<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
released	O
the	O
previous	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
in	O
2008	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
2	I-Application
expands	O
on	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
aspects	O
of	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
while	O
limiting	O
or	O
removing	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fights	O
in	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
2	I-Application
mark	O
the	O
progress	O
of	O
the	O
chosen	O
character	O
who	O
—	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
character	O
—	O
either	O
fights	O
to	O
regain	O
a	O
legendary	O
sword	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
opposing	O
school	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
characters	O
in	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
2	I-Application
are	O
exceptions	O
to	O
the	O
typical	O
opponent	O
roster	O
:	O
the	O
gun-wielding	O
Tsubame	O
and	O
Katze	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
yugiri	O
(	O
a	O
sword	O
which	O
is	O
quite	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
nodachi	O
but	O
wielded	O
like	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
)	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
original	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
final	O
boss	O
Hanzaki	O
is	O
now	O
a	O
selectable	O
weapon	O
,	O
but	O
is	O
only	O
accessible	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
battle	O
versus	O
the	O
unarmed	O
"	O
last	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Kagami	O
clan	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
selectable	O
weapons	O
—	O
rapier	O
(	O
which	O
does	O
not	O
appear	O
as	O
a	O
selectable	O
weapon	O
,	O
but	O
only	O
in	O
Highwayman	O
's	O
two-sword	O
stance	O
when	O
he	O
has	O
the	O
long	O
sword	O
equipped	O
)	O
,	O
sledgehammer	O
and	O
ninjato	O
—	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
boss-specific	O
"	O
Double-Bladed	O
Sword-Staff	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Special	O
Sabre	O
"	O
,	O
have	O
been	O
eliminated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
weapons	O
usable	O
by	O
both	O
schools	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
)	O
have	O
a	O
slightly	O
different	O
design	O
for	O
each	O
school	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
is	O
the	O
point	O
from	O
which	O
the	O
opening	O
FMV	B-Application
begins	O
,	O
covering	O
the	O
assault	O
which	O
is	O
later	O
seen	O
more	O
fully	O
in	O
the	O
story	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
the	O
playable	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
have	O
returned	O
,	O
including	O
Red	O
Shadow	O
,	O
Mikado	O
,	O
Kannuki	B-Application
,	O
Tatsumi	O
,	O
Utsusemi	O
,	O
and	O
Black	O
Lotus	O
(	O
now	O
known	O
as	O
Highwayman	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Kannuki	B-Application
,	O
Mikado	O
,	O
and	O
Tatsumi	O
are	O
in	O
the	O
starting	O
roster	O
and	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
opening	O
FMV	B-Application
along	O
with	O
Kaun	O
,	O
Gengoro	O
,	O
and	O
Jo	O
of	O
the	O
Shainto	O
,	O
Red	O
Shadow	O
,	O
Utsusemi	O
,	O
and	O
Highwayman	O
are	O
not	O
and	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
unlocked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
characters	O
have	O
two	O
outfits	O
—	O
one	O
for	O
the	O
story	O
mode	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
for	O
the	O
other	O
play	O
modes	O
,	O
while	O
unlockable	O
fighters	O
use	O
a	O
single	O
costume	O
for	O
the	O
entire	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
a	O
gunman	O
or	O
gunwoman	O
(	O
Katze	O
and	O
Tsubame	O
from	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
)	O
and	O
a	O
secret	O
"	O
clown	O
character	O
"	O
for	O
each	O
clan	O
are	O
unlockable	O
by	O
satisfying	O
certain	O
requirements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kannuki	B-Application
–	O
A	O
starting	O
character	O
who	O
returns	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mikado	O
–	O
A	O
starting	O
character	O
who	O
also	O
returns	O
from	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Has	O
unique	O
attacks	O
with	O
any	O
sword	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
sword-dances	O
for	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
nodachi	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
nodachi	O
one	O
being	O
unique	O
to	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
returns	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
slightly	O
aged	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
very	O
proficient	O
with	O
Japanese	O
swords	O
—	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
nodachi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
,	O
his	O
sword-dance	O
with	O
the	O
nodachi	O
is	O
the	O
same	O
as	O
with	O
Katana	B-Operating_System
,	O
compared	O
to	O
Tatsumi	O
's	O
unique	O
one	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
female	O
ninja	O
from	O
the	O
first	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
,	O
who	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
student	O
of	O
Utsusemi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Her	O
support	O
characters	O
are	O
Kannuki	B-Application
and	O
Nightstalker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Can	O
perform	O
a	O
throw	O
on	O
the	O
opponent	O
when	O
equipped	O
with	O
long	O
sword	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
extra	O
dash	O
attacks	O
,	O
similarly	O
to	O
Mikado	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
katana	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
support	O
characters	O
are	O
Suminagashi	O
and	O
Kannuki	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Can	O
throw	O
enemy	O
with	O
any	O
weapon	O
,	O
aside	O
from	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proficient	O
with	O
lighter	O
weapons	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
long	O
sword	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
a	O
kabuki	O
actor	O
,	O
he	O
made	O
his	O
debut	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
as	O
a	O
sub-boss	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
man	O
is	O
strong	O
(	O
albeit	O
not	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
Kannuki	B-Application
)	O
,	O
making	O
him	O
better	O
with	O
heavy	O
weapons	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
is	O
also	O
proficient	O
with	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
and	O
has	O
both	O
the	O
backup	O
sheathe	O
maneuver	O
(	O
which	O
he	O
can	O
also	O
do	O
with	O
a	O
nodachi	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
separate	O
sheathed	O
stance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
sidearms	O
are	O
knives	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
can	O
perform	O
a	O
grab	O
with	O
katana	B-Operating_System
,	O
nodachi	O
,	O
or	O
yari	O
equipped	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Can	O
back	O
up-sheathe	O
both	O
the	O
katana	B-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
sword	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
has	O
a	O
pet	O
frog	B-Algorithm
instead	O
of	O
a	O
sub-weapon	O
that	O
can	O
temporarily	O
scare	O
other	O
female	O
characters	O
(	O
with	O
the	O
exception	O
of	O
Tsubame	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
,	O
interestingly	O
,	O
Hongou	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
left	O
on	O
floor	O
,	O
the	O
frog	B-Algorithm
will	O
wander	O
around	O
the	O
stage	O
until	O
it	O
is	O
either	O
picked	O
up	O
or	O
hops	O
off	O
the	O
stage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Throws	O
a	O
katana	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
2	I-Application
has	O
a	O
GameRankings	O
aggregate	O
score	O
of	O
77%	O
based	O
on	O
11	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
the	O
top-selling	O
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
the	O
week	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
week	O
after	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
Bushido	B-Application
Blade	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
the	O
ninth-best-selling	O
game	O
during	O
the	O
week	O
of	O
November	O
13	O
,	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
Japanese	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
rating	O
it	O
five	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
kudos	O
to	O
Square	O
for	O
trying	O
such	O
a	O
different	O
approach	O
to	O
begin	O
with	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
refining	O
it	O
in	O
such	O
a	O
fearless	O
manner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
US	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
rating	O
it	O
five	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
this	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
few	O
times	O
we	O
've	O
seen	O
a	O
sequel	O
match	O
its	O
predecessor	O
in	O
originality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
game	O
belongs	O
on	O
every	O
serious	O
PlayStation	B-Device
fan	O
's	O
shelf.	O
"	O
</s>
