#Samurai shodown ii wii virtual console portable#
#Samurai shodown ii wii virtual console series#

Strangely enough, the main 2D sequels are numbered only in the Western releases, while they only have subtitles in the Japanese games.

#Samurai shodown ii wii virtual console portable#

There are six main fighting games in the series, one RPG interpretation, two original portable titles and four 3D installments. Although not nearly as over-the-top as Mortal Kombat, characters frequently cut their opponents in half or finish them off with a fatal blow to their jugular. Compared to other Japanese fighting games, the action is also extremely bloody. These tunes are geared towards creating a desolate and lethal mood, all in service of complementing the deadly gameplay.

#Samurai shodown ii wii virtual console series#

While there are several songs throughout the series that make use of electric guitars and the typical styles found in contemporary 2D fighters, the majority of the music makes use of traditional Japanese instruments like the shakuhachi along with subtle strings. Additionally, a judge character (named “Kuroko” or “Slick” Sukihiro) watches over each fight, declares its beginning and ending, and signals successful strikes with his flags.Ītmosphere is a big part of the Samurai Shodown experience. In certain installments, a delivery man named Hikyaku will randomly run by to toss extra items onto the battlefield, such as food (good) and bombs (bad). Samurai Shodown also takes a note from Art of Fighting, and zooms out when the characters get farther away from each other, allowing for a dynamic view of the duel. This added layer of depth is where the real intensity of the classic Samurai Shodown games comew from and is one of the major reasons it became so popular immediately upon its release. While these mind games are a usable in any fighting game, the Samurai Shodown series was the first to reward them with the inherent nature of its fighting engine.

In result, the older Samurai Shodowngames are all about tricking your opponent into going for a big hit and then countering. As a drawback, the characters have a much longer recovery period after most powerful moves. The difference here is that the control response is lightning fast, and a single well timed button press can take off more than half an opponent’s energy. At a glance, the fighters’ movements and attacks appear to be much more slower than most fighting games. The Samurai Shodown franchise is infamous for its tense pacing. Instead of fighting barehanded, the combatants duel with Japanese katanas, European rapiers, pole arms, and scimitars. Samurai Shodown‘s main draw was that it deviated from the norm by arming all of its characters.

The first entry into the series was released in 1993 for SNK’s then-new MVS system. The game wowed both fighting game enthusiasts and general gamers alike with its uniquely implemented weapon based combat, colorful graphics and sound, and incredible atmosphere. When Samurai Shodown first appeared in arcades in 1993, it was a breath of fresh air in a genre already becoming known for rehashes and knock-offs.

Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden.