Sakura Samurai- Art of the Sword- 6/10
First- I will admit I beat it thrice. However, I just cleared the "real" mode, where you get a minute amount of health.
Plot- It really isn't that great. Just to enlighten those who haven't played it, this is it: Princess Cherry Blossom was kidnapped by some evil entity (he, for some reason, never gets a name). A kappa waits by a pond by a chosen hero who can hear his voice. Elated by the boy that comes and hears him, he gifts him with the Blossom Sword (AKA a katana). He trains him in the art of war, and gives him his destiny. The player travels the land and storms three castles in hopes of finding her. Needless to say, he does. It's better than most download titles, that is for certain, but it is still quite generic.
Gameplay- This is where the game shines. It is somewhat hard to explain. This game is primarily about counter-attacking- enemy swings, you strike back, and so on until they die. However, it gets repetitive very quickly- I can hardly go through three chapters without getting bored. Even with different varieties of enemies, it gets repetitive. Also, on some enemies, you can strike even before they attack, making the point moot. However, bosses. Those are the best part. It works like it was intended to, but with some added spice. First off, at low HP, they can pull off combos that are nigh impossible to avoid. Furthermore, they take a TON of damage, even the first boss. I was surprised by the sudden lift in difficulty on my first run. Speaking of which...
Difficulty- It is way too freaking easy on regular mode. However, it is PERFECT on the replay run. Combat becomes so much more crucial, villages are much more welcome, and you have to think about how you spend your money. Remember that strike-before-they-do trick I mentioned in Gameplay? That is way too dangerous. Even on lower levels, you will die INSTANTLY. It isn't frustrating, though, like other games- It motivates you to defeat them once more. You have to plan how you will go about this, and even then, it isn't guaranteed you will win what with the random enemy selection. However, bosses are a living hell. And regular mode still tarnishes it.
I'll be honest, though; my rating, while somewhat low, is unrepresentative of my love for this game. I loved it so much, in fact, I had hoped Sakura Samurai had made it into SSB4. It is just that the few flaws are really major.
First- I will admit I beat it thrice. However, I just cleared the "real" mode, where you get a minute amount of health.
Plot- It really isn't that great. Just to enlighten those who haven't played it, this is it: Princess Cherry Blossom was kidnapped by some evil entity (he, for some reason, never gets a name). A kappa waits by a pond by a chosen hero who can hear his voice. Elated by the boy that comes and hears him, he gifts him with the Blossom Sword (AKA a katana). He trains him in the art of war, and gives him his destiny. The player travels the land and storms three castles in hopes of finding her. Needless to say, he does. It's better than most download titles, that is for certain, but it is still quite generic.
Gameplay- This is where the game shines. It is somewhat hard to explain. This game is primarily about counter-attacking- enemy swings, you strike back, and so on until they die. However, it gets repetitive very quickly- I can hardly go through three chapters without getting bored. Even with different varieties of enemies, it gets repetitive. Also, on some enemies, you can strike even before they attack, making the point moot. However, bosses. Those are the best part. It works like it was intended to, but with some added spice. First off, at low HP, they can pull off combos that are nigh impossible to avoid. Furthermore, they take a TON of damage, even the first boss. I was surprised by the sudden lift in difficulty on my first run. Speaking of which...
Difficulty- It is way too freaking easy on regular mode. However, it is PERFECT on the replay run. Combat becomes so much more crucial, villages are much more welcome, and you have to think about how you spend your money. Remember that strike-before-they-do trick I mentioned in Gameplay? That is way too dangerous. Even on lower levels, you will die INSTANTLY. It isn't frustrating, though, like other games- It motivates you to defeat them once more. You have to plan how you will go about this, and even then, it isn't guaranteed you will win what with the random enemy selection. However, bosses are a living hell. And regular mode still tarnishes it.
I'll be honest, though; my rating, while somewhat low, is unrepresentative of my love for this game. I loved it so much, in fact, I had hoped Sakura Samurai had made it into SSB4. It is just that the few flaws are really major.