by Robert Workman on Thursday, October 25, 2007
Treasure is back on its hot streak. The producers of Gunstar Heroes, Ikaruga and other games have another triumph on its hands with Sega's Bleach: The Blade of Fate for the Nintendo DS. This game features a variety of characters from the hit Adult Swim anime series, including main hero Ichigo and rivals Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai, among others. However, you don't need to be a fan of the anime to appreciate the fighting action.
Fans should love the Story Mode. In it, you select from a cast of characters and follow individual storylines while they battle pre-destined rivals such as Soul Reapers and other sword-wielding enemies. However, the Arcade and Versus modes are the game's real bread and butter. In Arcade, you get right into fighting enemies. As for Versus, you challenge up to three other friends in a feverish two-on-two battle. In addition, you can also enjoy Training Mode, Challenge Mode and Deck Customization.
Deck Customization utilizes an assortment of Spirit Cards. You build a selectable deck of up to fifteen cards, each with certain effects that change the course of each fight. You then choose which cards are best, applying them by tapping the touch screen. It's a decent system, but you'll probably care more about the actual fighting than these little chance occasions.
The gameplay is pure 2-D fighting bliss. Air dashes, super attacks, jumping across two separated planes (ala Fatal Fury), special moves, combos and guard attacks are all accessible, with controls that are easy to learn yet hard to master. Rolling your thumb along the d-pad to execute these moves is a cinch, even in the heat of a four-player brawl. The diversity between the twenty-plus fighters is an advantage as well, keeping each contest fresh and a little off-the-wall -- but in a good way.
With presentation, Treasure and Sega have done fine work replicating assets from the show. The anime cast fills their speaking roles through brief dialogue. It may not be commendable but at least it doesn't drift into cheesy territory. The music and sound effects fit in -- especially to show devotees who recognize specific sounds and melodies. With the visuals, Treasure has the 2-D atmosphere down pat, with refined animations, lively backdrops and a zoom-in/zoom-out effect that pans beautifully, instead of appearing all disjointed (like SNK's Art of Fighting series).
To top it all off, Blade of Fate has excellent multiplayer options . You can set up four-player battles either locally with friends or online through Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. Bleach has Game Sharing built right in, so four friends can duke it out across four systems with just one cartridge. If you don't have friends nearby, online play is a necessity. Fighting with others via Wi-Fi is just as satisfying as going at it with the locals.
Sega probably doesn't even realize the gem it has with Bleach: The Blade of Fate. The presentation is undeniably good, the 2-D gameplay is pure old school gold and the multiplayer options are gratifying enough to start planning anime-themed parties. It's worth picking up, even if you confuse Bleach as just a mere laundry additive.
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