A sence of realism.
First of all I loved that there were mortal strikes in this one, gave it a sence of realism. Alot of games when you slash someone with a razor sharp katana you have to do it numerous times for them to fall. This ones different.
Bushido Blade 2 was also a bit short, never-the-less it had quality content. The story kept me interested, even though at the time I was pretty easily amused.
A remake of this series would be a nice addition to the next gen consoles, espeacially if they had a budget to work with and a little desire to create something great not just fill a quota.
It's old but so are your grandparents but you still love em'. Check the used game bins, nice play on a rainy day.