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Drug Lord 2 Game

For every good and bad player of this game, there will be a good and bad samurai. These are their stories.

Samurai #1 -- named for Gogandantess, the self-proclaimed "greatest swordsman in history" -- is the virtuous opposite of his namesake. As he begins the game feeding on a rice ball given to him by a poor, mute orphan, he makes a vow to himself to repay the debt at all costs. Though he's a ronin, he's not without a sense of honor, and he befriends the poor, mute girl by defending her from a gang of shabby criminals. Afterwards, at the poor, mute orphan's job at the Amakaze Inn, Gogandantess learns that not only is the girl indentured to the inn's owner, but she doesn't even know how to read or write.

An honorable sort, Gogandantess takes it upon himself to educate the poor, mute orphan … but the selfish owner of the inn refuses to let her servant waste her time with such foolishness. After some persuasion from Gogandantess, she grudgingly agrees, but insists that the lost time be made up for with one thousand mon and a stick of incense. By doing odd jobs for the outwardly-gruff-yet-warm-hearted town doctor, Gogandantess is eventually able to purchase the poor, mute orphan's time away from her hard-hearted mistress, and make a difference in the life of one innocent, poor, mute orphan in this cruel world.

Samurai #2.-- let's call him Ted -- is, on the other hand, not particularly virtuous or even terribly competent. After chowing down on the rice ball offered by the poor, mute orphan, he yells at her to get lost, then picks a battle with the same gang of thugs out of sheer bloody-mindedness. The chip on his shoulder goes unrewarded, as the thugs beat the tar out of him, and he's forced to recuperate in the inn, despite being penniless. When he blithely informs the innkeeper the next morning that he can't pay, he's run out of the place on a rail, and finds himself unwelcome in every single establishment in the city thereafter.

Except, of course, for the local Aota group's headquarters, who are only too happy to enlist him in their samurai drug running gangster cartel. His first task is to bring in the daughter of the former Aota lord, which he deliberately botches by beating up the other Aota thugs sent to retrieve her. Fortunately for Ted the callow samurai, this wins the trust of the daughter, and he manages to convince her to return to the Aota hideout, completing his mission by dumb luck. Looking to escape with his life before his fortunes turn sour, Ted skips town, and is never heard from by either the magistrates or the Aota gang again.

These are but two stories of samurai, good and bad, who have passed through our humble village. Many more are possible, but the full range won't be unveiled until Way of the Samurai 2's release this July.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in 1UP.