BLACK & WHITE BUSHIDO
Hide and seek. And kill
Remember those flash games you would play in IT class? The ones you would sneak on instead of filling out spreadsheets? That’s exactly what Black & White Bushido reminds me of; a simple yet smart 2D brawler with a refreshingly unique concept at its core.
Four players can face off in one-hit-kill matches across five stylish stages, all offering varying levels of verticality to dash madly across. 1 At the very centre of this fighter is the ability to choose either ‘light’ or ‘shadow’ before heading out into the bloodshed. Depending on which team you choose, you’re able to blend completely into black or white backgrounds by holding down i – effectively turning each match into a deadly version of hide and seek. It’s an inventive mechanic that would be even better if there were more than just the three game modes to play.
There is an offline mode, in which you can battle bots, but I’d advise avoiding this unless you simply want a bit of practice. AI takes two distinct forms in Black & White Bushido; the first seems to use Predatorstyle tracking to beat you down in seconds while the second is next-to-useless. 2 Your best option is to jump online or gather some friends for local play. Going toe-to-toe with other competent warriors yields manic and hilarious results.
It may not have a lot of staying power, and playing solo offline will leave you wanting more, but if you can get some mates together then you’ll definitely be able to make the most of everything this game has to offer. It’s fun, frantic and, yes, quick as a flash.
FOOTNOTES1 One stage looks like its been pulled straight out of Samurai Jack. Aku, is that you? 2 Like me trying to sit a chemistry exam, the AI often just stares blankly into space.