Lesbian Samurai

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:20 pm

One of my gaming habits that never changes is the way I always seem to be up for a trot through feudal Japan. The genre and theme are irrelevant... whether it's semi-realistic or outright cartoony, as long as I'm surrounded with ninjas, paper walls, and chicks with bunned hair, I almost inevitably enjoy myself. Perhaps it's this cultural bias that makes Way of the Samurai 2 so appealing to me, but whatever it is: I'm digging it hard.

Not much has changed from the original, but it's smoother, prettier, and a little bit bigger. You still roam around a single town collecting swords and choosing one of the many factions to side with. There are twice as many endings now, and since there are story elements and events you'll only ever see by siding with certain groups, you haven't really finished the game until you've seen all 14. The story is more compelling than the first one and the characters are more easily identifiable... in the first one, there were only three or four characters who I ever remembered enough to sympathize with, but this time there only a couple who I encounter and think: "Wait, who were you, again?"

Combat hasn't changed at all, but that's okay, because it's still good. It's not hack & slash, there's a surprising amount of depth that requires timing and observation of your opponent's maneuvers. There are also several different styles based on what kind of sword you're equipped with. Auto lock-on is a bit dodgy, especially in tight quarters, but that's par for the course. My only wish for the next one is that they mix some Bushido Blade into the combat. I'd like to be able to incapacitate different parts of my opponent's body. Or hell, even chop them off entirely with those samurai cinema geysers of blood.

The music is fantastic, the best semi-traditional Japanese style score since the original Tenchu. It brings the illusion home. I would like to say that the graphics are a huge improvement over the original, but that's probably because of the difference in setting. The first game took place in a rural valley, and, well, the PS2 just plain does not render nature well. Samurai 2 takes place entirely in a large town, so you're dealing mostly with simple geometric shapes that are kinder on the PS2's processors. It's still gorgeous, though, and there are enough visual differences between Amahara's various districts to keep locations from getting confusing or stale.

Most people will probably find it a bit repetitive, as there are 14 different endings and you're basically playing through the same major events each time. Plus, some endings boil down to a single decision made at the last moment of the game, meaning if you want to get the other ending, you have to repeat your steps all the way to that last moment. Also, the only way to earn money is to take odd jobs offered by the game's three major factions. These odd jobs are basically all the same: go to a particular district of the city, find an object or talk to someone, then return to your employer and collect your reward.

On the bright side, getting around and making time pass are a bit less hassle than they used to be. Unlike the original, the districts aren't all connected, forcing you to cross over several areas before reaching the one you want. Now when you exit an area, you enter a map screen from which you can choose any other district to enter. It kind of shatters the illusion a bit and it bothered me at first, but by your third time through the game, it's a blessing and a half. If you want to make time pass, all you have to do is go to your room and select one of the various "sleep" options pertaining to how much time you want to kill, which turns out to be another huge convenience.

And now for the ugly. By and large, Capcom did a pretty decent job with the translation, but the voice acting threatens to make my ears bleed. Nothing in this game shatters the illusion to pieces like suddenly hearing one of these thickly Japanese characters bust out into English speech with fourth-rate acting. All the dialogue is subtitled in the first place, I don't see what need there was to waste money on a dub and absolutely decimate the atmosphere. The story itself is a pretty well-written and intricate little piece of work, so when a character decides to open his/her mouth during an intriguing cutscene, it's all the more tragic. (Oddly enough, only the Japanese voice credits are given in the game and there are none in the manual.)

Then there's load time. There's a 6-7 second load time every time you enter an area. This is extremely grating when you're running around performing tasks for money. I could also mention that the camera is never quite where you want it, but I figure that can just be assumed.

So, like the original, it's flawed and there are people who just plain won't like the idea of running around a limited world repeating the same basic events to collect swords and discover the story's many threads. But fuck them, they're wrong. I haven't been this into a game since I came home with Sly Cooper and Everblue 2, which was almost a full year ago. (I don't know if I ever mentioned Everblue here, but for the record, it's fucking awesome.)

Oh yeah, about the title. This time, you can be an (extremely cute) female samurai, which is a big quirk in a game that's otherwise fairly historically accurate. The female avatars aren't available from the start, you have to unlock them, but when you're actually playing through as one, none of the dialogue is changed. So you're controlling a hot lady samurai who hits on the local girls and is well-known among the courtesans of Amakaze-cho. Ooh, lala.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:05 pm

One other thing, they completely eliminated the 2-player mode, which is a shame, because the original had one of the funnest, most under appreciated versus games ever.

Post by **G.Silver** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:33 am

I still haven't gotten around to the first Samurai yet, though if the dub is as bad as you're saying maybe I should be waiting for a chance to grab a Japanese version anyway. Is the sequel improved enough (or more-of-the-same enough) that I'd be better off just going straight to the one where I can be a lesbian samurai?

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:03 am

The first one actually doesn't have any spoken dialogue at all, so it's safe to play the US version. If you want to skip straight to the sequel, you aren't really missing much except for the 2-player mode.

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:47 pm

The only person in the whole game that notices your gender/age is that little challenge guy up at the shrine area. Otherwise its pretty much lesbian-tacular.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:03 pm

Yeah, I noticed that. He also catches whatever accessories you're wearing. I walked up to him with the afro accessory equipped and he says: "What's with the hair?"

How much of the game have you played? I just got my seventh ending, so I guess I'm halfway there. It seems like I've stopped unlocking stuff, but there's still extra faces, outfits, and accessories I'm missing. How do I get these, do I have to play on a harder mode?

Isambard · Post by **Isambard** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:16 am

I haven't played the game but if it's anything like Guardian Heroes was for the Saturn then you'll have to take the various paths on hard mode in order to open up everything. And once you got into the later stages it was a bitch trying to kill anything, especially bosses. So it got tedious beating it on hard on the 38743 different paths you could take. Not to mention the shared continues thing and having 3 to share wasn't fun. Ye-oouch! Erm anyway...

I'm not sure if it'd work, but it'd be worth a shot anyway.

...Guardian Heroes r0xz0rs j00r b0xz0rs by the way.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 3:48 pm

I think I've figured it out. It looks like all the unlockables are accessed by meeting the requisite point count. Your total points from any run through are added to a tally, which is what unlocks the various difficulty modes for sure, and I think also the costumes and accessories.

Guardian Heroes is fucking awesome. I'm not sure what to make of that GBA sequel.

Isambard · Post by **Isambard** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:54 pm

There's a GBA sequel? Good <i>God</i>. How long was I in that coma?

Also I see this is becoming a dangerous trend. The old 16-bit systems are a safe haven for the 2D sidescroller lover and the PS2 and Saturn both offered some relief in the later stages of development. But is it just me or are any good 2D games just an ugly myth on all the new systems now? It seems like you're forced to pay 348gdmfargha dollars for a little handheld system that you could lose very easily if someone sat on it.

And I am decidely uncautious when it comes to things like that, so that's why I don't own a GBA...but if the GH sequel is out on it...I'm thinking the $150 blunder would be worth it...

Was Mischief Makers the last good sidescroller we'll ever see?!? Oh Contra! Where art thou!

*ring*

Hello?

*heavy breathing on the other end*

Dammit, I told you not to call here anymore!

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:45 pm

It's not out yet and I don't even know if a US release has been confirmed. It looks real iffy though, and Guardian Heroes with just two buttons sounds like an unavoidable tragedy.

plasticwingsband · Post by **plasticwingsband** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:12 pm

It's technically 4 buttons, if you count L and R. Even so, I don't know how they'd pull GH off.

And I loved Mischief Makers. I need to get another copy. I fell into one of those "I loaned it to a relative a while ago and still haven't gotten it back" scenarios. They also have my copies of Mario 64 & Starfox 64.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:29 pm

Time to kill your cousins.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:35 am

I'd forgotten all about my deep love of Mischief Makers. This thread made me go pull it out and give it a spin for an hour or two.

Congratulations.

Isambard · Post by **Isambard** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:43 am

I actually owned the import Saturn version of it. It had tons of goofy japanese voices in the background and was an infinite blast to play. Plus it's got to be one of the most simplistically complex attack systems in any sidescrolling game. red and blue shots! but you can only shoot one or the other each way, AAAAHHHH! Calm yourself, Charlie Brown.

Also, I haven't looked at a GBA in decades it seems, but doesn't it still have a select button? Wouldn't that work for the Undead Hero's commands? (by the way, rabbits that can become insta-fireballs are the best thing ever)

Well in any event, I'll see the reviews if it does get a US release, and then I'll sucker one of my friends into buying it first. I hate to be that way, but paying for my Initial D addiction has been tough enough lately :P

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:18 am

I actually owned the import Saturn version of it. It had tons of goofy japanese voices in the background and was an infinite blast to play. Plus it's got to be one of the most simplistically complex attack systems in any sidescrolling game. red and blue shots! but you can only shoot one or the other each way, AAAAHHHH!

That's Silhouette Mirage you're talking about. Which also kicked ass.

Isambard · Post by **Isambard** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:55 am

o.O you mean there was more than one game made? Or am I being simple again?

:(:(:(:(:((:(:((:(:(:(:(:(:(112

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:30 pm

Yeah, Silhouette Mirage and Mischief Makers (which was called Yuke-yuke Trouble Makers in Japan) are two totally different games. Dork.

Isambard · Post by **Isambard** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:45 pm

But I distinctly remember a happy yippy Japanese voice going "MISCHIEF MAKERS!" at the SM title screen for Saturn.

...wasn't there?

*sulks*

My kung-fu is weak.

daytonafathead · Post by **daytonafathead** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:25 pm

Green Gibbon! wrote:Oh yeah, about the title. This time, you can be an (extremely cute) female samurai, which is a big quirk in a game that's otherwise fairly historically accurate. The female avatars aren't available from the start, you have to unlock them, but when you're actually playing through as one, none of the dialogue is changed. So you're controlling a hot lady samurai who hits on the local girls and is well-known among the courtesans of Amakaze-cho. Ooh, lala.

Kidna lkihe the ending of Spider-man where you can use a code to be Mary Jane (with Peter Parker's voice) and she kisses the other Mary Jane.

Post by Bo » Fri Jul 23, 2004 4:13 pm

*Guerilla history moment*
There was a review for Sillhouette Mirage at the GHZ in... 1997 or 1998. With GG!'s 31-point review system.

Post by **Delphine** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:00 pm

I'm pretty sure Bo is a super-intelligent biobot from the future. How <i>else</i> would he remember this shit?

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:15 pm

I just found this swell secret code that lets you play as any character model in the game (the NPC's), plus some models from the original. I've finished doing just about everything, though, so there's not really much reason for me to play through it again.

One big disappointment for me is that there doesn't seem to be a "perfect" ending like the first one. In the original, you could get an ideal ending by basically being a double agent and working for all the factions simultaneously. It seems like the closest thing to an ideal ending is the one where you leave town with the little girl, which is the first one I achieved. You only need to help one faction (the townspeople) to end up with that one. There was a "town" ending in the original, too, but it wasn't the perfect ending. I would like to think there's something I'm missing that isn't mentioned at GameFAQs...

Kidna lkihe the ending of Spider-man where you can use a code to be Mary Jane (with Peter Parker's voice) and she kisses the other Mary Jane.

It's especially titillating when you do the Kasumi thread. There's this part where she shows up in your room, drops her kimono, and basically says: "fuck me." Your character embraces the naked Kasumi before the scene fades out. I believe this is the most obvious example of implied sex I've ever seen in a game since Xenogears.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:57 pm

One other curiosity... sometimes during the credit roll, they show scenes of some cheesy-looking samurai flick being filmed. What movie is this and what does it have to do with this game?

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:18 pm

I just found this swell secret code that lets you play as any character model in the game (the NPC's), plus some models from the original.

I tried that, but the code wouldn't work. Is it a different one from the gameFAQs one, and if so, what is it?

It's especially titillating when you do the Kasumi thread. There's this part where she shows up in your room, drops her kimono, and basically says: "fuck me."

Nothing quite like taking a girl's "inner woman", is there?

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:35 pm

I tried that, but the code wouldn't work. Is it a different one from the gameFAQs one, and if so, what is it?

They have two on the code page, and although the second one seems more well-written, it's the first one that works. You have to put it in relatively quickly and it requires a bit of coordination.

I can't get any of the other codes on the page to work, though.

Nothing quite like taking a girl's "inner woman", is there?

But hadn't she like, just got that tattoo? That thing was as big as she was, I think maybe she should've just kind of taken it easy for a few days. Perhaps she was hoping the pain of her destroyed hymen would take her mind off it.

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