The surprising new XBLA-exclusive sequel to The Dishwasher: Last Samurai is The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile. Chronicling the continued journey of the Dishwasher, we are also introduced to his sister, Yuki. A bad-ass in her own right, Yuki has been charged with destroying the world and has been locked away on a prison ship. She’s more than a little unstable, missing parts of her sanity and an arm. Like her brother, she’s out to enact revenge on the men who ruined her life—in this case, the gravely named Banker, General and Judge.
Needless to say, she escapes from the prison ship with a new chainsaw arm and a series of new weapons ranging from a gigantic syringe to a Cloud-sword, a tongue in cheek reference to Cloud Strife’s famous Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII. Weapons aside, Yuki is furious with the men who locked her away, and her goal is to take them—and the oodles of sub-bosses below them—out for good. Vampire Smile follows in the footsteps of the first game’s adventure very well.
Between her new weapons and magical abilities, Yuki should be more than enough for returning players to handle. However, fans of the original Dishwasher will still be able to play as the hardened cleaner of eating utensils. His plot differs slightly from Yuki’s, as he follows her journey. He comes across the leftovers of her adventure, but there are plenty for him to hack away at. Between the two characters, Ska Studios is treating the game as two separate campaigns.
Cooperative play is the big addition, and two players can control both The Dishwasher and Yuki at the same time. Both local and online play are supported, so players will be able to take down enemies together. Additionally, there is a second co-op mode designed for non-gamers in mind. Following Yuki is a little black cat named Paka. He’s got bat wings, and if someone joins in with a second controller, they can fly the kitty around and shoot lasers from its eyes. It’s super cute, and when the kitty eats leftover limbs, you can’t help but be charmed. The Dishwasher also has a little controllable animal (a crow) who controls similarly.
There are also Arcade Challenges for those who might find the game a tad too easy. Brutally difficult, these challenges are designed to kick your butt. There is also something called the Dish Challenges, a free-for-all battle against waves of enemies complemented by a high score leaderboard that updates weekly. Outside of the story mode, this is where players will spend their time.
If you are like me and found the original Dishwasher to be a visually underwhelming game, I’ve got good news. Vampire Smiles not only looks much better than the original game, it even supports 3D. So if you are one of the lucky ducks out there with a 3D-capable TV, you most certainly should check out Vampire Smiles when it releases later this year. The Dishwasher: Vampire Smiles has lots of promise to its name. It was already a fairly respectable and appreciated Arcade title, and with more time end effort placed upon the sequel, it’s clear that Vampire Smiles is one to keep an eye out for.
