I organized a drunken fighting tournament for a lot of the people I know. We started with Tekken and the plan was to finish with Street Fighter 5. I decided to throw in Bushido Blade as a wild card in-between because it is just such an interesting game. The reception to the game was so overwhelmingly positive that we ended up playing Bushido Blade into overtime and skipped Street Fighter. I really, really recommend playing this game with a room full of around 20-something people who's all had perhaps a few too many; it's one of the most hyped events in my life and easily beats all EVO finals combined on the hype-scale. I screamed so much that I sounded like Filthy Frank the day after.
When this game came out I was in my 20's and that is the truth. Being handed a controller and keep it is definitely what Bushido Blade is great at. Especially when I use Katana low stance and time like 10 people 8n a row. That takes like 2 mins. Lol! "SHOWDOWNS!!"
I remember being in 10th grade when I played this. My friend rented it and we stayed up til 4 am all weekend playing it. 1997 and Bushido Blade...doesn't get better than this. Derek, this video brought back a gem memory. Haven't played this since that weekend.
On versus mode they do a victory pose after winning. What we used to do was have them to the victory pose next to a cliff. The Ninja does a backflip to his death
I only realized this recently, but my face lights up when I see a new SSFF video. You seem like a super swell guy, and you have the most passion of pretty much every reviewer on this site. Keep up the good work, yo.
Don't forget, Brave Fencer Musashi was also part of the set of experimental non-RPG games Square released at once with Bushido Blade, Einhander, etc etc...
I fell In love with this game when I was a kid and actually, as you said, I've take my old PSX this summer to some friends reunion and it was a blast. The excuse to use the playstation was Tony Hawk 2 and instead we ended up playing Bushido Blade all night.
I remember renting Bushido Blade 2 when I was young and being completely enthralled with the campaign. I was a huge fan of feudal Japan and this game really fed into that obsession. Some time later I found a copy of the first game at my local GameStop and I was so excited, thinking it was BB2. When I got home I was sorely disappointed by what it had to offer. BB2 might not have been much of an improvement over the first game, but even the act of unlocking characters gave it infinitely more replayability for someone who liked to play alone.
It's a shame you didn't like the music to Bushido Blade 1, as it's actually one of my favourite scores on the console by far. It was one of three scores done for square by legendary Namco/SuperSweep alumni Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, and Takayuki Aihara (the others being Driving Emotion Type-S and iS: Internal Section, although iS didn't feature Aihara), all three of which have some incredibly lofty credits to their name. I would argue it's anything but generic, but I've already shown my bias towards the score and it's composers, so our opinions aren't gonna match up. It still kinda blows me away that the games ever got made at all, given the concept, but by the same token I'm shocked the concept of a game like Bushido Blade wasn't attempted more until relatively recently. Because you're absolutely right; it's as deep as you want it to be, and it makes for a hell of a party game.
I have actually brought this game to the homies house for everyone to have a great time slashing each other up, and i grew up with both games loved them both. "odds are, if you're watching this show, you're already THAT guy," god damn it i fucking love this show! one of my favourite things on the internet is SSFF and this is a prime example why. holler at ya boy derek! DO WHAT IT DO PHONE HANG UP!
Both of the Bushido Blade games are some of the best fighters ever made. They do lack a lot of stuff other fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat have, but make up for it with their ease of play, the very fluid and realistic mechanics (other than the high jumps of course) and the ingenious design. I understand they're kind of cult games, they weren't that popular back in the day but are very fondly remembered. I dunno if a new entry in the franchise will be successful now since so mcuh has happened since those games but I will never stop playing these. As far as Bushido Blade 2 not being as good, I didn't have too much problems with it, the 1st game certainly was better but BB2 was still pretty good and I don't think the qualtiy of that game had much of anything to do with no further games in the franchise. My guess is that the sales just weren't that good for the franchise at the time, it was too niche of a game and wasn't pulling in the big bucks like the Final Fantasy games for instance. Essentially the same reason other games of that time like Tobal, Einhander, etc. also never saw any support later on.
I personally adore this game. I love the pacing and style of fighting. The bamboo falling around battle and other cinematic elements made this such a unique game. I would love a Third in the series or a remake even!
If you're playing on PC there is a similar one hit death possibillity game on Steam, it is named: "Hellish Quart". Just it's a different setting, not Japan but european medie eval.
At first, I was kind of annoyed that they removed the high, mid, and low attack setup and changed it to just two attack buttons (horizontal and vertical), but when I realized that it actually worked really well with the parry system and made the combat flow much faster and more smoothly I came to prefer it (it's especially satisfying when both fighters keep parrying back and forth rapidly until one gets the upper hand). It's kind of like refining a sword; they removed unnecessary elements to make it more flexible. Plus, small additions like the introduction of more throwable weapons and a wider variety of combo moves give you a lot of room to experiment and adapt. The main thing that keeps me coming back to the first game are the old weapons and the ability to run between stages, but the second one was definitely an upgrade. Don't know what the hell he meant by "does nothing to expand upon it" lmao.
+SeeleSO02 I did the same thing, but with the SNES port of Street Fighter II. I'm not sure what Capcom was thinking when they made that the pause sound, but it got my brother and I laughing.
I've always loved Bushido Blade! It still gets played in my house a few times a year. Flawed, but man. So unique. You're right, it's a perfect party game
You know, Fighting games aren't nearly as hard to get into as some people think... The acquired knowledge from one more often than not carries over to many other games in the genre, you don't have to learn advanced play techniques in order to be a decent player, you just have to know your character and know when to be on the offensive and when to be on the defensive, which isn't as hard as it sounds... You only have to learn advanced play if you want to be a competitive player, but I play fighting games first and foremost to have fun, so I basically learned Ryu and I always pick the Ryu clones of whatever fighting game I'm playing...
+Ruko Michiharu IMO You are wrong on that fighting games require precise timing and motor skills as well as deep knowledge of frames of not just your character but that of your opponent to even perform at a normal level. The barrier of entry is very high to get into them. That doesn't mean you can't but you just have to learn from mistakes and spen time in training mode
+E Oyibo (edge) Nope. If you have bad motor skills there are games for that(Divekick, Smash, Rising Thunder) but at the end of the day, frames aren't necessary to start.
+Ruko Michiharu hmm i would say it sorta depends on the series, but overall i agree with what u say. yeah i usually go for the "ryu clones" myself but never choose sakura if she is an option in actual street fighter games. god i never hated a girl as much as sakura. :-D all her users are dirty scumbags in my book!
I'm blown away that in this day and age of the internet Bushido Blade remains an undiscovered classic that should be experienced by any video game fan.
I'd like to also add Karate Master 2: Knock Down Blow actually seems to borrow the same concept from Bushido Blade. Instead of sword fighting, it's based on landing blows and scoring points in Karate matches and there's even instant match wins via specific (and often repeated) blows to an opponent's limbs - it's entirely possible to end a match with a well placed kick or punch to someone's ligaments that will most likely result in it shattering. I had one match end in less than three seconds from a single well placed kick to my opponent's femur. If you haven't tried it, at least give it a look. There's definitely footage floating around on UA-cam and it's quite fun. It can get repetitive, of course, but for people looking for more Bushido Blade style action at your fingertips you can grab a copy from Steam.
You know what is great? Finding a few new SSFF videos when you check the channel! Been a viewer since your first run at Retroware man, happy to see you still doing your thing into 2016!
i played bushido blade when it first released... and i loved the tension it created. NO fucking up or you're dead. At the time, i was on the top of the kendo team, being on second place nationally, so this game for me was a blast. Sadly, never got the chance to play it again after... sadly. I'll buy it if i get my hand on it.
+James Schmidt I found them to be too low quality personally. I think some good alternatives today are Chivalry Medieval Warfare and Mount and Blade, one basically is a huge multiplayer version in 1st person and the other is an open sandbox game in 1st person also with huge multiplayer modes. Some also like War of the Roses/Vikings but I didn't care for those.
Yeah. Me and my buddy were absolutely elated after playing (actually playing) the game for less than a minute. After that, it was two hours of beer and pirates vs ninjas
No mention of the hilarious voice acting in these games?? I only played Bushido Blade 2, but if there's one thing I remember from that game, it's the character dialogue.
+Living Myth Bushido Blade 1 is all in Japanese, so it has great voice work. BB2's voice work is TERRIBLE! I was going to bring it up but it's honestly low on my list of problems with BB2.
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting - How can you say that just because Bushido Blade 2 has all japanese dialogue it is automatically better? It's the original voices so ofc they must be good even though I don't understand it.
Despite the flaws, I really enjoy these games, and happy to have them in my collection! I wish more people know about them. My friends and I used to play the first and second a ton! Matches were crazy intense. I always loved that when you continue, the character opens their eyes with that stereotypical feudal Japan sound. Great video, and fair review!
I owned the first one, Greatest Game of All Time. I think I rented the 2nd one a few times I was flatly disappointed and in denial I was so hyped from the first one. The second one should have had a completely separate title and characters.
I actually found the first Bushido Blade game flawless in both design and control. The sequel was a devastatingly awful leap backward. As an avid student of kendo, kumdo, and escrima, I loved the approach to the combat mechanics.
You didn't mention how extensive the move-set could be. Each button combined with either a direction or a back, then forward produces a different move. Those are different for each stance. Each character/weapon combination also has slight variations in their combo options as well. It is really easy to pick up and play, but it's the kind of game where you can really see gains from time spent. Not in the form of Killer Instinct style Ultra combos, but in mastering the timing and diverse move set of your preferred character/weapon combos. This is, of course, referring to BB 1. 2 was so much of a let-down...
Well I mean, one doesnt has to be "good" to enjoy fighting games. I mostly play fighting games in solo mode, because I just like the dynamic of martial mano a mano combat. Aside of that, great episode! You covered pretty much all there is about Bushido Blade, and made me want to replay it. :P Also, I am actually hyped for For Honor. Even if the footage so far indicates only bits and pieces of BB inspiration, it seems like a very cool game, plus I love swinging long swords...
Dude Bushido Blade 2 had freakin sheathed stance strikes, dual wielding and yari. It was fn awesome. Bushido Blade 1 was awesome cuz of the ability to take a leg and the sledgehammer . Also you didn't mention throwing weapons.
Bushido Blade is a game i bring up all the time to be remade. I always advocated for a concept just like it. Way of the samurai 3 actually has an instant kill mode which is essentially open world Bushido Blade
I remember being a kid and after some time with my older brother realizing the map was absolutely huge and you could run around forever into different areas or troll after you take their legs
Ah, Bushido Blade. I remember this classic as the game where it's hard to control your character, but hilariously fun to endure the stiffness for the limb crippling system alone. It was crazy fun disabling opponents to the point of them essentially being forced to hobble to a crawl in terms of movement, then run in with a ninja strike killing blow to the throat. Fun times.
I remember this game. A friend of mine had this. Brought it over and my brothers and us would play this game for hours on end just laughing at all the funny kills.
It isn't mentioned here but Naotaka Ueda actually mentioned your review on his facebook page. That's how I found you in the first place. Well done! いいプレゼンだったね！！
Way of the Samurai is a series I really would love to done properly for current gen systems and taken to the next level. WotS 2,3 and 4 never lived up to the promise of the original. I can only imagine a really well done open sandbox samurai game.
+Kevin De Bondt i dont know, i didnt play the fourth way of the samurai yet, but it seems a lot more cookie and weird than the other ones, im really curious about that one
Way. Of the samurai 3 sucks,but 4 was actually really good. Also the the three way of the ninja games are great too. But only the vita ever came to America
Basically, the video game concept of how Samurai duels actually played out, as demonstrated between Shichiro and another hot-head samurai in The Seven Samurai (1954).
I really enjoyed bushido blade 1 when it was released. Problably one of the more unique experiences on ps one. I never played part 2 but would love to see a sequel on psn.
That’s funny...I completely forgot that I owned Bushido blade when I was a kid until I saw your review just now, my mind is being flooded with memories watching this.
I'm a little disappointed you didn't talk about playing versus in the story mode. It's not exactly a selling point, especially with the PS1's loading times, but I thought it was totally awesome how you could run away into a different area in the map, because you have this whole world to fight in. Plus, your characters keep bandages on their bodies from wherever they got hit. My friend who showed me the game wanted to lead me to the part of the level/world where there was a well. He jumped down there and declared that I could never kill him now, because the bad collision in the tight space made it impossible to land a hit. So I jumped down there with a sweeping jump-strike and managed to kill him on my first try. He was so mad.
+marscaleb; the fact that you can run around the entire castle grounds in the campaign mode was crazy, but that was cut from the script. i've always believed that you don't need to talk about everything in a review, pacing is important so some stuff is more important than other's.
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting Yeah that's fair; it's really just a cool bonus instead of a selling point. Half the time I play versus in the story mode just because of those features, though.
One of my favorite video game memories is from Bushido blade 1, where I was playing against a friend and to each of our surprise, we both managed to parry each other's attacks perfectly resulting in quite the battle. One of those moments where time seems to slow and everything you're doing feels natural for that moment. Then it was gone and I forget who won. :P (Edited because it had to be the first one we were playing. I do remember being very frustrated by the teleporting guy though)
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting agreed. still thanks for the upload. Would love to see you handle Tobal and Tobal 2. Bought 2 copies of Tobal #1, one for my car and the other for my playstation :)
Hey Derek, what's your opinion on the Fear Effect games? I think they are right up your alley and believed you would mentioned them in your videos by now.
i have been watching a few of these video game retrospectives from various people, only on a small handful of games i personally really have memories of playing a lot which basically covers a relatively short period of time between Nes, Snes and PS1. i get the distinct feeling that i am a bit older than most of the people making these, they seem to be talking about it more like its their fond childhood memories but my fond childhood memories are more of playing with action figures during the original Star Wars craze. in 97 i was 25 and my father suddenly passed away, this was a big deal for me because my whole life he had been very sick and i never really got to do a lot of things or be independent because i had to stay home and take care of him. so when he passed i suddenly could not afford the place we had been renting by myself and i still didnt have a drivers license or had ever even driven at all because he had always been to sick to teach me. we also worked at the same place because i had sort of been stuck at this terrible minimum wage job in order for him to keep his decent paying salary job that he could no longer handle by himself, and now i had no way to drive to that job. so my father had just passed and i basically lost my job and i had no money for rent and no way to get around. so i had to beg a friend of mine to give me some driving lessons and take me to the DMV to tame my test. and i had to talk another friend of mine into getting an apartment with me because he lived in a really nasty little roach infested place he was renting. anyway we got an apartment together but we didnt hang out much as we both ran in different circles and did different things, at this time in my life despite all the crap that had just happened my whole life revolved around one night a week when there was a club i went to open and i would get all done up and go feel like a rockstar all night and was dating and having a blast. my room mate still spent most of his free days playing AD&D with a bunch of friends i use to play with. i started coming home after playing and he kept talking about this awesome video game that their DM had, he was so impressed by it that he decided to go buy a PS1 just to get this game, it was the first Diablo. we started playing it all the time when i was clubbing and he wasnt role playing. with his friends. this was the first time i ever played any system after the SNES, eventually he started buying lots of other games, but the one that jumped out at me, the one i had to have, the first PS game i ever bought was Bushido Blade. and i LOVED! i use to play it ALL the time, everyone has thiose couple games that are just the ones they really mastered and are really good at, Bushido Blade was mine. i was REALLY good at it and it along with Diablo got me back into gaming, though i have never been a real gamer. i remember being all excited about getting Bushido Blade 2 and i was SOOO disappointed. it is easily the most let down and angry i have ever been over a game. i did not enjoy ANY aspect of it at all.i also disliked Kengo and honestly could never even fully figure out how to play it. there were all these weird endurance tests you had to do that seemed to lead nowhere.
I've never played Bushido Blade but based off of this video, the Deadliest Warrior games that came out in 2010 and 2011 seem to be a spiritual successor to this concept. You choose from different warriors from history and everyone has weapons. Instant kills are possible. You can wound your opponents and they can bleed out. You can even dismember body parts with a well placed hit (you can literally turn your opponent into a one legged man in an ass kicking contest if you hit them just right.) And it's not over-the-top gory like Mortal Kombat. It can be bloody at times but nothing too stomach churning. If I remember correctly, I think there's even a first-person mode if you want to give it a shot.
I actually really liked Kengo (Sounds like you pronounce it Kendo, after the sword art?). It's still a little abstracted with how people have healthbars, but different health values. And bleeding can end a fight early or make the bleeder extra aggressive. Also, fun story mode where you improve your fighter over time. And make your own moveset, dojo and get swods. Sort of Bushido Blade with RPG elements. Plus, while it's all katana (Except that one guy that use a boat oar) I kinda like it. Bushido Blade has some wacky 90s anime going on that goes in contrast with the mortal realism it wants to have. At least, IMO. Hope you consider it some day in the future. Really underrated PS2 game imo.
It does. But the RPG elements are sorta like management of your character and dojo rather than free-roaming traversal.. Sorta like a samurai business sim. If that makes any sense at all, heh.
Nice review, but I have to respectfully disagree. 1 was decent, but I felt 2 was much better. I was ok with less weapons when I got a lot more characters, some of them with interesting stories. Speaking of, the story was much better. Both games were good though for their time, but I enjoyed 2 much more.
This game was so good. I remember big tournaments with friends, even the ones who weren''t into videogames. Or playing versus mode for hours with my best friend or my younger brother. Bushido Blade, Kensei and Tenchu were my favourite games for PS1.
Hmm... It's interesting you did an interview for this review. I knew you spoke Japanese because of the voice acting you did for Roo in his Dragon Quest reviews, but that's some good dedication to things. I'm trying to learn myself while simultaneously doing VG research so we should talk some time.
I got both as a bootleg import when i was a little shitter and i absolutely loved it. it was so unique and different and to be honest it still is up to this day. thanks for the review
Hey Derek, you wanna see my most favorite glitch in a video game ever? Use the Broadsword, defeat your opponent, and then quickly run to the edge of their body before the cinematics play. Stand as close to the body as you can with their body being on your character's left. Your goal is that after the replay, when the character does their victory animation, the very tip of the broadsword will penetrate the defeated player's body. Go do it. You're welcome.
I've recently come across Exanima, an isometric dungeon crawler with physics-based combat (sounds crazy, right?) that's currently on Steam's early access program. It has a very similar feel to it (Bushido Blade, I mean) and even got a survival-mode where you fight progressively stronger enemies one-on-one, w/o regenerating health in between, and get to keep their gear as reward. It's worth checking out for that mode alone! Oh, before I forget: awesome video as always, Derek; keep up the good work!
Bushido Blade was absolutely amazing. I loved playing two player mode. The eggshell feel that was explained in the video with the the background graphics & sounds effects have never been in any other fighting game I’ve played to this day. I never knew about the second one & I only wish that one day a fighting game could catch the magic that bushido blade had with today’s technology.
This makes me incredibly nostalgic. I got Bushido Blade one Christmas and the sequel years after and had a blast with both. Truly the original was ahead of its time, even if it was incredibly rough. The sequel was as you say more of the same simplified to accommodate for all the extras, but counting on how the game is played it's actually faster paced fun in a different kind of way. Frenetic instead of frantic. That's just my experience though.
BB1 & 2 were favorites of mine on the PS1. The idea of one hit kills and limb wounding in a fighting game was a concept that really resonated with me as a fan of sword fighting. I'm glad games like For Honor are around now to satisfy this type of gameplay. While I find Tekken, Street Fighter, Injustice, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct and the other popular fighting games to be enjoyable too... there is something about this more realistic deviation on the typical fighting formula that sets it above the rest for me.
I always wanted to play this, it seemed like the fighting game for people who aren’t particularly fans of fighting games. I’m amazed no one’s really tried making a spiritual sequel in this day and age. I love the ambience, the calm, the tension. Fighting games are their own unique genre nowadays, all about as you say, learning move sets etc. I just want something raw and brutal like this.
When this game came out my friend's younger brother was mesmerized by it. we would have up all nighters and multiple machines and he would sit with this game all night while we played various things.
There was also a way to actually not fight some of your earlier opponents, and just run away from fights. I THINK that actually led to the good ending. I can't confirm that, though, I only ever managed to successfully escape once and I don't know how I did it.
You ever going to do a Re:Certified of Games like Zelda OoT and Zelda MM maybe their 3D versions or of FF7? just wondering what your thoughts on these games
Bushido Blade I was serious business in my day. The homies and I spent hours mastering our characters and weapons of choice. We had serious long-hours of duels endlessly. It was really serious. We use to also play dirty or traditional. We pushed the limits of the game. It was exciting times. One of the best fighting games with homies. And if anyone ever got the official fighter's manual then you were in for incredible stuff.
What about the dynamics. The more you are injured, or the more you hit continue in your story playthrough, the more bandaged wounds appear on your body. If you jump in mud, your costume becomes muddy in the game. You can use sand, mud and water to blind your opponent. And the story mode allows you the opportunity to explore an entire island zone. Each person has a special side weapon that can be used to stagger, cripple or even straight up kill an opponent. So if for some reason you're watching this video without having played the game... Go visit Ebay now.
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![Castlevania Symphony of the Night | Re:Certified Classic [SSFF]](/img/tr.png)
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I organized a drunken fighting tournament for a lot of the people I know. We started with Tekken and the plan was to finish with Street Fighter 5. I decided to throw in Bushido Blade as a wild card in-between because it is just such an interesting game. The reception to the game was so overwhelmingly positive that we ended up playing Bushido Blade into overtime and skipped Street Fighter. I really, really recommend playing this game with a room full of around 20-something people who's all had perhaps a few too many; it's one of the most hyped events in my life and easily beats all EVO finals combined on the hype-scale. I screamed so much that I sounded like Filthy Frank the day after.
Oh shit that sounds awesome lol I'll have to do that sometime
When this game came out I was in my 20's and that is the truth. Being handed a controller and keep it is definitely what Bushido Blade is great at. Especially when I use Katana low stance and time like 10 people 8n a row. That takes like 2 mins. Lol!
"SHOWDOWNS!!"
Almost 7 years after this comment and this still sounds like an awesome idea!! Watching this video and review for the first time lol
Tekken 3 with Eddie as the most drunk person is kino and Bliss
I remember being in 10th grade when I played this. My friend rented it and we stayed up til 4 am all weekend playing it. 1997 and Bushido Blade...doesn't get better than this. Derek, this video brought back a gem memory. Haven't played this since that weekend.
On versus mode they do a victory pose after winning.
What we used to do was have them to the victory pose next to a cliff. The Ninja does a backflip to his death
+Chest Pec Respect LMAO I remember doing that all the dam time! Never got old!!
Amazing
@@SirJoelsuf1
*damn
I only realized this recently, but my face lights up when I see a new SSFF video. You seem like a super swell guy, and you have the most passion of pretty much every reviewer on this site.
Keep up the good work, yo.
Hello Kitty games in general are scarily good. It's just not something you'd expect. I'd play them more often if pink didn't hurt my eyes.
What?
Don't forget, Brave Fencer Musashi was also part of the set of experimental non-RPG games Square released at once with Bushido Blade, Einhander, etc etc...
I fell In love with this game when I was a kid and actually, as you said, I've take my old PSX this summer to some friends reunion and it was a blast. The excuse to use the playstation was Tony Hawk 2 and instead we ended up playing Bushido Blade all night.
I remember renting Bushido Blade 2 when I was young and being completely enthralled with the campaign. I was a huge fan of feudal Japan and this game really fed into that obsession. Some time later I found a copy of the first game at my local GameStop and I was so excited, thinking it was BB2. When I got home I was sorely disappointed by what it had to offer. BB2 might not have been much of an improvement over the first game, but even the act of unlocking characters gave it infinitely more replayability for someone who liked to play alone.
It's a shame you didn't like the music to Bushido Blade 1, as it's actually one of my favourite scores on the console by far. It was one of three scores done for square by legendary Namco/SuperSweep alumni Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, and Takayuki Aihara (the others being Driving Emotion Type-S and iS: Internal Section, although iS didn't feature Aihara), all three of which have some incredibly lofty credits to their name. I would argue it's anything but generic, but I've already shown my bias towards the score and it's composers, so our opinions aren't gonna match up.
It still kinda blows me away that the games ever got made at all, given the concept, but by the same token I'm shocked the concept of a game like Bushido Blade wasn't attempted more until relatively recently. Because you're absolutely right; it's as deep as you want it to be, and it makes for a hell of a party game.
I have actually brought this game to the homies house for everyone to have a great time slashing each other up, and i grew up with both games loved them both. "odds are, if you're watching this show, you're already THAT guy," god damn it i fucking love this show! one of my favourite things on the internet is SSFF and this is a prime example why. holler at ya boy derek! DO WHAT IT DO PHONE HANG UP!
.... Yoh!
Both of the Bushido Blade games are some of the best fighters ever made. They do lack a lot of stuff other fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat have, but make up for it with their ease of play, the very fluid and realistic mechanics (other than the high jumps of course) and the ingenious design. I understand they're kind of cult games, they weren't that popular back in the day but are very fondly remembered. I dunno if a new entry in the franchise will be successful now since so mcuh has happened since those games but I will never stop playing these. As far as Bushido Blade 2 not being as good, I didn't have too much problems with it, the 1st game certainly was better but BB2 was still pretty good and I don't think the qualtiy of that game had much of anything to do with no further games in the franchise. My guess is that the sales just weren't that good for the franchise at the time, it was too niche of a game and wasn't pulling in the big bucks like the Final Fantasy games for instance. Essentially the same reason other games of that time like Tobal, Einhander, etc. also never saw any support later on.
I personally adore this game. I love the pacing and style of fighting. The bamboo falling around battle and other cinematic elements made this such a unique game. I would love a Third in the series or a remake even!
If you're playing on PC there is a similar one hit death possibillity game on Steam, it is named: "Hellish Quart".
Just it's a different setting, not Japan but european medie eval.
why don't they make a new one of these for the PS4 I remember playing this game for hours with my friends after school
I remember renting this game all the time because my parents would never buyus video games only rent them
I actually prefer BB2, but both are really fun.
At first, I was kind of annoyed that they removed the high, mid, and low attack setup and changed it to just two attack buttons (horizontal and vertical), but when I realized that it actually worked really well with the parry system and made the combat flow much faster and more smoothly I came to prefer it (it's especially satisfying when both fighters keep parrying back and forth rapidly until one gets the upper hand). It's kind of like refining a sword; they removed unnecessary elements to make it more flexible. Plus, small additions like the introduction of more throwable weapons and a wider variety of combo moves give you a lot of room to experiment and adapt. The main thing that keeps me coming back to the first game are the old weapons and the ability to run between stages, but the second one was definitely an upgrade. Don't know what the hell he meant by "does nothing to expand upon it" lmao.
Same.
Whenever my friend and I would play Bushido Blade, we would spend a majority of our time just pressing the pause button over and over, and OVER.
+SeeleSO02 I did the same thing, but with the SNES port of Street Fighter II. I'm not sure what Capcom was thinking when they made that the pause sound, but it got my brother and I laughing.
I've always loved Bushido Blade! It still gets played in my house a few times a year. Flawed, but man. So unique. You're right, it's a perfect party game
You know, Fighting games aren't nearly as hard to get into as some people think... The acquired knowledge from one more often than not carries over to many other games in the genre, you don't have to learn advanced play techniques in order to be a decent player, you just have to know your character and know when to be on the offensive and when to be on the defensive, which isn't as hard as it sounds... You only have to learn advanced play if you want to be a competitive player, but I play fighting games first and foremost to have fun, so I basically learned Ryu and I always pick the Ryu clones of whatever fighting game I'm playing...
+Ruko Michiharu IMO You are wrong on that fighting games require precise timing and motor skills as well as deep knowledge of frames of not just your character but that of your opponent to even perform at a normal level. The barrier of entry is very high to get into them. That doesn't mean you can't but you just have to learn from mistakes and spen time in training mode
+E Oyibo (edge) Nope. If you have bad motor skills there are games for that(Divekick, Smash, Rising Thunder) but at the end of the day, frames aren't necessary to start.
+Ruko Michiharu hmm i would say it sorta depends on the series, but overall i agree with what u say. yeah i usually go for the "ryu clones" myself but never choose sakura if she is an option in actual street fighter games.
god i never hated a girl as much as sakura. :-D
all her users are dirty scumbags in my book!
racerxgundam Too bad, because Sakura is my main in Alpha 2 =w=
+Ruko Michiharu Hey I know you, you're from Deviant art. I *love* 90s style Touhous!
I'm blown away that in this day and age of the internet Bushido Blade remains an undiscovered classic that should be experienced by any video game fan.
I'd like to also add Karate Master 2: Knock Down Blow actually seems to borrow the same concept from Bushido Blade. Instead of sword fighting, it's based on landing blows and scoring points in Karate matches and there's even instant match wins via specific (and often repeated) blows to an opponent's limbs - it's entirely possible to end a match with a well placed kick or punch to someone's ligaments that will most likely result in it shattering. I had one match end in less than three seconds from a single well placed kick to my opponent's femur.
If you haven't tried it, at least give it a look. There's definitely footage floating around on UA-cam and it's quite fun. It can get repetitive, of course, but for people looking for more Bushido Blade style action at your fingertips you can grab a copy from Steam.
Fighter's Destiny on N64 actually used the 3 point Karate Match format, too. Land a solid punch to the gut? Point!
You know what is great?
Finding a few new SSFF videos when you check the channel!
Been a viewer since your first run at Retroware man, happy to see you still doing your thing into 2016!
i played bushido blade when it first released... and i loved the tension it created. NO fucking up or you're dead. At the time, i was on the top of the kendo team, being on second place nationally, so this game for me was a blast. Sadly, never got the chance to play it again after... sadly.
I'll buy it if i get my hand on it.
I personally really like both of these games but this review is still awesome!
The Deadliest Warrior games (made based off the cheesy TV show) played like mediocre but fun Bushido blade knock-offs.
+James Schmidt Very True, i remember playing the demo for the second one.
+James Schmidt I found them to be too low quality personally. I think some good alternatives today are Chivalry Medieval Warfare and Mount and Blade, one basically is a huge multiplayer version in 1st person and the other is an open sandbox game in 1st person also with huge multiplayer modes. Some also like War of the Roses/Vikings but I didn't care for those.
James Schmidt i totally forgot about these! played em on my 360. it was good laughs
Idilsor ,
Did 360 support the 1st person 2-player system link?
Yeah. Me and my buddy were absolutely elated after playing (actually playing) the game for less than a minute. After that, it was two hours of beer and pirates vs ninjas
It's a Christmas miracle! You've always been one of my favourite reviewers Derek. I love the direction you're going in with SSFF.
No mention of the hilarious voice acting in these games?? I only played Bushido Blade 2, but if there's one thing I remember from that game, it's the character dialogue.
+Living Myth Bushido Blade 1 is all in Japanese, so it has great voice work. BB2's voice work is TERRIBLE! I was going to bring it up but it's honestly low on my list of problems with BB2.
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting Heh, fair point. Great video, by the way! Really love how the channel has progressed over time -- keep it up!!
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting - How can you say that just because Bushido Blade 2 has all japanese dialogue it is automatically better? It's the original voices so ofc they must be good even though I don't understand it.
+PikaLink91 unless it's so bad it's good
Same
I remember being amazed by the demo of the first game. a reboot in vr would be incredible!
I'm not that guy! I don't bring my Playstation1 to parties.
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I have a tablet with PS1 games on it and two bluetooth controllers.
Nerd smarter, not harder.
I love the amount of effort you put into your reviews
Despite the flaws, I really enjoy these games, and happy to have them in my collection! I wish more people know about them. My friends and I used to play the first and second a ton! Matches were crazy intense. I always loved that when you continue, the character opens their eyes with that stereotypical feudal Japan sound. Great video, and fair review!
I owned the first one, Greatest Game of All Time. I think I rented the 2nd one a few times I was flatly disappointed and in denial I was so hyped from the first one. The second one should have had a completely separate title and characters.
My first video. Subscribed! Good stuff, great job! I also loved this franchise. Wish so much for something modern that's JUST like this.
Bushio Blade 1 was awesome. As a kendoist for 10 years, this is probably the most faithful game to "actual japanese swordplay" ever.
Derek it is nice to finally see you review a fighting game.
Those slice sounds reminds me of Tenchu
I actually found the first Bushido Blade game flawless in both design and control. The sequel was a devastatingly awful leap backward.
As an avid student of kendo, kumdo, and escrima, I loved the approach to the combat mechanics.
Found this game recently on the list of the most underrated games and I felt so bad for it being forgotten. This game deserves a sequel, absolutely!
Loved the new video, hope you had a great Christmas Derek.
Bushido Blade and Kengo Master of Bushido, so many hours spent... Nostalgia incoming!
This would be so sick if they brought this franchise back.
I just recently started collecting for the PS1 I'll have to pick these two games up!
I think it was in BB2 where you can throw your sword. I loved these games growing up mainly bcuz I was also watching Samurai X.
So much fun exploring the world of Bushido blade.....trying to progress by trial and error, loved that game.
You didn't mention how extensive the move-set could be. Each button combined with either a direction or a back, then forward produces a different move. Those are different for each stance. Each character/weapon combination also has slight variations in their combo options as well. It is really easy to pick up and play, but it's the kind of game where you can really see gains from time spent. Not in the form of Killer Instinct style Ultra combos, but in mastering the timing and diverse move set of your preferred character/weapon combos.
This is, of course, referring to BB 1. 2 was so much of a let-down...
Well I mean, one doesnt has to be "good" to enjoy fighting games. I mostly play fighting games in solo mode, because I just like the dynamic of martial mano a mano combat.
Aside of that, great episode! You covered pretty much all there is about Bushido Blade, and made me want to replay it. :P
Also, I am actually hyped for For Honor. Even if the footage so far indicates only bits and pieces of BB inspiration, it seems like a very cool game, plus I love swinging long swords...
Dude Bushido Blade 2 had freakin sheathed stance strikes, dual wielding and yari. It was fn awesome. Bushido Blade 1 was awesome cuz of the ability to take a leg and the sledgehammer . Also you didn't mention throwing weapons.
That dev photo is such a 90s photo 📷
Bushido Blade is a game i bring up all the time to be remade. I always advocated for a concept just like it.
Way of the samurai 3 actually has an instant kill mode which is essentially open world Bushido Blade
Have you played Slice Dice and Rice?
I remember being a kid and after some time with my older brother realizing the map was absolutely huge and you could run around forever into different areas or troll after you take their legs
Ah, Bushido Blade. I remember this classic as the game where it's hard to control your character, but hilariously fun to endure the stiffness for the limb crippling system alone. It was crazy fun disabling opponents to the point of them essentially being forced to hobble to a crawl in terms of movement, then run in with a ninja strike killing blow to the throat. Fun times.
I had both, I'm more of a fan of the 2nd one. I loved using two swords at once.
Agree with you. I loved to play with the hidden katana stance, or throw the second weapon and get a distance kill.
I remember this game. A friend of mine had this. Brought it over and my brothers and us would play this game for hours on end just laughing at all the funny kills.
the FMV in the demo WAS actually in the north american release.
Great review as always Derek, seeing Square's golden years and the games they produced during the PlayStation era is always a treat.
Hey Derek, great video, as always, but why not more 60 fps videos?
It isn't mentioned here but Naotaka Ueda actually mentioned your review on his facebook page. That's how I found you in the first place.
Well done! いいプレゼンだったね！！
+Daandude1 Never mind, I'm retarded. You do mention it.
Excellent series, but don't pass up the spiritual successors Way of the Samurai and Kengo Masters of Bushido on the PS2!
Way of the Samurai is a series I really would love to done properly for current gen systems and taken to the next level.
WotS 2,3 and 4 never lived up to the promise of the original. I can only imagine a really well done open sandbox samurai game.
The first two Way of the Samurai were great! Downhill from there.
+Kevin De Bondt i dont know, i didnt play the fourth way of the samurai yet, but it seems a lot more cookie and weird than the other ones, im really curious about that one
+Salokin Sekwah he reacted to kengo the same way i saw gameplay on youtube "eeeww life bars?"
I still really like the first way of the samurai though
Way. Of the samurai 3 sucks,but 4 was actually really good. Also the the three way of the ninja games are great too. But only the vita ever came to America
My favorite fighting game when i was younger
Basically, the video game concept of how Samurai duels actually played out, as demonstrated between Shichiro and another hot-head samurai in The Seven Samurai (1954).
I really enjoyed bushido blade 1 when it was released. Problably one of the more unique experiences on ps one. I never played part 2 but would love to see a sequel on psn.
Great review....and Cool shirt where you got it?
Excellent video! Man I loved Bushido Blade 1 back in the day. I found many of your arguments toward it to be very much my own.
Bushido Blade was one of the few fighting games I could win at,
mainly, of course, because of the first-strike kills
a cute rhythem cooking game does sound pretty sweet.
That’s funny...I completely forgot that I owned Bushido blade when I was a kid until I saw your review just now, my mind is being flooded with memories watching this.
I'm a little disappointed you didn't talk about playing versus in the story mode.
It's not exactly a selling point, especially with the PS1's loading times, but I thought it was totally awesome how you could run away into a different area in the map, because you have this whole world to fight in. Plus, your characters keep bandages on their bodies from wherever they got hit.
My friend who showed me the game wanted to lead me to the part of the level/world where there was a well. He jumped down there and declared that I could never kill him now, because the bad collision in the tight space made it impossible to land a hit.
So I jumped down there with a sweeping jump-strike and managed to kill him on my first try. He was so mad.
+marscaleb; the fact that you can run around the entire castle grounds in the campaign mode was crazy, but that was cut from the script. i've always believed that you don't need to talk about everything in a review, pacing is important so some stuff is more important than other's.
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting
Yeah that's fair; it's really just a cool bonus instead of a selling point.
Half the time I play versus in the story mode just because of those features, though.
One of my favorite video game memories is from Bushido blade 1, where I was playing against a friend and to each of our surprise, we both managed to parry each other's attacks perfectly resulting in quite the battle. One of those moments where time seems to slow and everything you're doing feels natural for that moment. Then it was gone and I forget who won. :P (Edited because it had to be the first one we were playing. I do remember being very frustrated by the teleporting guy though)
loved the intro for number 2. thanks for the video. still own my original copies to this day.
+Dirk Leon; yeah that intro is pretty cool but there ain't much else about the game that's cool!
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting agreed. still thanks for the upload. Would love to see you handle Tobal and Tobal 2. Bought 2 copies of Tobal #1, one for my car and the other for my playstation :)
Hey Derek, what's your opinion on the Fear Effect games? I think they are right up your alley and believed you would mentioned them in your videos by now.
Derek you are easily up there in my top five favorite video game reviewers.
i have been watching a few of these video game retrospectives from various people, only on a small handful of games i personally really have memories of playing a lot which basically covers a relatively short period of time between Nes, Snes and PS1. i get the distinct feeling that i am a bit older than most of the people making these, they seem to be talking about it more like its their fond childhood memories but my fond childhood memories are more of playing with action figures during the original Star Wars craze. in 97 i was 25 and my father suddenly passed away, this was a big deal for me because my whole life he had been very sick and i never really got to do a lot of things or be independent because i had to stay home and take care of him. so when he passed i suddenly could not afford the place we had been renting by myself and i still didnt have a drivers license or had ever even driven at all because he had always been to sick to teach me. we also worked at the same place because i had sort of been stuck at this terrible minimum wage job in order for him to keep his decent paying salary job that he could no longer handle by himself, and now i had no way to drive to that job. so my father had just passed and i basically lost my job and i had no money for rent and no way to get around. so i had to beg a friend of mine to give me some driving lessons and take me to the DMV to tame my test. and i had to talk another friend of mine into getting an apartment with me because he lived in a really nasty little roach infested place he was renting. anyway we got an apartment together but we didnt hang out much as we both ran in different circles and did different things, at this time in my life despite all the crap that had just happened my whole life revolved around one night a week when there was a club i went to open and i would get all done up and go feel like a rockstar all night and was dating and having a blast. my room mate still spent most of his free days playing AD&D with a bunch of friends i use to play with. i started coming home after playing and he kept talking about this awesome video game that their DM had, he was so impressed by it that he decided to go buy a PS1 just to get this game, it was the first Diablo. we started playing it all the time when i was clubbing and he wasnt role playing. with his friends. this was the first time i ever played any system after the SNES, eventually he started buying lots of other games, but the one that jumped out at me, the one i had to have, the first PS game i ever bought was Bushido Blade. and i LOVED! i use to play it ALL the time, everyone has thiose couple games that are just the ones they really mastered and are really good at, Bushido Blade was mine. i was REALLY good at it and it along with Diablo got me back into gaming, though i have never been a real gamer. i remember being all excited about getting Bushido Blade 2 and i was SOOO disappointed. it is easily the most let down and angry i have ever been over a game. i did not enjoy ANY aspect of it at all.i also disliked Kengo and honestly could never even fully figure out how to play it. there were all these weird endurance tests you had to do that seemed to lead nowhere.
I've never played Bushido Blade but based off of this video, the Deadliest Warrior games that came out in 2010 and 2011 seem to be a spiritual successor to this concept. You choose from different warriors from history and everyone has weapons. Instant kills are possible. You can wound your opponents and they can bleed out. You can even dismember body parts with a well placed hit (you can literally turn your opponent into a one legged man in an ass kicking contest if you hit them just right.) And it's not over-the-top gory like Mortal Kombat. It can be bloody at times but nothing too stomach churning. If I remember correctly, I think there's even a first-person mode if you want to give it a shot.
I actually really liked Kengo (Sounds like you pronounce it Kendo, after the sword art?). It's still a little abstracted with how people have healthbars, but different health values. And bleeding can end a fight early or make the bleeder extra aggressive. Also, fun story mode where you improve your fighter over time. And make your own moveset, dojo and get swods. Sort of Bushido Blade with RPG elements.
Plus, while it's all katana (Except that one guy that use a boat oar) I kinda like it. Bushido Blade has some wacky 90s anime going on that goes in contrast with the mortal realism it wants to have. At least, IMO.
Hope you consider it some day in the future. Really underrated PS2 game imo.
+littleNorwegians Kengo sounds like it has some things in common with Way of the Samurai(Which i love), i should give it a try.
It does. But the RPG elements are sorta like management of your character and dojo rather than free-roaming traversal..
Sorta like a samurai business sim. If that makes any sense at all, heh.
Nice review, but I have to respectfully disagree. 1 was decent, but I felt 2 was much better. I was ok with less weapons when I got a lot more characters, some of them with interesting stories. Speaking of, the story was much better. Both games were good though for their time, but I enjoyed 2 much more.
This game was so good. I remember big tournaments with friends, even the ones who weren''t into videogames. Or playing versus mode for hours with my best friend or my younger brother. Bushido Blade, Kensei and Tenchu were my favourite games for PS1.
Always amazed that people reference Bushido Blade but the far superior sequel Bushido Blade 2 is almost unknown.
Well said bro. Me and my friends have a lot of memories with this game and your review couldn't be any better thanks.
Hmm... It's interesting you did an interview for this review. I knew you spoke Japanese because of the voice acting you did for Roo in his Dragon Quest reviews, but that's some good dedication to things.
I'm trying to learn myself while simultaneously doing VG research so we should talk some time.
Does anyone know where I might find that shirt online?
I got both as a bootleg import when i was a little shitter and i absolutely loved it. it was so unique and different and to be honest it still is up to this day. thanks for the review
Link mode VS was where it was at, just like with Armored Cores link battle.
Hey Derek, you wanna see my most favorite glitch in a video game ever?
Use the Broadsword, defeat your opponent, and then quickly run to the edge of their body before the cinematics play. Stand as close to the body as you can with their body being on your character's left. Your goal is that after the replay, when the character does their victory animation, the very tip of the broadsword will penetrate the defeated player's body.
Go do it.
You're welcome.
+marscaleb; i've seen that! it also works with the naginata
+Stop Skeletons From Fighting Yeah, but it is NO WHERE NEAR as cool with the naginata.
3:23 My legs may not work but you know what dose? MY FISTS!!!
Merry Christmas! Great video.
I've recently come across Exanima, an isometric dungeon crawler with physics-based combat (sounds crazy, right?) that's currently on Steam's early access program. It has a very similar feel to it (Bushido Blade, I mean) and even got a survival-mode where you fight progressively stronger enemies one-on-one, w/o regenerating health in between, and get to keep their gear as reward. It's worth checking out for that mode alone! Oh, before I forget: awesome video as always, Derek; keep up the good work!
Bushido Blade was absolutely amazing. I loved playing two player mode. The eggshell feel that was explained in the video with the the background graphics & sounds effects have never been in any other fighting game I’ve played to this day. I never knew about the second one & I only wish that one day a fighting game could catch the magic that bushido blade had with today’s technology.
This makes me incredibly nostalgic. I got Bushido Blade one Christmas and the sequel years after and had a blast with both. Truly the original was ahead of its time, even if it was incredibly rough. The sequel was as you say more of the same simplified to accommodate for all the extras, but counting on how the game is played it's actually faster paced fun in a different kind of way. Frenetic instead of frantic. That's just my experience though.
BB1 & 2 were favorites of mine on the PS1. The idea of one hit kills and limb wounding in a fighting game was a concept that really resonated with me as a fan of sword fighting. I'm glad games like For Honor are around now to satisfy this type of gameplay. While I find Tekken, Street Fighter, Injustice, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct and the other popular fighting games to be enjoyable too... there is something about this more realistic deviation on the typical fighting formula that sets it above the rest for me.
One do you prefer? 1 or 2?
I always wanted to play this, it seemed like the fighting game for people who aren’t particularly fans of fighting games. I’m amazed no one’s really tried making a spiritual sequel in this day and age. I love the ambience, the calm, the tension. Fighting games are their own unique genre nowadays, all about as you say, learning move sets etc. I just want something raw and brutal like this.
When this game came out my friend's younger brother was mesmerized by it. we would have up all nighters and multiple machines and he would sit with this game all night while we played various things.
Yeah, the HVGN is back :)
There's also Slice, Dice & Rice, you can definitely see the influence in that game too.
I was In an anime club in high school, and we had a party where we played a few fighting games, one of which was Bushido Blade.
There was also a way to actually not fight some of your earlier opponents, and just run away from fights. I THINK that actually led to the good ending. I can't confirm that, though, I only ever managed to successfully escape once and I don't know how I did it.
I'm actually making a song called "Bushido Blade" and came here for research, I was not disappointed thank you
a Christmas treat indeed
You ever going to do a Re:Certified of Games like Zelda OoT and Zelda MM maybe their 3D versions or of FF7? just wondering what your thoughts on these games
Bushido Blade I was serious business in my day. The homies and I spent hours mastering our characters and weapons of choice. We had serious long-hours of duels endlessly. It was really serious. We use to also play dirty or traditional. We pushed the limits of the game. It was exciting times. One of the best fighting games with homies. And if anyone ever got the official fighter's manual then you were in for incredible stuff.
Finally someone showing love where it's due. Thanks my guy
What about the dynamics. The more you are injured, or the more you hit continue in your story playthrough, the more bandaged wounds appear on your body. If you jump in mud, your costume becomes muddy in the game. You can use sand, mud and water to blind your opponent. And the story mode allows you the opportunity to explore an entire island zone. Each person has a special side weapon that can be used to stagger, cripple or even straight up kill an opponent. So if for some reason you're watching this video without having played the game... Go visit Ebay now.
The first game I ever played on Ps1, my father gave me this ps1 and this game. Used to play with my brother all the time