Dairojo Samurai Defenders is a downloadable tower defense style game for DSi. The game is set in Japan’s Edo historic period, and enemy troops are marching along the path to destroy your castle. Strategically place your own troops along the road to defeat the waves of invaders to protect your castle. If enough of the enemy reaches your castle, it’s Game Over.

There are several kinds of troops you can place along the path. As long as you have enough coins, you can place whatever troops you like. Spear troops are good for ground targets, and gunners and cannons are more powerful. Archers are great for aerial fighters such as ninjas flying on kites. And generals raise the power of troops around them. You can upgrade your troops as you play, too.

Enemies come in all kinds as well: marching ground troops, flying kite ninjas, underground diggers, and even bosses! If you destroy enough of them, you’ll earn a power-up. These power-ups can help you repair your castle or hinder the enemy’s progress.

There are several different play modes here. Normal Mode has your standard pre-set stages to master. Score Attack challenges you to get the highest score possible. In Random Mode, the map is regenerated randomly each time you play, for endless possibilities. And finally, there is a Vs. Mode for two players.

The only problem I had was that it’s a VERY difficult game. The challenge ramps up even on the very first level of Normal Mode. The enemies just keep on coming! Plus, for such a simplistic game, I’d like to see it at a lower price point. But if you enjoy tower defense games, this one may be worth checking out anyway, especially if you like a challenge!

Kid Factor:

Dairojo Samurai Defenders is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence. Even though you are fighting soldiers, the violence is minimal as defeated enemies just disappear and make a tiny squeak. Reading skill is helpful, and the game is really best enjoyed by older kid gamers because of the difficulty.

Tags: Game Reviews