Sword Of The Samurai FAQ/Walkthrough Copyright 2004 Gary McEnroe Email: darkelf_gazza@yahoo.co.uk AIM: darkelfgazza Version 1.11 ======== CONTENTS ======== INTRO VERSION INFO CONTROLS WALKTHROUGH SWORD LIST SKILL LIST 'Ko' Attack Skills 'Tai' Parry Skills 'Ken' Break Defense Skills CHARACTER LIST Araki Matemon Chiba Shusaku Higuchi Sadatsugu Horibe Yasubei Kondo Isami Morooka Ippa Miyamoto Musashi Okada Izo Oishi Susumu Sasaki Kojiro Sakamoto Ryoma Tsuji Gettan Takayanagi Matashiro Togo Shigetaka Yagyu Hyogonosuke Yagyu Jubei THANKS TO LEGAL STUFF ===== INTRO ===== Welcome to my Sword of the Samurai FAQ/Walkthrough! ^.^ This is my first attempt at something like this, so bare with me. Anyway, my main reason for writing this was the fact that every other game I've played already has plenty of stuff on GameFAQs, and this game is pretty unknown. Apparently, it's unavailable in the US, which is a rarity. But hopefully some of you will have had this game imported from the UK or Japan, and if you haven't I'd suggest you try to import it, or get a copy from a friend who has it. It's a really good game. Anyway, enough intro, onto the other stuff! ============ VERSION INFO ============ v.1.00 Guide started, added most of the content. Still need to add the walkthrough, 'Tai' and 'Ken' skill lists, sword list, and Kengo Original Form lists v.1.10 Added the swords and the beginning of the walkthrough. v.1.11 Fixed the layout ======== CONTROLS ======== Ok I suck at ASCII art so I'm going to give that a miss and go for text only, sorry ^__^' MENU SCREENS D-Pad Select Option L-Analog Select Option X Confirm Triangle Cancel Start Skip Messages BATTLE D-Pad Movement L-Analog Movement Circle 'Ko' Attack X 'Tai' Parry Square 'Ken' Break Defense L1 Hold to Run R1 Draw/Sheathe Sword L2 Change Forms R2 Change Forms Start Pause =========== WALKTHROUGH =========== Character Creation: If this is your first time through, you won't have many parts avaliable to create your samurai. You should have 6 heads and 6 bodies, and you can put them together any way you wish really. When you have selected the head and body, you will then have to name your samurai, and when that's done you will be shown your samurai and given a list of his stats. Press X to continue. Now then, I'm going to be talking about four different types of oppenent throughout the walkthrough. Kengo: Any of the samurai you get the change to duel with once you reach Edo. These guys are the cream of the crop, and it may take you many attempts to defeat one. Also, the Kengo are all historical samurai, two of the most well known are Yagyu Jubei and Miyamoto Musashi. Samurai: There are five samurai you will fight many times. When you created your character, the five characters left will become your samurai rivals. The female samurai, S.Rin, won't show up until later though (unless you chose her as your character). The samurai are; S. Hyoma I. Jurisho A. Sakyo Y. Gen'nojo S. Rin H. Yunosuke Swordsmen: These are your basic opponents when you're not dueling with Kengo or Samurai. These guys come in many different forms, from peasants to soldiers to ninjas. Students: Each Dojo has it's students, and when you train at a dojo, you can engage in a bout with one of these students. The students aren't really much better than the Swordsmen, but the students of the Edo dojos will use specific 'Ko', 'Tai' and 'Ken' forms from their own dojo, whereas the other students tend to use moves from the Mu-Ryu forms. Your First Duel: The game will begin with your samurai crossing a bridge at a small village near Edo called Chiaraijima, and observing two swordsmen fighting. One will be an ordinary run-of-the-mill swordsman, and the other, the victor, will be one of your samurai rivals. You will fight these guys at the Governor's Tournament, the local Tournament and the Outdoor Tournaments, and when you reach Edo, you will also be able to compete with these guys for their swords in the Betting Match. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You will challenge the samurai to a duel, and your first duel will commence. You will only have two forms to begin with, and I recommend staying with the first form. When your oppenent is near, keep an eye on him. The instant you see him start to attack, hold the X button on your controller. If your timing is right, your bokken (wooden sword) will block his attack and send his sword back, leaving him open to an attack from you. Tap the Circle button to attack, but be careful. If your foe locks weapons with you, move the analogue stick in any direction to dodge away from his upcoming counter attack. 3 times out of 4 you will dodge it, but if he moves in the same direction as you, chances are he'll hit you and take a hefty chunk out of your health. Whether you win or lose the battle will be down to your luck and skill. People playing the game through for a second time will no doubt handle this fight easily. If you win, you will be approached by the local Recruiter, who will invite you to stop by his offices at some point. If you lose, the head master of the Muraoka Dojo will approach you and offer you to come train with him and his students. Either way, you'll end up at your house after resting. This concludes Day 1 Chiaraijima Village: When you are at home, you are in a menu screen of sorts. You can choose to go out into the village and visit the dojos or the recruiter, or one of the Tournaments. You can also check your samurai's stats and what forms he has, and set up your existing forms. I won't bother trying to explain it, as it's easy to learn, although it may look complicated at first. Be sure to create a third form. Chances are you learned a new stance from your first duel, and a couple of new forms, so try setting up your third form. You can also save your game or exit to the title screen. And you can rest for a day to recover your strength. When you are ready, select the top option, Movement, to go visit the village. If you won the battle, visit the Recruiter to learn of the Muraoka Dojo. If you lost the battle, the Dojo will already be on your locations list. Either way, pay a visit to the Dojo. Muraoka Dojo: You are given two option. Join the Dojo, and challenge the students and head master to a bout. You'll have to join the dojo if you want to be able to advance to Edo. If you are a first time player, I highly recommend you go through the boring lessons. It'll earn you new forms and teach you the basics of gameplay. If you are already familiar with all the basics of gameplay, then just go straight to the advancement tests. After the long process of completing the lessons, you must then go visit the two other local dojos and defeat their students and the masters in bouts. It may take you several tries to defeat the masters, but it's fairly easy to learn their attacks and to learn when to block them. ========== SWORD LIST ========== SWORD NAME OWNER Normal Sword You at first, everyone after you collect all swords Bizen Ichimonji T. Shigetaga Hirosada Ichimonji Inoue Shinkai Kanemichi Kanemitsu Kanesada Kanesige Kaneuji Kiyomaro Ko Ichimonji Kotetsu Kunikane Kunimitsu Kunisada Magoruku Masahide Masamune Masatsune Meiju Mitsutada O. Susumu Munechika Muramasa Nagamitsu Naotane Raikunitoshi Raikuniyuki Samouji Shigekuni Sukehiro Tadayoshi O. Izo Yasutsugu Yasatsuna Yoshiyuki ========== SKILL LIST ========== 'KO' ATTACK SKILLS FORM SCHOOL SKILL NAME Drawing Ohoha Itto Drawing Slash Shinto Munen Soul Harvest Tatsumi Drawing Shadow Ta-Ryu Fan Flash Upper Ohoha Itto Dragonfly Strike Twin Tiger Slash Shinto Munen Triple Tiger Slash Twin Tiger Slash Tatsumi Serpent's Gate Three Tigers Ta-Ryu Trinity Slash Tumbling Slash Crazed Hilt Phantom Cross Waterfall Dance Mad Gouge Spirit Maker Up-Left Ta-Ryu Trunk Split Scarred Ground Turning Wind Fast Ground Three Dragons Left Ta-Ryu Cloud Cleave Iron Wind Kage Slash Lo-Left Ta-Ryu Sitting Reaper Dragon Grin Sakura Whip Tiger Strike Sinking Blade Tiger's Tail Volcano Dance Lower Ohoha Itto Triple Rising Slash Rising Slash Shinto Munen Triple Thrust Tatsumi Break Attack Ta-Ryu Blazing Axe Pound Iron Slow Reaper Strafe Slash Bursting Boar Lo-Right Ohoha Itto Triple Needle Flow Needle Flow Shinto Munen Triple Climbing Clouds Climbing Clouds Tatsumi Triple Climbing Clouds Climbing Clouds Ta-Ryu Blade Rein Sliding Stab Rushing Water Snapdragon's Kiss Shooting Star Right Ta-Ryu Break Plank Kicking Hammer Break Tile Kicking Slash Brush Stab Coiled Snake Up-Right Tatsumi Triple Spinning Spinning Crown Ta-Ryu Triple Spinning Cold Rake Sinking Hilt Eel Split Gaze Beyond Triple Axe Centre Ohoha Itto Ghost Blossom Tiger Slash Shinto Munen Heavy Hew Strong Hew Tatsumi Serpent Slash Tiger Slash Ta-Ryu Star Cannon Slicing Silk Lightning Gouge Pouring Heaven Creeping Blade Heart Cleave Kojiro's Path Burning Torch Forking Flame Snake Charge Hydra Dance 'TAI' PARRY SKILLS Coming soon... 'KEN' BREAK DEFENSE SKILLS Coming soon... ============== CHARACTER LIST ============== Araki Mataemon Edo Yagyu School Born: Iga Province (Nie Prefecture) Style: Taiken Bio: Calm and composed, he is known for carefully laid plans. A fencing master of Yamato Province, he is beloved by his family for his big heart and completely trusted by his Lord. Chiba Shusaku Ga-Ryu Born: Rikuzen Province (Miyagi Prefecture) Style: Seiken Bio: Known as the Skilled Chiba, he is the owner of superior skill, and also an incisive mind, a rare commodity among great swordsmen. He attacks the '3 places' of the opponent's initial move, the opponent's receiving a sword and exhausting his skills. Higuchi Sadatsugu Ga-Ryu Born: Uemo Province (Gumma Prefecture) Style: Taiken Bio: Follows the philosophy of a style devoted to 'defense'. He has enough physical strength to break through the enemy's defenses and strike the top of his head, and also the agility to parry the enemy's sword quickly. Horibe Yasubei Disciple of Higuchi Sadatsugu Born: Echigo Province (Niigata Prefecture) Style: Taiken Bio: The epitome of the rustic bumpkin, in the narrow sense. He has managed to defeat powerful swordsmen in acts of vengeance. He has been a kendo teacher at many domains, so he is well known among the domain samurai. Kondo Isami Ga-Ryu Born: Musashi Province (Tokyo) Style: Goken Bio: His fencing is no great shakes, but he is a man of courage. He does not fear losing his life under the sword. All is spirit (kiai). Cutting is all courage: I use no subtle techniques. Morooka Ippa Ga-Ryu Born: Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture) Style: Seiken Bio: He uses footwork and swordsmanship to control the enemy's sword and win. His exquisite fencing and sharp swordsmanship are said to be the 'second coming of Iizasa Choisai', founder of the oldest School in Japan. Miyamoto Musashi Ga-Ryu Born: Banshu (Hyogo Prefecture) Style: Nanken Bio: The object of my strategy is neither technique nor form, but victory in combat. 'With stance, without stance.' I do not care about stances, but face all enemies without fear with a 'body of massive rock.' Okada Izo Ga-Ryu Born: Tosa Province (Kochi Prefecture) Style: Goken Bio: Known as the Killer Izo, he is a butchering murderer. His is a peculiar fencing style that becomes courser the more it is mastered. His blows are powerful but single strikes to but become a technique. Oishi Susumu Ga-Ryu Born: Chikugo Province (Fukwoka Prefecture) Style: Goken Bio: Popularized the long shinai (bamboo sword) in the kendo world by inventing the one-hanged shinai thrust and becoming the rage of Edo. One anecdotal story tells of him using a one-handed thrust in an inter- school match, shattering is opponent's steel mask and gouging out an eyeball. Sasaki Kojiro Ga-Ryu Born: Echizen Province (Fukui Prefecture) Style: Seiken Bio: Carries a 3-foot long sword called the Drying Pole on his back. Uses the 'Kojiro's Path' attack consisting of a diagonal cut from one shoulder to beneath the other, followed by a quick return and diagonal uppercut to the left. Sakamoto Ryoma Disciple of Chiba Shusaku Born: Tosa Province (Kochi Prefecture) Style: Nanken Bio: He may have good ability, but he has no deep attachment to the sword. Rather than simply fighting a single combat, he tends to think too much about his opponent's position. Such a man is unsuited to be a fencer. Tsuji Gettan Ga-Ryu Born: Echizen Province (Fukui Prefecture) Style: Seiken Bio: 'Zen lies in one's own sword.' He believes the true Way of the Warrior lies in finding the divine path with the sword, and studying the teachings of man. He can draw his sword three times at the wicks of candles in the corner of the dojo, and put out the flames all three times. Takayanagi Matashiro Ga-Ryu Born: Hida Province (Gifu Prefecture) Style: Nanken Bio: Known for his Silent Stance, he never lets his opponent's sword touch his own. A master of 'the sacrifice,' he himself rarely advances to strike. Rather, he waits for his opponent to move but then gets the win with a sacrifice. Togo Shigetaka Ga-Ryu Born: Satsuma Province (Kagoshima Prefecture) Style: Goken Bio: Has a lighting-swift sword that can fell an enemy with one stroke and has also handed down an advanced fencing theory. His innermost secret is 'Do not withdraw. It is safer to finish without withdrawing. The will of above is a single sword stroke. Never attacked and injured.' Yagyu Hyognosuke Owari Yagyu School Born: Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture) Style: Taiken Bio: Coercion to beat the enemy kills; working to beat the enemy lives. He has a flexible strategy. We must reform the old traditions of the Warring States period into ones to fit the new age. Said to be the Owari Yagyu of Technique in contrast to the Edo Yagyu of the Heart. Yagyu Jubei Edo Yagyu School Born: Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture) Style: Taiken Bio: A theorist, he excels at insight into his enemy's technique. His strategy is 'strike when struck.' Exactly when you are in range of the enemy, the enemy is in your range. There is only a hair's breadth between victory and defeat. ========= THANKS TO ========= Genki and Ubisoft for making and publishing this great game HIM for their Love Metal album, which I listened to through-out almost all the entire process of making this walkthrough Sony for making the PS2 =========== LEGAL STUFF =========== This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright.