Blade of Honor (also known as Tsurugi: The Blade in Japan) is an arcade game released by Konami in 2001. The player controls Shinnosuke, the heir of Suroku Castle in Harima Province, who must rescue his kidnapped sister Yachiyo from a rival samurai clan.
The game employs a unique controller (similar to the Wii Remote) to slash, stab, and parry enemies; a button activates powerful "special technique" moves. Cabinets also have a foot petal to allow players to lunge at enemies. A similar game from Namco, titled Mazan: Flash of the Blade (a sister game of Ninja Assault, with time limits and blocking mechanisms inspired by Time Crisis games), was released the following year, and uses a very similar system.
See the Attract Mode here
. Two walkthroughs of the English and Japanese versions of the game exist online.
Blade of Honor contains examples of:
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The boss in the third stage, the Village of Fukiage, is seen begging for his "sister"'s help in his last moments
- Alas, Poor Villain: The fourth boss' death at the Spa of Fukiage seems to end on a somber cutscene of dying in Shinnosuke's arms.
- BFS: The boss for the sixth stage wields a giant sword.
- Disney Villain Death: The final boss, who falls from the top of a temple to his death upon defeat.
- Feudal Japan: The primary setting of the game.
- Gradual Regeneration: The magic meter, which powers sword attacks, will gradually refill itself when not currently in use.
- Hostage Spirit-Link: Throughout the game, civilians appear; accidentally attacking them reduces a portion of your health. Thankfully, enemies won't openly attack you as long as a civilian is nearby.
- Life Meter: The player's health is represented by a candle on the left side of the screen, which melts as damage is taken.
- Malevolent Masked Men: The fifth level of the game, Torou forest, is entirely composed of these and so's roughly half of Futagodake Cave. The fifth boss, the former's clan leader, wears a Tengu mask himself to distinguish himself as their leader.
- Master Swordsman: Shinnosuke is portrayed as such.
- Rail Shooter: Functions like one, except that the player uses a sword instead of a gun.
- Remixed Level: The Spa of Fukiage directly revisits Village of Fukiage. Justified in that you are chasing down the fourth boss who was previously seen with the now-dead third boss.
- Save the Princess: Shinnosuke must save his kidnapped sister, Yachiyo.
- Screaming Warrior: The sixth end boss screams loudly before battle.
- Stock Ninja Weaponry: Enemy swordsmen wield typical "ninja"-type weapons, like katana blades, spears, and claws.
- Take Cover!: Akin to Time Crisis, this game uses pedals to do. However, it uses swords to block, in a traditional Samurai fashion.
- Time Skip: The game takes place ten years after Shinnosuke and Yachiyo were separated in 1563, during which the former is now an adult and skilled swordsman.
- Wolverine Claws: The masked ninjas in the Futagodake Cave (the sixth stage) attack with these.
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: The second boss's last words are "Sorry, but your sister is not here!"
