2026 Special - Warrior Blade

Play enough belt-scrollers and you'll start believing that there's always going to be invisible wall, and it'll disappear only after all your enemies are dead. I expected this one to be more of the same. Slash, stab, or whip through a dozen fiends, then a disembodied female voice tells me to "Go! Follow this way." Business as usual, yeah? Actually, no. I could've moved on at any time, but I chose to stay, continuing the slaughter of everyone that came towards me. 

Warrior Blade is the final entry in Taito's Rastan Saga. For once, this is not a tale of brave heroes standing up to seemingly insurmountable odds. Rastan, Sophia, and Dewey are little more than thieves. Rumors of legendary treasures has led them to the island of Depon. Unfortunately for them, the trio found far more than they bargained for, as their meddling has stirred up ancient evils and long-dead warlords. Master the ways of the warrior or suffer in obscurity in 10 to 14 rounds of hack & slash action.

First off, I have to say damn! I just love how epic this game looks. The dual-screen setup and huge sprites make for a heck of a spectacle. Really, it's one of those games that's a required play simply because there's hardly anything else like it. Sound direction is also very inspired. Alongside the bangers produced by Zuntata, the usage of multiple languages adds a ton to the atmosphere. Strangely, the most common noise - besides the clashing of weapons - is an odd little sound heard the instant after an enemy's dying scream. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be, and now it won't get out of my head.

Since this is the 2026 review special, let's turn our attention over to Sophia the whip-slinger. Out of the three playable characters, her range rating is the highest. It's nice I suppose but forgive me if I can't stop lusting over Rastan's power rating. While looking through old guides in the hopes of finding a hidden technique that will give Sophia an edge, I daydream about the barbarian's flamberge laying waste to everything in two or three swings. Then while playing, I struggle to come to terms with a whip that requires three or more hits to kill someone. In a game like this, having to make an extra attack ups the possibility of taking damage, something that nobody can afford.

Since there's only one life, managing health requires 100% of the player's attention. Healing potions appear in most stages, but other more common forms of restoration require additional effort. After completing stage, any accumulated treasures are converted to health. If you're not cracking open crates and skulls, then your long-term health will suffer. Of course, fighting close to ten enemies at a time - all of whom are capable of attacking from any range - has its own troubles. Grabbing and tossing foes is a decent method of crowd-control, but not always applicable in a given situation. Someone might even stab the protag while they're recovering after a throw! Sophia has to rely on range and mobility to stay one step ahead. Keep a good distance and never get surrounded. Easier said than done, but that's the life of a thief. Also, if it looks like the enemy is about to swing, don't get cute and try interrupting them. Just get out of the way. Taking stray hits is NEVER a worthwhile trade-off. 

Prioritizing threats has been a part of the belt-scroller since the dark ages. If fighting is their intention, then it's something everyone has to master. If you see several armored guys carrying weapons, then make note of what they're wielding. Flails are very dangerous thanks to their deceptively long range. If someone is carrying a javelin, then they'll most likely attack from afar. A halberd means that they'll try to get in a quick stab. Common sword & boards shouldn't be underestimated either. One nasty trick these soldiers like to do is swing at air. Don't be too shocked when you inadvertently walk into this attack. The variety of enemies is on the low end, but Taito did a good job of making everyone dangerous. 

Or you could just run away. 

Warrior Blade is all about risk versus reward. Besides one or two instances, literally nothing can stop you from running straight to the boss battle. Ignore the enemies, skip the treasure, forget about the coins nestled in the enemies' pockets. Run, never look back, and live to run another day. This is something you can learn as early as the introductory stage. Destroy the monsters that you see and more will appear. I think there's 14 or 16 in all. Now, if you run past the first set of foes, reach the end of the stage, then turn around and kill them. Congratulations! You cleared the first stage with just 4 kills. Don't expect a prize. Play Night Striker if you want a pacifist bonus. 

By choosing to avoid encounters, the possibility of clearing this game without continues will shoot through the roof. The catch of course is that your hi-score's suffering will be immense. There's really nothing wrong with choosing survival over glory, but that's not how an arcade-goer's mind operates. Stay and fight! What's one coin compared to endless treasure! Before long, the urge to obtain a score that'd impress the hall of champions has taken over. This is about the time when the bad fortunes strike.

You caught that part about 10-14 rounds earlier, right? Of course you did. I just like saying these things. On a serious note, a "bad fortune" is an extra stage that potentially leads to legendary treasure. It's basically rank control. The more enemies you kill, the more gold you steal, the better the chance that you'll be rewarded with more opportunities to die. Locking a third of an arcade game behind rank is an incredibly forward-thinking idea for 1991. Although, if you prefer, there's a dipswitch that enables all 14 rounds regardless, so players are free to experience the entire game. 

I'm starting to think I've forgotten to discuss something and... uh... oh! I nearly totally forgot about the boss battles! Firstly, I must give credit to the development team for making every boss a memorable one. They all look and sound fantastic. However, I have to point out that almost all of them are easily dealt with. For some, 90% of the strategy is standing in the right spot, and the other 10% is mashing the attack button. Now, I don't want to take too much away from these fights, because they're still an intrinsic part of the game. One long and particularly draining stage ends with a boss who attacks with difficult to avoid spirits. You'll be in for a bad time if you arrive with low health. Most of Warrior Blade's combat depth is found in regular encounters, and I think it works rather well. The final boss being kind of a chump if he's attacked from behind is legitimately great. Just watch out whenever he jumps really high.

Along with the bad fortunes, a lot of Warrior Blade's replay-value comes from choosing the order of the four main areas. Each location has a treasure (potentially two) that gifts its owner a permanent boon. Completing the Ship provides a boost to defense. An increased attack speed is given to anyone who braves the volcano (which itself is an optional area of the Castle). However, as areas are cleared, the enemies are replaced with stronger variants. The aforementioned Castle's treasure does weaken them, but the player must decide when to obtain it. Remaining health also plays as a factor, since some areas provide more healing opportunities than others. A full-heal item appears after the score reaches a certain point, so it's another factor to consider when deciding on a route. It's always a pleasure to see Taito get inventive with arcade games. I'm reminded a little of Cadash, which created a unique spin on traditional Action RPGs by having a time limit. 

Still, I wish that Sophia was just a little stronger. Having a longer reach is nice, but someone who can get a quick kill will always have better luck surviving. She does have a fun move where she winks, stunning the first person (or creature) in her line of sight. I'm not sure if it's viable in a pitched battle with a huge crowd though. Maybe I should dig through the Mikado Game Center archives and see what super players were doing. My guess is that they're playing safe and using plenty of special attacks. 

Warrior Blade brings a lot of great ideas to the hack & slash formula, and its top-notch presentation still holds up today. I'd say to check it out however you can. Take some time to play with as much bravery or cowardice as you like.

You can throw enemies into pits or let them get killed by traps, but it won't help your score.