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Samurai Shodown | |
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![]() 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.
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.
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.
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.
Main series games in bold.
English title | Japanese title | Platforms | Release Date |
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Samurai Shodown | サムライスピリッツ (Samurai Spirits) | 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 | July 7, 1993 |
Samurai Shodown II | 真サムライスピリッツ 覇王丸地獄変 (Shin Samurai Spirits Haōmaru Jigokuhen) | Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, Neo Geo X, iOS, Android, PlayStation Network | October 28, 1994 |
Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood | サムライスピリッツ 斬紅郎無双剣 (Samurai Spirits Zankurō Musōken) | Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Network, Virtual Console, Neo Geo X | November 15, 1995 |
Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa's Revenge | サムライスピリッツ 天草降臨 (Samurai Spirits Amakusa Kōrin) | Arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Network, Virtual Console | October 2, 1996 |
Samurai Shodown RPG | 真説サムライスピリッツ 武士道列伝 (Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits Bushidō Retsuden) | Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Sega Saturn | June 27, 1997 |
Samurai Shodown 64 | 侍魂 ~SAMURAI SPIRITS~ (Samurai Spirits) | Arcade | December 19, 1997 |
Samurai Shodown 64: Warriors Rage | SAMURAI SPIRITS 2 アスラ斬魔伝 (Samurai Spirits 2 Asura Zanmaden) | Arcade | October 16, 1998 |
Samurai Shodown! | サムライスピリッツ! (Samurai Spirits!) | Neo Geo Pocket | December 25, 1998 |
Samurai Shodown! 2 | サムライスピリッツ! 2 (Samurai Spirits! 2) | Neo Geo Pocket Color | April 30, 1999 |
Samurai Shodown: Warriors Rage | 剣客異聞録 甦りし蒼紅の刃 サムライスピリッツ新章 (Kenkaku Ibunroku Yomigaerishi Sōkō no Yaiba Samurai Spirits Shinshō) | PlayStation, PlayStation Network | December 22, 1999 |
— | ナコルル~あのひとからのおくりもの~ (Nakoruru ~Ano Hito kara no Okurimono~) | Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast | July 6, 2001 |
Samurai Shodown V | サムライスピリッツ零 (Samurai Spirits Zero) | Arcade, Neo Geo, PlayStation 2, Xbox | October 10, 2003 |
Samurai Shodown V Special | サムライスピリッツ零SPECIAL (Samurai Spirits Zero Special) | Arcade, Neo Geo, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Network, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One | April 22, 2004 |
Samurai Shodown Mobile | サムライスピリッツ-魔界輪廻記- (Samurai Spirits -Makai Rinne Ki-) | iMode Mobile | July 4, 2005 |
Samurai Shodown VI | サムライスピリッツ 天下一剣客伝 (Samurai Spirits Tenkaichi Kenkakuden) | Arcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Network | September 14, 2005 |
Samurai Shodown Mobile II | 侍魂~四面楚歌~ (Samurai Spirits ~Shimensoka~) | iMode Mobile | November 21, 2005 |
Samurai Shodown Mobile III | 侍魂天下無双タイピング~魔界転生の章~ (Samurai Spirits Tenka Musō Typing ~Makai Tenshō no Shō~) | EZweb Mobile | January 12, 2006 |
Samurai Shodown Sen | サムライスピリッツ閃 (Samurai Spirits Sen) | Arcade, Xbox 360 | April 17, 2008 |
Samurai Shodown Anthology | サムライスピリッツ 六番勝負 (Samurai Spirits Rokuban Shōbu) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii | July 24, 2008 |
Samurai Shodown Slash | — | iOS, Android | October 14, 2014 |
Samurai Shodown: The Legend of Samurai | サムライスピリッツ:朧月伝説 (Samurai Spirits: Oborozuki Densetsu) | iOS, Android | December 3, 2018 |
Samurai Shodown | サムライスピリッツ (Samurai Spirits) | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Microsoft Windows, Arcade, Xbox Series X/S | June 25, 2019 |
Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection | サムライスピリッツ ネオジオコレクション (Samurai Spirits Neo Geo Collection) | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows | June 11, 2020 |
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.
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.
Daiki Nakamura is a Japanese voice actor. Some of his best-known work includes Gaine in The Brave Express Might Gaine and Grandpa in Grandpa Danger.
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.
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; despite using the Warriors Rage subtitle in America, it is a different game than 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Samurai Shodown V Special is the ninth entry in SNK's Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. It is an upgraded version of the game Samurai Shodown V and is the last official game for the Neo Geo platform. A further upgraded version of the game called Samurai Shodown V Perfect was location-tested in late 2004, but not officially released until it was included in the Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection in 2020. However, the fully uncensored version was released only in arcades on exA-Arcadia on September 29, 2022.
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a fighting game designed for the Atomiswave arcade board developed and released by SNK in 2005. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. Subsequently, a PlayStation 2 version of the game was released in Japan, North America, and Europe. The Xbox Live Arcade version was released worldwide on June 9, 2010. In 2020, a homebrew conversion was released for the Dreamcast.
Kong Kuwata is a Japanese voice actor, television and theatrical actor, radio announcer and gospel singer. He is an active member of the theatrical group, Lilly Boat Army 2 and the Cube Group talent agency. He is best known for his roles as Geese Howard from the Fatal Fury series and Genjuro Kibagami from the Samurai Shodown series.
Samurai Spirits Sen (サムライスピリッツ閃) is the fourth 3D game in SNK Playmore's Samurai Shodown series of fighting games, and the eleventh overall title in the series. The arcade version was released in most countries as Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny, and Shi Hun: Mingyun zhi Ren in China. The Xbox 360 version was released as Samurai Shodown Sen.
Samurai Shodown Anthology is a 2008 fighting game compilation featuring the Samurai Shodown series released by SNK Playmore for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Wii. This release does not include Samurai Shodown V Special, which added significant changes to the first version of the game. It was re-released as a downloadable game on the PlayStation Store for PSP on October 1, 2009.
Samurai Shodown, known in Japan as Samurai Spirits, is a fighting game developed and published by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. Released in 1993, it is the first installment in the Samurai Shodown series. In contrast to other fighting games at the time, which were set in modern times and focused primarily on hand-to-hand combat, Samurai Shodown is set in feudal-era Japan and was SNK's first arcade fighting game to focus primarily on weapon-based combat.
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.
Yūko Ōno is a Japanese voice actress from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. She is known for her roles as Yuzu in Konohana Kitan and Aya Asagiri in Magical Girl Site.
The King of Fighters All Star (KOFAS) is a beat 'em up action role-playing game developed by Netmarble Neo and published by Netmarble. It was first released in Japan on July 26, 2018, for the iOS and Android. The game is a retelling of SNK's The King of Fighters games with the player being able to create their own team as they battle across multiple annual tournaments. It was released in English regions on October 22, 2019. A Microsoft Windows version is also available, starting from its beta version on February 10, 2022. The game is planned to end service on October 30, 2024.