home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- $050
- BUSHIDO BLADE
- =============
-
-
- $fff By No.6
-
- $531
- Okay, first the bad news, EVERYTHING is in Japanese. All the menu
- entries, options screens, character names, EVERYTHING. That's due to
- the fact it's only out in Japan at the moment.
-
- The next problem, You can't play character VS same character. You also
- can't seem to use the STORY costumes in VS mode, you're stuck with the
- "classic" costumes, and vice versa.
-
- Now the good news, this is the most innovative fighting game I've ever
- seen. The control system, combat engine and interplay between
- characters and the environment is completely unique. You can't take any
- skills you've learned elsewhere and bring them to Bushido Blade, they
- don't apply.
-
- It seems basic enough, the joypad moves you around in 3D. The main
- difference is in the fighting style. As with some other fighting games
- you have a High, Medium and Low attack as well as a parray button. On
- top of that you also have three stances, High, Medium and Low.
-
- Depending on which stance you choose will change all of your basic
- attacks, your defense options, your combos and what special moves you
- can activate.
-
- Each character has two special moves, their own unique attributes
- (speed, strength, etc) and a signature missile weapon (with it's own
- attributes).Each character can choose one of the eight basic weapons.
- Each weapon has it's own special moves, combos, attributes and different
- basic attacks depending on the posture it's being used in (basically,
- the weapon dictates your basic moves).
-
- Additional moves you can execute during combat include jumps, jumping
- attacks, throwing your missile weapon (or your opponents, if you pick it
- up after they throw it), throwing a fistful of dirt into your opponents
- eyes (if available), climb a wall, execute running attacks, pounce on
- downed opponents, drop prone to lessen damage from an attack, attack
- while retreating, retrieve missile weapons or surrender to your opponent
- if you are crippled from the fight.
-
- You have no life meter, and there is no set amount of hits that will
- kill you. So far I've had fights that lasted up to fifteen minutes, and
- fights that were over in less than two seconds.
-
- In the story mode, you don't really have boundries to the combat area,
- you can simply run away from your opponent, up hills, across bridges,
- through bamboo forests, etc. When playing by yourself, this is
- sometimes enough to end the match, if you get enough distance between
- yourself and the computer opponent.
-
- As you fight, the damage you take will affect your performance. Your
- character will slow down, they may lose the use of their left arm (no
- missile weapons) or be driven to their knees because of leg injuries
- (difficult, but not impossible to win when this happens). If you're not
- careful, your character might simply die from a single hit (being
- stabbed in the skull with a broadsword is slighly fatal, even if the
- match just began).
-
- In story mode, damage you take is healed by the next match, but you have
- bandages over the wounds. When two players are going at it for a few
- rounds, you can get pretty battered looking.)
-
- Combat revolves heavily around parrying, either actively or passively.
- When you are attacked, you will automatically deflect most incoming
- attacks (depending on your weapon), but be briefly stunned while you do
- so. If you use the parry button, you can actively bat any incoming
- attack away, allowing you to immediately attack your opponent.
-
- Parrying is easier to do than in any game I can remember, leading to
- great sequences of batting each others weapons trying to find an
- opening. Get used to parrying, it's often the only way to avoid fatal
- blows.
-
- The arena in this game are amazing. There are bridges, canyons, rivers,
- a waterfall, waist-deep pools of water, bamboo forests (you can even cut
- the bamboo and it'll fall!) and more. I recommend playing story mode
- with another human player and simply taking the grand tour.
-
- In versus mode, you can only fight in small sections of the overall map,
- but some of these areas don't seem accessible in story mode, so that
- makes up for it somewhat.
-
- Overall, this is a remarkably unique game with a lot of interesting
- features. I have been waiting for so long to have a fighting game that
- is based more on reallity than on fantasy.
-
- I happen to love it so far, but I don't know how most fighting game fans
- will react. It takes a lot of getting used to, especially the "dying
- with one blow" bit. Personally, I'm delighted with Bushido Blade. All
- I can say now is go buy it.
-
-
- Reviewed by
-
-
-
-
-
- ### ## ##
- #### ## ### ##
- ## ## ## ## ## ##
- ## ## ## ## ## #####
- ## ## ## ## ## ## ##
- ## #### ## ## ## ## ##
- ## ### ### ## ####
-
-
- end
-