911th played so far
Genre: Fighting
Platform: Playstation 1
Year of Release: 1997
Developer: Light Weight
Publisher: Square/Sony Computer Entertainment
I’ve not heard of Bushido Blade before the blog, and I don’t think I will after – there was a sequel, but it does look like it didn’t go anywhere. It feels like it fits in withe the stylings of the early Dead or Alive and other PS1 fighting game, with a weapon based focused.
Our Thoughts
Bushido Blade’s twist comes out quite early. While other fighting games take some time to get your health down, regardless of whether you fight unarmed or with a weapon, Bushido Blade is a lot more lethal – one or two hits with your weapon and the opponent goes down. It makes for a fast paced game, with blocks and avoidance being far more important, and adds to the tension. You can score quickly by going aggressive, but the risks are there because there is no second chance in here.
In addition, while technically you choose a fighter, the selection is really for the weapon each of them use. It’s the usual combination between a few factors – reach and speed and such – and really becomes the distinguishing mark between the fighters. I played on easy, which really seems well tuned to the level I’m at (an absolute fighting game novice). I got through a few campaigns, which felt good on its own.
Final Thoughts
This game pushed past of my preconceptions of the genre. Despite the PS1 era graphics, the game still looked pretty nice and stayed readable. It was also a game that’s brutal, but well balanced in provide fair, short rounds of fighting, which feels better than the drawn out fights other games offer.