Neo geo - Samurai Shodown

[soulsas]

The year was 1993. While Capcom remained the great manipulator of minds and hearts with Ryu's gang in the arcades, SNK moved not to create a copy, but a game with totally different dynamics and atmosphere, incredible gameplay, excellent graphics and killer sound. To this day, the sound of the sword duel, as you smash the buttons to disarm your opponent, is still in my mind... just like turning around a nearly lost battle with a powerful sword blow.
During the Tokugawa Shogunate, strange events begin to cause panic among the population, such as constant signs of war, plagues and phenomena of unexplained origin. Tokisada Amakusa takes advantage of the situation, preaching a new religion with which he is believed to have been resurrected after being executed by the forces of the Shogunate - for which he harbors hatred and a desire for revenge.
Linked to evil forces, he preaches this false religion using the body of the son of the ninja Hattori Hanzo. When the fame of his deeds spreads, warriors from all over come to fight him and return things to normal.
As in World Heroes, the plot is slightly based on historical facts, such as the Tokugawa Shogunate. Characters are inspired by real people, such as Haohmaru, who bears a slight resemblance to Myamoto Musashi, one of the most famous samurai of the era portrayed in the game. The ninja Hanzo appears representing himself and Jubei refers to the samurai Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi. With good poetic license, of course.

Playing Samurai Shodown for those who are used to the ease of six buttons a la Street Fighter can be difficult at first: one weak attack button (one for kicking and one for the sword) and one medium attack button, making a total of four buttons. With the weak attacks, the chance of hitting the enemy is greater because it's a quick blow, but it doesn't do much damage.
If you press both buttons together, you get a very strong but slow blow. The strong sword is cruel and takes a lot of energy if it hits hard; a well-placed blow changes the story in complicated fights.
The controls are smart, simple, there are no “super moves”, “super combos” or other such gimmicks, except for a power bar (which fills up as you get hit) and the more nervous the character, the more energy he draws from the enemy when he hits him.
The commands are basic, like half-moon + punch and the like, but the bulk of the gameplay lies in the weapons, in being able to land a blow, making combat very technical and even tense.

Every now and then a chubby citizen passes by throwing things like roast chickens, which give a bit of energy, and bombs, which, as expected, do a lot of damage. Also note the movements of Kuroko, the judge, who uses flags to indicate who has landed the blows and won the fight. In Samurai Shodown II, he was more than just a figurehead, but that's for another time.

The level of violence is high, so much so that the game is rated for mature audiences. In the Neo-Geo arcade, the blood gushes red, with a realistic scream. After all, they're sword blows and the impression is that you've not only wounded but finished off your opponent in one decisive blow. In the home version, they've replaced it with a jet of something white, and cuts in half are gone.
The audio is undoubtedly the best part of the game (and the game is great). It reinforces the oriental atmosphere, with a narrator with a heavy Japanese accent at the beginning and end of the rounds.

The sounds of swords clashing are clear and loud, as are the effects and voices, with many spoken in Japanese. The drums and oriental instruments in the performance are chilling for anyone who appreciates the culture or just enjoys samurai movies.
The songs, although not the kind that stick, follow the line of each scene, creating an impeccable setting. Galford calling his dog “Hey Poppy”, Charlotte's jovial and energetic voice and the Gen-An beast's screams and mocking laughter are memorable, as are the noises in general (the sound of bundles of straw being cut, the sound of each character jumping, the sound of a fire crackling, etc).
1993, now distant in my memory, was truly a magical year and Samurai Shodown helped build it for video games

 

[UnDubious]

Nice writeup. Samurai Shodown wasn't the first weapon-based 2D fighter set in feudal Japan - Kaneko released Shogun Warriors a year and a half earlier. But SS is the one that had the impact because it was the better game and the one that stood out with its own rhythm and mechanics.

BTW, Amakusa himself is also a real historical character, the leader of the Christian (the "new religion, haha) Shimabara rebellion against the Tokugawa's persecution. The whole "revived after his death in an alliance with evil" thing and this particular look for the character (the real Amakusa was 17 years old and looked nothing like that) is straight lifted from Samurai Reincarnation/Makai Tensho, a hit movie from 1981 adapted from a '60s novel.

 

[thanonyx]

I remember when I was a kid the pizza place next door to me had a SamSho arcade machine. My aunt was pretty good at it but me, not so much. She's was a Nakoruru main back then and I liked playing either Haohmaru or Hanzo.

 

[Cosmiken]

The first time I played SamSho 1 was at the bowling alley during a summer camp field trip. When I discovered you could chop your opponents in half without a fatality input, I spent the rest of my allocated pocket money on it the rest of the day.