Review - Samurai Shodown
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:14 pm
Originating on the Neo-Geo, an arcade system that played host to a ridiculous number of fighting games, Samurai Shodown (and it's sequel) rised above the competition to become one of the premier brawlers of it's day. The popular fighter would soon land on the 3DO, with Crystal Dynamics handling the conversion. How does the 3DO version fare?
Most of the fighting games on 3DO have unique features that (for better or worse) make them stand out among the crowd. Way of the Warrior features digitized fighters, a licenced soundtrack, and tons of secrets. Ballz features 3d gameplay and a good sense of humor. Supreme Warrior features full motion video and b grade acting, etc... Samurai's unique angle is that all of it's characters have weapons (think a 2D Soul Calibar) There is the option to remove the weapons, but why bother? To do that takes away much from the game's personality. Another unique feature of the game is that some of the characters have animal allies to fight alongside them. This helps differentiate Samurai from other 3DO arcade fighting game ports like Street Fighter and Primal Rage.
Twelve characters are available to choose from, and there is some good variety among them. They are well represented with bright and colorful graphics. Special moves are plentiful, and are also nicely presented. Personally, I would have liked to see more emphasis on weapons combat and less on fireball type moves, but at least these are visually appealing. Each of the characters have unique backgrounds that (for the most part) are also attractively presented. There is some good variety to be found here as well. I still occasionaly notice details that I missed on prior plays. One nice graphical touch is how the camera will zoom in and out depending on the distance between the fighters. It is done quite effectively, and is not in the least bit distracting. Anice visual package.
The music is appropriate, although honestly I do not find it that memorable. (Is it any better than the Neo Geo version?) Sfx vary from solid to very poor (the fireworks on Ukyo's stage sound awful, while the storm winds and howling dog on Hanzo's stage are nicely done) Solid overall.
There are a few extra features scattered throughout the game. Sometimes the fighters will lock up, and you will be prompted to punch a button to seperate them. The end result varies ... sometimes you lose your weapon, sometimes your opponet does. Sometimes you both lose your weapons, and sometimes no one does. This adds some variety to the fighting and is fine. Other things though, like the Pow meters, and the random dropping of coins and food during the fight seem gimmicky in my opinion. There is also bonus stages, that remind me a bit of whack-a-mole. They are not very creative, and I find them rather dull. Thankfully they are limited.
I have a few quirks with the game. One, load times tend to be a bit long. They average around 10 seconds between the begining of each contest. When you add these with the opening taunts, arriving at the fight location, introductions etc... it can amount to annoying wait between fights. Also, at the end of each contest, the background graphics for some reason tend to speed up considerably. This is especially noticable on busy stages with lots of background activity (spectators appear as if they are having seizures!)
The blood factor, although featured prominetly in Crystal's advertisements ('Just another day by the pool' ... of blood!) I found to be quite limited. No complaints mind you, as I don't think it's needed, and prefer it without anyway, but players expecting Mortal Kombat level gore will be dissapointed. (It is mainly noticable at the end when an opponent is defeated, and then very briefly) Still, since SNK evidently censored this from previous home conversions, fans of the original have reason to be happy that 3DO is true to the arcade. (This feature can be turned off)
Frankly I found a couple other things more disturbing than the limited use of blood. It wasn't the characters being chopped in half (this is rare, and happens so quick it is hardly noticable) but some of the victory scenes. It is kinda creepy seeing the loser being carried off in a shroud.
Also some of the taunts ('In this scene I rip open your belly') are a bit gruesome. Granted, it is no Mortal Kombat, but it also quite a step up from SFII. I think the computer AI in Samurai is quite smart, and early on I'm guessing you may die alot if you aren't overly familiar with the original. Opponents adapt to your fighting style (I noticed that moves I used for victory in round 1 would usually not work in round 2) With practice though, I learned to hold my own, catch on to the computers patterns, and adapt myself. Some advice you could consider is to stick with one character you like and learn all their moves before going on to another. I found it worked best for me, and it may for you also. Difficulty is adjustable though, so gamers of all skill levels should be able to have fun.
Overall, I have fun playing this game. I don't think that it neccesarily has the playability of Super Street Fighter II (the 3DO's best fighting game hands down imo) but it has enough good things in it's favor to warrant repeated plays. I still continue to come back to it all these years later, and I plan to spend some more time with it so that I can be proficient with each character. More than anything, this speaks to me of the games value. In this age of 3D fighting games, their is something satisfying about playing a game of this style. I don't know if I would call Samurai Shodown a great game, but it certainly is a very good one.
-Trev
Seriously?