
	Platform Wii Genre Action Publisher D3 Publisher Developer D3 Publisher ESRB M (Mature) Released February 7, 2009

- Simple mechanics and simple gameplay, but players can actually develop some skill - Second player adds some fun

- Repetitive to the extreme - Doesn't count against the score, but the sexy cutscenes have been expunged from this release

Review: Earth Defense Force 2017 (360) Review: Tomb Raider Underworld (Wii) Review: Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
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Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers

Score: 6.0 / 10

I saw Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers at E3 2008 and was pleased to see such a bloody, violent, and "sexy" game on Wii. Some of the titilation seems to have been expunged from the US release -- including the intro clip that included a shower scene -- but the sword play, buckets of gore, and crazy concept remains intact.

A game that focuses on the exploits of two sisters -- one garbed for the beach, one looking like she's late for school -- whose main purpose in life is to hack zombies, spider-like creatures, and anything else to pieces in an effort to rid the world of

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Baneful Blood. I think. I can't really explain because I fast-forwarded through the text exposition between levels. But that's the least of your worries with Bikini Zombie Slayers.

At the beginning, you'll want to dice every zombie you come across but that should wear off by about the second level. There's very little technique needed during combat.

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Wave the Wii remote to perform sword slashes, with some consideration given to timing with the harder enemies, but otherwise players can just swing their arms around and watch the screen fill with gore. (The splatter on the screen is a nice touch.) After about level three tedium sets in and you'll discover that you can run through each level without killing anything except when your character is penned in by a wall of bones. Slash, slash, jab, kick, special move, slash, bone wall drops, run to the next area.

This simplicity and tedium extends to the boss fights, which are over almost before you know it by employing a quick dodge and a few special attacks.

Alleviating some of the tedium is Bikini Zombie Slayers' two-player mode, which still involves the repetitive swinging and stretches of very straightforward action but at least you can talk to a friend. Of course, you could talk to a friend without playing Bikini Zombie Slayers so maybe that's not much of an endorsement.

Though there are few features of Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers that attempt to add some kind of complexity -- levelling-up the characters, power-up items, different meters to monitor -- but there's nothing here more complicated than slashing things. It's almost as if the basic game was created then they never went back to give players a reason to be running through each level. I would have even welcomes a key hunt or a mini-game or two. Something, anything to break the monotony that sets in after more than 15 or 20 minutes -- quick fun that devolves into pointless arm waving.

- Aaron Simmer

(February 24, 2009)