Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked breaks the long chain of sub-par anime-based games by not dumbing down the game.
Samurai Champloo is a beat-em'-up type of fighting game. As generic as that sounds, Grasshopper made this game from the ground up. Due to the heavy influence of hip-hop in the anime, they chose to have a system that changes the combo tree next to your health bar with each of the tracks, which you can find and purchase along the way.
The special combat moves, the hyper, fate, and trance modes, seem to be heavily influenced by Kill BIll, where all that is visible is the shadow of the player and the enemy through a traditional Japanese paper door.
Much of the artistic design reflects the anime almost perfectly. The classic anime humor may not appeal to all, but for fans of the show, it just feels natural. There are many typical jokes that often appear in the anime as well.
As the player, you can take control of Jin, with the glasses, and Mugen, the crazy haired guy in red, as well as a secret character after completing the game with the two starting characters. Jin and Mugen have completely different storylines, but the two will often visit the same locations. They also have two completely different fighting styles. Mugen is agile and does not have a set structure while fighting. His style incorporates elements of break-dancing. Jin is the polar opposite of Mugen. He is formally trained and has a more traditional style of swordsmanship.
Overall, everything about Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked completely sets it apart from other anime-based games. Fans of the show will definitely enjoy it and people who want a better beat-em'-up will find this the game of choice.