Bushido Blade

BUSHIDO BLADE

SCPS 45028
Copyright Squaresoft / Lightweight (Missing Date)
Sony Playstation
(Missing Genre), (Missing # of Players)
Available (Missing Release Date)
¥5800

— by Geir Friestad

Ever since Squaresoft got out of Nintendo's bed and headed over to greener, Sony-owned pastures, they've turned out games sporting some new and interesting ideas. FINAL FANTASY VII pretty much speaks for itself, and TOBAL NO. 1, although not a jawdropping piece of software, introduced some new ideas to the fighting game genre.

And now there's BUSHIDO BLADE...

This time the boys at Square have taken a look at pretty much the entire fighting game concept, shaken their heads in disbelief and tossed most of it out the window. Instead of the usual, Square has managed to come up with something wholly original. I'd even hesitate to call this a fighting game — a "samurai simulator" is probably a better way of describing it.

What's the big difference between BUSHIDO BLADE and, say, TEKKEN 2 and 3 — "Heihachi Is Still Not Dead," then?

Well, for starters, there are no energy bars, no time limit, no "ring out," and no special moves. A single, well-placed strike can kill. Killing your opponent dishonorably is a big no-no, and the game ends prematurely if you do so. The biggest difference, however, is in how the game actually plays. In a fighting game like SOUL EDGE, button-smashing can actually get you pretty far. Not so in BUSHIDO BLADE. The keys to successfully defeating your opponents here are timing, parrying, what position you're in (high, normal, or low — your attacks and blocking ability is affected by this), the strengths and weights of both your character and your opponent, and what weapons you're using.

There are six different characters to choose from, and eight different weapons to fight with. They range from traditional Japanese weapons like the katana, nodachi, and naginata, to more European hardware like the rapier and long sword. All weapons have different weights and reach, and picking the right one for your character is very important.

BUSHIDO BLADE comes with a respectable selection of game modes:

The "Story Mode," which is the standard human vs. CPU game.

"Versus Mode," which lets you fight against a friend.

"Chambara Mode," which is an unusual variation of the standard practice mode. Here the computer unleashes one hundred opponents on you, in groups of ten. Each opponent attacks with a standard pattern, which forces you to learn how to cope with each different type of attack.

"Practice Mode," where you fight the CPU armed only with bokken (wooden swords).

"Own View Mode," which is a thrilling variation of the human vs. CPU mode. Imagine a Doom-type view, and you get the idea.

"Link Mode," which lets you link up two Playstations and fight a friend in "Own View Mode." I haven't tried this, but it sounds exciting.

Sounds good so far, doesn't it? And it generally is, provided that you play it in "Versus Mode." Getting a few friends together and slugging it out in "Versus Mode" is almost like playing your favorite scene from any of the KOZURE OOKAMI or KYOSHIRO NEMURI movies.

Playing the game alone is a different matter, however. The CPU's AI is pretty weak, and finishing the game in either "Story Mode" or "Chambara Mode" poses little challenge. This is a minor disappointment, but let's hope this game does well enough for Squaresoft to make an improved sequel.

The other minor downside to the game is the music. With the exception of the opening track, it's downright horrible. A blend of metal and techno does not belong in a game like this. A more traditional approach, like in SNK's SAMURAI SPIRITS series, would have been much, much better. Fortunately, it's possible to turn the music off, which leaves you with nice, atmospheric sound effects (chirping birds in the bamboo forest, falling raindrops, etc).

Anyway, it's time for the final verdict. Drumroll, please! And the verdict is: BUSHIDO BLADE is a highly original, if slightly flawed, fighting game. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to fighting-game addicts who enjoy depth, as well as any fan of samurai movies. Get a few friends together, play some BUSHIDO BLADE, watch a couple of samurai movies and play some more. It's a lot of fun — you have my word on it.

Rating:

*** 1/2 Stars (out of 4)