Let's Talk Samurai Shodown
Jul 10, 2006 15:00:28 GMT -5
Post by Discoalucard on Jul 10, 2006 15:00:28 GMT -5
So, I think I'd like to start on a Samurai Shodown article. However, I'm not entirely as well versed in it as King of Fighters. But that article worked really well with a bunch of people contributing, so let's try it again, I guess! Ultimately I'd love to have a Summer of SNK, and get up for articles for this, Last Blade, Fatal Fury, Savage Reign/Kizuna Encounter, World Heroes and Art of Fighting. That might be a bit overambitious though.
SS1: One of the first weapon based fighters. One of the most popular since it was ported to so many systems, even though Earthquake is missing from most of them. The main boss was Amakusa.
SS2: Widely regarded as one of the best fighting games ever made, if mostly because it's the most balanced, and doesn't include any of the "improvements" of later games that ended up making things worse. Added in Cham Cham, Caffeine Nicotine, Reinhardt Seiger and Genjuro, the "rival" for Haohmaru. The boss is Mizuki (ARGH). Barely got any home ports though, besides a Windows PC release and a version for the Playstation.
SS3: Kind of a minor reinvention, changed the control system to emphasive sword attacks over kicks. Adds air-blocking and moves that sound kind of like KoF tactical rolls. Removed a bunch of old favorite characters but added a few new faces like that umbrella kid (forget his name), Rimuru, Basara (I think he came in here), and Amakusa as a regular character. The boss is Zankuro. I've played maybe five minutes of this so this is the one I'm sketchiest on. I know the PSOne release came to American and had ridiculous load times. Apparently this one is much darker graphically than the rest, according to Wikipedia? I really can't see this, the first two were dark as well. Also introduced the Bust/Slash variations, which kinda made up for the slim character roster.
SS4: Gets rid of the some of the sketchier "enhancements" of SS3 like the air blocking, and readds some old characters like Charlotte and Jubei. I know there are some new characters like that fire guy, and the boss is Amakusa once again. Generally just a less broken version of SS3, I guess. Also has the cool suicide manuevers. I have the Saturn version, and there's still a bunch of annoying slowdown. The PSOne version is apparently worse but adds Cham Cham in two player mode.
SS5: Created by Yuki Enterprises. Ditches the Slash/Bust system, but separates some of the entities in their own characters. Control systems has been changed again to make one of the buttons the "dodge" button. New characters include that white haired bow/arrow girl Mina (and her stupid little animal friend), that giant beast Kuso-something, that guy with the wacky haircut Yoshitora (I think?) and that old Chinese martial arts guy. The boss is Gaoh. Lots of mixed opinions on this one, it seems. Some people hate it, while others think it's okay, even though it's not SS2 level. Apparently it's really unbalanced? There's also this power called Concentration One which slows down time, but I've never used it.
SS5 Special: Refined version of SS5 with new backgrounds and playable bosses from all previous SS games. Was scheduled for a PS2 port in Japan but got canned. Last Neo Geo game ever.
SS6 / SS Tenka: "Dream match" for the Atomiswave featuring every character in the series plus a few new ones, including a bishounen version of Andrew Jackson, a blade-wielding maid, and something that appears to be a sentient puppet stage (??) Allows you to pick six different "spirits", which are sort of like Grooves from Capcom Vs SNK, that determiens the play system - each are based off a previous game in the series. The game is way too bright and happy, and much of the atmosphere of the previous games is gone.
I'll have to skip the Hyper 64 titles for now, since they're not emulated. I would love to get the board, but that's not financially feasible at the moment. The Playstation title is actually a completely new game, technically the third 3D game, and is apparently total trash.
There's also Samurai Shodown RPG, which I have for the PSOne, and is really quite slow.
So not counting the portable games, that's pretty much it.
A few general questions - first, is there anything major that really separates Samurai Shodown from Last Blade? I mean, other than the atmosphere and the countering system, they both seem pretty similar.
Second, most of the games use the POW system, right? As in, you take damage, and eventually turn red. I know your offense is stregthened, but I've heard your defense is weakened. Is this true? Also, I've never figured out the super moves in any Samurai Shodown, is this how they've executed?
Finally, what's the deal with the "fatalities"? I know in SS1 and 2, if you land a heavy slash on an opponent to finish them, you'll either create a fountain of blood or chop them in half. But later games (like SS4 and SS5 Special" brag about fatalities, are these the same thing?
SS1: One of the first weapon based fighters. One of the most popular since it was ported to so many systems, even though Earthquake is missing from most of them. The main boss was Amakusa.
SS2: Widely regarded as one of the best fighting games ever made, if mostly because it's the most balanced, and doesn't include any of the "improvements" of later games that ended up making things worse. Added in Cham Cham, Caffeine Nicotine, Reinhardt Seiger and Genjuro, the "rival" for Haohmaru. The boss is Mizuki (ARGH). Barely got any home ports though, besides a Windows PC release and a version for the Playstation.
SS3: Kind of a minor reinvention, changed the control system to emphasive sword attacks over kicks. Adds air-blocking and moves that sound kind of like KoF tactical rolls. Removed a bunch of old favorite characters but added a few new faces like that umbrella kid (forget his name), Rimuru, Basara (I think he came in here), and Amakusa as a regular character. The boss is Zankuro. I've played maybe five minutes of this so this is the one I'm sketchiest on. I know the PSOne release came to American and had ridiculous load times. Apparently this one is much darker graphically than the rest, according to Wikipedia? I really can't see this, the first two were dark as well. Also introduced the Bust/Slash variations, which kinda made up for the slim character roster.
SS4: Gets rid of the some of the sketchier "enhancements" of SS3 like the air blocking, and readds some old characters like Charlotte and Jubei. I know there are some new characters like that fire guy, and the boss is Amakusa once again. Generally just a less broken version of SS3, I guess. Also has the cool suicide manuevers. I have the Saturn version, and there's still a bunch of annoying slowdown. The PSOne version is apparently worse but adds Cham Cham in two player mode.
SS5: Created by Yuki Enterprises. Ditches the Slash/Bust system, but separates some of the entities in their own characters. Control systems has been changed again to make one of the buttons the "dodge" button. New characters include that white haired bow/arrow girl Mina (and her stupid little animal friend), that giant beast Kuso-something, that guy with the wacky haircut Yoshitora (I think?) and that old Chinese martial arts guy. The boss is Gaoh. Lots of mixed opinions on this one, it seems. Some people hate it, while others think it's okay, even though it's not SS2 level. Apparently it's really unbalanced? There's also this power called Concentration One which slows down time, but I've never used it.
SS5 Special: Refined version of SS5 with new backgrounds and playable bosses from all previous SS games. Was scheduled for a PS2 port in Japan but got canned. Last Neo Geo game ever.
SS6 / SS Tenka: "Dream match" for the Atomiswave featuring every character in the series plus a few new ones, including a bishounen version of Andrew Jackson, a blade-wielding maid, and something that appears to be a sentient puppet stage (??) Allows you to pick six different "spirits", which are sort of like Grooves from Capcom Vs SNK, that determiens the play system - each are based off a previous game in the series. The game is way too bright and happy, and much of the atmosphere of the previous games is gone.
I'll have to skip the Hyper 64 titles for now, since they're not emulated. I would love to get the board, but that's not financially feasible at the moment. The Playstation title is actually a completely new game, technically the third 3D game, and is apparently total trash.
There's also Samurai Shodown RPG, which I have for the PSOne, and is really quite slow.
So not counting the portable games, that's pretty much it.
A few general questions - first, is there anything major that really separates Samurai Shodown from Last Blade? I mean, other than the atmosphere and the countering system, they both seem pretty similar.
Second, most of the games use the POW system, right? As in, you take damage, and eventually turn red. I know your offense is stregthened, but I've heard your defense is weakened. Is this true? Also, I've never figured out the super moves in any Samurai Shodown, is this how they've executed?
Finally, what's the deal with the "fatalities"? I know in SS1 and 2, if you land a heavy slash on an opponent to finish them, you'll either create a fountain of blood or chop them in half. But later games (like SS4 and SS5 Special" brag about fatalities, are these the same thing?