Crazy, Catchy, Colorful, and Undoubtably Japanese!
The game play is simple, but tough. During a battle, there are three phases: a build up (where you must hit your marks correctly to power up your energy/health bar to make you more durable during the fight), a middle phase where you and the enemy exchange blows, (but you must also block and defend), and the last phase, where you must hit your marks correctly to do damage to your enemy.
The attacking and buildup phases require you to trace a line which comes in from various directions on screen with the left analog stick, and then hit the "O" button when the marks on the line hit a point at the center of your screen. Sometimes, you must hold the "O" to sustain a note, and the tracing line may alter direction requiring you to be quick but fluid with the stick. Missing a button push or getting the trace off the line will cause you to lose that note, and therefore, lose it's powers. To defend, a set of cross hairs appear along the entire screen, and icons representing the four face buttons run along each axis towards the center. They come in at varying speeds and combinations. You must hit the correct button when it hits the point where the axis' cross to block an attack.
Another catch is that if you mess up an attack, not only will the attack fail to harm your opponent, but it will harm you. This is not an easy game, but after awhile, the attack patterns for a boss become recognizable, and they in turn, can be overcome. This is truly a fun game, although it requires concentration and patience. The music is cool and catchy, and the visuals are insane. Sometimes it is easy to start watching the background antics, and get caught off guard by the required button pushing (there are often short breaks in the music, and thus, your attacking/defending). You can get this game fairly cheaply used, but it can be tough to find. If you like quirky games with personality, give this a go. Have fun!