REVIEW:  The original Bushido Blade was an innovative & memorable weapon based fighting game in 1997, and one of the best Playstation exclusive fighters if you ask me. A year later, Square & Lightweight released the sequel, and even in that short period of time... managed to put out a worthy successor to the first game.


The sequel brought back all of the elements that made the first game stand out, and added in tons of new characters, more weapons, and more diverse interactive environments. This time around, each of the characters have distinctively unique abilities with certain weapons, and are also considerably stronger when using their "trademark" weapon. Each character also follows his or her own story and path throughout the 1-player story mode, which manages to flesh out each of their personalities. No doubt, the story mode is a vast improvement over the originals. In retrospect, Bushido Blade 2's story mode was one of the best story modes to appear in a fighting game in its respective era.
  

  
There are a ton of secret characters to unlock by playing through the story mode, most of which are fairly interesting designs. Along with some unlockable veteran characters from the original game, the newcomers add a nice touch and balance out the roster in more ways than one. Along with diverse appearances, some characters even introduce entirely new weapons. Two secret characters even fight with guns, making for some interesting, yet dishonorable battles! (It's actually quite fun to play a gun VS katana battle, especially when you can win while using the underdog swordsman... and yes, it's quite possible in this game...  they actually balanced it rather well).


Some of the new gameplay mechanics introduced in Bushido Blade 2, include: the addition of throws (unique to each character), the ability for some characters to wield dual swords, and brand new sub- weapons (which players can throw at their enemy, some with the ability to kill on impact). There are definitely some interesting sub-weapons this time around, whether it's Takeru Hongou's tomahawks or Chihiro's frog... yes, frog. The sub-weapon mechanic adds another interesting layer to each character, with some characters clearly having stronger (and more lethal) sub-weapons than others.
 

 
Bushido Blade 2 presents an distinct mood & feel, yet brings some color and excitement to the series thanks to the new characters and environments. The new stages are more diverse this time, and closer to what you'd expect out of a fighting game. However, multiple tiers and interactive elements in the backgrounds make BB2's stages pretty interesting. The graphics have considerably improved, but given this is a PS1 game... everything is still pretty blocky and pixilated. On the flipside, the sword-fighting animation is considerably authentic... not to mention satisfying K.O's and death animations. The intense opening movie and traditional Japanese music are also well done and effectively put you into the setting of the game.  


While Bushido Blade 2 is another attempt at very "unorthodox" fighting game, the potential for "1-hit kills" can be pretty fun if you open your mind to it. No, Bushido Blade 2 isn't nearly as technical or competitive as other arcade fighting games, but offers a unique gameplay experience in its own right that shouldn't be missed. In addition to the basic Story and Versus modes, the 1-player "Slash Mode" also returns from the first game. The new Slash Mode puts you in a tower filled with ninjas and such, and yes... you have to ascend the tower kill them ALL without dying to reach the end! I actually had a lot fun with this mode.

Page Updated: April 17th, 2024 Developer(s): Square Co. / Lightweight Publisher(s): Square Co. ,  Square Electronic Arts Platform(s): PlayStation, PSN Release Date(s): Mar. 19th, 1998      Oct. 27th, 1998       Dec. 3rd, 2008           PSN Characters:  Kannuki, Mikado, Kaun, Gengoro, Red Shadow, Jo, Isohachi, Matsumushi, Tatsumi, Highway Man, Utsusemi, Chihiro, Suminagashi, Nightstalker, Utamaru, Hongou, Tony Umeda, Sazanka, Tsubame, Katze Featured Video: Related Games: Bushido Blade, Soul Blade, Soul Calibur, Battle Arena Toshinden 3, Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, Samurai Shodown 4, Ehrgeiz, Bloody Roar 2, Plasma Sword, Final Fight Revenge, Golden Axe: The Duel, The Last Blade 2, Tobal 2, Tekken 3, Asura Blade    Gameplay Engine  8.0 / 10 Story / Theme  8.5 / 10 Overall Graphics  7.0 / 10 Animation  7.5 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  8.0 / 10 Innovation  9.0 / 10 Art Direction  9.0 / 10 Customization  7.0 / 10 Options / Extras  7.5 / 10 Intro / Presentation  9.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun  8.5 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  8.0 / 10 Characters  8.5 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  8.4 / 10        Final Words: Bushido Blade 2 was much more polished over the prequel and no doubt a quality PS1 exclusive fighting game in 1998. Once again, the developers presented something gutsy and completely different from what you'd expect in a fighting game. The returning characters have eons more charisma than the previous game, and there are a ton of brand new samurai warriors to meet. While Bushido Blade 2 has plenty of quirks, it's actually rather balanced... due to the fact that 1-hit-kills are still a thing. The game has a distinctive setting, a pretty decent story mode for a PS1 fighting game, memorable characters, and deeper layers of the gameplay over the prequel - especially with each character having his or her own distinctive traits (with each weapon) and unique sub-weapons (for players to discover). Not only was Bushido Blade 2 an intriguing, good-looking, and "fun" PS1 fighting game... I'd say it was one of the "standout" games on the system in 1998.On that note, I'm surprised they never made a (true) sequel to Bushido Blade 2. I would've liked to see some of the characters develop even further. Also worth mentioning, Bushido Blade 2's cinematic intro was one of my favorites of the PS1 era, rivaled only by that of TEKKEN 3 and Soul Blade (and that's saying a lot)!  ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen         Click Here for all Character Artwork! Click Here for all Screenshots! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES