Bushido Blade
| Developer: Light Weight | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Squaresoft | Sound: |
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| Year: 1997 (1998 in Europe) | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Fighting | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 2 simultaneous | Rating: |
8/10 | |
“Wouyaaaa!” That's how it begins. A lovely polygon-rendered blonde executes an impressive “kata” in the courtyard of a Japanese medieval castle. The scene is set. The 3D graphics haven’t aged well, mind you.
Here, there are no superpowers, no psychedelic light effects, not even health bars! A single strike, if well placed, can be enough to kill the most seasoned opponent (or seriously handicap them).
As you can see, the fighters are armed. And whilst the number of characters remains small (six, plus two hidden ones if I’m not mistaken), their movement sets differ according to the chosen weapon (also six, ranging from the elegant rapier to the crude sledgehammer). The guard system is well designed and the movements flow smoothly. Combat combinations are limited to three or four hits, making it an accessible game for beginners.
In story mode, you must defeat your opponents one by one without breaking the “bushido” code of honour (for example, not striking an opponent from behind). A few spoken dialogues in Japanese with subtitles punctuate the fights. You can flee and wander around the vast area surrounding the castle, roll in the mud, cut bamboo, and so forth.
There’s also a training mode (with wooden weapons), a “slash” mode where you must kill one hundred enemies in succession, and a very original mode offering a first-person perspective. Sadly, enjoying the latter with two players requires two consoles connected by a cable, and more importantly, two copies of the game.
The difficulty appears moderate at first glance. You can die and restart as many times as you like, and only a few bandages applied to your character will remind you of it. However, to see the second ending with all six characters and unlock the other two, you need to master the game perfectly!
Regarding criticisms, one might lament the inability to disarm opponents. You can maim them and watch them crawl for the rest of the fight, you can wound their left arm, but they’ll always keep their weapon. They must have coated them with glue…
And here’s a second criticism: apart from you, my sweet “Red Shadow” who always looks classy (the blonde with the large polygons), where did they find such outfits? Are they samurai or Power Rangers?
Finally, third criticism, and here I’m getting cross; the highly anticipated sequel, Bushido Blade 2, was never released in Europe. Outrageous!
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