Bushido Blade (video game)
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- This article is about the fighting game. For other meanings of Bushido Blade, see Bushido Blade.
| Bushido Blade | |
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| Developer(s) | Squaresoft |
| Publisher(s) | SCEA SCEE Square Enix |
| Designer(s) | Light Weight |
| Release date(s) |  March 14, 1997 September 30, 1997 February 1, 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | 1 - 2 Players |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) ELSPA: 18+ |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Media | 1 CD-ROM |
Bushido Blade is a 3D fighting game series produced by Squaresoft for the PlayStation featuring one-on-one armed combat. Its name refers to the Japanese code of honor, Bushido. Two sequels have been released, one official (Bushido Blade 2, PlayStation) and one unofficial (Kengo: Master of Bushido, PlayStation 2).
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[edit] Features
There is no 'health gauge' in Bushido Blade. Unlike most games of this type, the player can kill with one swipe of a sword. Also, if a character sustains a non-fatal injury, it can affect their performance. For example, receiving a leg wound might mean the character can only shuffle about on their knees for the rest of the round during this time you are given the option to end the fight and the character will say something and then stop moving, in a few seconds the fight will end, but during this time he or she can be killed.
The game features many different authentic weapons and different fighting styles. Unlike most fighting games of its time, there is just one 'level', but it is an extremely large one. In the two-player game, after characters are chosen, the player may choose where the fight starts from in this area. Graphical effects include features such as running in mud giving the character a 'muddy' look, that character subsequently entering water would wash it off again. Finishing a fight, then choosing 'rematch' would give the character models (who had just "died") eyepatches or bandages in the next round, depending on where they were wounded. In the single-player story mode, the chosen character tends to become progressively more bandaged as the game progresses. In Bushido Blade 2 some of these features were lost. The game can be played in "story mode" or "slash mode".
[edit] Story mode
For this mode you are required to choose your character and weapon, and then fight through nine enemies while obeying the Code of Honor.
The basic storyline is that your character has discovered that the dojo he/she has trained in (Mekyokan) is also a training ground for Kage assassins and is now trying to find a way to his/her sensei Hanzaki and stop him, while fighting the very people he/she has trained with. However the rest is unique to your chosen character.
This mode has 6 (Or 7) stages on which to fight; the first is an outside area nearby a castle and is such a large stage it is possible to run into different sections to choose which area you wish to battle in. You will normally fight 4 of the playable characters on this stage before your character automatically heads for the 2nd stage - an underground well, where the fifth playable character is waiting for them.
However it is possible to avoid most of the early battles in this mode by running threw the 1st stage and eventually making it to the well that leads to the 2nd stage, If you did not greatly injure your current opponent before jumping in the well (e.g. by badly damaging his/her legs) you will have to fight that character in stage 2 before the character you would normally face, it is also possible on stage one to run from your opponent and lose them, meaning skip straight to the next fight.
The 3rd stage is a modern day helicopter port, where you are attacked by a secret character named Katze who unlike the others uses a gun as his weapon of choice, after defeating Katze your character discovers that Hanzaki has hired him to kill your character.
The 3rd stage is a beach where you fight a (Presumably) non-playable male character and the 4th stage is an outside area where you fight a (Presumably) Non-Playable female character.
The 6th stage is Mekkyokan, where you have to face Hanzaki; if you win you will see the ending for that character.
It is possible to view a different ending. Avoid getting attacked even slightly and run straight to the entrance to the 2nd stage (Being sure not to lose the first opponent on the way.) When you reach the entrance, damage the 1st opponent's legs and jump down the well, and fight the next characters with out being hit.
If done correctly you will arrive at the hidden 7th stage, which is a grassy area with a small pit in the centre. Here you will fight one of two hidden characters, either an armored samurai or young male warrior. Defeating him will allow you to view the 2nd ending.
[edit] Slash mode
In this mode you are required to choose your character as normal, however you have no choice in what weapon to use, as it is always the katana.
Your chosen character must now fight through 100 enemies, all of whom also use katana. After a certain number of kills, you receive an automatic "check" where upon if you die you will start again at that opponent rather than the beginning.
The characters you face are mainly palette swaps of each other, and are a selection of ninjas, young swordsmen, old swordsmen, and swordswomen. Their skills are not unique among their "clones" and it is simply a matter of realizing their basic fighting.
If you are skillful enough to complete slash mode in hard settings without dying even once Katze will approach your character and inform you that you have "Sealed his contract" meaning that he is now playable.
[edit] Code of Honor
Another unique aspect of Bushido Blade is that honor plays a key part in securing victory. During Story Mode you are expected to fight fairly and give your opponent a slight chance, rather than most video games that would expect you to brutally go for the kill using all you can master. These rules are based on the real life code of Bushido, however there are some subtle differences, for instance the code that a women should never be killed has been omitted from the game (Because three of the characters are female). Also these rules apply to you only your opponents can fight as cheap as they like. Failure to follow the rules means that you will be unable to finish Story Mode and a black screen will be shown containing a message stating where you went wrong, the earliest this can happen is the 5th fight, which is the last fight involving the original characters.
Firstly, at the start of each battle your enemy will say something, during which time it is possible to attack them – this is against Bushido as you are not yet in a fight, you are expected to wait for your opponent to make the first move and then you can fight back, also as previously mentioned you should give a small chance to them. Another violation is striking your opponent when they are in a situation where there is no way to defend them selves, such as being on the floor or having their backs to you, it is possible when faced with ledges for characters to climb, and attacking them as they do so is also prohibited, as again there is no way to defend them selves in time. There are controls in the game which allow you to throw soil/sand/water into your opponents face to blind them, this is against Bushido and should not be used in Story Mode; it is also believed that use of the sub weapon is a violation at times.
The Code of Honor plays a key factor into the games storyline as well. Your characters have their own views on the code and one even attempts to distance himself from it at first. Also many are fearful of the events unfolding as seeing as others are breaking the code around them it easy to be tempted into dishonor.
The lines on the black screen (Shown if you violate the code) are attributed to “Kanagasi”, whom does not physically appear in the game, but who ever s/he is; s/he seams to have significance in the storyline as well as game play particularly in Mikado’s storyline as she refers to Kanagasi as her “master”, although the direct connection is not fully explored in this game.
[edit] Weapons
There are eight different weapons the player can choose from. They are:
- Katana - Good reach, average speed (in "slash mode" your character chooses this weapon automatically)
- Nodachi - Incredibly long, but very slow
- Long Sword - Shorter and faster than the Katana
- Saber - The shortest weapon; also the fastest
- Sledgehammer - Heaviest weapon by far; very powerful, but very slow
- Broadsword - Almost as heavy as the Sledgehammer, and nearly as powerful; slow to use
- Naginata - The longest reach of any weapon; great at defense, sluggish on offense
- Rapier - Very light and fast, made for quick strikes; poor defensive weapon
In story mode the character uses the same weapon for every match.
[edit] External links
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