Gitaroo Man is one of the PS2's most beloved cult hits. Mixing quirky Japanese humor with a superhero who rocked out with his guitar, players loved the joy Gitaroo Man brought. Now, a whole new platform is going to get to experience Gitaroo Man, brought to us by the KOEI Corporation as Gitaroo Man Lives! for the PSP. Recently, we got to ask Jarik Sikat - the Sales and Marketing Manager for KOEI Corporation - a few questions about the upcoming Gitaroo Man Lives!

1. For those who may not know, who exactly is Gitaroo Man and what is the story of Gitaroo Man Lives!?

Gitaroo Man is the story of a young boy, U-1, who is often picked on at school and constantly passed over by the girl of his dreams, Pico. However, U-1 has a secret power unbeknownst even to him until the day his beloved dog Puma tells him of his true heritage; that he is the last of the legendary Gitaroo Men and that it is his destiny is to save the planet of Gitaroo from the clutches of the evil Gravillian family.

2. Gitaroo Man was a big cult hit for the PS2 when it was first released. How did the decision come about to bring the game to the PSP?

The original Gitaroo Man for PS2 is one of KOEI's most beloved titles. The game has also been honored with numerous awards- but it was a hard game to find. Not many people had a chance to play the game and we wanted to give them that opportunity again. The decision to bring the cult classic to PSP was really easy. We felt that the PSP as a game and multimedia device was the ideal platform for a music game and that the controls were perfectly suited for Gitaroo Man's gameplay.

3. Is Gitaroo Man Lives! a direct port of the original game or does it expand on the source material?

Gitaroo Man Lives! does include all 10 stages and songs from the original PS2 version, but the PSP version includes 2 brand new tracks, plus an excusive Duet Mode which can be played via wireless (ad hoc).

4. What is the gameplay of Gitaroo Man Lives! like? Many people have preconceived ideas about traditional rhythm/musical games, but Gitaroo Man Lives! is different in how it is played, correct?

Gitaroo Man Lives! is unlike any music/rhythm game. Most rhythm games require sequential timing of button presses, but Gitaroo Man Lives doubles the challenge requiring players to use the analog control coordinated with rhythmic tapping of the control buttons. It's really addictive!

5. When bringing the game to the PSP, did any of the controls need to be tweaked to fit the gameplay of the original?

Once you play Gitaroo Man Lives! for the PSP, you'll immediately feel that it plays even better on the PSP. The analog controller makes it easier to follow the twists and turns of the game's music or "trace line." That's the line players must follow to stay in beat with the music; "trace line" was also adjusted to the PSP's 16:9 screen aspect ratio. If you liked playing Gitaroo Man on the PS2, I think you'll like Gitaroo Man Lives! on the PSP even better.

6. Obviously Gitaroo Man's instrument of choice is a guitar - what styles of music are incorporated into the game?

Gitaroo Man is truly a musician's musician. Tracks in the game cover so many different styles including Metal, Jazz, Reggae, Latin, and Eurobeat, but all with Gitaroo Man's own flavor.

7. One thing new to Gitaroo Man Lives! is the Duet Mode - how does the Duet Mode work within the game?

Duet and Vs. Modes work just like Single Play, but you'll play a song alternating with your partner or opponent using the PSP's ad hoc connection.

In Vs. mode, the battle ends when either player's Power Gauge reaches zero. If you can make it through the entire song, whoever has more power at the end wins! You can unlock more Vs. stages by clearing stages in Single Play.

In Duet mode, the 1st player (Gitaroo Man) and 2nd player (Kirah) will team up to fight a single enemy. Playing cooperatively, players will perform their given parts both separately and together. like a duet!

8. A big deal to fan is the inclusion of two new songs - "Metal Header" and "Toda Pasion." Were these original tracks left out of the PS2 game or were these created specifically for the PSP's Gitaroo Man Lives!?

Yes, Gitaroo Man Lives! includes two brand new tracks. "Metal Header" and "Toda Pasion" were written expressly for Gitaroo Man Lives!

9. What can players expect in terms of how long it will take them to complete the game and what does Gitaroo Man Lives! offer in terms of replayability?

I've found that just like a real instrument, playing the Gitaroo requires some warming up. Each time I pick up the game, I've found myself replaying previously cleared stages first, just to get into the rhythm of the game before taking on subsequent stages. Gitaroo Man Lives! is just plain addictive even after finishing the game, you'll want to go back and unlock all of the Collection items, and if you're really up for a challenge take on the game's master mode.

10. Being a site that focuses on women gamers a great deal, we're always curious about if there are any major women characters represented in the game. Are there any noticeable female presences within the game players will be interacting with or able to control?

Let's say that girls have recently become a big part of Gitaroo Man's life. Gitaroo does have a love interest in Pico, but one of Gitaroo Man's greatest challenges comes from the Gitaroo-wielding Kirah, whom you'll meet a few times in the game. Players also get to control Kirah in the Vs. and Duet modes.

11. More and more women are starting to enter the field of videogames - were any women involved in the making of Gitaroo Man Lives and if so what were they involved in?

You're absolutely right. In fact, the co-founder and CEO Emeritus of KOEI is one of the most highly-respected women in the industry. With regards specifically to Gitaroo Man Lives! Bringing the game to the PSP involved the participation of people from different continents, ethnic backgrounds, and genders. All of these people were involved with some aspect of the project from business planning and development, to packaging, publishing and advertising.

A very special thanks to Jarik Sikat for taking the time to answer our questions about Gitaroo Man Lives!