Bleach: The 3rd Phantom

is a Tactical Role-Playing Game for Nintendo DS based on the popular manga written by Tite Kubo. It was originally released June 26 of 2008 in Japan and has been released on September 15 of 2009 in the United States.

Overview
This game features a spin-off storyline in the Bleach universe written for this game by Tite Kubo himself. Two Shinigami, Matsuri Kudō and her twin brother Fujimaru Kudō, shortly after obtaining positions in the 5th Division under their adoptive father Seigen Suzunami, fend off an Arrancar, bent on the destruction of Soul Society by the name of Arturo Plateado. After their 'final battle' with the strange Arrancar, the twins are suspended in time, until their reawakening in the present day. In the Human World, Fujimaru meets Ichigo Kurosaki and a odd girl named Shiyo as well as many of the other characters of Bleach. It is here that they learn about the true intentions of their former 5th Division Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen, as well as the passing of many of their dear friends and family. Acquaintances of Kaien Shiba, Rukia Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Rangiku Matsumoto, Gin Ichimaru, Momo Hinamori, Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Soifon, the twins are genuinely surprised to discover that all of these children now outrank them, and confronted with sadness upon discovery of the true extent of this lost time.

Fujimaru soon discovers that Seigen and Matsuri are indeed still alive, but have joined forces with Aizen, believing that Soul Society organized the death of Konoka Suzunami and the destruction of the Suzunami House. After many battles, Fujimaru finally reunites with his sister, and together they resolve to bring Seigen back to Soul Society. However, they are unable to do so, as Seigen has been transformed into a gigantic, bestial Hollow-like monster. Not truly a Vizard, and closer in appearance to an Arrancar, Seigen is used as a weapon against Soul Society. Fujimaru and Matsuri decide to lead an expedition team to Hueco Mundo in order to defeat Aizen once and for all. They never do get that far, as after attacking the monster Seigen, they are transported into a strange 'in-between' place, where they defeat Seigen, momentarily returning him to his own form, before he, Konoka and Shiyo fade away from life. The game ends with Fujimaru and Matsuri in the Human World, trying to learn the alphabet, which Fujimaru messes up each and every time as Ichigo and his friends call them out.

Gameplay
Unlike the two first Bleach DS games, The 3rd Phantom is not a fighting game, but a turn-based tactic game. Two teams fight each others on an isometrically viewed battlefield in a style similar to the Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem games. When a character attacks an opponent, the screen switches to a side view, similar to the Bleach DS fighting games. If two teammates are near the same opponent, they can perform a tag team move more powerful than the basic ones which may make it easier to kill an enemy. Once the player has won the battle, his/her characters will earn experience points which will increase their stats and unlock new abilities.

Free Time
At least once per chapter, there is a gameplay section called "Free Time." In this section, the player spends time with other characters in the game while moving across a board game like area, with Kon acting as a sort of game piece. The player has a limited number of Action Points (AP) to use, which is also how many spaces left until the goal space. The player chooses event panels, which caused them to spend time with the character portrayed on the panel. There are colored lights which tells the player how many spaces Kon will move after the event ends, which also shows how many AP is consumed (ex: 2 spaces = 2 AP consumed). Free Time ends when the player lands on or passes the Goal Space (AP hits zero). Going through certain event panels unlock other panels, and even secret characters. If an event panel has a bonus icon in one or more of the corners, the player gets that bonus once the event ends.

Bonuses are as follows


 * Exclamation Mark = The event will disappear after the current free time session
 * Treasure Chest = Items
 * Fist = Stat Increase (usually HP)
 * Heart = Affiliation with character on panel increases, sometimes the affiliation with another character will increase as well. On certain panels with this bonus, if you choose the right dialogue option, the character on the event panel will join your team. Early examples of this are Kira, Hisagi, and Komamura, and these scene's usually have the character name and the word "cooperation" in the title of the event (ex: Kira's Cooperation, Hisagi's Cooperation, Komamura's Cooperation).
 * Sword = Training, happens midway through the game.
 * Hot Springs Symbol = A hot springs scene. This is basically a fan service scene where the character on the panel is seen in the hot springs or bathing. Sometimes it involves more than one character. More are available in Bleach Tower, which is unlocked after beating the game. More Hot Springs scenes are available if the player plays as Matsuri (the girl), than if the player plays as Fujimaru (the boy).

Some spaces have bounses on them, and if Kon lands on a space with a bonus, the player gets it. All the bonuses that are on the particular free time segment board are listed on the top screen in order of appearance, along with the board and Kon. The bonuses are the same as in event panels, excluding Exclamation Mark and Heart, with a new bounus thrown in, a D shaped like Kons paw. This is called "Discount" which decreases the amount of AP/spaces an event panel uses up/moves Kon, event panels can't go below 1 AP/Space though.

Also, there is strategy to this mode. Players must carefully choose which panels to use. If Kon passes a space with a bonus on it, the player won't get it. If Kon lands on a yellow and Black striped space, called a pit, free time ends automatically.

Characters


Most of the cast returns from Bleach DS 2nd: Kokui Hirameku Requiem.

Returning Characters

 * Ichigo Kurosaki
 * Rukia Kuchiki
 * Orihime Inoue
 * Uryū Ishida
 * Yasutora Sado
 * Renji Abarai
 * Byakuya Kuchiki
 * Gin Ichimaru (Hueco Mundo Outfit)
 * Kenpachi Zaraki
 * Tōshirō Hitsugaya
 * Momo Hinamori
 * Kaname Tōsen (Hueco Mundo Outfit)
 * Sajin Komamura
 * Mayuri Kurotsuchi
 * Shunsui Kyōraku
 * Jūshirō Ukitake
 * Soifon
 * Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai
 * Yoruichi Shihouin (present, Captain)
 * Sōsuke Aizen (Lieutenat, Hueco Mundo Outfit)
 * Nemu Kurotsuchi
 * Yachiru Kusajishi
 * Kon
 * Kisuke Urahara (present, Captain)
 * Kūkaku Shiba
 * Don Kanonji
 * Shūhei Hisagi
 * Izuru Kira
 * Ikkaku Madarame
 * Rangiku Matsumoto
 * Hanatarō Yamada
 * Menos Grande (non-playable)
 * Grand Fisher (non-playable)
 * Shrieker (non-playable)

New Characters

 * Retsu Unohana
 * Yumichika Ayasegawa
 * Kaien Shiba
 * Jidanbō Ikkanzaka
 * Shinji Hirako
 * Hiyori Sarugaki
 * Ulquiorra Cifer
 * Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez
 * Yammy Riyalgo
 * Shawlong Kūfang
 * Edrad Liones
 * Nakeem Greendina
 * Di Roy Linker
 * Yylfordt Granz
 * Sōjirō Kusaka
 * Arturo Plateado

Game Original Characters

 * Matsuri Kudō
 * Fujimaru Kudō
 * Seigen Suzunami
 * Konoka Suzunami
 * Shiyo

Trivia

 * The game's events do not tie in with the timeline established in the manga. In the game, Seigen was the Fifth Division's captain at the same time as Kisuke Urahara was the Twelfth Division's captain, with both of them leaving Soul Society at the same time, due to a plot set up by Aizen. However, in the manga storyline, Shinji Hirako is the captain of the Fifth Division for the entire time that Urahara served as a captain.
 * The game also features Grand Fisher, Shrieker and his Artillery, Jibakurai, and Numb Chandelier as lesser Hollows. However, likely for continuity reasons, every one of these Hollows had their name changed (for example, Grand Fisher to Grand Savage, and Shrieker to Screamer).
 * This is also the first bleach video game in which the Japanese and North American cover art are different. The Japanese cover contains a red background with Ichigo in Bankai, and features Sosuke Aizen, Matsuri Kudō, Fujimaru Kudō and Seigen Suzunami. The North American cover features the Seireitei(most likely the 5th division barracks) in the background, Ichigo in Shikai, Matsuri Kudō, Fujimaru Kudō and Aizen and Suzunami have been replaced with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Ulquiorra Cifer.

Music
The theme song of the game is by Ikimono gakari. The band also performed the Bleach anime seventh ending song.