Bleach: Shattered Blade

, is the second installment in the Bleach Nintendo Home Consoles series. The game was released in Japan on December 14, 2006 and in North America on October 9, 2007, in addition to an Australian release on February 28th, 2008 and a European release on February 29th, 2008. Although the anime outside Japan had not yet reached this point in the series, the game was a direct port of the Japanese version for American and European consumers, similar to the US release of the game.

Gameplay
Players utilize the Wii remote and Nunchuck for this game. Although the player may utilize the Wii remote only, some abilities are unusable without the Nunchuck. Characters move around freely in a 3D environment and can move faster while holding the C button (initiates flash step movement applicable to some characters- Arturo, Yoruichi, Ichigo and Byakuya will zoom around the stage, appearing to almost teleport, because of their high speeds). As with traditional fighting games, the characters' health is represented by a gauge. A winner is decided when one of the gauges depletes completely. Below the health gauge is a Stamina Gauge, which determines how often the player may attack. The gauge decreases as attacks are performed. If the gauge is depleted, no more attacks can be utilized, though it automatically refills itself fairly quickly. Players attack by waving the Wiimote in various directions, which are split into three types: Slice (horizontal), Slash (vertical) and Stab (forward) Stronger attacks, known as Critical Attacks are performed by holding down the A button whilst attacking. If two Critical Attacks clash together, then a Clash occurs with a janken/rock-paper-scissors mini-game occurring, with the three options being the three basic Wiimote motions (Slice taking precedence over Slash, Slash over Stab, and Stab over Slice). Whoever wins the most bets out of 5 unleashes a special attack, and its strength differs on how many bets are won. Additionally, if a player does not make their move for the clash at the correct time, they will automatically lose that bet unless the other player fails to do so as well, in which case the bet is a tie. Failing to move at the correct time renders the motion the player made irrelevant.

Special attacks are performed when holding the B button while swinging the remote. Each character is assigned to three different special attacks according to slash, slice and stab. Some attacks are melee-oriented while others serve as projectiles. However, special attacks deplete more of the Stamina Gauge than normal attacks, thus reducing the risk of spamming attacks.

At the bottom of the screen is the Bankai gauge. When the gauge fills up along with the ignition of the corresponding flame, the Bankai is ready for use. The gauge can be filled up by taking and receiving damage, or it can be charged up be shaking the Nunchunk repeatedly. The Bankai is activated upon shaking it once more. Depending on the character, new abilities and attacks will be granted to the player, including a super attack. Some characters however, gain a speed increase and special attack only due to the game's development at the time, thus characters such as Grimmjow or Shūhei do not gain special abilities upon activation but rather they temporarily gain a decent increase in their abilities and a couple of new attacks.

A new character has been designed specifically for this game, an Arrancar named. This character's appearance is similar to that of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez', though Arturo's hair and Hollow remains, which also take the form of half a jaw bone like Grimmjow's, are fairly longer. Unlike most other Arrancar, Arturo was self-made. Arturo can also disguise himself as anything from Gotei 13 captains to Zanpakutō spirits. He once raided Soul Society, but was sealed beneath Sōkyoku Hill by the Shinigami 2000 years prior to the start of Bleach. When the Sōkyoku was destroyed during Ichigo Kurosaki's rescue of Rukia Kuchiki, the seal placed on Arturo was broken and he was freed.

Kaien Shiba, a character from the first game, did not return in this game.

Modes and Settings
The game features various modes of play, which allow for the player to unlock new content as they continue through the game. In episode mode, described below, eight specific characters face ten battles while experiencing various stories filled with cinematics and exclusive voice acting. In arcade mode, any character can be used, and will fight through eight battles with opponents randomly selected from among the player's unlocked characters. The versus mode allows for single battles of human vs. human, human vs. computer, or computer vs. computer. The number of rounds per fight, difficulty of computer opponents, and maximum duration of a round can be adjusted for episode mode, arcade mode, and versus mode.

The game also includes a training mode, where the player can learn moves, practice them freely, or observe the Wii remote's directional responses to motion. In the Urahara shop, bonus content can be purchased with "Kan," which is used as the game's point system, including music, images, voice acting, and custom menu options. The items for purchase must first be unlocked through episode and/or arcade modes. The gallery is where the bonus content can be viewed, and the character who shows up on the main menu can be changed.

Plot Summary
In the story mode, the basic format is that a character is tricked, sent to investigate, caught in the action, or out for revenge following the revelation that the powerful shards of the shattered Sōkyoku blade have fallen all over Seireitei. In each episode, the titular character will fight 10 specific characters, the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 10th of which are accompanied by preceding cinematics. Some of the fights will change upon unlocking additional fighters in the game. In the 10th fight, the character will meet the main antagonist Arturo Plateado, with the exception of Episode 8, in which the player is Arturo and must defeat Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Episode 1: Ichigo Kurosaki
After Aizen's rebellion, Ichigo has finally recovered from his injuries and prepares to leave the Soul Society. But he learned from Yoruichi that the Senkaimon (the gate connects the Soul Society to the Real World) was decided to be closed for a hundred years to prevent Aizen and his army from entering. However, she claims that the Sōkyoku shards, scattered around the Seireitei, have enough spiritual power to open the Senkaimon. As he went off to search for the shards, he ran into Renji Abarai, who also seeks the shards, but to save his Zanpakutō, Zabimaru. After defeating him, Ichigo decides he must take the shards by force, knowing that other people are after the shards as well. He ran into Kenpachi Zaraki, who sought the shards only for power and to fight Ichigo again. After defeating three more opponents, he encounters Byakuya Kuchiki, who announces that he will punish Ichigo for collecting the shards out of greed, and to throw the Seireitei into disorder. Ichigo defeated him, collected all the shards, and returned to Yoruichi, who turned out to be an impostor made by self-made Arrancar named Arturo Plateado. The shards' spiritual power set Arturo free, and he revealed that he tricked Ichigo into collecting the shards by creating a Yoruichi impostor to tell him that the Senkaimon was sealed away and stated he gain the power of the shards. After Ichigo defeated Arturo, the latter was incredibly surprised that he was defeated by a Human and dies. He later was greeted by the real Yoruichi and Yamamoto, who stated that the Senkaimon would likely reopen in a few days. Yamamoto told him about Arturo, and thanked him for saving the Soul Society once again.

Episode 2: Renji Abarai
After Aizen's rebellion, Renji started getting nightmares of Zabimaru dying, though he knew it would never happen, he was horrified by his nightmare. Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi met up with Renji, telling him that Zabimaru will reach its limit and will soon disappear, however he said he can repair him if Renji can collect all the scattered shards in the Seireitei. Renji agrees to this to revive Zabimaru and be strong enough to protect Rukia. While searching, he ran into Hanatarō Yamada, whom he asks of Rukia's condition and his activities. Hanatarō responds saying his Captain is taking care of her and that he was being chased by Shinigami ever since he found one of the shards. After Renji defeated Hanatarō, he faced three more opponents before he ran into Ichigo, who needs the shards to open the Senkaimon to return to the Human world. He fought and defeated Ichigo and three other opponents before running into Captain Kuchiki, who came to punish his lieutenant for collecting the shards out for greed and to throw the Seireitei into disorder. Renji defeated him and returns to the Department of Research and Development to find Captain Kurotsuchi. But the shards are absorbed into Arturo Plateado, who revealed that he created a Mayuri Kurotsuchi impostor, and that he gained the power of the shards. Renji defeated Arturo, who could not believe he was beaten. Rukia, learning of Renji's actions, beat Renji up for letting "a cheap imposter trick [him] that easily". Captain Kurotsuchi also returned to the Department, saying that it's impossible for him to find new interesting subjects.

Episode 3: Tōshirō Hitsugaya
After Aizen's rebellion, his lieutenant Momo Hinamori was left wounded and in a coma by him, leaving her childhood friend Captain Hitsugaya to just watch her in the sickbay every visit. Captain Unohana appears and claims that Hinamori lost her will to live from her near-fatal injuries and might not survive the night ahead. However she also claims of a "high-level healing Kidō requiring enormous spiritual energy" and that she can save Hinamori if he collects all of the Sōkyoku shards shattered all over the Seireitei. He goes to find the shards and runs into Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, who was collecting the shards for Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and defeats him. After fighting three more opponents, he runs into Hanatarō Yamada whom he told what Unohana told him. Hanatarō claims that he never heard of such a Kidō and that Hinamori just needs time to recover completely. Hitsugaya then found that someone is lying and that Unohana probably wants the shards for another reason. When Hanatarō tried to leave, Hitsugaya stopped him, thinking he just wanted the shards for himself, and defeated him. After defeating three more opponents, he runs into Renji, who was collecting the Sōkyoku shards and to save Zabimaru. After failing to convince Renji that he was being tricked, he fights and defeats him. With the knowledge of Renji also being tricked, Hitsugaya figures out that the Unohana he met was an impostor. Arturo gains the shard's power, reveals himself, and admits that Hitsugaya is correct, though he figured it out a little too late, and engages him in battle. After his defeat, Arturo states that he could not believe that he lost, and dies. Hitsugaya returns to the sickbay, where Hinamori is still in bed in the same state, knowing that she will be alright, and that she suffered more pain than he had faced, and states that even if Aizen has betrayed her, he will stay by her side.

Episode 4: Kenpachi Zaraki
Captain Kenpachi Zaraki found a Sōkyoku shard, and seeks death matches with anyone who also found one. His lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi informed him that Shinigami are already started fighting over the shards and he ran off to find his fight opponent. Kenpachi found lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi, who, like Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, was collecting the shards for Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who asked him to hand over the shard he had found. Kenpachi refused, and challenged and defeated Hisagi and three other opponents. He runs into Captain Sajin Komamura, who came to stop him, to no avail. After three more opponents he finds Ichigo, who is collecting the shards to return to the Human world, and defeats him. Still unsatisfied, Kenpachi sees that there is almost no one who will "quench [his] thirst" for fights, until Arturo appears, who challenges him. Kenpachi defeats Arturo, who dies. After that, Yamamoto took away all of the shards, reverting everyone's spiritual energy back to normal and leaving Kenpachi upset. However, Yachiru tells him that he doesn't need a power boost and that she liked his strength the way it is. He agrees to this, saying he will just have to find stronger opponents to fight.

Episode 5: Byakuya Kuchiki
Byakuya Kuchiki is still recovering from his injuries, saying that they are the results of the doubts that plagued him before Aizen's rebellion. A Hell Butterfly appears with a direct order from Yamamoto announcing that battles are erupting in the Seireitei over the Sōkyoku shards and demands every able-bodied member of the Gotei 13 must find and arrest anyone involved in the activity. Kuchiki then ignored all his injuries and remorse and feels that his purpose is clear. He encounters Kenpachi, who has a shard and is out to fight other Shinigami with the shards, but defeats him along with three other opponents. After defeating the third opponent, Suì-Fēng arrives and tells Kuchiki that Yoruichi ordered her to collect the Sōkyoku shards and to stop him. He defeats her and three other opponents before finding Yoruichi, who tells him to go home to rest and to leave the Sōkyoku shards he collected with her. Byakuya, believing she started the activity and wants the shards for herself, challenges her and defeats her. He starts to question her, but his wound starts hurting again. Arturo appeared, absorbs the shards, and ironically states that one of the Shinigami who sealed him away was a Kuchiki descendant, and now he was "freed by another Kuchiki". After Kuchiki defeated Arturo, the latter says "Curse you Kuchiki. Curse you and all your family forever," and dies. Kuchiki returned and reported all details to Yamamoto, who remembers Arturo from a thousand years ago. Kuchiki went to his parents' graves, saying that he fulfilled his duties by defeating the ghost of his families' past.

Episode 6: Hanatarō Yamada
A few days after Aizen's rebellion, and after all the injured Shinigami were attended to by the Fourth Division. Hanatarō was taking a walk, where he found a Sōkyoku shard lying by the side of the road. After picking it up, multiple Shinigami began to chase after him. After finding a hiding spot, he was approached by Yumichika Ayasegawa, whom he defeated along with three other opponents. Hanatarō was then encountered by Ikkaku Madarame, who is trying to improve his "luck" by finding the shards, and defeated him. After making his way past three more opponents, he runs into Kenpachi, who seeks the shards for power. Hanatarō defeats Kenpachi, and is then confronted by Arturo, who reveals his plan. Hanatarō becomes angry after realizing that it's Arturo's fault that he was chased by multiple other Shinigami, and vows to defeat him. After Arturo is defeated and killed, Unohana praises Hanatarō for taking care of such a big threat to the Soul Society. Just then, Zaraki, Ikkaku, and Yumichika appear in front of him, disgusted that they had lost to him earlier, and give chase.

Episode 7: Yoruichi Shihōin
Yoruichi Shihōin "had some time to kill before the Senkaimon would [re-]open", when Orihime Inoue came to her, looking very worried, and asked her if Yamamoto had really ordered to close the Senkaimon and saying that Ichigo is searching for the shards to open it. Yoruichi, confused at first, realized that someone must have made an impostor to trick Ichigo, as she knew that Yamamoto would never close the Senkaimon. She took Suì-Fēng with her to investigate the activity. She located Renji, who claimed he needed the shards to save Zabimaru, and defeated him, along with three more Shinigami. Next, she ran into Captain Hitsugaya, who sought the shards for the life of Hinamori. After defeating him and three more opponents, she finds Byakuya Kuchiki, who argues with her over the activity, and defeats him. She calls to Arturo to reveal himself and he does so. He questions her identity, seemly that he doesn't know or remember her. Yoruichi explains that she knew about him, being head of the Shihōin clan. After she defeated him, he verbally threatens her and dies. She returns and makes Ichigo, Renji, and Hitsugaya admit their errors and stating that the Soul Society will be peaceful again... at least for a while.

Episode 8: Arturo Plateado
A thousand years prior to the story, Arturo became a "Hollow who gained Shinigami powers by removing his Hollow mask". He then left Hueco Mundo and invaded the Soul Society, but though he was too powerful for the Shinigami to defeat in combat, they lured him into a trap and sealed him by Central 46, into a place where there's no "life or death, light or shadow, no beginning and no end." For a thousand years, he held the grudge against those who imprisoned him and after the Sōkyoku shards scattered across the Seireitei, he felt a weakening of his seal and destroyed it. With the shards' spiritual energy, he fully recovered and became more powerful than ever and sent out for revenge. He encounters Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who instantly takes interest in making Arturo an experiment subject, but he defeats him and three other opponents. He then meets Ichigo, and notes that he does not even bear a division insignia on his Shihakshō. Ichigo states that he is a Substitute Shinigami, and Arturo recognizes this as a way of saying he's a Human. Arturo defeats Ichigo and three more opponents. He then encounters Yoruichi Shihōin, who approaches him and tries to stop him. After defeating Yoruichi, Arturo started to become confident that every Shinigami that is left is too afraid to fight him. At that moment, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai appeared and announces that he will destroy Arturo for his crimes. Arturo, after defeating Yamamoto, is now confident that there is no one who can stop him. He says that once he kills every Shinigami, all Hollows will obey him, and every soul will be his.

Reception
The game received mediocre reviews, but noticeably more favorable fan ratings. GameSpot gave it a 3.5 score; however, the fan ratings on GameSpot were more favorable. IGN gave the game a 6.3 out of 10; the reader average is 8.4/10