You want a realistic game? It doesn't get much more realistic than Bushido Blade. Imagine a fighting game where if you take a solid hit, you're done. It wouldn't be much fun, now would it? That's where you're wrong. It's intense.
Fighting as a warrior, following the code of bushido, you need to take revenge for any number of reasons. Cut down those in your path in order to settle your soul. All it takes is one strike. Bushido Blade provides a unique experience amongst the crowd of other titles in the fighting genre. Settle down awhile and I shall spin you a tale of this game.
Bushido Blade (PlayStation)
Developed by: Squaresoft
Released: September 30, 1997
Bargain Binned: $10-$15 on eBay, 200 Goozex points
Drawing your sword, you stare down your opponent. An evil henchman of the man who destroyed your life or perhaps the person who murdered your parents -- it matters not. This person must die. You've trained half your life, ever since that incident, for this moment. "I cannot fail." Look around, measure the surroundings. Nearby is a field of bamboo, and ten paces behind you is a ledge that leads down to the beach. Now, how to take advantage of that?
First, you swing. Still a sword's length between you and him. Suddenly, his blade comes within inches of your face. It's clear the advantage isn't yours. Pull back to the edge -- the bamboo will fall like blades of grass in the face of his sword. Your opponent follows you down to the beach. Backing you against the water, he raises his blade to strike. Dodging out of the way, you take the opportunity to throw some sand in his face, blinding him momentarily. Now! Cut him down! You feel the sword plunge into your opponent, and twist the blade to ensure he is finished.
The fight is over, but there is still a long way to go until the one who destroyed your life makes themselves known.
Bushido Blade is one of those really unique fighting games. In the sea of fighters, both 2-D and 3-D, no other title can claim the title of "most realistic." The game follows some basic principles when it comes to fighting -- a main hit to the character in the head or torso will kill; a hit to the arm or leg will cripple that limb; sand or small objects thrown at the opponent will temporarily stun them. All of these are true to life.
The game emphasizes fighting honorably over attacking your opponents as quickly as possible. In a normal fight, you can kill your opponent in three seconds. Where's the challenge in playing a game that you can beat in 20 minutes? It lies within fighting by the code of bushido.
When a fight starts, your opponent will talk to you, perhaps taunting or preparing themselves for a fight. Allow them to strike at you first, to give them some small chance of victory, otherwise you are a coward and do not fight by the code of bushido. The same holds true for attacking your opponent when they are on the ground or facing away from you. Flinging sand in your opponent's face, or flinging a secondary weapon at them is also dishonorable. Well, that counts me out, then.
The game forces the player to be much more calculated in their moves, and completely changes the pacing of the game. Now, there are rules pressured onto you in the story mode to fight honorably while your opponents will use underhanded tactics.
The slash mode is no easy challenge, either. The video in this post is the first half of someone running through slash mode, where you must fight wave after wave of enemies. It's something incredibly challenging to play, as you're still bound by the damage rules -- you could be crippled by the first enemy, and then have to fight the next 99 with a gimp leg.
Bushido Blade can sometimes be considered a party game. Hear me out on this one. A group of people getting together to watch two samurai duel. Slowly pacing around each other, it only takes one strike to kill your opponent. I've heard from others when discussing this game that it can turn to a gambling event as well.
If you're looking for an alternative fighting game that showcases what sort of diversity Squaresoft used to have, then definitely pick up Bushido Blade. Bushido Blade 2 introduces a character with a gun, so it's debatable if you want to touch that one -- she's a secret character, so it only affects the multiplayer mode.
Contest:
8:15 PM on 09.09.2007
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but i guess im in the minority cause i always thought bb2 was garbage. it was nothing compared to the original.
Or a gold star, even?
I remember epic fights on the beach where my friend and I would both have crippled legs, limbs, and arms, and we'd be crawling to one another in hopes of landing that killing blow.
My friends and I would rent that game all the time and just play it for hours.
It was teh most intense duel fighting game EVAR!
ME and my friends would be playing till 50 kills. It was perfect, one move and bam! he´s dead.
I loved the fact that you could change stances, and have diferent weapons, and that the players had like differnet schoolss of fighting.
I remember liking the dual sword, or the big katana that you withdrew and then atacked with one fast swipe.
Oh the good memories.
What I want to see is a weapon's based fighter with a health bar, but all attacks are auto blocked or do stat based damage. as the battle goes on, the bar of the less adept player would do down and there would be a final attack that would finally kill the loser. Maybe the loser could block this final move in a microgame, and then gain some weapon stamina. But finally, the loser always feels the steel of the blade.
i want Soul Caliber to play like that, no silly swords flying through bodies withoutsomuch a cut into the skin. lame.
side note!
In reality if you do find a copy nowadays for under ten bucks and it works buy it... some day you will want to run at your friend with a katana and stab him repeatedly and not go to jail. KEEPER!
On a side note, BB2 sucked balls compared to the first one. The sense of freedom and realistic blood were both missing. HD sequel? YES PLEASE!
I had a friend who would run away from me for an entire match. Since all characters had the same running speed and there were no real projectiles, I could never catch him. This would go on for up to a half and hour, till I got up to pressed the big grey PS1 power button.
His response?
"I win".
And winning a match while severly wounded? Priceless.
And don't forget those 2-second matches where you got the drop with your secondary, or distracted them with it and then went for the lunge.
I'd love to see a 4-pack available on PSN for PS3 and/or PSP. Tobal, Tobal 2, Buishido Blade, Bushido Blade 2.
And, of course, next-gen sequels for both series.
Did anyone ever have the PS-link hooked up so you could play with that wacky 1-st/3-rd person perspective? We always wanted to try that, but didn't get the cable or have the extra TV/system handy. That would be a wonderful addition to the PSN/PSP versions - over the network.
Also, remeber that the first one had single-shock support, but the second on didn't. Very strange.
I think I lost many friends that time...
but really BB was the shit, I love soul calibur but for realism nothing comes close. and one more thing, whoever made kengo should be shot in the face revived if they die and then have alcahol poured in the gaping wound for all eternity.
thank you
I used to waste a lot of time on this one, haven't even thought about it at all till i saw this.
Anyone remember the dogs barking in this game? In the "adventure" mode when you're running around in the snow?... First time i heard it I thought they were my dogs outside....... THAT is next GEN...
Alas, it is not free of flaws. My biggest complaint about it is the fact that it plays sweet while on a slow pace, but if one of the players forces a faster fight, it will inevitably turn into button-mashing. It could use some balancing.
Overall an interesting concept with an unfortunately flawed execution, which however hasn't prevented me from playing for years.