History VideoGame / BushidoBlade

* SpiritualSuccessor: The ''{{Kengo}}'' series of games for the PS2.

A series of two {{Fighting Game}}s released by [[Creator/SquareEnix Square Soft]].

Both games were released for the Playstation. ''Bushido Blade'' was released in 1997 and its sequel ''Bushido Blade 2'' was released in 1998.

After its second game, [[ExecutiveMeddling arguments between developer Light Weight and Squaresoft]] ended in the franchise's demise.

After its second game, [[ExecutiveMeddling arguments between developer Sunsoft and Square Enix]] ended in the franchise's demise.

A series of two {{Fighting Game}}s released by [[SquareEnix Square Soft]].

* DualWielding: A few characters (Tatsumi, Utsusemi, Matsumushi, and Highwayman) can dual-wield with a specific weapon and their subweapon.

* IHaveManyNames: Black Lotus (Bushido Blade), Highwayman (Bushido Blade 2), and James (his real name, according to his second Bushido Blade ending).

These games differ from traditional {{Fighting Game}}s in many ways. A quick list: no [[HitPoints life gauges]] (a well-placed attack can be a OneHitKill!), ability to injure ([[SubsystemDamage slashing an arm or a leg cripples the opponent]]), everyone has a real weapon (mostly melee, but a few characters use guns) and use them fairly realistically, easy to use simple specials that are typically just a different type of attack (stabbing as opposed to slashing), and other more realistic features that are rare in the genre.

* MultipleEndings: The first game has a different ending depending on how well you upheld the Code of Bushido, as explained above. The sequel has 2 endings for the Shainto-side characters, which depends on [[spoiler:whether you kill or spare the last descendant of the Kagami.]]
* {{Ninja}}: Red Shadow/Hotarubi. Night Stalker joins her in Bushido Blade 2.

* StanceSystem: A central part of the game system. Each character has the same moves in each stance, only varying in their speed and power. The first game has three different stances to choose from, while the sequel included a few extra stances like [[IaijutsuPractitioner sheathed]] and DualWielding.
* SubsystemDamage: One of the game's unique features. Arms and legs can incapacitated in the first game, while the second only retained arm incapacitation. A broken arm would lead to weaker striking force and defense, a broken leg would force the player to "crawl-fighting".
* TrueCompanions: Tatsumi, Kannuki and Mikado seems to be very close. This is specially noticeable in their Bushido Blade 2 endings.

* DrivenToSuicide: Black Lotus in his ending.

* HonorBeforeReason: It's a ''gameplay element'' in the form of the Bushido Code. Acting dishonorably results in a NonstandardGameOver.

* NintendoHard: It's nigh impossible to get the [[MultipleEndings good endings]], both because you can't get hit once including non-lethal hits, and you have to do a series of [[GuideDangIt tasks the game never hints at]].

* ParentalSubstitute: Gengoro to Kaun, Utsusemi to Tatsumi.
* PressXToDie: In both games, there's the option to surrender by pressing Select. In the first game you need to wait for your foe to finish you off; while the second activates a cutscene after a short time (allowing for some sneak hit if you attack before it kicks in). In the first game, you can only surrender if your legs are crippled, though.
* PromotedToPlayable: Hongou, Sazanka and Tsubame were originally computer-controlled only characters in the first.

* TrueFinalBoss: After going through the [[NintendoHard needlessy hard]] Code of Honor handicaps [[NoDamageRun unharmed]], you get to fight each character's TrueFinalBoss: Kindachi (Mikado, Utsusemi, Red Shadow), Kannuki (Black Lotus), Hongou (Tatsumi) and a severely wounded Black Lotus (Kannuki).

* FunnyForeigner: In the sequel, Suminagashi, a [[TheBigGuy large]] American that [[{{Malaproper}} speaks broken Japanese]] in the original version (and [[TranslationConvention broken English]] in the localization). Also Tony Umeda, a [[DiscoDan disco-styled]] [[ButNotTooForeign half-African half-Japanese]] "black ninja" whose main goal is to create his own style... based on ''dancing moves''. Lastly, there's "Highwayman" who dresses like Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera, but has a thick Scots accent...
* IaijutsuPractitioner: Gengoro, Kaun, Tony and Utamaru makes use of the "sheathed" stance in the sequel. It's also a mild case of AwesomeButImpractical, as performing just one slash in that stance results in a time-consuming (but pretty damn cool) animation where they sheath the sword back again.
* ICannotSelfTerminate: In the second game's ending for both Kannuki and Mikado, [[spoiler: Tatsumi forces them to kill him, since after discovering his Shainto roots, he feels that the feud will never end until the last Shainto is dead]].
* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Tatsumi]], the Shainto leader Hiragi Taina is your father!

* NoExceptYes: Whatever the reason is for the Shainto's aggression against the Narukagami, it is NOT [[EvilIsPetty a grudge.]]
* TeleportSpam: Kannagisai. Every time the player strikes, he teleports out. The catch is that every teleport places him closer to the character, and leaves him vulnerable for a few seconds.

* TheStoic: Kaun

* GreyAndGreyMorality: The Narukagami and the Shainto are fierce rivals, but there is no good/evil dichotomy between them. Both clans have many noble characters in them and both have good reasons for their ongoing conflict.

* OldSoldier: Isohachi, a WorldWarII veteran.

* AHandfulForAnEye: You can do this in both games by using the subweapon button without any subweapon. In the first game, though, this was considered [[NonstandardGameOver dishonorable]].

* BottomlessMagazines: Averted with the gunslingers. To balance out their limitless range and power, they need to reload every 6 shots.
* CampGay: Katze, what with his high-pitched voice, mannerism and rather pintoresque choice of wardrobe.
* ChekhovsGunman: Mikado's sensei, Kannagisai, is mentioned on the first game's worst ending. In the sequel, he's the FinalBoss (the one that counts) of the Shainto story side. The "Last Kagami" girl also appears in the first game, in the select screen and without any plot relevance.

** {{Ronin}}: Matsumushi

* AwesomeButImpractical / JokeItem: The sledgehammer is a good weapon to use for incapacitating your enemies, but good luck actually killing anyone with it. Since it's not a bladed weapon, you can't get away with simply slashing or stabbing them. The game treats blunt attacks as non-lethal hits for the most part, so only a very specific blow to the enemy's head will actually kill them.
** And if you try to use it with a lightweight character (like Tatsumi,) some of the attacks will actually cause them to stumble and fall.

* GuideDangIt: The getting the best ending in the first game seems Nintendo Hard because of the stringent [[HonorBeforeReason honor requirements]] that you aren't told about. But it turns out that one element that you would ''think'' is part of the honor rules isn't: [[spoiler: You are allowed to run away from opponents. The stages are not separate, but form a connected chain, and if you simply enter the next stage without killing your current opponent, they will simply follow you and no new opponent spawns. By crippling your first opponent's leg, you can easily run all the way to the well, where you face the final boss. So you can get the best ending by handicapping yourself against every opponent... or by simply running away and avoiding most of them.]]
** There is a "clue" in the explanation for the story mode: [[spoiler: the premise of the story mode is that your character is trying to escape, and the other characters — your friends — have been sent to assassinate you. So the logic seems to be that you get the best ending by ''actually escaping'', while sticking around to kill all your friends is dishonorable.]] But while there's some sense to be made, it's still a major case of this trope.

* NintendoHard: It's nigh impossible to get the [[MultipleEndings good endings]], both because you can't get hit once including non lethal hits, and you have to do a series of [[GuideDangIt tasks the game never hints at]].

* PressXToDie: In both games, there's the option to surrender by pressing Select. In the first game you need to wait for your foe to finish you off; while the second activates a cutscene after a short time (allowing for some sneak hit if you attack before it kicks in).
** You can only surrender if your legs are crippled, though.

* DualWielding: A few characters can dual-wield with a specific weapon and their subweapon.

* IaijutsuPractitioner: Gengoro, Kaun, Tony and Utamaru makes use of the "sheathed" stance in the sequel.
* ICannotSelfTerminate: In the second game's ending for both Kannuki and Mikado, [[spoiler: Tatsumi forces them to kill him, since after discovering his Shainto roots, he feels that the feud will never end until the last Shainto is death.]]

* RingOut: Implemented in a few stages. There are no BottomlessPit though, so one can see the poor sap fall to his/her demise.

* FunnyForeigner: In the sequel, Suminagashi, a [[TheBigGuy large]] American that [[{{Malaproper}} speaks broken Japanese]] in the original version (and [[TranslationConvention broken English]] in the localization). Also Tony Umeda, a [[DiscoDan disco-styled]] [[ButNotTooForeign half-African half-Japanese]] "black ninja" whose main goal is to create his own style... based on ''dancing moves''. Lastly, there's "Highwayman" who dresses like the PhantomOfTheOpera, but has a thick Scots accent...

* LadyInRed: Red Shadow. Her name could even be a reference to this trope.

* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: Kaun.

* FaceHeelTurn: As noted above, Hanzaki in the first game. Black Lotus sorta as well, when he changes allegiances to the Shainto under a new identity, Highwayman.

* AnticlimaxBoss: Bushido Blade 2's Shainto campaign has a final stage against the last surviving Kagami... a girl that just sits there, wishing not to fight and [[SinsOfOurFathers to be killed for her ancestors' misdeeds]]. One slash and it's over, though there's also the choice to [[MultipleEndings spare her.]]

After its second game, [[ExecutiveMeddling arguments between developer Sunsoft and Square Enix]] ended in the franchise's demise. [[TooGoodToLast Such a shame.]]

* ShoutOut: Jo takes her VictoryPose from Cloud in FinalFantasyVII.

These games differ from traditional {{Fighting Game}}s in many ways. A quick list; no [[HitPoints life gauges]] (a well-placed attack can be a OneHitKill!), ability to injure ([[SubsystemDamage slashing an arm or a leg cripples the opponent]]), everyone has a real weapon (mostly melee, but a few characters use guns) and use them fairly realistically, easy to use simple specials that are typically just a different type of attack (stabbing as opposed to slashing), and other more realistic features that are rare in the genre.

The games' plot focuses on two rivaling schools: the Narukagami (good guys) and the Shainto (bad guys). The Narukagami has its own dojo, the Meikyokan, and a secret assassin team known as Kage. The first game deals with Tatsumi's [[ContractOnTheHitman attempt to leave the Kage]] after its leader became insane due to a [[EvilWeapon cursed sword]]. The second game starts with the Shainto's raid of the Meikyokan in an attempt to recover said sword, and then use it to end their enemies once and for all.

After its second game, [[ExecutiveMeddling arguments between developer Sunsoft and Square Enix]] ended in the franchise's demise. A pity.

* PromotedToUnlockable: Hongou, Sazanka and Tsubame were originally computer-controlled only characters in the first.

NeedsWikiMagicLove.

* StanceSystem: A central part of the game system. Each character has the same moves in each stance, only varying in their speed and power. The first game has three different stances to choose from, while the sequel included a few extra stances like [[IaijitsuPractitioner sheathed]] and DualWielding.

* IaijitsuPractitioner: Gengoro, Kaun, Tony and Utamaru makes use of the "sheathed" stance in the sequel.