Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble

Did You Know?

• Famitsu gave the game a score of two eights and two sevens for a total of 30 out of 40.
• Famitsu listed it as one of the magazine's Best PSP Games of 2008.
• The game received "average" reviews according to Metacritic.

Plot

The story follows Takashi Sakamoto, a bancho who reluctantly joins his school field trip to the fictional city of Kyouto after being told he will fail the year if he does not attend. He meets his best friend Yohei and other friends on the train. Upon arrival, Yohei accidentally bumps into another bancho, leading to a fight. Takashi learns that all schools are visiting Kyouto for one week and that 47 banchos are competing to be the toughest guy in Japan. He accepts the challenge while also dealing with the Shinsengumi of Ikeda, the strongest shabazos of the town.

Gameplay

The player names their bancho and school, chooses a hometown in Japan (each granting a different starting special move), and challenges rival banchos to become number one. The game is sandbox-style, allowing free roaming through Kyouto's streets. The player can pick fights with "shabazo" (weaklings) using the "Menchi Beam" stare-down, followed by a trash-talking quick time event before battle; attacking enemies off guard initiates immediate combat but affects the player's Bancho rating. An RPG system lets the player level up to learn new moves and grow stronger. Defeating a bancho makes them the player's peon (partner), who can be summoned via cellphone. The player can change outfits, moves, and weapons from their inn room, and obtain items to restore health, energy, and spirit or temporarily boost stats. Item capacity depends on pocket count, influenced by clothing. Travel between districts is on foot or via paid transportation. Itineraries detailing bancho locations by time of day, gained by defeating shabazos, help locate rival banchos.