Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked is the first video game based on the hit anime series Samurai Champloo, which airs in America as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim late-night block of programming. The game focuses on the adventures of the show's three main characters--the stoic samurai Jin, the wild-haired swordsmen Mugen, and the former waitress Fuu--as they travel Edo-era Japan in search of a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers. In our last look at the game, we got a brief glimpse of the story and the mechanics. Now that we've had some more time with Sidetracked, we've got some updated details on just how this sword-swinging, hip-hop-laced adventure game plays out.

Sure, he doesn't look the part, but Mugen's one of the baddest samurai around.

When you first start the game, you'll see a CGI take on the familiar opening sequence from the television show, complete with the trippy beats of the opening theme. A brief sequence introduces the three main characters and their quest to find the sunflower samurai. After that bit of formality, you hit the road with the trio, who are once again famished from many days of journeying. It isn't long before the three, tempted by the promise of "three hots and a cot," board a ship bound for Ezo. It's here that the main plot of the game is revealed.

In Sidetracked, the northern city of Ezo is embroiled in conflict between the ruling Matsumae clan and the native people who have lived in the area for generations. Oppressed by the ruling Matsumae, the strongest of the remaining native clans is the Tsurumaki, led by the mysterious Worso, a white-haired warrior who is a major player in Sidetracked's plot. In the game, you choose to play as one of the series' two sword-wielding protagonists. The stoic Jin is a master swordsman who relies on precision and blinding speed. Mugen's fighting style, on the other hand, is more akin to break-dancing with blades than any formal school of swordplay, and he's probably the easier character to start out with. Both characters have their own plot arcs to play through in the game.

As Jin, you start off in the heart of the Matsumae town. Venturing outside the city gates, Jin encounters a gigantic bear as he walks down a snowy path. Just before the massive beast can strike Jin down with one swipe of his paw, a young white-haired child murmurs a few magic words and drives the bear away. Indebted to the girl, Jin travels to her home and meets her caretaker, a giant of a man named Ranke. The girl, named Nochiyu, is the sister of Worso, and the pair possess two rare gems whose combined power is feared and lusted after by the ruling Matsumae clan.

Mugen's adventure begins after he encounters a strange witch who is intent on defeating him, going so far as to conjuring a snake from thin air and firing it into his mouth. Now cursed and poisoned, Mugen is nursed back to health by Worso, who then informs Mugen that the only way to lift the curse is to hunt down the witch. This prospect, as Mugen finds out as the game progresses, is easier said than done.

While both character's paths initially diverge, there are moments when you meet up with your counterpart as the story unfolds. Early in the game, for example, both Jin and Mugen end up inside the same burning building while pursuing their separate agendas. Before the pair can start hacking each other apart (let's just say they aren't exactly best buddies, these two), they are interrupted by Worso, who has an agenda of his own.

The music-based combo system is an interesting twist to the standard swordplay mechanics.

In addition to having divergent plots, both characters' fighting styles and controls are different. For one thing, their sword combos are different from one another. As a result, both characters have special attacks and moves that are unique to them--Mugen can leap great heights, for example, while Jin often uses rolls in his combat combos. Sidetracked uses an interesting music-based fighting system that lets you have access to different combo chains depending on the music playing in the background at any given moment. You have access to two records for any given mission, and you can buy more tunes in local record shops found in towns. While in combat, you can switch back and forth between the two by pressing left or right on the right analog stick which, as a result, will change your active combo tree.