Blade Strangers

User Rating

7/10 (21 ratings)

Release Date

28th Aug 2018

No. of Players

Genre

Action, Arcade, Fighting

Publisher

Nicalis

Developer

Studio Saizensen

Content Rating

ESRB/Teen, PEGI/12

More Information

Filters

None

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A malevolent force known only as Lina is devouring data from a vast, interdimensional network of servers overseen by sentient computers called ”motes.” In desperation, the motes summon heroes from a variety of parallel game worlds to face off against each other in one-on-one combat. The tournament victor has the potential to be awakened as the Blade Stranger—the savior who can vanquish Lina and protect the motes from further harm!

Developed by Studio Saizensen, Blade Strangers is a hardcore old-school fighting game. The streamlined four-button control scheme makes it easy for beginners to deal out damage from day one…but the intricate combos, counters and specials give tournament-caliber players plenty of opportunities for frame counting, chain construction and hit-box science.

•Fighter roster includes popular characters from previous Studio Saizensen and/or Nicalis games, including Code of Princess EX, Cave Story+, the Umihara Kawase series and The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+. Other surprise entrants include the well-known indie superstars Shovel Knight and Gunvolt.

•Accessible and intuitive controls designed to bring fresh blood to the ranks of fighting game players everywhere.

•Play offline Story, Missions, Arcade and Versus modes or try to climb the leaderboards in the highly-competitive Online modes.

•Tutorial and Training modes are available for beginner and advanced players.

•Each character has alternate color settings and their own familiar “home” stage for players to select.

•Proprietary development system transforms 3D models and animation into 2D spritework; every frame looks like a gorgeous anime drawing come to life!

Tue 28th Aug 2018

Nintendo Life said:

There’s no denying it - this is the most accessible 2D fighter we’ve played in years. If you’re new to the often impenetrable world of twitch-style brawlers, this serves as an ideal way to learn the craft and feel powerful without too much work. Not every one of its crossover fighters gels as well as the others, but it’s still an empowering experience for beginners and intermediate fight fans. However, if you’re looking for a purposefully nuanced combat system with a bit more bite, you’re probably best sticking with BlazBlue’s mechanical purity.

Read Full Review

7/10

Mon 7th Jul 2025

JJtheTexan said:

Blade Strangers is goofy and weird and looks a bit odd on Nintendo Switch, but it's a ton of fun. It's a crossover game featuring a slate of mostly B-tier video game characters, largely associated with publisher Nicalis but also including guest characters like Shovel Knight.
Although this is a pretty standard 2D fighting game, I would compare the controls somewhat to Super Smash Bros. - combos and special moves are simplified and easy to learn, compared to traditional fighters like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Although there is some severe pixelation going on, the gameplay is smooth and fast.
My favorite part of Blade Strangers is the story - not at all something you'd expect to enjoy or care about in a fighting game. I won't spoil it at all, except to say it is absolutely bonkers, does not take itself seriously, and is literally, genuinely funny. It's so good, I played every character's story mode all the way to the end, just to see how things would turn out.
Blade Strangers is a true hidden gem on Nintendo Switch, and deserves more love.

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