Samurai Shodown Longplay (Neo Geo) [QHD]

Game Info
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Developer: SNK
Publisher: SNK
Year of Release: 1993

Game Review & Impressions
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Of all gaming genres, it's perhaps the versus fighting game with which SNK's Neo Geo became most synonymous. Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown all morphed into prominent and successful franchises, and it's the latter which is the focus of this particular longplay.

Each franchise differentiates itself from the others by focusing on a specific feature-set, and I feel this is true of Samurai Shodown. This is a game focused on one-on-one duels between combatants armed with swords and other melee weapons, where timing and precision striking becomes key to victory. Each character's weapon and fighting style has an impact on the tactics required to defeat opponents, something I noticed during my playthrough. By no means sedantary, the combat feels slower paced than, where precision is rewarded with a higher 'Hitting Percent' bonus at the end of a round.

I'd consider Samurai Shodown to be in a tranche of games I'd consider to be second generation Neo Geo titles. The graphics, artwork and animation are all noticeably improved when compared to launch titles, with developers really hitting their stride with the machine. Whereas Fatal Fury looks rather outdated and simplistic, Samurai Shodown still looks great, even today. The multiple sequels would continue to improve artistically and visually, but for the first entry in the franchise, it still looks great.

Perhaps the final thing I wanted to touch on is the level of violence. While this lacks the more overt, spine-tearing ludicrousness of Mortal Kombat, the combat in Samurai Shodown quite visceral. Hitting fleshy opponents with sharp objects elicits a sanguine spray from the wound, whilst landing a final blow results in the game pausing momentarily to really let the impact of the blow, as well as the sense of victory -- or loss, if you're on the receiving end -- sink in, followed by a fountaining geyser of blood from the defeated opponent. On a rare occasion, the fallen combatant is cleaved in two, and despite the absence of blood, it's actually quite shocking. The body is wrapped in a straw shroud and carted off-screen during the victory screen by a pair of flunkies, which is all rather macabre.

From presentation to gameplay, Samurai Shodown is a fine fighting game, one that's likely to appeal to a broader audience. Without the need to memorise a zillion combinations and have pro-gamer reaction speeds, this is a fun game with satisfying combat mechanics.

Information & Trivia
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Video Notes
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Related Longplays & Videos
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