For as long as the fighting game genre been around, it had always been dependent on a tried and true life bar mechanic. It is a simple enough method to gauge your health status and that of your opponent, but barely realistic. Not even in a weapon based fighting game, getting skewered by a sword has little effect if you have a piece of life bar remaining. This is not the case for Bushido Blade, for there are no life bars to be seen and sword fighting is taken to a realistic extreme. Every attack and parry may be the difference between victory or defeat in this game, for a well placed sword strike will end the match instantly. If the strike does not result in a instant kill, it might cripple one of your opponents limbs, causing either a decrease on the fighter´s mobility or their capacity to fight. Such strict rules make every combat a very tense affair, button mashing will get you nowhere in this game, for it is trough carefully observation of your opponents moves, precise blocking and the proper usage of the lay of the land what will lead you to victory. Each character has at their disposal a wide array of weapons, from different types of swords, lances and hammers to choose from. Couple this with the ability to wield your weapon of choice in three different fighting stances, offensive, defensive and balanced, adding greater depth to the fighting engine. There are a few minor issues with respect to the control scheme, which is all digital; perfect for fighting but not quite so for navigating the stages. Character selection it is limited to only 8 fighters whose design is somewhat uninspired and music is sparingly used throughout the game. Bushido Blade is an acquired taste of a game and definitively not for everyone, if you´re looking for a frenetic, 100 hit combo fight fest, look elsewhere. But if you are ready to try an unique and radically different take on the fighting game genre, you´ll find that Bushido Blade is, bar none, a worthwhile experience.
This game rules i have personally beat it millions of times. Its short but the fight is unmatched on the playstation. For its time it is a remarkable game. There is hidden contents such as hidden characters and ending ... Read Full Review
Bushido Blade is one of the first one-on-one fighter (or playable missions) that does not have an HP bar. The game designs "kill-zones" that when hit, your character will die. Also, it was one of the first fighters whe... Read Full Review
