Bleach - Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami (NTSC-J) ISO

Bleach Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami is a cel-shaded 2D (technically it's 3D but you will barely use the ability to sidestep) fighter based on the extremely popular manga/anime.

When it comes to the audiovisual aspect of the game, Bleach TNMS's graphics are bright, colorful, and takes advantage of the Gamecube's relatively powerful graphics capabilities to bring your favorite soul reapers to life. The sound is good enough and perfectly captures the anime's feel, but can be a bit repetitive and annoying especially if you only play one character in a straight row.

The menus and interface are very easy to navigate even if you can't read Japanese, primarily because most of the menu text is in English. You'll only encounter a hitch if you want to read the story text, but if you are a fan of Bleach, chances are you already know the story since it only retells the first few chapters in the Anime and Manga. Besides, most people don't play Fighters for the story, those who do are missing the whole point.

Gameplay is where Bleach Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami falls apart. Don't get me wrong - the controls and mechanics are fairly intuitive, with a weak and strong slash accompanied by a block button and a reiatsu burst (which provides a nifty effect as it slows down your opponent and inverts the colors of the surroundings). On its own, it's a decent fighter that can be enjoyed in short bursts, but when approached by someone who's expecting to capture the experience of pitting shinigamis against each other, it's going to be disappointing. The super moves are poorly rendered, FMVs that are boring at best. Bankais and transformation are nowhere to be seen except in the aforementioned FMV supers. And, the bouts themselves feel sluggish, restrictive, and uneventful when compared to the fast-paced high intensity brawls you normally expect from Bleach.

All in all, Bleach Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami is worth playing if you want a decent weapons-based fighter that will keep you occupied for a couple of days, but if you are expecting something that will give justice to the Bleach franchise, you're better of skipping this and going straight to Bleach Versus Crusade on the Wii.