Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii)

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Somewhere in Japan, there's a factory where anime licenses are fed into a machine that creates 3-D models of the series' characters, mixes in a few sound clips, and tacks the results onto a mediocre fighting game engine. There have been countless games that follow this exact same formula, and the results do nothing but continue to provide evidence that anime-based games suck. Recently, the popular Naruto series has suffered this fate, but it's hardly alone. Inuyasha, One Piece, Zatch Bell and even good ole Ranma 1/2 have ended up as Tekken wannabes.

The latest property to go though the process is Bleach, the manga/anime series that follows the exploits of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who acquires the powers of a Soul Reaper, allowing him to battle evil spirits. Sure, it sounds like pretty typical shonen stuff, but the series is quite well-done and has earned a faithful following. This makes it doubly painful to see the license attached to such a generic fighter.

Perhaps to make up for the lackluster game inside, the packaging for these games is usually top-notch. Shattered Blade's box features a shiny foil cover with a great-looking piece of art on it. The screenshots on the back show off some flashy special moves and some character models that look very faithful to the show. Don't be fooled, though -- it's all an elaborate ruse.

Once you pop in the disc, you'll find some very limited options. In addition to the standard training mode, there's the story mode (called Episode Mode here), an Arcade Mode and a Versus Mode. The bulk of the single-player content is unsurprisingly in Episode Mode. Here, you choose one of three characters (more unlock as you progress) and follow a boring plot that culminates with a battle against a lame new character named Arturo Plateado. Given that each match in Episode Mode is only one round, you'll be able to get through it in a hurry. Considering that you play through the same story from different perspectives when you pick other characters, you'll tire of Episode Mode quickly. The cinema scenes that reveal the plot do nothing to keep your interest, either. Usually, you're either listening to a character reading text over a still picture, or you're watching two character models stand still while chatting. Dull.

Arcade and Versus Modes are even less interesting. In Arcade, you simply face off against eight computer-controlled opponents, and Versus Mode lets you play a single match against the computer or another player. If nothing else, the Versus Mode should be good for a few good bouts with a buddy, but the poor fighting mechanics prevent even this.

Taking full advantage of the Wii remote, Shattered Blade requires you to do a whole lot of waggling during a match. Basic attacks are executed by swinging the remote up and down, sideways and forward. Since you can pull off a very effective 30+ hit combo by simply shaking the controller left and right, though, it's unlikely that you'll even bother with the other moves. For more powerful techniques, the A or B buttons can be held while making the aforementioned movements.

Your most effective attack, however, is the Bankai Power-Up, which plays the role of the typical "super move." The Bankai Gauge slowly fills up during a match, but the process can be sped up by shaking the Nunchuk attachment. Once the gauge is filled, another quick Nunchuk shake unleashes your character's Zanpaku-to, making him excessively powerful. Combine the power of Bankai with the critical attack moves (those activated by holding down the A button), and you'll end the round before your opponent has a chance to even think about counterattacking.