Nobunaga Oda. Say that name with me. Is that not a killer name for a man who once ruled Japan? But he couldn’t have done it alone. And one of his closest, and practically fearless, generals by his side was Katsuie Shibata. The grizzled old vet is old enough and wise enough to not have to carry anything flashy into battle—his two axes simply chopping down any foe he comes across almost methodically.
Toshiie Maeda:
The young protégé of Katsuie, he eventually serves under Hideyoshi. While he’s a little on the wild side, he also brings a fistful of hand weapons with him in a varied moveset. He can either fight with his twin polearms, or swing a wickedly jagged sword against foes.
Keiji Maeda:
If there’s one man who exemplifies the legendary exploits of Japan’s Warring period, it might just be him. The nephew of Toshiie, he’s famous for having held off an entire army with… eight horsemen. Beat that. His wild style and looks seem at odds with his uncles more serious attitude, but he’s as fierce a warrior as any.
Yoshimoto Imagawa:
OK, look, I know what you’re thinking. How can this pompous, whiny, pasty-faced piece of blubber even be a daimyo? And what’s with his fighting style?! No, it isn’t Japanese soccer, it’s kemari, an old sport introduced to Japan. And while Imagawa’s main claim to fame is that his army of some 25,000 got their ass kicked by Nobunaga’s 3,000 men, you can totally play Imagawa straight to victory instead, in Samurai Warriors 4.
It’s like having a very slow, but hilariously powerful soccer player on your side as Imagawa kicks, dribbles, and basically follows his little mari ball around to victory. Don’t expect speed to be his best asset however.
Samurai Warriors 4 is available for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in Japan.
