Samurai Shodown

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Samurai Shodown
Shodownlogo.png
Samurai Shodown logo
Genre(s) Fighting
Developer(s) SNK
Yuki Enterprise (V, V Special)
Publisher(s) SNK
Sega (VI in U.S.)
Creator(s)Yasushi Adachi
Composer(s) Yasuo Yamate (Tate Norio)
Platform(s) Arcade, Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Neo Geo X, 3DO, FM Towns, Game Gear, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega CD, Dreamcast, Super NES, Game Boy, Nintendo Switch, Wii, Virtual Console, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Network, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Live Arcade, iOS, Android, Stadia, Microsoft Windows
First release Samurai Shodown
July 7, 1993
Latest release Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection
June 11, 2020

Samurai Shodown, known in Japan as Samurai Spirits, [lower-alpha 1] is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat.

Contents

Plot

The stories in the series take place in 18th-century Japan, during the Sakoku or seclusion period of Japan (the first four games run across 1788 and 1789) with great artistic license so that foreign-born characters (including some from places that did not exist as such in 1788) and fictional monsters can also be part of the story. The plot of each game is quite different, but they circle a central group of characters and a region in Japan.

Samurai Shodown consequently portrays snippets of the Japanese culture and language internationally with little edits. For instance, unlike most fighting games made in Japan, the characters in the series (including the announcer) generally speak only in Japanese, with dialects ranging from archaic formalities and theatricalism to modern-day slang, something that has been preserved for overseas releases. Win quotes and other cut scenes provide subtitles in several languages, including but not limited to English, Portuguese, and German. Much of the music includes traditional Japanese instruments (predominantly the shakuhachi, shamisen, koto and taiko) and later enka . Several characters are loosely based on real figures from Japanese history.

Development

There are two main artists responsible for the character designs and illustrations. For the early games (Part 1 to 4), the characters are created and illustrated by Eiji Shiroi. His illustrations featured a distinctive, traditional Japanese calligraphy style. While he continues to design for a few of the later games, they are illustrated by another artist named Senri Kita until the fifth title.

The Samurai Shodown games are most famous for their "Rage" (怒) gauge, a meter that only increases as a player receives damage, and which when fully activated has numerous effects depending on game. Earlier games also have a referee in the background, officiating the match.

Characters

Over the course of years since the first game, the Samurai Shodown games (excluding spin-offs) have come to feature over 80 playable warriors. The most famous among them include Haohmaru and Nakoruru, who are both considered the series' flagship characters. [1] Characters directly inspired from historical figures and keeping their names, like Hattori Hanzō and Yagyū Jūbei, are present as well.

Games

Main series games in bold.

English titleJapanese titlePlatformsRelease Date
Samurai Shodown Samurai Spirits
(サムライスピリッツ)
Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, 3DO, FM Towns, Game Gear, Game Boy, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega CD, Super NES, PlayStation, Virtual Console, PlayStation Network 07-07-1993
Samurai Shodown II Shin Samurai Spirits Haōmaru Jigokuhen
(真サムライスピリッツ 覇王丸地獄変)
Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, Neo Geo X, iOS, Android, PlayStation Network 10-28-1994
Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood Samurai Spirits Zankurō Musōken
(サムライスピリッツ 斬紅郎無双剣)
Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Network, Virtual Console, Neo Geo X 11-15-1995
Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge Samurai Spirits Amakusa Kōrin
(サムライスピリッツ 天草降臨)
Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Network, Virtual Console 10-25-1996
Samurai Shodown RPG Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidō Retsuden
(真説サムライスピリッツ 武士道列伝)
Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn 06-27-1997
Samurai Shodown 64 Samurai Spirits
(侍魂 ~SAMURAI SPIRITS~)
Arcade 12-19-1997
Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage Samurai Spirits 2 Asura Zanmaden
(SAMURAI SPIRITS 2 アスラ斬魔伝)
Arcade 10-16-1998
Samurai Shodown!Samurai Spirits!
(サムライスピリッツ!)
Neo Geo Pocket 12-25-1998
Samurai Shodown! 2 Samurai Spirits! 2
(サムライスピリッツ! 2)
Neo Geo Pocket Color 04-30-1999
Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage Kenkaku Ibunroku Yomigaerishi Sōkō no Yaiba Samurai Spirits Shinshō
(剣客異聞録 甦りし蒼紅の刃 サムライスピリッツ新章)
PlayStation, PlayStation Network 12-22-1999
Nakoruru ~Ano Hito kara no Okurimono~
(ナコルル~あのひとからのおくりもの~)
Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast 07-06-2001
Samurai Shodown V Samurai Spirits Zero
(サムライスピリッツ零)
Arcade, Neo Geo, PlayStation 2, Xbox 10-10-2003
Samurai Shodown V Special Samurai Spirits Zero Special
(サムライスピリッツ零SPECIAL)
Arcade, Neo Geo, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Network, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One 04-22-2004
Samurai Shodown MobileSamurai Spirits -Makai Rinne Ki-
(サムライスピリッツ-魔界輪廻記-)
iMode Mobile07-04-2005
Samurai Shodown VI Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuden
(サムライスピリッツ 天下一剣客伝)
Arcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Network 09-14-2005
Samurai Shodown Mobile IISamurai Spirits ~Shimensoka~
(侍魂~四面楚歌~)
iMode Mobile11-21-2005
Samurai Shodown Mobile IIISamurai Spirits Tenka Musō Typing ~Makai Tenshō no Shō~
(侍魂天下無双タイピング~魔界転生の章~)
EZweb Mobile01-12-2006
Samurai Shodown Sen
Samurai Spirits Sen
(サムライスピリッツ閃)
Arcade, Xbox 360 04-17-2008
Samurai Shodown Anthology Samurai Spirits Rokuban Shōbu
(サムライスピリッツ 六番勝負)
PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii 07-24-2008
Samurai Shodown Slash iOS, Android 10-14-2014
Samurai Shodown: The Legend of SamuraiSamurai Spirits: Oborozuki Densetsu
(サムライスピリッツ:朧月伝説)
iOS, Android 12-03-2018
Samurai Shodown Samurai Spirits
(サムライスピリッツ)
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Microsoft Windows, Arcade, Xbox Series X/S 06-25-2019
Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection Samurai Spirits Neo Geo Collection
(サムライスピリッツ ネオジオコレクション)
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows 06-11-2020

Adaptations

A television special loosely based on the first game, internationally titled Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture (SAMURAI SPIRITS 〜破天降魔の章〜, Samurai Spirits: Haten Gōma no Shō), aired in Japan in 1994. An English dub was produced by ADV Films, released on VHS in 1995 and on DVD in 2005. The plot is an altered retelling of Samurai Shodown (1993 video game), with such changes as switching Amakusa's gender from male to female and the inclusion of the “Seven Holy Warriors”, skilled warriors who were resurrected to specifically fight Ambrosia; the latter were never featured in any other Samurai Shodown story.

Several manga adaptations of Samurai Spirits were produced in Japan. One of them, titled Makai Bukei Jō Samurai Spirits (魔界武芸帖 サムライスピリッツ, Samurai Spirits: Scrolls of the Demonic Arts), written by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and illustrated by Yuki Miyoshi, was serialized in the Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1994. It was later adapted into English under the simplified titled Samurai Shodown by Viz Media in 1996, where it was serialized in the short-lived Game On! USA magazine and concluded in Animerica . The story is meant to be a prequel to Samurai Shodown II , establishing an original character, Yui Minbunosuke Shosetsu, as the main antagonist. Game characters Haohmaru, Nakoruru, Hanzo, Charlotte, and Genan remain the focal characters to the plot. They often interacted with several original characters in the story; the most prominent perhaps is the Koga kunoichi, Nagiri, who believed Haohmaru had killed her father during his travels and sought to avenge him.

The first anime OVA, the two-part Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaeden, serves as a preface to the events of Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage . Character designs were done by Aoi Nanase, a longtime fan of SNK. Unlike most game-based anime, the voices were supplied by the same actors as in the game. It is relatively obscure, never having been released in the U.S., and the prospect of licensing is dim at best, as it offers no introduction to any of the characters, assuming (not unreasonably) that anyone watching it is likely to be familiar with the series and its cast already. The story mainly revolves on Nakoruru and her humanistic ideals: she believes that anyone with a heart has the right to live peacefully. Shiki, though apparently free from Yuga's influence, is recognized as a threat for the sorcerer's return and it was through Nakoruru's reasonings that previously saved her life from Haohmaru. Nakoruru finds her and then struggles to peacefully defend her from her pursuers, which include Haohmaru, Galford, and Asura. Though torn because of her morals and pacifistic nature, Nakoruru eventually agrees to draw her blade and fight for those who need protecting. Despite being wounded in his final skirmish with Nakoruru, Asura stabs Shiki and they both sink into a portal to the underworld. Making peace with her blood-thirsty alter ego, the Ainu priestess leaves Kamui Kotan, hoping to find news of Shiki's safety.

The second 30-minute OVA, Nakoruru ~Ano hito kara no okurimono~ (OVA) , centers around the Nakoruru ADV game, again using Nakoruru as the main heroine. Character designs were done by Yasuomi Umetsu, who is best known for his work in Mezzo Forte and Kite . The events of the story are meant to take place during the time of peace between the first and second games of the series. The story introduces her childhood friends, Yamtamu and Manari, along with her younger sister, Rimururu, and the relentless enigma, Rera. Nakoruru, though glad that there is serenity, experiences several premonitions of devastation and is haunted by the thought of further bloodshed. The climax of the episode has Nakoruru protecting a deer from a rock slide, implied to be caused by evil entities. For undisclosed reasons, the OVA never released another episode and the story remains unfinished.

In 2006, Sabertooth Games released a Samurai Shodown V collectible card game set along with The King of Fighters 2006 for its Universal Fighting System (UFS) collectible card game. Featured character starter decks were also released for Haohmaru and Ukyo Tachibana. STG staff favorites from the Samurai Shodown side tend to favor towards characters Nakoruru and Hanzo Hattori.

See also

Notes

  1. Japanese: 侍魂 (Kanji) / サムライスピリッツ (Kana), Hepburn: Samurai Supirittsu

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakoruru</span> Fictional character

Nakoruru is a fictional character in the Samurai Shodown series of fighting games by SNK. She is one of the series' best known and most popular characters alongside its main protagonist Haohmaru, and has been introduced in the original Samurai Shodown in 1993. Nakoruru is a good-hearted, young Ainu shrine maiden who loves nature and fights evil with the help of her hawk sidekick Mamahaha. She has a younger sister named Rimururu and an aggressive, and bloodthirsty darker side alter-ego known as Rera. As one of SNK's popular mascot characters, Nakoruru has also appeared in many other games and other media.

<i>Samurai Shodown IV</i> 1996 video game

Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge is the fourth in SNK's flagship Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. Chronologically, it is the second and final chapter of a story between Samurai Shodown and Samurai Shodown II, with Samurai Shodown III being the first chapter. Samurai Shodown! on the Neo Geo Pocket is a monochrome adaptation of this game, and it was followed by Samurai Shodown! 2 on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, which is a 2D adaptation of Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage.

<i>Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage</i> 1998 video game

Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, known as Samurai Spirits 2: Asura Zanmaden in Japan, is a 3D fighting game produced by SNK for its Hyper Neo Geo 64 system. It is the follow-up to the original Samurai Shodown 64 on the same platform. A PlayStation game was released as part of the same series, and it used the Warriors Rage subtitle in America but dropped the 64 from the title. However, it is not the same as 64: Warriors Rage. Samurai Shodown! 2 on the Neo Geo Pocket Color is a 2D adaptation of this game, and a sequel to Samurai Shodown! on the Neo Geo Pocket which was a monochrome adaptation of Samurai Shodown IV.

<i>Samurai Shodown 64</i> 1997 video game

Samurai Shodown 64, known as Samurai Spirits in Japan, is a 3D fighting game produced by SNK for its Hyper Neo-Geo 64 system. It was SNK's first 3D fighting game. After having released four Samurai Shodown games on the Neo-Geo, SNK announced that they would be producing a new arcade hardware platform, this one 64-bit and with extensive 3D capabilities. Although it was never ported to home consoles, it was followed by a second 3D installment titled Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage.

<i>Samurai Shodown II</i> 1994 video game

Samurai Shodown II, known in Japan as Shin Samurai Spirits: Haōmaru Jigokuhen, is a 1994 fighting game released as the second entry in SNK's Samurai Shodown series. Like the original Samurai Shodown, the sequel was initially released for the Neo Geo arcade and home system.

<i>Samurai Shodown III</i> 1995 video game

Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood is an arcade game developed by SNK and released on November 15, 1995. It is the third game in SNK's Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. While it is the third game in the main series, it is the first part of a two-chapter story that is chronologically set between the events of Samurai Shodown and Samurai Shodown II.

<i>Samurai Shodown! 2</i> 1999 video game

Samurai Shodown! 2 is a handheld game in SNK's Samurai Shodown series of fighting games, released on the Neo-Geo Pocket Color in 1999. Unlike its predecessor, which was released for the monochrome Neo Geo Pocket, it features full color graphics. It was designed as a conversion from the most recent game in the Samurai Shodown series, Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage, and almost all of its story events, endings and cutscenes are derived from its arcade cousin. Almost all of the characters from Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage are included. It also re-added two series favorites who were not in the arcade release, Charlotte and Yagyu Jubei.

<i>Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage</i> 1999 video game

Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage, known as New Chapter of Samurai Spirits, Strange Tale of the Swordsman: Revival of the Blue and Red Blade in Japan, is the seventh game in SNK's Samurai Shodown series of fighting games, and the third 3D game. It was designed for the original Sony PlayStation console.

<i>Samurai Shodown V</i> 2003 video game

Samurai Shodown V is the eighth game in SNK's Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. It was one of the last games to be released on the Neo Geo. This title takes place before the first Samurai Shodown.

<i>Samurai Shodown VI</i> 2005 video game

Samurai Shodown VI, known as Samurai Spirits: Tale of the World's Greatest Swordsman in Japan, is the tenth iteration in the Samurai Shodown series.

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Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture is a Japanese animated television special based upon the 1993 SNK video game Samurai Shodown. It was released by SNK in association with Fuji TV and NAS and animated by both Studio Comet and Studio Gazelle.

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References

  1. "The Mini SNK Companion". Retro Gamer. 187.