Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

"InuYasha takes a WindScar to the head...."

“InuYasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale” Review

Introduction:

Being a fan of the anime series on [adult swim], I was looking forward to playing A Feudal Fairy Tale, especially since I heard that it was going to be a fighter. Since you get to watch them fight on the show, it's an even better idea to control your favorite characters and beat the crap out of the others.

However, Bandai must have really wanted to get this game out in a rush, because it doesn't even like it went through development. There is so much wrong with Feudal Fairy Tale's execution and gameplay that it is laughable. After I “beat” this game this game for the first time. I burst out in laughter at what I had just accomplished; nothing. Here's a rundown of the game:

Graphics: 4/10

The graphics in this game are pretty bad. The characters are 2D and the battle animations are pretty slow. However, it isn't hard to recognize all of the characters. My main issue with the graphics is that they look like Sega Genesis graphics. The character and map models all resemble graphics from Sega Genesis, but on a Playstation game.

Story: 2/10

This is probably one of the most laughable parts of the game. Incase you haven't heard about InuYasha before, I'll fill you in on the basics. InuYasha is a half-demon, half-human that travels around feudal Japan looking for shards of the broken Shikon Jewel, and also to chase down his most vicious enemy, Naraku. InuYasha travels with many people of many different backgrounds: Kagome, a 15 year old girl who traveled through time and met InuYasha; Miroku, a perverted monk that although is intelligent and clever, also cheats other people and harasses women; Sango, a demon slayer that had her whole family killed by Naraku's tricks; and Shippo, a fox-demon that is highly childish and often fights with InuYasha.

In Feudal Fairy Tale, you play through Story mode as a single character that fights other characters and goes through a few mini games. You goal is to collect shards of the Shikon Jewel; if you collect a certain amount, you'll unlock a new character. There really isn't much else than that.

Sound: 4/10

The music is annoying, and the voice-overs are in Japanese. That about sums it up, but I must say that the voice-overs really show how lazy Bandai was in developing Feudal Fairy Tale. They are still in Japanese and you cannot understand a thing they say, unless you speak Japanese. There are subtitles, but it still doesn't feel polished.

Gameplay: 2/10

This is the part you've been waiting for; all the things you've wondered about. First, I will say that the fighting is somewhat enjoyable. You can use many of the attacks from the show, all-exclusive to their specific character. Also, there are many characters to unlock, and most of the main characters of the show are included in Feudal Fairy Tale.

Now, for the bad stuff, which there is a LOT of. The main problem with this game, which makes me burst out in laughter, is that it is extremely short. You can beat story mode with one character in a measley 15 minutes, maybe 10 if you're good at it. 10 minutes is hilarious. Heck, you could beat it 6 times compared to one hour of school. That's sad. There is no replay value, unless you want to spend 10 minutes trying out your favorite character in story mode. Also, there is no variety in gameplay. With each character, you'll complete most of the same mini games and fight the same character, not to mention fight the last boss each time. You'll get bored probably after 5 play-throughs; hell, I did after 2. Lastly, there are 2 attack buttons. TWO!!! Although you combine them with the directional pad, there are probably only 8 attacks per character, with the exceptions of a few. It gets boring real fast.

Final Note:

Don't play this game. Unless you're a fan of the TV series - a big fan, don't even think about it. There are so many other good fighter games out there; no amount of money is worth this pile. Now, forget that you ever heard about this game and live your lie knowing that it was never made. The way it was crafted and the poor replay value make Feudal Fairy Tale too much pain to bear.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 03/24/05