The early nineties was the golden age of the fighting genre. The explosion of classic, genre-defining games like Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat were taking the arcade world by storm, and igniting a firestorm of copycats, clones, and downright horrible knockoffs. Everywhere gamers looked, whether it be arcades, store shelves, advertisements, or gaming magazines, every company had their own spin on the latest fad to sweep through the industry.
In 1993, there were three undisputed champs at the top of the fighting heap: Street Fighter 2 (and its countless variations), the Mortal Kombat franchise
(mainly for its over-the-top gore and realistic character models), and SNK’s Samurai Shodown.
SNK, or Shin Nihon Kikaku, started out in the 80s by making games for the Famicom. However, they were best known for their arcade games, delivering lush graphics and classic gameplay. This prompted the company to release what was to be considered the Cadillac of video game consoles: the Neo Geo AES (Advanced Entertainment System).
The guts of the Neo Geo were identical to those used in SNK’s arcade hardware, thus allowing gamers to have the same experience at home as at the arcades. The large, sleek, black console came with two four-button arcade sticks, which also duplicated their arcade counterparts. A cool feature was the innovation of the memory card – the first of its kind – which allowed gamers to save their game at the arcade and then bring the card home and continue on the Neo Geo. The system offered a home gaming experience unlike any other up to that point. However, that pleasure came with a hefty price. When SNK brought the Neo Geo to the United States in 1990, the console cost roughly $900 and each game could run between $150 and $300. You read that correctly; $300 each. With price tags like that, SNK
gamers consisted of either only the extremely hardcore gaming fanatic, or the spoiled rich kid.
Hardcore or Insane?
Neo Geo fans live paycheck to paycheck. While in the NG’s heyday, gamers were accustomed to paying a couple hundred dollars for games, the collector’s value for some of the games since then has gone through the roof. Gamers looking for an arcade perfect home version of Double Dragon will pay up to $650. Think that’s crazy? Well then, the people who put down in excess of $2500 for the original Metal Slug must be criminally insane! It seems there’s no end to the fanaticism of the Neo Geo fan. So if you’re thinking of getting into the insanity, bring a deep pocket book. You’ll need it!
The instant portability of arcade games filled the Neo Geo library with fantastic shooters, side-scrolling action games, and of course, fighters. King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, and Art of Fighting all made flawless appearances on the Neo Geo. But none left the impression that Samurai Shodown did.
Samurai Shodown, released in 1993, was a classic fighter in every sense of the word. Visually, esthetically, and stylistically, SS excelled in every way. Known as “Samurai Spirit” in Japan, the game featured twelve unique and very memorable characters, each with their own different strengths and weaknesses. As with most fighting games, the object is to win two out of three rounds, progressing through stages until the final showdown…or shodown, as it were.
Each character has their own special moves, but one of the features that made SS so unique is the ability to fight with or without your weapon. For example, Haohmaru (my character of choice) will drop his sword when performing a throw. The player then has the choice of retrieving the sword or kicking ass
barehanded. Samurai Shodown also features interactive environments, oftentimes having dogs or other animals running through the foreground. Littered throughout stages are crates, barrels, totem poles, and other objects ready to be destroyed. Breaking the objects will allow you to pick up coins, giving you a higher score.
The action in Samurai Shodown is intense, yet thoughtful. The name of the game is counterattacking, and learning this feature will win matches. Much like the more recent Virtua Fighter 4, you won’t win a match in Samurai Shodown by simply button mashing. Blocking and countering attacks is vital and the timing of these actions can provide some incredible results. For example, if the characters’ weapons collide at the precise moment, it’s possible to break your opponent’s weapon. Other times, you can catch your opponent’s weapon between your palms and throw him/her to the ground with it! Amazing, huh? I know! It was little intricacies like these that helped Samurai Shodown from the bazillions of me-too fighter clones that flooded the market in the early 90s.
Graphically, as with all Neo Geo games, Samurai Shodown crushed the home console competition. SNK’s huge sprites and lush color schemes were well known to arcade aficionados and Samurai Shodown was a perfect example of what they were capable of. The backgrounds were highly detailed, exhibiting an ancient Japanese flair. Fighting arenas consisted of ornately drawn paper walls, bamboo huts, and lakes overshadowed by mountains in the distance.
As impressive as the locales were – and still are to this day – the character models were also quite exceptional. Each character has excessive personality and flair, with brightly colored costumes, detailed
weaponry, and active facial expressions. In battle, the weapons spark when they meet and the characters react accordingly. At the time, these features were unrivaled in the fighting genre.
The music in Samurai Shodown does everything right. Most fighting games are plagued with clichéd wank-rock guitar riffs that may be high energy, but don’t necessarily fit the tone of the game. When fighting near a serene, ancient Japanese garden, doesn’t it make more sense to hear the sounds of a shamisen and koto rather than some Yngwie Malmsteen inspired cock rock? Of course it does. And in this category, Samurai Shodown delivers huge. Not only that, but SNK set the different soundtracks to suit the appropriate setting. Yes, you’ll hear the taiko drums when battling in Japan, but the music does liven up, bordering on the aforementioned guitar rock when you duel in San Francisco.
The sound effects are equally tasteful. The clanging of swords, the grunting of struggling opponents, and even the crack of fireworks in the background all give each stage a living, breathing feeling, unlike the static backgrounds of other fighters of that time.
Samurai Shodown was a huge hit for SNK; one of their biggest. Just for some perspective on how popular the game was, it went on to be ported to the 3DO, SNES, Genesis, Saturn, Game Gear, Sega CD, Game Boy, and the PlayStation. The game was definitely ahead of its time in features and gameplay, and to this day remains one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Samurai Shodown went on to receive three fabulous sequels, an RPG for the Sega Saturn, and an animated series. With the resurgence of SNK Neo Geo USA via Playmore, a new Samurai Shodown, titled Samurai Shodown Zero is now in development and will be released in Japanese arcades this fall. With any luck, 2004 will see the return of Samurai Shodown to US consoles.
Samurai Shodown is one of the more common games for the Neo Geo, and collectors can find the game at various sources on the internet for between $40 and $70. We recommend Neo-Geo.com as a good place to start.
