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Bleach: The Blade of Fate Review for the Nintendo DS (NDS)

Bleach: The Blade of Fate Review for the Nintendo DS (NDS)

Ichigo never swung his blade so fatefully!

It’s unfortunate, but most games based on anime really aren’t that good. It’s rare when you find a game that comes from pre-existing material that can re-invigorate your faith that good games can be made that are based on an anime. Bleach: The Blade of Fate is one such game.

Bleach: The Blade of Fate screenshot

With many different ways to play, a vast amount of playable characters, and a relatively deep online experience, Bleach: The Blade of Fate may be the game that proves that when a little effort is applied a great game can result, no matter what the franchise that inspired it may be or what console the game is on.

The first thing you’ll notice about Bleach: The Blade of Fate when you start it up is how many modes there are. The first screen has so many choices that it’s almost overwhelming. But like most people, when I started up the game I went straight for story mode. From there you assume the role of Ichigo, a substitute soul reaper. Here is where I caution those unfamiliar with the Bleach series. If you don’t know the lore of Bleach already, then most of this Soul Reaper, Zanpaku-to, Bankai stuff will just sound like Greek to you. But I digress. The whole of Ichigo’s story mode is ripped directly from the pages of the Soul Society arc.

But the gameplay is very interesting in the story mode, and does not move in a linear fashion. You see, in Bleach: The Blade of Fate, it’s not if you beat your opponent, it is how. After you get past a short tutorial mode and a few small opponents, you’ll start noticing opponents who add conditions to fights. And these conditions could be anything from refraining from using certain moves to getting the most subsequent combo hits. And let’s say you beat them, but don’t fulfill the condition. Guess what? It doesn’t count. It sounds harsh, but it adds a good amount of depth to the game. You can’t just button-mash your way through this one; you’ll have to have some skill or it’s back to the beginning for you! Once you finish Ichigo’s story mode, you may think you have accomplished a lot. However, you’ll soon notice that Ichigo’s story was just the beginning!

Bleach: The Blade of Fate screenshot

There are over twenty different story modes for you to unlock and play through. Each one features a different character and their view of the Soul Society arc. Of course, Bleach fans will be extremely delighted with the new take on the events of the Soul Society arc through the eyes of series staples like Orihime and undervalued characters like Ganju, who seems to have misplaced his pig. In any case, each story mode clocks at about two hours gameplay each (give or take with skill and different “paths” taken), so believe it or not, you’ve got a 50+ hour game on your hands. And that’s just the story mode!

As I said in the beginning, there’s much more to this game than the story mode. The next mode you’ll have the pleasure of conquering is the arcade mode. This mode may sound simple, and for the most part, it really is. You just pick a character and then you’re off to fight through several progressively harder foes. It’s not too deep, but I highly recommend jumping into this one to hone your skills before trying to tackle some of the more advanced levels in story mode. But let’s say you want a challenge. Well, there’s a mode here for that too. Challenge mode has you performing several very challenging moves in rapid succession. So again, this is another mode that can help bolster you up for one of the other modes of play.

Bleach: The Blade of Fate screenshot

Then there’s the piece de resistance: The multiplayer modes. There are many ways to play Bleach: The Blade of Fate with a crowd. You can download play over local wireless either multi-cart or single cart. You’ll have a few more options at your disposal if you play multi-cart, but fret not if you don’t have friends who like Bleach, because the single-cart play is just as satisfying. The real glory for the multiplayer modes comes in the form of a very extensive and intricate online play system.

When you sign on for the first time, you are given 1000 points and a level ten ranking. It is up to you to set up ranked matches to raise your level. You can also set the rules and match settings, such as whether you will allow certain special power-ups or how a winner is determined.

Bleach: The Blade of Fate screenshot

But let’s say you’re not the competitive type. There is also a free play mode and a friends-only mode where you can just invite your friends to play a few rounds with you. Honestly, this online functionality blew my mind. Bleach: The Blade of Fate has the most extensive online capabilities that I have ever seen on a handheld. I was very surprised by how much it reminded me of playing games like Gears of War or even the multiplayer mogul Halo. It really is that level of intricacy. And I’m sure that several of you reading this are very skeptical of this, but I challenge you to rent this game or borrow it from a friend. You’ll probably be just as surprised as I was.

Now that I have introduced you to the many amazing and surprising ways that you can play this little handheld game, let me give you some insight into how the battle system works. On the surface, you’ll be doing a lot of button-mashing. However, the touch screen provides several shortcuts to perform special moves which are powered by spiritual power accumulated throughout battle. You will also have access to what are called “spirit cards” through the touch screen. These cards change certain status ailments and do everything from limiting your opponent’s ability to jump, to increasing your defense, even swapping spiritual power with your opponent. In total, there are more than 100 of these Spirit Cards, and each one can be played strategically to boost your chances of winning.

Graphics in this game are also very good and ditch the sprite-based approach (as seen in the two Jump games for the DS) in favor of a more streamlined 2-D approach. The result is a better visual representation of the characters from the anime. The only parts of the graphical content that are a little below par are the various stages, which look very bland and almost identical. But everything else is constructed so well in this game that I can totally forgive a few bland stage designs.

Overall, I can’t stress how much I was really surprised by this game. Though I am an avid anime fan, I really don’t expect too much from anime games, and I’m only wowed by one very occasionally. But this game exceeded all expectations I had, not only for an anime game but for any handheld title. It’s multitude of modes coupled with the great gameplay and ultra-immersive online modes really make this one stand out from the crowd! I can honestly say that I highly recommend this one!

Features:

  • Exciting Multiplayer fighting action. Up to four players will enjoy the fighting action via Wi-Fi connection. This game supports the Download Play feature where one player has a cartridge and transmits the game to another player’s Nintendo DS which allows them to play head-to-head.
  • Variety of multi-plane 2D fighting arenas. Players can switch between the foreground and the background battlelines to chase after or escape from opponents. Large cast of popular characters. Players will select from 28 of their favorite characters who are all voiced by the actors from the anime series. Special attacks to master. Players can inflict massive damage on opponents with special Combos and Super Power Attacks taken directly from the series.
  • Seven thrilling gameplay modes. Story, Arcade, Versus, Training and Challenge modes along with two unlockable modes which will provide hours of replayability and keep players coming back for more.
  • Story arc builds off the TV series. The central storyline stays true to the anime series, offering players an immersive experience. This story is also supplemented by extra unlockable chapters which serve as a prequel to the anime storyline.

    RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
    Looks very good on the DS, characters are true to anime form, and there’s a fair amount of detail. Stages however, are very bland. 4.5 Control
    Extremely tight with a considerable amount of combos and special moves that are pretty hard to master. 4.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
    All the original voice actors are here, and opening music is pretty good. Stage music is passable. 4.9

    Play Value
    There’s so much to this game! From the 20+ individual story modes to the local and online multiplayer options, this one will keep you swinging your zanpaku-to for quite some time!

    4.5 Overall Rating – Must Buy
    Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

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