As the launch of the 3DS draws ever nearer (it's next Friday!!!), and anticipation boils beyond fever pitch, we kick off day one of our Nights to Nintendo feature, where we offer up a number of features, articles and previews about the 3DS each and every day, with a game that's seen a release on just about every platform in the world, ever - Samurai Warriors: Chronicles.
Hugely popular in its native Japan, the series has never really become anything more than a cultural oddity in this country, despite its solid gameplay, and interesting, if a tad confusing, historical basis.
Based on real events that actually took place in ancient Japan, Samurai Warriors: Chronicles is set in the Warring States period, which lasted from the middle of the 15th century to the start of the 17th. With Japanese central power weakening, the country was divided into regions, or states, each ruled by its own warlord, and became engulfed in nearly 150 years of near constant military conflict.
Beat, beat, beat 'em up.
Of course, this being a 3DS game, it's far from an accurate history lesson in Ancient Japan, and instead takes the form of a hack and slash game. As the game's storyline takes you loosely through Japanese history, you'll be presented with a number of missions, each of which takes the form of a huge battle. After choosing which general you want to deploy where, the game then sees you running around the battlefield like a whirling dirvish, reigning destruction on anyone who even so much as looks your way.
Leading from the front, in the most literal meaning possible, it's up to you to track down, and defeat the enemy generals in battle. On surprisingly large fields of war, finding them is only half of the problem, as the generals, as you may expect, certainly know how to put up a fight. That being said, there's nothing phenomenally complex about the battles, as it's mostly simply a case of hammering the attack button until you beat the other generals - but keeping your eye on what's happening across the entire battlefield has now been made a lot easier, thanks to the handy map on the touch screen. The touch screen can also be used to switch from friendly general to general across the map, meaning no longer do you have to try and trudge your way from one end of the battlefield to the other, only to get lost halfway.
When we said it's not the most historically accurate of games, we weren't joking, as you'll regularly find yourself taking on tens of troops at a time, mostly entirely on your lonesome. It's certainly not a game for the history buffs, but, with its over the top action, it can be a lot of fun. Luckily for you, your general has access to a number of bonus powers they can use when surrounded - you know, like they did in Ancient Japan. Fancy magic spells, which mostly come with an accompanying cutscene, these powers can help you out of a stick situation, even if they do feel something of a cop out.
That shade of green does nothing for his complexion.
The 3DS game also comes sporting some semi-role playing game features, as for the first time in the series, you can choose to create, and customise your character, choosing not only their weapon, but their clothes too. In between battles, you'll get the chance to talk to other characters, and your answers will affect your relationship with them, changing the direction of the story, and possibly the battles themselves, as it'll affect who you can call on. As you win battles, you'll also gain experience, which can be used to level up your character, unlocking new abilities, and customisation slots.
But with loads of battles to play through, full support for StreetPass, the 3DS feature that'll exchange information with Samurai Warriors players you wander past as you walk down the street, and the promise of yet more missions and other goodies to come via SpotPass (or, in other words, over a WiFi connection), Samurai Warriors: Chronicles is a game that can just keep giving back. If you let it!
Due out on day one of the 3DS's launch (25th March, if you needed reminding!), Samurai Warriors: Chronicles has an RRP of £39.99
