History VideoGame / Gitadora

** The Basic/Advanced/Extreme difficulty names were not established (nor common to both games) until 5th/4th. Before that, the difficulties were Normal/Expert/Extreme/Extreme+[[note]]''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had separate "Normal" and "Expert" difficulties. Some songs had charts on both modes. If a song had charts on both modes, the Expert chart got cut.[[/note]] on ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' and Normal/Real/Expert Real on ''[=DrumMania=]''.

** The Basic/Advanced/Extreme difficulty names were not established (nor common to both games) until 5th/4th. Before that, the difficulties were Normal/(Expert)/Extreme/Extreme+[[note]]''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had separate "Normal" and "Expert" difficulties. Some songs had charts on both modes; the Expert charts got cut, with Normal charts becoming Basic, Extreme becoming Advanced, and Extreme+ becoming Extreme.[[/note]] on ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' and Normal/Real/Expert Real on ''[=DrumMania=]''.

** The Basic/Advanced/Extreme difficulty names were not established (nor common to both games) until 5th/4th. Before that, the difficulties were Normal/(Expert)/Extreme/Extreme+[[note]]GuitarFreaks had separate "Normal" and "Expert" difficulties. Some songs had charts on both modes; the Expert charts got cut, with Normal charts becoming Basic, Extreme becoming Advanced, and Extreme+ becoming Extreme.[[/note]] on ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' and Normal/Real/Expert Real on ''[=DrumMania=]''.

** The Basic/Advanced/Extreme difficulty names were not established (nor common to both games) until 5th/4th. Before that, the difficulties were Normal/(Expert)/Extreme/Extreme+ on ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' and Normal/Real/Expert Real on ''[=DrumMania=]''.
*** In ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'', there were separate Normal and Expert modes. Some songs had charts in both modes. The Expert charts got cut in the transition to 5th mix though, with the Normal charts being carried over as the Basic charts. Extreme became Advanced, and Extreme+ became Extreme.

** The Basic/Advanced/Extreme difficulty names were not established (nor common to both games) until 5th/4th. Before that, the difficulties were Normal/Extreme/Extreme+ on ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' and Normal/Real/Expert Real on ''[=DrumMania=]''.
*** The games also did not freely allow the player to select any song, on any difficulty, until 5th/4th. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty on every song; ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which split up the songlist into easier/harder songs [[note]]In Normal mode, all songs are on what is the modern Basic difficulty. In Expert mode, songs that also appeared in Normal mode are on Advanced difficulty, while others are on Basic difficulty. Applying the "Extreme" modifier bumps the difficulty one level, so on Normal mode everything will be the modern Advanced difficulty, and on Expert mode, everything will be modern Advanced or Extreme difficulty.[[/note]], and an Extreme+ mode which forced playing every song on what is now the Extreme difficulty.

*** It also had secret notes until 5th mix.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: GF 3rd Mix looks like it may have been intended to be released internationally, or at least in the West. There are unused translations for several languages, not to mention the presence of many Western licensed songs.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''3rd Mix'' looks like it may have been intended to be released internationally, or at least in the West. There are unused translations for several languages, not to mention the presence of many Western licensed songs.

* DificultyByRegion: The international releases of the first [=GuitarFreaks=] added an alternate setting for the Excite Gauge that is reminiscent of ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' or ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'', where the gauge must end past a certain threshold to clear the song. This was made the default setting for the American and European releases. This is generally much tougher, albeit the player cannot fail mid-song.

** In contrast to the usual Excite Gauge where the player fails when it runs out, ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' 1st mix had an operator setting in its international releases to have the player's Excite Gauge start off empty and the player had to end the song with it above a certain level (marked by a red zone) to clear a song, much like in ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' or ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'' (generally tougher, albeit the player cannot fail mid-song).

** ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' 1st mix had the player's Excite Gauge start off empty and the player had to end the song with it above a certain level (marked by a red zone) to clear a song, much like in ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' or ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'' (generally tougher, albeit the player cannot fail mid-song). This was changed for 2nd mix and even the home version of 1st mix to simply require the gauge to not deplete during the song a la ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution''.

*** The games also did not freely allow the player to select any song, on any difficulty, until 5th/4th. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty on every song; ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which split up the songlist into easier/harder songs [[note]]In Normal mode, all songs are on what is the modern Basic difficulty. In Expert mode, songs that also appeared in Normal mode are on Advanced difficulty, while others are on Basic difficulty. Applying the "Extreme" modifier bumps the difficulty up a level to modern Extreme or Advanced difficulty, respectively.[[/note]], and an Extreme+ mode which forced playing every song on what is now the Extreme difficulty.

* UncommonTime: The infamous boss song DAY DREAM uses the rather uncommon time signatures of 17/16 and 15/16.

* UncommonTime: The infamous boss song DAY DREAM uses a rather uncommon time signature of 17/16.

** ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' 1st mix had the player's Excite Gauge start off empty and the player had to end the song with it above a certain level (marked by a red zone) to clear a song, much like in ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' or ''VideoGame/PopNMusic''. This was changed for 2nd mix and even the home version of 1st mix to simply require the gauge to not deplete during the song a la ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution''.

* MiniGameCredits: Boss songs in early games (King G in [=GF2=], Say What You Mean in [=GF3=], DAY DREAM in [=GF4/DM3=]) have credit rolls in their videos in the mix they debuted in, but are removed from subsequent mixes.

* MiniGameCredits: Boss songs in early games (King G in GF2, Say What You Mean in GF3, DAY DREAM in GF4/DM3) have credit rolls in their videos in the mix they debuted in, but are removed from subsequent mixes.

* MiniGameCredits: "DAY DREAM", the encore stage of 4th/3rd, had a credits roll in its video. Later games removed the credits.

*** The games also did not freely allow the player to select any song, on any difficulty, until 5th/4th. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty on every song; ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which split up the songlist into easier/harder songs [[note]]Charts would be on Basic difficulty unless the song appears in both the Normal and Expert modes, in which case they would be on Advanced difficulty in Expert mode. Applying the "Extreme" modifier bumped the difficulty up by one level.[[/note]], and an Extreme+ mode which forced playing every song on what became the Extreme difficulty.

*** The games also did not freely allow the player to select any song, on any difficulty, until 5th/4th. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty on every song; ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which split up the songlist into easier/harder songs.

*** The player also could not freely choose between the three difficulties in early mixes. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty for the entire duration of their game. ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' would allow cycling between Normal and Extreme in most modes, but Extreme+ is its own separate mode, thus locking the player into playing every song on that difficulty. [[note]]''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which mostly split the song list into easier and harder songs (though if a song appears in both modes, the Expert version corresponds to Advanced), as well as an unlockable "Free Select" mode. Any of these modes could be played on Normal or Extreme chart difficulty, with Extreme requiring a code that could be input (or cancelled) either on mode select or song select screens. The Extreme+ code has to be entered on the mode select screen to unlock Extreme+ as its own mode (with also an Extreme+ Bonus Track counterpart). In those cases, all songs have to be played on Extreme+ difficulty for the duration of the credit.[[/note]]

** Through GF 4th mix, the gameplay instructions are spoken in English during the "How to Play" sequence... even though the on-screen instructions are in Japanese in 2nd-4th.

** Through GF 4th mix, the gameplay instructions are spoken in English during the "How to Play" sequence.

** GF 3rd mix, the first mix to feature licensed covers (and in GF's case, all classic Western rock songs), had karaoke lyrics displayed for these songs. This was the only mix to display these lyrics.

*** The player also could not freely choose between the three difficulties in early mixes. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty for the entire duration of their game. ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' would allow cycling between Normal and Extreme in most modes, but Extreme+ is its own separate mode, thus locking the player into playing every song on that difficulty. [[note]]''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which mostly split the song list into easier and harder songs, as well as an unlockable "Free Select" mode. Any of these modes could be played on Normal or Extreme chart difficulty, with Extreme requiring a code that could be input (or cancelled, to go back to Normal difficulty) either on mode select or song select screens. The Extreme+ code had to be entered on the mode select screen to unlock Extreme+ as its own mode (with also an Extreme+ Bonus Track counterpart). In those cases, all songs have to be played on Extreme+ difficulty for the duration of the credit.[[/note]]

*** The player also could not freely choose between the three difficulties in early mixes. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty for the entire duration of their game. ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' would allow cycling between Normal and Extreme in most modes, but Extreme+ is its own separate mode, thus locking the player into it.
*** ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' also had "Normal" and "Expert" modes which mostly served no purpose other than to split up the songlist into easier and harder songs (no real relation to the Normal/Extreme/Extreme+ difficulties). The player could even enter a code to enter "Free Select" mode, which would display the full songlist and allow play on Normal or Extreme.

* DifficultySpike: The first [=GuitarFreaks=] had a relatively noticeable one for beginners by nature of not having many songs, and also not allowing players to select songs twice. After most likely playing "Cutie pie" and "Chicago Blue", the player had to select from the much tougher and faster remaining four songs as their final stage.

*** The player also could not freely choose between the three difficulties. ''[=DrumMania=]'' locked the player into playing the same difficulty for the entire duration of their game. ''[=GuitarFreaks=]'' would allow cycling between Normal and Extreme in most modes, but Extreme+ is its own separate mode, thus locking the player into it.