Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (お姉チャンバラvorteX ~忌血を継ぐ者たち~, Oneechanbara VorteX ~The Descendants of The Cursed Blood~) is a hack and slash action horror video game released on December 14, 2006 in Japan, February 10, 2009 in North America[2] and February 27 in Europe, by Tamsoft and D3 Publisher as part of D3's Simple series. It is the third main installment in the Onechanbara video game series and the first title to be released in North America.
| OneChanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad | |
|---|---|
 North American game cover | |
| Developer(s) | Tamsoft |
| Publisher(s) | D3 |
| Designer(s) | Shunsuke Tezuka |
| Series | Onechanbara |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Hack and slash, Action |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Co-op |
Gameplay
edit
Players control Aya, Saki and Annna as they cut and shoot through waves of undead enemies, in either single-player or cooperative multi-player mode. In single-player mode the characters can be switched during play.[3] The game features alternative modes of play; free play, quest and survival, as well as a dress-up option which allows players to alter the player characters' clothes.[4] As the player defeats enemies two on-screen meters begin to fill. The first indicates the current character's splatter gauge, which increases as the character is covered in blood. Once filled, the character automatically goes into rampage mode, dealing more damage but also taking more damage from enemies while gradually and constantly losing health. The second indicates how much gore is on her weapon, uncleaned swords become dulled, and if the meter is filled the character's weapon will begin to lodge in enemies, forcing the player to manually remove it in order to continue fighting.[5]
Plot
editAfter the defeat of Reiko, Saki regains control of herself, and the two sisters return to a somewhat more normal life. However, this newfound peace isn't set to last, as once again Tokyo is infested with zombies, and the cursed bloodline of the two sisters is set to clash once again with their own fates.
Characters
edit- Aya: Raised by her now-deceased father and trained by the sword, Aya lives a somewhat more normal life with her sister Saki before being thrust back into the zombie-infested battlefield. Her family bloodline is cursed and has a tendency of sending her into berserk frenzies. Her skills revolve around edged weapons, from swords to throwing knives, and certain attacks can damage or kill multiple enemies at close range.
- Saki: Saki is Aya's younger sister and shares her cursed bloodline. In addition to the sword that she carries, she has agility and martial art skills at her disposal, outmaneuvering foes and delivering precise attacks.
- Anna (misspelled as Annna in non-Japanese dubs[6]): A special force soldier who meets and allies with the two sisters early in the game. Her military background gives her access to firearms, explosives, and some (although not quite as sophisticated as Saki's) mêlée combat techniques. Later in the game it is revealed that her brother David has been kidnapped and brainwashed by the game's antagonist Himiko.
- DLC - Himiko, Misery, Reiko
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 39/100[7] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | B[8] |
| Destructoid | 4.5/10[9] |
| Eurogamer | 3/10[10] |
| Famitsu | (X360) 29/40[11] 27/40[11] |
| Game Informer | 6/10[12] |
| GamePro |   [13] |
| GameSpot | 2.5/10[14] |
| GameZone | 4/10[15] |
| IGN | 3/10[16] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 4.5/10[17] |
| TeamXbox | 2.7/10[18] |
The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one six and three sevens for a total of 27 out of 40, while Famitsu X360 gave it a score of one six, two sevens, and one nine for a total of 29 out of 40.[11]
References
edit- ^ "OneChanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad for Xbox 360". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (August 4, 2008). "Onechanbara Bikini Samurai Squad to USA". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 9, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
- ^ "Preview: Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad". GamesMaster (207): 39. January 2009.
- ^ Faylor, Chris (August 4, 2008). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad Coming to US, Bringing Scantily Clad Zombie Slaying to Xbox 360". Shacknews. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Brudvig, Erik (December 11, 2006). "Onechanbara Vortex Hands-On". IGN. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "Anna's Small Room". Archived from the original on 2010-09-20. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ a b "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Sharkey, Scott (February 20, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
- ^ Sterling, Jim; Zimmerman, Conrad (February 16, 2009). "Destructoid review: Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Gibson, Ellie (March 5, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c Gantayat, Anoop (February 8, 2007). "Gaming Life in Japan (Page 11)". IGN. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- ^ "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad (X360) & Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers (Wii)". Game Informer. No. 192. April 2009. p. 81.
- ^ Barton, Heather (February 10, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ VanOrd, Kevin (February 13, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 3, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Valentino, Nick (March 4, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Brudvig, Erik (February 17, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad". Official Xbox Magazine. April 2009. p. 79.
- ^ Eddy, Andy (February 14, 2009). "Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2015.