Samurai Champloo to funk up US PS2s

More Images (10) »
Screenshot Index »

Anime-obsessed insomniacs had their prayers answered this year when the Cartoon Network added Samurai Champloo to its Adult Swim showcase. Created by Shinichiro Watanabe (Macross Plus), the show blends 19th-century samurai action with 21st-century hip-hop, much like Cowboy Bebop--also created by Watanabe--fused 26th-century sci-fi with 1950s-era jazz.

Soon, TiVo-less Samurai Champloo-igans won't have to stay up until the wee hours to get their fix. This week, Bandai announced that it is developing a game version of Samurai Champloo for the PlayStation 2. Already planned for release in Japan, it will arrive stateside sometime in early 2006.

According to Bandai, the Samurai Champloo game will try to incorporate the show's musicial elements. "The players can choose an array of combos based on the different hip-hop grooves that they can swap at will," said the company. "Music tracks become collectible, opening an extensive assortment of linked attacks that can be implemented tactically during combat."

GameSpot will have more details on Samurai Champloo as they emerge.