Bushido Blade

by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00002STKS
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,092 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Forget life meters, combos, and all that three-round rot. Here comes Bushido Blade, a straightforward fighting game that totally redefines the genre. Bushido Blade is a bold undertaking, but a remarkably successful one - it's fresh, unique, and could never have happened without today's technology.

Bushido Blade opens with a stunning sword demonstration, and the game's visual integrity becomes obvious within seconds. The game's graphics, while not the sharpest or fastest, are the most detailed ever seen in a polygonal fighter, and, at a consistent 30 frames per second, rank among the smoothest in existence. The soundtrack, which combines traditional Japanese instrumentation with a fast-paced, modern rhythm section, is also striking. While the in-game speech is somewhat limited, the sounds of each battle are dazzling in their variety. The game's most remarkable feature, however, is each stage's continuous fighting environment. For instance, you can race through the snow (leaving tracks in your wake) past a garden and over a wooden bridge to the village beyond, then leap into a mud hole and race your way to the train station, where you can escape into an underground river and clean yourself off. Did I mention you're battling all this time? A brief load time separates the different areas of town, but it hardly detracts from the experience.

Of course, running around isn't what Bushido Blade's all about. You choose from six honorable samurai warriors and select from the following eight classical weapons: katana, rapier, naginata (Japanese polearm), broadsword, war hammer, short sword, nodachi (Japanese long sword), and saber. Each battle-hardened fighter is proficient with at least one weapon, though you can use any. Once armed, you can switch among high, middle, and low combat stances at will and attack in at least three different fashions. Different weapons demand different strategies; the lightweight katana is ideal for midlevel slashes, while the hammer is best for crushing overhead blows. You can parry the opponent's attack, attempt to counter it, or swing right through it, but defending will only take you so far; the moment a clean hit connects, it's all over. This is Bushido Blade's most exciting and preposterous feature, destined to earn it just as many fans as detractors - each match consists of one round, and if you survive an enemy's attack, consider yourself lucky.

Of course, you needn't go straight for the kill every time - consider laming your opponent (the legs make easy targets) or slashing his arm (he will continue fighting one-handed). The story mode reflects damage from match to match, with bloody bandages on your character and more. But as good as Bushido Blade is, there's still some room for improvement. For instance, the fighter will never drop his weapon. Likewise, though the swordsman's arm or leg may be injured, it is impossible to damage both. Not to mention that grappling of any kind is conspicuously absent.

Bushido Blade also features a number of very cool gameplay options. These include a terrifyingly well-done first-person battle mode (complete with two-player linkup) and the option to toggle between winter and spring settings for various backdrops. Each fight also has a number of dramatic outcomes, namely the different death throes that change with each killing blow, which are nothing short of awesome. Combined with the selection of stylish fighters and weapons, the replay value in this title is vast. Hard-core fighting-game fans should consider Bushido Blade a welcome breath of fresh air; it's a vastly different combat experience that makes for one of the classiest, most serious fighting games ever. --Greg Kasavin
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Manufacturer Description

A compelling story and amazing graphics aren't all that make this title a must-have. Bushido Blade completely redefines the genre of fighting games and does it with panache. 6 fighters 8 weapons and one winner-take-all round of the fiercest combat you've ever seen on a videogame.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real Nice Game, August 9, 2001

By 

Greg da Mac-daddy (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bushido Blade (Video Game)

Bushido Blade is a great and realistis fighting game. The first i've ever played where there is no life bar. There are tons of characters to choose from and many weapens. (Theres even a sluge hammer) The only reason i will give it 4 stars is the fact that i got bored with it after a few months. Besides that, it's a great game! (It's squaresoft, what do you expect?) You might find it different and never get bored with it. Sometimes the game can get difficult in slash mode. But the best thing about the game is the multiplayer. You can never get bored with that. So make sure you have a friend or a family member that loves to cut up people with swords.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different from the rest - best party fighter, November 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bushido Blade (Video Game)

If you've ever been a fan of Kurosawa movies or other Japanese samarai cinema, this game will definitely stand apart for you. The mood of that genre is well captured with cinematic visuals that are integrated into the game. The patter of the swordsman's running footsteps, cascading rain, and blossoming trees are good examples, but the most unique and important aspect is the sheer lethality of the gameplay. It can all be over with one stroke of the blade. This makes for an excellent two player fighter (although there is a one person story mode). It has a 'rock, scissors, paper' feel and strategy takes a minimalist, patient approach. There's no rapid button tapping or 'juggling', just a timed precise execution of attack measured by the distance between characters, the height of the stroke, and the lengths of the blades. Standoffs are quite common and the win or loss can be an explosive instant. This is probably one of the greatest party fighters ever - the rounds are short ensuring quick turnaround and watching others play is like the suspense from watching a gunfighter's duel in a spaghetti-western. Guaranteed moans and cheers after every battle.

Although there's been a sequel and newer/faster/smoother fighters have been released, this still stands apart as a classic 'must-have' that will get pulled out of the jewel case long after its purchase.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic., August 15, 2005

By 

Daniel Dotson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Bushido Blade (Video Game)

I've been playing Bushido Blade off and on since like the seventh grade and it still keeps me entertained. It's one of those few games out there that have such a great replay value you can literally play it all night and not get bored (I know from experience).

Square decided to eliminate the traditional fighting game life meter and try to make the most realistic sword-fighting game they could. This is what makes it so unique: You get hit in the arm, you lose usage of that arm. You get hit in the leg, you hobble around for the rest of the match. And if you get hit just right in the neck or torso, you're dead. In addition to this appealing realistic fighting system, there are three stances to choose from, adding strategic depth to the game: Knowing when to wield your weapon high, medium, or low can greatly effect the outcome of a fight.

Though this game is best if played with another person, the 100-man challenge in Slash mode makes it infinitely fun even if you're by yourself. This thing kept me occupied for five hours one night, until I was finally able to get through it without dying.

The one problem that I had with this game, which takes its overall quality down to four stars, is simply that they forgot to add a cancel button to take you back to the main menu. So basically, if you're in Arcade mode and want to quit and give Slash mode a try, you have to reset the whole thing. This little annoyance is really the game's only drawback.

Though Bushido Blade has been out for a while and has far been outdated in graphics and all that(I really wish Square would remake it or something), I haven't played many fighting games that equal it in the fun department.