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#Samurai
Available from the Nintendo 3DS eShop on October 4.
More like Newsies Without Pants, amiright?
You were probably expecting a really entertaining discussion about our favorite female video game characters with a real life lady guest. Sadly, this episode of Nerds Without Pants is another sausage fest. We hope we can bring that topic to you in the future, but for now please enjoy this free form episode.
"You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain." -Miyamoto Musashi
For me, there is no better exhibition of the focus, skill, and elegance of the martial arts than the samurai, and it boggles my mind that we don’t see more video games based on these noble warriors. Sure, ninjas are cool and all, but what about those that follow the way of bushido? I gobble up the lifestyle of the wandering ronin, and I think you can forgive me a little bit that I enjoy Way of the Samurai 4 so much--despite that fact that it is flawed on every conceivable level that games are judged on.
Play your way as a Samurai in this sandbox open-world representation of the harbor city of Amihama from times gone by.
If you're browsing the eShop, you should probably avoid games with samurai in them.
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword is the latest game to take use of Japan's rich lore. Despite the setting, the game's tale is standard Nintendo fare - players are on a quest to rescue a kidnapped princess. As a young samurai, your quest is split into a number of levels that consist of nothing more than a variety of encounters with a handful of enemy types. The characters and setting imbue a definite degree of charm and personality, but it's squandered by the shallow, repetitive, and boring gameplay.
It’s a shame these visuals were squandered on such a shallow game.
Given the touch screen of the 3DS, it’s no surprise that iOS game, Samurai Sword Destiny has made its way to the Nintendo eShop. What’s also unsurprising is just how shallow the experience is, given Destiny’s original home. With a combination of two level types, players will find themselves either slashing arrows and avoiding boulders during forced progression, or dispatching a variety of foes by continuously slashing back and forth until all enemies are defeated. It’s a mindless timewaster that doesn’t command its price.
This standalone expansion will introduce other countries into the fray.
Total War: Shogun 2 was a standout title in the long running Total War franchise that revitalized the series in the eyes of many gamers. Its merits include a score of 4 out of 5 stars and financial success, with 600,000 copies sold after just a few weeks on the market. After the release of Rise of the Samurai, the second expansion, Fall of the Samurai is planned for release in March of 2012.
