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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, The
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 16 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Ska Studios
Genre(s): Action, Platform
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: April 1, 2009
Summary
[Xbox Live Arcade] The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is a 2-D stylistic action platformer for Xbox LIVE Arcade showcasing fast action, deep gameplay, and a unique visual style. An undead samurai dishwasher in a dystopian universe is on a quest for revenge against the evil cyborg army. To dispatch hordes of zombies, cyborgs, and robots, the Dishwasher has at his fingertips a devastating array of attacks using ancient blades, disturbing machinery, and screen-obliterating Dish Magic. Compete with the rest of the world in a variety of speed run and high score challenges to become the most formidable Dishwasher yet. Fresh take on gameplay: Gameplay in The Dishwasher is a fresh take on popular stylistic action combat, taking combo- and timing-intensive combat into a 2-D, blood-soaked environment emphasizing speed, vertical movement, and maneuverability, and player-driven pacing to create a truly unique, fluid and visceral experience, with an appealingly psychotic art style. New game modes with guitar peripheral: The Dishwasher has arcade co-op, drop-in solo campaign co-op, and drop-in solo phantom guitar co-op using the guitar peripheral. Phantom guitar players can unload electric death by playing wicked solos, perform basic movement, and use the guitar's motion control to rip through enemies with a razor-sharp headstock. The power of XNA: The Dishwasher is a testament to the power of XNA. The game was created by one guy with no professional game development experience (and a self-described lousy programmer) in about a year and a half. [Ska Studios]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
ZTGameDomain
Probably the most fun I have had playing an XBLA game, so far. With its simple to learn and use controls to the ton of levels you can play, I can see why this game was so talked about when it made its first run on the XNA.
Read Full Review >Team Xbox
While Dead Samurai’s gameplay could have used a bit more Dawn for it to truly shine, the visuals and overall presentation value makes this unique, indy-produced IP easily worth its 800-point asking price.
Read Full Review >WonderwallWeb
A Xbox Arcade title that shows all of the big publishers how to make a good game. Fun for both high score gamers and beat-em-up fans.
Read Full Review >Games Master UK
An immensely enjoyable and visually stunning game. [July 2009, p.82]
Impulsegamer
As a complete package, The Dishwasher : Dead Samurai is good value at 800 points, and is a nice modern touch on a classic arcade style.
Read Full Review >Gamer.nl
The Dishwasher made its way from a community game to a fully equipped Xbox Live Arcade title. And it even competes with the big boys. Keep in mind that the game has a very high difficulty setting and that only the true Dishwasher will get to the end.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine
For those of us who like a little tough love with our games, Dishwasher's ironclad challenge and simple-but-effective design scratch an itch few games can reach. [Feb 2009, p.83]
Read Full Review >Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
A 2D fighter with a 3D combo system; The Dishwasher is a huge chunk of game for a small price. [Apr 2009, p.102]
Eurogamer
For those who persist with The Dishwasher, however, there's a deep and interesting set of mechanics here, which ought to appeal to fans of Viewtiful Joe, God Hand and perhaps even those a little disappointed by MadWorld.
Read Full Review >NZGamer
An incredibly fun (albeit seriously depraved) experience. If you're a fan of side-scrolling games and aren't easily offended, grab the demo at least - just be sure and play it long after the kids have gone to bed.
Read Full Review >Destructoid
The Dishwasher may be too difficult to handle, but please remember that the game shines the brightest when you have all of the weapons unlocked and are tasked with fighting more than two or three starter enemy types -- don’t let the demo’s simplistic nature fool you.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
Beneath The Dishwasher's grungy surface is an original and polished take on a genre that may yet have its best years ahead of it. [June 2009, p.96]
games(TM)
By far one of the strongest downloadable titles of the year so far. [June 2009, p.121]
GamePro
Easy isn't easy and difficulty levels above that are just stupidly tough.
Read Full Review >Meristation
James Silva and Ska Studios did a good job with The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, a very nice beat'em up without a deep storyline, but a great gameplay that remind us the classic games of the genre. This is not the "new Castle Crashers", but it's really a game that deserves an opportunity.
Read Full Review >GameFocus
For those who love a real challenge and enjoy a good bloodbath will go head-over-heels for what The Dishwasher has to offer. The tight controls and long length make this a valid purchase for those who want to experience a test even if the story is fairly weak.
Read Full Review >X360 Magazine UK
For a single designer, though, a cracking effort. [Issue#40]
SpazioGames
The Dishwasher Dead Samurai has a great design, unique style and funny gameplay, but it lacks in detail quality. After few hours of gameplay you could get bored because of its repetitive mechanics, and a too-short story mode. Online Multiplayer is too far, in terms of functionality, from Castle Crashers; so consider the game only if you want to play in single or in local, trying to get better scores everyday.
Read Full Review >PALGN
Apart from a few bad design issues and ridiculous premise, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai has most of the elements required for a good and possibly even a great game.
Read Full Review >MS Xbox World
The gameplay is fun enough to make you want to come back, just not fun enough to make you never want to leave. On the bright side, there is co-op play, so if you and a friend are looking to shoot the breeze while you whack away at some bad guys, this just might be your cup of Bancha.
Read Full Review >Game Revolution
If you dig the sort of masochistic experience found in bullet hell shooters and beat 'em ups like Alien Hominid, there is a challenge, albeit a repetitive one, in Dead Samurai.
Read Full Review >Teletext GameCentral
For a game that won an amateur game design contest, this lacks in both imagination and implementation.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Matthew P gave it an8:
This is a good title on XBLA. Dishwasher is not without its small flaws, but what more can you really want out of 800 MSP? It has lots of levels, lots of modes, a variety of enemies, weapons, bosses, levels, and so on. If it has any setback it's probably the co-op settings, which are either local but not online, online but not local, or neither. See Castle Crashers as a better example of co-op implementation.
Adam R gave it a9:
The game is a simple, yet brutal side-scrolling brawl fest, caked in vast quantities of blood and creative ideals. The game basically revolves around out Protagonist, who was a dishwasher before he died and his heart ripped out, goes on a mission of revenge, revealing the storyline along the way in short comic-book like strips. The graphics have a dark grunge-like style, the music is a "gothic" feudal-Japan era composition (accompanied by the occasional electric guitar). This game earns the M-rating, being VERY brutal, some of the execution techniques are very bloody and violent, and having a menagerie of weapons from meat cleavers to chainsaws, you hack and slash and some magic skills to kick ass through a TON of levels. Also, there's a few "guitar-hero" themed sections, which earn you points based on accuracy (a perfect rewarding an item needed to upgrade gear and etc) with a spetacular light show as the song progresses (yes, you CAN use the guitar controller for it). Very cheap, tons of fun, suggest buying, plain and simple.
