GuitarFreaks (Arcade)

Do ya feel it? Huh, do ya feel it?
Show me your love, Show me your love...
Sounds rockin' the nation!

Konami, observing the success of beatmania and Dance Dance Revolution, decides to create a guitar-simulation game. It was just as successful as the former two, spawning many sequels (and a companion game, drummania).

Extra Debug Options#

Place the MAME codes below in gtrfrks.xml, though it also applies to the game's clones. After the game loads, enable the main debug function code and enter the service menu. Upon selecting the GAME MODE option, the game redirects to an extra debug screen with three additional functions. As there is no input to exit these menus, a code to exit them is also bundled.

 <cheat desc="Debug Functions">
  <script state="run">
   <action>maincpu.pb@80045DC8=0D</action>
  </script>
  <script state="off">
   <action>maincpu.pb@80045DC8=0C</action>
  </script>
 </cheat>
 <cheat desc="Exit Debug Functions">
  <script state="on">
   <action>maincpu.pb@80113DB8=00</action>
  </script>
 </cheat>

Model Viewer#

A viewer for some of the game's models.

Controls:

• 1P Strum - Zoom in.
• 1P Wail - Zoom out.
• 1P Red - Skew up.
• 1P Green - Skew down.
• 1P Blue - Change model.
• 1P Effect 1 - Skew left.
• 1P Effect 2 - Skew right.
• 1P Start - Change model set.
• 2P Strum - Rotate X clockwise.
• 2P Wail - Rotate X counterclockwise.
• 2P Red - Rotate Z clockwise.
• 2P Green - Rotate Z counterclockwise.
• 2P Effect 1 - Rotate Y clockwise.
• 2P Effect 2 - Rotate Y counterclockwise.

The model sets shown are, in order:

VRAM Viewer#

A sprite viewer.

Controls:

• 1P Red - Change graphic type.
• 1P Green - Next palette.
• 1P Blue - Previous palette.
• 1P Effect 1 - Decrease X.
• 1P Effect 2 - Increase X.
• 1P Strum - Decrease Y.
• 1P Wail - Increase Y.
• 2P Red - Apply graphic set.
• 2P Pick - Next graphic set.
• 2P Wail - Previous graphic set.

The graphic sets are as follows:

Sound Test#

A sound test menu.

Controls:

• SPU
  • 1P Pick - Move up.
  • 1P Green - Play sound effect (if hovered on NAME).
  • 1P Effect 1 - Previous option (does not work on MUTE).
  • 1P Effect 2 - Next option (does not work on MUTE).
• CDDA
  • 2P Pick - Move up.
  • 2P Effect 1 - Decrease volume (if hovered on VOL).
  • 2P Effect 2 - Increase volume (if hovered on VOL).
  • 2P Green - Previous track (if hovered on NAME).
  • 2P Blue - Next track (if hovered on NAME).

Unused Graphics#

Extreme Mode#

Graphical remnants for Extreme Mode, a harder difficulty option which was later added in the next game.

Leftover Session Play Graphics#

Based on these unused graphics, which include two incomplete Session Play backgrounds, poster graphics, and song selection graphics for three songs, it seems the original drummania was planned to be released alongside this game.

LUCKY? STAFF#

Song selection graphics for the song LUCKY? STAFF. As it only appears as the Extra Stage song of the Expert difficulty, these graphics go unused. Note that the preview pictures seem to be placeholders.

Title Screen Variation#

A variant of the title screen graphic, featuring a red background. While could have been used while performing a code (possibly Extreme Mode?), it could also be just a version from earlier in development.

Background Animations#

Cutie pie#

An unused "Happy man" text graphic. One thing to note is that while some songs' background animations were slightly different when playing in 2P mode (e.g. Chicago Blue), Cutie pie does not have such quirks.

FIRE#

Separate graphics for a spotlight and lighting. The final game uses "combined" graphics instead.

Unused Sounds#

Announcer#

"GuitarFreaks" An alternate take of the sample heard during the title screen. Comparing to the used variant, this features a much deeper voice.

"Air Guitar" Where this could have been used is unknown.

"Extreme" Would have likely been played if the aforementioned unused Extreme difficulty was selected.

"Press Start Button" Would have likely been used when a credit is inserted, but no sound plays in-game.

"These are the top hits on the weekly chart" Where this could have been used is unknown. (Later GF&DM games show the most played songs in the attract sequence)

"Today's recommended song is this one" Where this could have been used is unknown.

Other#

Nine assorted sounds that don't seem to fit anywhere in the game. Strangely, most of these are taken from Bishi Bashi Champ: Minigame Senshuken.

Regional Differences#

Excite Gauge#

A new lifebar configuration was added in the Asian release of the game: the player starts with the Excite Gauge at a low level, and must fill it to a specific level (marked in red) for the stage to be cleared; finishing the stage with the Gauge any lower fails it. While not playable under the default settings in the Asian release, it is the default lifebar mode in the American and European releases of the game, and can be changed anytime in the operator menu, under "Game Over During Song" in "Game Settings".

Turned On	Turned Off

How to Play#

Depending on the Excite Gauge setting, there are appropriate changes done in the How to Play screen.

Turned On	Turned Off

"The game will end when your excite gauge runs out." This audio line is also replaced with booing.

References#