need to learn any black magicks: all you need is this printout, a pair of scissors, some glue and (optionally) a dime. Download the PDF cutout here.[Via Siliconera]
Happy Valentine's Day from PSP Fanboy
Click image for a hi-res version.Happy Valentine's Day, PSP fan boys and girls! Do you have a special somebody in your life? One that you would do a duet with in Gitaroo-Man Lives! Well, tell that guy or girl your true feelings today with our special Valentine's e-card. Inspired by the hit Sony flog, this gift should warm the heart of the gaming other in your life.See also:Joystiq Valentine's Day
The top ten girls of PSP
You've seen the top ten girls of Hooters. You've perused the top ten women of tennis. You may even have seen the top ten girls of gaming, but you haven't yet seen the top ten girls of PSP. Until now that is! The requirements are simple, to qualify she has to be a girl and has to be in a PSP game. But enough with the procrastinating, on with the ceremony! Top ten after the jump ...
Saturday PSP background explosion
I still can't figure out if my PS3 can do custom backgrounds, but I do know my PSP can. Because of this and to help spice up our reader's PSPs, we will be showcasing new backgrounds every Saturday for you to marvel at. Backgrounds after the jump...
PSP Fanboy review: Gitaroo-Man Lives!
I have a sad confession to make. I never bought the original Gitaroo-Man. However, the gaming gods have been kind enough to forgive such a sin, and they've ported the game to the PSP in the energetically-titled Gitaroo-Man Lives! I became interested iNiS's games ever since Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! landed in my DS, and I have to say that this handheld offering is just as good and stylish. There's a reason why the original PS2 game was nominated for an "Original Funk" award from SCEA.
Gitaroo Man pre-order swag (and other less important games)
Gitaroo Man Lives! plans on burnin' down the PSP come November 14th, and if you pre-order the game online at Gamestop, you'll not only secure yourself a copy of the game, you'll also get a 5-pin set (which looks suspiciously like the ones given away in Europe a while back). Although the game is merely an updated port of the PS2 cult classic, there are tons of people out there that haven't had a chance to play this rad game from the creators of import-favorite Ouendan. It received some rave reviews, so don't be afraid to break out the dough.It appears as if you'll be able to pre-order Pimp My Ride and NFL Street 3 and get some swag too, but I stopped reading 'round there. You can head over to Gamestop Gamespot (why are they named so similarly???!) to get all the details.
Import music games montage
The DS's Ouendan may get a lot of attention for the dual-screened portable, but the real hardcore gamers know that the best music games are on the PSP. This video montage features Taiko No Tatsujin Portable 2, DJ Max Portable & Gitaroo Man Lives! With PaRappa the Rapper and Lumines II coming in the coming months, the PSP will become one of the best systems for music games.
Gitaroo Man to rock on the PSP Nov. 14
If you were hesitant to pick up the extremely cheap Gitaroo Man import last month, then you may be excited to know Koei is shipping the rhythm game to our shores come Nov. 14.IGN has already released a Gitaroo Man review giving it an 8.8 and says it's "one of the finest games the genre has ever produced." Pretty lofty words indeed.And to make sure there is at least a few things new in the port, Koei has included an ad hoc Duet mode. [Via Joystiq]
Gitaroo Man Lives again, port headed to North America
Koei is bringing Gitaroo Man to North America again, with a remake of the acclaimed, but obscure 2002 PlayStation 2 title for PSP. Gitaroo Man Lives! is essentially a port of the original rhythm game (Gitaroo Man) with the new (ad hoc) Duet Mode included. Gitaroo Man Lives! will ship to North American retailers on November 14.While the remake will no doubt please some gamers who missed Gitaroo Man's first tour, we can't help but feel a bit slighted by the release. Coupled with news that a PaRappa the Rapper port (with some bonus features) is also headed to PSP, it's become glaringly obvious that many publishers are using the PSP as a sloppy seconds machine. Instead of producing new content, companies are dusting off old titles, applying a little gloss -- and maybe tacking on ad hoc multiplayer -- and shipping these "remakes" off to retail. What's even more disappointing is that these ports, as well as the downgraded PSP versions of multiplatform releases and franchise spin-offs, are consistently earning higher critical marks than the PSP's original content. Gangs of London? Bounty Hounds? Rengoku 2? Are these games even on your radar? Why is it so frickin' hard to make exceptional PSP games that can't be played on any other platform? LocoRoco? Is that all we've got?[Via press release]
Deal of the day: New round of PSP price drops at Play-Asia
Play-Asia sure has been on a roll this week. First it was Gitaroo Man Lives for only $20, and now they've recently slashed prices on even more games. Aedeus Memories Shinten Makai Generation of Chaos V (Asia) – $14.90 Boku no Natsuyasumi Portable (Asia) – $12.90 Bomberman Blast Squadron Bomberman (Asia) – $16.90 Jukugon (Japan) – $12.90 King's Field Additional I (Asia) – $12.90 Koukyou Shihen Eureka Seven (Japan) – $16.90 Magna Carta Portable (Asia) – $16.90 Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner (Asia) – $16.90 Myst (Japan) – $14.90 Portable Island: Tenohira Resort (Asia) – 12.90 Simple 2500 Series Portable Vol. 4: The Mind Mapping Exercise (Asia) – $10.90 I'm not too sure how import friendly any of these games are, and quite frankly, there are a few of them on the list I'm not familiar with at all. However, with the incredibly cheap prices of King's Field and Myst, it looks like I may have to pull the trigger.Click here for the full page of recenly discounted games across all platforms.(Via Play-Asia)
Deal of the day: Gitaroo Man Live import for $20
I realize there haven't been a whole lot of PSP deals the last week, but I have a real doozy for you today. The Asian import version of Gitaroo Man Lives, a rythm-based game, is available for a measly $20 from Play-Asia. And to make it even sweeter, the it's only $3.10 for world-wide shipping. If you've never heard of the game, it received an 8.8 from IGN, and they said it's "one of the finest games the genre has ever produced." Ya hear that? The game is awesome, folks, so hurry and pick it up before they're all gone!(Via Cheapassgamer.com - Registration required)
Missed Gitaroo Man? It lives again!!! First review
There are two kinds of people in the world: those that have played Gitaroo Man and those that have not. Chances are, you're in the latter group. IGN has posted up one of the very first reviews of this music game, and it's all swell. The game features some sharp visuals, complemented by its zany uber-Japanese style. Mix in a soundtrack that covers everything from "happy sunshine flower time" Jpop to "I want to kill myself while wearing leather" grunge, and everything in-between, and Gitaroo Man has the makings of a game that everyone must own. IGN simply states the game is "one of the finest games the genre has ever produced." The game received a mighty 8.8.If there are any flaws, it has to be that there's nothing really new for veterans of the original. But, more likely than not, you may have missed this original title when it came out on the PS2. Don't miss it again.(And for you DS owners, don't forget to pick up Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, one of Inis' other music games.)
Get Metal Headed in Gitaroo Man Lives!
It's been a while since we last talked about the upcoming Inis-developed music game, Gitaroo Man Lives. Although the game is essentially a port of the PS2 original, the game features some new tracks, such as this one: Metal Header. It's playable in the new PSP-exclusive Duet mode. The player, DJMaru, says he's not too good at the game, but considering its insane difficulty, we should give him some props. Gitaroo Man comes to the US in October, according to amazon.com.
