This Japanese adaptation, a sequel to Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (now available in the U.S.A. on Xbox 360), involves exactly what the subtitle describes in a third person perspective. You control two sisters, Aya and Saki, who have the morbid task of ridding the world of zombies and other unnatural creatures. In the beginning, slow moving subtitles, complete with the original Japanese version voice acting (spoken in Japanese), describe the “Baneful Blood” coursing through their veins, which gives them their strength and power. Without much backstory or character development, this game lives up to its title by focusing on the action and the girls’…um…aesthetic appeal.
You can unlock two more female characters, Misery and Reiko, who use a gun, and can play each of the four characters' storylines for more replayability. During battles, Aya and Saki can go into a special “rage mode” when they’re soaked with their victims’ blood. A meter shows you when you’re close, plus the girls start to get a bit sluggish in their movements. The rage mode increases the speed and attack while the health goes down a bit more, so make sure you’re stocked up on those little glowing balls, which you can pick up after slaying baddies mostly with slashing swords.
Using a Wii remote/nunchuk control combination, you can switch between two fighting styles (using the C button) and acquire a few powerups to upgrade characters. The fighting system also lets you lock on enemies with the Z-button - a vertical blue arrow above the target gives you a helpful visual amid waves of attackers. You can dodge attacks with the A button, which also provides some jumping while you move. The practice mode is an ideal arena to hone your skills and enjoy little extras like the zombie altering taunts.
The best part is the two player co-op option available for every mission in the game. The sounds and vibrations from the remote match the gory visuals quite well. Action fans will love little touches like flicking the blood and gore off your sword (flick holding the B button). Keep watching the lower left meter. When it’s full of red, clear off your weapon…or watch what happens when you don’t.
Article comments
1 - Eddy
i hope that this games comes out before July 25 2009 in alberta canada I really want this for my birthdday and would be divistated if i could not get it. Over all ity seems like a really fun game. hope to see more games like this in the future considering i am a very active gamer.