Bursting off the page

School can be boring sometimes. Let’s face it, it’s not the greatest thing in the world, but if Japanese Anime and Manga is anything to go off, school is the best place to be. You get to learn how to become a samurai that hunts down evil spirits, or a magician who tracks down spells to undo an accidental apocalypse; you can even learn Ninjitsu and fight against rival schools.

Of course, sadly, this is all fiction, but that doesn't mean we can’t have fun with it and experience it for ourselves, as Anime and Manga based video games have proven. One such game is Senran Kagura Burst, which lands in Europe next month, and if there wasn't enough incentive in beating up droves of enemies as a ninja, there’s now a handy pre-order bonus to go along with it.

If you weren't already aware of the series, Senran Kagura is a side-scrolling beat’em up that only released in Japan. The game lets the player take on the roles of several skimpily clad, ninjitsu trained schoolgirls as they fight against their rivals. It all seems very gratuitous, but with the series selling so well in Japan, the sequel — Senran Kagura Burst — has started to move west and is set to arrive in Europe in February after the United States received it last year.

Seeing as how the release of the game is nearly a month away for European gamers, it only makes sense to have a bonus for anyone who wishes to pre-order the physical game. The bonus includes an exclusive 3D lenticular poster which features the 5 main girls from the game’s Hanzo Academy — Asuka, Ikaruga, Katsuragi, Yagyu and Hibari – relaxing on the beach. Throughout Europe, this offer is available from select participating retailers, but in the UK, the one-off A3 print will only be available from GAME.

Despite the first game being a Japan-only title, Burst has its predecessor’s story built into it and it even has its own brand new adventure to boot, so it’s the perfect game to start with for anyone looking to explore this series. Europe: if you’re bursting to get this game, and you want some bonus goodies as well, it might be an idea to put your name down for it now before the game drops on February 28th.